Sunday, January 29, 2012

1/22 RS Lesson: "Forget Me Not" -President Uchtdorf

This Sunday's lesson was from a talk given by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf at the September 2011 general Relief Society meeting.  The complete talk can be accessed online through the lds.org, "Forget Me Not," where you can read, print out, share, and listen to President Uchtdorf's message to the women of the church.


As President Uchtdorf reflects over a walk with his wife and daughter through a beautiful garden, he is reminded of the simple beauty of the forget-me-not flower that grows among all the other "glorious blooms."  Though he realizes that it could be easy to overlook such a small flower, he finds that "it is just as beautiful, with its rich color that mirrors that of the bluest skies."  


It was the five pedals of the forget-me-not flower that "prompted [him] to consider five things we would be wise never to forget."

  1. Forget not to be patient with yourself:   God is aware that His children are not perfect.  Everyone has strengths and weaknesses.  Even the smallest of successes are noticed by Him.  We must not take these personal improvements for granted, for they will strengthen us to become the great spirits God knows we are capable of being in the long-run.
  2. Forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice:  We need to ask ourselves, "Am I committing my time and energies to the things that matter most?"  "There are so many good things to do, but we can't do all of them."  "Heavenly Father is most pleased when we sacrifice something good for something far greater with an eternal perspective."
  3. Forget not to be happy now:  It is okay (and good) to work toward higher goals and achievements, but it is important not to overlook the simple things we experience and obtain as we strive for something better.  "The happiest people...are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments."
  4. Forget not the "why" of the gospel:  We sometimes focus too much on the "what" and "how" of the gospel.  (How we are supposed to live, what guidelines we must follow, etc...)  It is important to be aware of why we are doing what we're doing.  Keeping the eternal perspective in mind is important in becoming Christ-like.  When we do this, "the gospel ceases to become a burden and, instead, becomes a joy and delight."  
  5. Forget not that the Lord loves you: "You are not forgotten."  Each and every one of us is "known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful, and glorious Being in the universe!  You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time!"
In closing, President Uchtdorf hopes that the symbolism of the little forget-me-not flower will remind us of the simple joys in life and that each of us are "destined for more than [we] can possibly imagine."




1/15 RS Lesson: Chapter #2 "Love Thy Neighbour as Thyself"

This past Sunday, Sister Lathen presented a thoughtful lesson on Ch. 2 "Love Thy Neighbour as Thyself," which was taken from The Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith.  (You can listen, print, download, and share this lesson by clicking on the chapter title, which links directly to the church's official website.)


From President Smith's personal life, many remember him frequently "demonstrating  his love for others through countless acts of compassion."  Through his service to others, President Smith led by example and showed people that the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference.  Sister Stanger pointed out that it is good to teach our children this lesson because through service opportunities we can make truly memorable moments with our families.  


From President Smith's teachings, we are reminded that, "All people are our brothers and sisters, children of our Heavenly Father."  As we go about our day it is important to remember this and take the time to remind others that they are loved.  Sister J. Lathen added to this by saying we need to "Remember who [everyone we meet] is and act accordingly."  The lesson goes on to instruct us that in the next life we will not have eternal happiness unless we work to bring happiness to others in this life first.


We know that loving thy neighbor is a very important teaching of Christ, because it is emphasized in the gospel through the second commandment: "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law of the prophets." [Matthew 22:37-40.]  As members of the Church of Christ, we should follow His commandments, thus becoming less selfish and more caring of others, we in turn become more Christ-like.  


President Smith re-emphasizes that personal happiness comes from serving others and the amount of charity and service we exude is directly proportional to our happiness.  
  
A few  additional thoughts from our ward sisters:


  • We should do acts of service with joyous intent, not dread.  
  • Even the smallest acts can make a big impact.
  • As we become more like God, we change from being served to serving others.  
  • Good intentions count because it shows what is truly in our hearts even when we can't always serve others as often as we'd like.
  • Love the person, hate the sin.
As always, thank you to our teacher and the contributions of the ward sisters for this wonderful (and very important) lesson!

Riverside RS Scripture Reflection Book

Just a reminder that we are still asking the sisters in our ward to submit favorite scriptures and quotes for an insightful book we're making that will be handed out to everyone upon completion. If you'd like to be involved, please e-mail RiversidewardRS@gmail.com with your favorite scripture/quote and what it means to you. Or you can write it down on paper and turn it in to a member of the RS presidency or Sister Jones or Sister Griffith.  Thanks!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Facebook Page Update

We finally acquired an official link to Facebook!  From now on, to direct any interested sisters to our Facebook page, just have them go to: www.facebook.com/RiversideWardRS


This should make connecting to sisters even easier!  So get the word out and be thankful that technology allows us to stay updated on all that is happening in our ward Relief Society :)

Visit Teaching Interviews

Just a friendly reminder that visit teaching interviews started this Sunday (1/15) and will continue for the next few Sundays in January.  Sign-up sheets for scheduling an interview time are available during church or by contacting one of the RS presidency sisters.  It is important to attend an interview appointment so that the V.T. routes can stay updated with accurate contact information for all of our ward sisters.  


Also, mark your calendars for February 25th.  On that Saturday, there will be a luncheon held to celebrate visit teaching and all that it does to promote sisterhood in our ward.  All sisters are invited to attend.  Please remember that any and all effort put forth in connecting with sisters on your visit teaching route is greatly appreciated :)

Sunday, January 15, 2012

1/8 RS Lesson: Chapter #1 "Living What We Believe"

Sister Lee taught a wonderful lesson on Ch. 1 "Living What We Believe," which was taken from The Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith.  (You can listen, print, download, and share this lesson by clicking on the chapter title, which links directly to the church's official website.)  

President Smith listed 11 ideals that he committed to live by, which he called his "personal creed."  One of which was, "I would not be an enemy to any living soul."   Those that knew President Smith have said that he "truly lived by this creed."  

We can learn a lot from the example President Smith set as we strive to live as "obedient followers of the gospel."  Our continued effort is important because President Smith teaches us that "Heavenly Father expects us to prepare for and live worthy of His promised blessings."  The lesson goes on to say that "if we are doing our full duty, our lives give evidence of our belief in the gospel."

After reading the lesson, we are encouraged to reflect on personal principles that we try to follow and consider how we can give more evidence of our testimony through our actions.

Thank you Sister Lee for bringing the spirit to the RS meeting through the lesson you shared with us.  

Saturday, January 7, 2012

1/1 RS Lesson: Goals

Last Sunday, Sister Davis presented this month's Riverside RS presidency lesson on goals and resolutions.  She opened the lesson by reading a light-hearted Ensign article written by an LDS mother, entitled "The New Me Has Been Cancelled."  This story was all about setting goals for yourself that are realistic and achievable.  And about appreciating what you are able to accomplish, instead of getting down on yourself for what you haven't finished.


Sister Davis then referenced a talk by President Ezra Taft Benson entitled "Do Not Despair."  In this article, President Benson says the 12th way we can lift our spirits is through setting short- and long- term goals.  He reminds us to set goals in four specific areas of our lives: Spiritual, Social, Mental, and Physical.  A ward sister mentioned that through doing this we can evaluate ourselves and discover what we can change and how best to go about making that change. 


The last article Sister Davis read was from a talk entitled "Do Things That Make a Difference" by Elder M. Russell Ballard.  Four important points that Sister Davis shared with us were:

  1. Master the Skill of Setting Worthy Goals - It makes a difference when mastering goal setting, which allows you to move forward and keep trying to reach your goals without being weighed down by guilt.
  2. Develop Self-Discipline - Remaining focused on the goals with the proper attitude.
  3. Make Goals Happen - Matthew 5:48.  Reaching goals is a process, not an event.  Eliminate the bad habits and replace with ones geared toward the eternal good.
  4. Build a Good Self-Image - Remembering that you are a child of God and worthy of blessings in life.
At the end of the lesson, some of the ward sisters shared their wonderful thoughts on goals and resolutions:
  • Be proactive instead of reactive.
  • Take time to evaluate your goals at the beginning of each day and discern what you are able (and not able) to accomplish during that day.
  • We all go through seasons of life.  We must set realistic goals in whatever season of life you are living in.   
  • Time goes by very quick; enjoy the moment!
  • Be flexible and open to new goals that may be derived from goals you're already working towards.
  • Set smart, specific, and measurable goals.
  • Allow for time phase adjustments based on changes in life and your circumstances.
  • Feel and listen to the spirit!!
We appreciate insight many ward sisters shared with us and also the time that Sister Davis put forth in preparing this lesson.  The spirit was definitely felt throughout her message!