An amazing summary of the Regional Conference that was held in September. Thank you to whoever took these notes and shared it on google docs.
Regional Conference (please click here for the link)
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Lesson Schedule for Remainder of 2015
Over the last 2 months, we have had some adjustments made to our Relief Society lesson schedule for the remainder of this year. Here is the current "revised" schedule:
10/4 General Conference
10/11 Ezra Taft Benson Manual Chapter 19: Leadership (Teacher: Lyndsie Mendenhall)
10/18 Ezra Taft Benson Manual Chapter 20: "Feed My Sheep" (Teacher: Katia Brebberman)
10/25 Teachings for Our Time Elder Oaks, "The Parable of the Sower" (Teacher: Amy Groves)
11/1 Leader Training & Discussion (Teacher: Amy Carr)
11/8 Ezra Taft Benson Manual Chapter 21: Principles of Temporal and Spiritual Welfare
(Teacher: Lyndsie Mendenhall)
11/15 Ezra Taft Benson Manual Chapter 22: Carrying the Gospel to the World
(Teacher: Katia Brebberman)
11/22 Teachings for Our Time (from October 2015 conference) (Teacher: Amy Groves)
11/29 As Directed by Bishopric
12/6 Leader Training & Discussion (Teacher: Cynthia Ruchti)
12/13 Ezra Taft Benson Manual Chapter 23: "Strengthen Thy Stakes" (Teacher: Lyndsie Mendenhall)
12/20 Ezra Taft Benson Manual Chapter 24: A Christ-Centered Life (Teacher: Katia Brebberman)
12/27 Teachings for Our Time (from October 2015 conference) (Teacher: Amy Groves)
Food Storage Class: Wheat Handouts
Dear OH Sisters,
We are so blessed to have Libby Sharp as our ward food storage specialist! Over the last year, she has shared a variety of knowledge with the women in our ward regarding how to purchase, store, and utilize food storage "staples". She has held several "mini classes" at her home on a variety of topics. Please watch for announcements regarding the dates, times, and topics so that you can take advantage of and participate in this wonderful training if you desire.
Last month, Libby held a mini class of using wheat. Here are the handouts that were shared at this meeting:
Grains Cooking Sheet (please click on this link to see a copy of the handout)
Wheat With No Grinder (please click on this link to see a copy of the handout)
Please contact Libby Sharp if you have any additional questions or suggestions to add.
Thank you!
We are so blessed to have Libby Sharp as our ward food storage specialist! Over the last year, she has shared a variety of knowledge with the women in our ward regarding how to purchase, store, and utilize food storage "staples". She has held several "mini classes" at her home on a variety of topics. Please watch for announcements regarding the dates, times, and topics so that you can take advantage of and participate in this wonderful training if you desire.
Last month, Libby held a mini class of using wheat. Here are the handouts that were shared at this meeting:
Grains Cooking Sheet (please click on this link to see a copy of the handout)
Wheat With No Grinder (please click on this link to see a copy of the handout)
Please contact Libby Sharp if you have any additional questions or suggestions to add.
Thank you!
Sunday, September 6, 2015
PREPARE for Relief Society
Dear Sisters and Young Women,
We are looking forward to meeting together tomorrow during the 3rd hour at church! It is a wonderful opportunity for us to share our time, thoughts and testimonies with one another as women and young women. As Sister Marjorie Hinckley said, “Oh, how we need each other. Those of us who are old need you who are young. And, hopefully, you who are young need some of us who are old. It is a sociological fact that women need women. We need deep and satisfying and loyal friendships with each other.”6
We are excited to be seated among each other tomorrow and feeling strength in our divine role as daughters of God!"
We will be discussing a talk given by President Monson called "Be a Light to the World" click here for the link
Would you please spend a few moments reading through his address and as you do, please be thinking of the following questions;
1. How does knowing that I was endowed from birth with the Light of Christ help me share His light with others?
2. What am I doing each day to rely on the counsel of God and not on my own wisdom? How do I share Christ's light?
3. Have I had an experience or experiences of shining with and sharing God's light that have made an impact in my life?
If you would like to email any examples of your own experience of either personally sharing the light and truth of Christ, standing as a beacon of truth and light or having been on the receiving end of such an experience, I would love to share them during our class tomorrow. It can be done anonymously if you choose.
Thank you so much for participating in our discussion and your thoughtful preparation to add to the spirit of our meeting. See you tomorrow!
Love,
Hannah Jones
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Sabbath Day Observance: Sunday, August 31, 2015
The following notes are from Bishop Franson's presentation to the Orchard Hills ward on the importance of Sabbath Day observance. As a Relief Society, we would like to encourage our sisters to review these notes and to prayerfully consider how we might we fulfill the bishop's challenge of setting one goal that we can start to work on with our families to increase the power of the Sabbath Day in our individual lives and in those of our family. Pay particular attention to the beautiful promises that are given to those who keep this sacred commandment. They are powerful!
Introduction
What are you concerned about or what is concerning in the world?
What are trends that are concerning to you? (World, nation, community, home)
*Today we are going to discuss a powerful solution to these concerns and how to turn the tide on the effect these modern day trends have on our families.
Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone:
"Whenever we find problems in the church, we usually find them under one of two umbrellas or canopies: either transgression or lack of faith in Jesus Christ."
Sabbath Day Topic Introduction
(The bishop shared video clips from a general training meeting that was held by members of the 12 apostles and other general auxillary leaders. Unfortunately these clips are not available so we have summarized their messages below.)
Elder Nelson video clip:
- Concern for those who are lost, key for building and strengthening faith is Sabbath day observance, preventing the erosion of our faith
Elder Ballard video clip:
- Considerable time spent researching options, of all available … Sabbath day observance is key
First Building Block
Cornerstone is Christ
1 Peter 2: chapter summary
Helaman 5:12: build upon the rock
1 Cor 10:4: drink from the spiritual rock = Sacrament meeting
We, as a bishopric, hope you have heard this emphasis:
§ Worked hard to follow counsel of prophets and apostles
§ We will continue to remind for two reasons:
§ We all need reminders to learn
§ We are not all here every week, we miss things
§ Mission critical: proper understanding of doctrine of Sacrament will go a long way to proper observance of Sabbath day
§ It we don't have this as a basis, we are just going through motions
§ If you feel like you are going through motions, let's start today to improve
Learn Doctrine Directly from Apostles
Elder Anderson
Covenants are not stagnant
§ Renewing our baptismal covenants is not used in the scriptures
§ The sacrament is a beautiful time to commit to renew all our covenants
§ Sacrament is partaking of the fruit and renew our souls and our commitment
§ Covenants are not stagnant, they are active and require action
§ Power in covenants
§ When we make and keep covenants, the Lord will be yoked with us
Elder Holland
Personal, repeatable ordinance
§ Remember that this is an ordinance
§ Only ordinance that we repeat for ourselves
Elder Hales
Always remember Him, invitation to parents to prepare
§ Witnessing unto the Father
§ Mothers and fathers prepare the children so that they know
§ Turn toward the Lord and away from the adversary
Elder Oaks
Take upon us the name of Christ -> means to do the work of Christ
§ Seems to mean taking on the work of the Lord
§ Must be built upon the work of the gospel
§ All these things are done in the name of Christ
§ Forgiveness of sins comes through His name, salvation comes …, faith in or believe in in order to be saved, temples are built, proclaim his name
§ I will handle my share of the work of Christ, with that "great share" being what we are called to do
Discussion
How can we help deepen understanding of the significance of the Sacrament?
(The following are some of the answers shared by ward members in response to this question).
- Starts with training at home. We can discuss and practice skills such as sitting quietly, focusing, concentrating on tasks, etc.
- What are we bringing to sacrament meeting for our children to do? Is it different then the regular week day "activities"? Does it reflect where we are and who we should be focusing on?
- We need to prepare as individuals and families to partake in the sacred ordinance of the sacrament. We need to discuss what types of preparations would help us to this.
- Simply reminding our children on our way to church that we are preparing to participate in a sacred ordinance. Asking them to consider what we are doing this for?
Impact on Families and Sisters
What is the impact of this emphasis on Sacrament and Sabbath day observance on sisters and families?
Sister Oscarson video clip:
Special concerns for sisters during sacrament meeting
§ May feel like they are only attending as a form of habit or duty
§ Most come to fed and spiritually nourished
§ Single sisters come to be lifted in spirit
Sister Wixom video clip:
Children at church
§ Counsel together beginning in ward council
· Ask children what they can do
· Start the teaching at home
§ Be thoughtful and tolerant of children and those adults with children
· We need to be creatively persistent in helping children with reverence in church
· We can all be better in assisting those who need help in sacrament meeting
Sabbath Day Observance at Home
Up to this point, we have been focused on Sacrament meeting … what about the rest of Church and the rest of the day at home?
- Activity: Scripture Study
Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:20: Sabbath as a sign
D&C 59:9-10: Unspotted from the world
3 Nephi 18:9-12: Fulfilling the commandments of the Sacrament, building upon the rock of Christ
Genesis 2:2-3: Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ set the example
Exodus 20:8-11: part of Ten Commandments (also Deut. 5:12, Mosiah 13:16, 18:23)
Isaiah 58:13-14: not do thine own ways, not find thine own pleasure, … ride upon high places
Mark 2:27: Sabbath made for man, not man for Sabbath
When considering whether or not an activity might be appropriate for Sunday, stop and ask, "What sign am I giving the Lord in doing this activity on His day?"
What if this is overwhelming to me? Or I feel like a slacker?
Elder Christofferson
We might be tempted to criticize of judge ourselves … this is a NEW DAY
We need to avoid a "Wo is me…" attitude -- it begins with us now, we have the opportunity to change
Questions: Review as couples and/or individuals
Review the following questions, either with your spouse or on your own.
Take notes on your thoughts
What did you learn?
What did you learn that wasn't said?
What have you learned from what others have learned?
What are you [we] going to do moving forward?
Start today to make a plan. Click on the following links for a way to jump start the discussion at home with your family!
How Would Your Family Describe the Sabbath? (includes free printables to help family members write down and remember their goals!)
Making a Sabbath Day Plan (also includes a free printable to record your family's goal and post it somewhere as a reminder)
A Day To Focus on What Matters Most (a Mormon message and great FHE lesson to share)
Blessings of the Sabbath Day (a beautiful article with thoughts from members all over the world about the blessings they have seen in their lives from keeping this commandment)
The Sabbath Is a Delight (Elder Russell M. Nelson's talk from April 2015 General Conference)
Conclusion from Elder Bednar
Basic principle: make available priesthood ordinances and covenants to husband, wife, children to help them be happy at home
Multi-generational families
Sabbath Day observance at church and home should complement each other
This is the essence of Come Follow Me
Personal invitation to all non-members and less-active members to come and partake of the Sabbath Day
Testimony
§ Importance of multi-generational families
§ Key to sustained growth of the Church
§ Sustained preparation of our children
§ Focus of all we do as parents, grandparents, etc.
§ Importance of grandparents continued involvement
§ These things may seem like Sunday school answers
§ Quote from Dean: “They are not simply Sunday school answers…, they are "the" answers.”
§ They will help, that's why they are "the" answers
§ Elder Wirthlin
§ "The storms of the evil one [refer back to list at beginning] can be stopped at the very entrance of our homes."
§ Extremely powerful promise, that is what we want, isn't it?
§ Sabbath day observance can stop the storms
§ Christ is the key, faith in Him, we must look to the tree of life [Christ] ourselves and point others to Him
§ Ultimately, Sabbath day observance will lead to temple attendance
§ This is where we should be
§ Evaluate our demographics and circumstances
§ It should be our "calling card"
§ It is the key to multi-generational families
Challenge (from President Rich):
What is one thing that we can take from training that we can implement (or improve upon) as part of our responsibilities at home?
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Teaching Like the Savior in Our Homes
This year we have had several opportunities as a ward and stake family to learn and discuss how we can teach more like the Savior by studying elements of the new Come Follow Me curriculum that the youth have been using in their Sunday School and Young Men/Young Women classses. This method of teaching seeks to model the Savior's way of teaching in asking both the learner and teacher to engage in the process and recognize that the most important aspect of any teaching is personal conversion.
We used the following outline on Sunday in our discussion of how to utilize these principles in teaching within our homes.
Who are the people I have the greatest influence on in my
life? Within my home/family, whom has the Lord entrusted me with?
1.
___________________
2.
___________________
3.
___________________
4.
___________________
5.
___________________
6.
___________________
Teaching in the
Savior’s Way Means…
© He _______________ them.
© He _____________ who they were.
© He ______________________ himself.
© He used the
_________________________.
© He shared simple _________________,
______________________, and ______________________.
© He asked ______________________.
© He invited them to ______________________.
© He _________________ them.
© He _________________ them to act in
_______________.
© In every setting, He was their
__________ and __________.
CHECK THIS OUT:
We had a wonderful discussion about who some of our most influential mentors have been from the scriptures. We were challenged to read and study some of their stories this week and specifically identify how they used each of the steps listed above to teach their families. Some of the individuals mentioned were:
Lehi and Sariah
Alma
Alma the Younger
Jacob and Enos
Hannah and Samuel (especially powerful for those sending missionaries out to the field!)
My
Scripture Mentors:
(Scriptural
References to Study)
1.
_______________________________
2.
_______________________________
3.
_______________________________
4.
_______________________________
5.
_______________________________
Personal
Heroes and Mentors:
(Why
were they so effective?)
1. __________________________________________________
2. _________________________
_________________________
3. __________________________________________________
4. __________________________________________________
5. _________________________
_________________________
Think back to the wonderful teachers you have personally had in your life. Who were they? What made them such powerful and influential teachers for you?
MY GOAL:
Choose one characteristic of how the Savior taught that
you would like to work on. What can you do this week to implement this into
your interactions with your family?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
We would encourage you to further your study of this powerful topic by reading and studying some of the following resources:
"Lighting the Fire Within" by Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson
What is My Role?
Parents Can Boost Power of "Come Follow Me" at Home
Learning to Teach "Come Follow Me"
We would encourage you to further your study of this powerful topic by reading and studying some of the following resources:
"Lighting the Fire Within" by Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson
What is My Role?
Parents Can Boost Power of "Come Follow Me" at Home
Learning to Teach "Come Follow Me"
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Safeguarding Our Homes Against Pornography, May 31, 2015
On Sunday, the bishop held a combined meeting for the adults in the ward. The topic of the meeting was how to safeguard our families and homes against the increasing tide of pornography flooding our world. We invite you to prayerfully read the information that was shared and consider spending some time exploring the resources that were given. Every one of us, no matter what stage of life we are in, have a responsibility to be diligent in fortifying and protecting not only ourselves but those within our sphere of influence. This is an epidemic that reaches across boundaries and can have a devastating consequence for any individual or family.
Bishop Franson invited Becky and Rich Larson to begin the meeting by sharing some spiritual insights and practical resources to consider as we continue the task of protecting our families and homes from the reaches of pornography. The following is a summary of the things they shared.
Read Alma 50:1-7. As you read these verses, ask yourself what Moroni did to prepare his people to protect themselves against the attacks of the Lamanites.
Moroni actively and continually fortified his people against the Lamanites. Multiple types of protection were built and implemented so that the people could replace their fear with faith as they prepared to battle their formidable enemy.
How does this apply to our lives now? Our homes should be strongholds against temptation...but this does not happen without active, thoughtful preparation and ongoing work on our part.
Placing filters on ALL our electronic devices is the first (although should not be our only) line of defense. Remember that laptops, phones, Kindles, iPods, etc. are not only easily accessible to children of all ages but can easily be carried to private places. Make sure all your electronic devices are safeguarded with filters but also consider implementing a family rule that they can ONLY be used in "public places".
We can NOT afford to stay silent regarding the increasing amount and different types of pornography that are allowed. Our voices are important in the world as we stand as witnesses of Christ at all times, in all things, and in all places. Become involved however you can. The following handout was given out by the Larson's. It includes a variety of effective filters to safeguard electronic devices as well as different organizations, non-profits, etc. that provide valuable information and can assist you in looking for ways to make your voice heard in the fight against pornography.
Internet Filters
Net Nanny www.netnanny.com
K-9 Web Protection www.k9webprotection.com
Accountability Soft www.accountabilitysoft.com
Magic Block www.magicblock.com
PYUR www.pyurweb.com
Family-Guard www.familyguardfiltering.com
Browse Control www.browsecontrol.com
Norton Family family.norton.com
American Family Online www.afo.net
Trend Micro www.trendmicro.com
OpenDNS Family Shield www.opendns.com/home-internet-security
OpenDNS Home (for router) www.opendns.com/home-internet-security
Reviews & Helps
Book: “Good Pictures, Bad Pictures” by Kristen
Jenson
Other Ideas
Five Reasons Why Kids Are Safer
if PARENTS Initiate a Talk about Pornography
1.
Parents
can be the best source of
information
2.
Parents
can create an environment of safety
3. Parents can assure kids that their curiosity
is normal, but warn them that following their curiosity about
pornography is dangerous and can lead to addiction
4. Parents can lessen the shame and shock associated
with pornography exposure
5. Parents can increase the trust in
relationship with kids through communication
Summertime can be a dangerous time for kids who have more
unsupervised time and easy access to the Internet
Communication counters curiosity
Bishop Franson showed the following video from lds. org:
http://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/his-grace/pornography-addiction-is-there-hope
What can we learn from this young woman's courageous story? People of all genders, ages, and faiths are currently drowning in the debilitating effects of pornography addiction. Elizabeth’s personal experience is a reminder that no matter how lost in darkness one feels, hope and light are available to anyone who chooses to believe in Jesus Christ.
An important discussion was held regarding other strategies that we can employ within our families to help combat the influence of pornography. The following ideas were shared:
What Parents Can Do:
Regular communication
Create an environment where you can discuss these topics
Allow them to share without shame as a motivator
Prepare for the possibility of the topic
And then, respond with love
Hope and encouragement
Prepare kids, strategy for response, start young
Know your children, watch for signs
Provide resources for help/info
Help to learn what’s inappropriate (may not be limited to adult content)
Educate self on reality
Resources on lds.org, etc.
Best results when parents involved
One of the most important aspects of this problem is recognizing the crucial, critical role parents play in being involved. The chances of an individual improving and recovering from a pornography addiction are significantly improved with parents are involved.
We must also work toward having our children develop their own internal compass/motivation to avoiding pornography. Unfortunately in these latter days, it is not a matter of "IF" your child will be exposed in some way to pornography, but "WHEN". But just as Moroni helped his people replace their fear with faith through fortifications and preparation, we can do the same in our fight against pornography. The Lord is on our side. We can proceed with faith and KNOW with certainty that in the end, we will be victorious in this battle.
The bishop has asked us to share the following resources. Please take the time to look at these and consider how you can use them in your family to initiate discussion, continue the important discussion, and seek for help if needed. You are not alone!
Lds.org Links:
General Reference
How to Respond
References for Spouses and Families
Family Conversation Videos
Parent's Guide to Talking With Kids
Other References:
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