The Beginning of Better Days

Hi Sisters,

Thanks to all who came to our meeting this month where we finished our discussion of Daughters in My Kingdom. It has been a life-changing experience for me to learn as I studied individually and then to further learn as I listened to your comments each month. You are all wonderful women who bless my life tremendously. Thank you!

On Thursday, November 15th at 7:00 pm we will be having scripture study group at Susan's home. We will be discussing our individual favorite parts of general conference. Bring some of your impressions to share. It certainly was an amazing and historic conference!

We will NOT meet in December, but for those who weren't there, we talked about discussing in January, The Beginning of Better Days: Divine Instruction to Women from the prophet Joseph Smith, a book recently published by Deseret Book. It includes the minutes of the early Relief Society as well as two essays by Sheri Dew and Virginia Pearce. You might want to add this book to your Christmas list (currently $17 at Deseret Book and $16 at Seagull Book):

http://deseretbook.com/Beginning-Better-Days-Divine-Instruction-Women-Prophet-Joseph-Smith-Sheri-L-Dew/i/5078230
http://www.seagullbook.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SEARCH&q=the+Beginning+of+Better+Days&search.x=39&search.y=13

OR you can read the entire minute book on the Joseph Smith Papers website:

http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperDetails/nauvoo-relief-society-minute-book?dm=image-and-text&zm=zoom-inner&tm=expanded&p=1&s=&sm=none

                                                Carry on in your good works! Love, Michele

Blessings of the Priesthood for All

Thank you to Judy for hosting our scripture group Relief Society meeting this month! It sounds like it was a wonderful discussion on Chapter 8 from Daughters in My Kingdom. Here's what Judy had to report:

Thanks Judy for being a lovely hostess!

Fortunately, we had an amazing Sacrament Meeting last Sunday that set the stage for our discussion. The new Elder's Quorum Presidency spoke (minus President Booth, who was out of town) on the Priesthood and each gave a masterful talk to which we often referred.  Some of the points we discussed were:  even though the Priesthood is the "power and authority of God by which He blesses, redeems, and exalts His children..."  men may be given the authority but they must be worthy and prepared to be able to properly use the power;  the Priesthood is a service and cannot be used on oneself;  men and women are equally blessed by the Priesthood authority on earth.  We each pointed out the parts of the chapter 8, Blessings of the Priesthood for All, which had particularly resonated with us and expressed our feelings concerning them.  We were particularly touched by Adrienne's comments about how she feels peace when she just sees our Priesthood on the stand at church and how she doesn't worry or feel sad  as a single woman because she has absolute faith that it will all work out and be made right for her.

Kim Bethers added a great deal to our night and we were so glad she joined us for the first time.  Jolene and Michaun brought delicious fruit and dip for us to enjoy throughout the evening.  We were reminded that Relief Society was organized under the Priesthood  and that there is power there which we can use to strenghen ourselves and our homes and to which we each BELONG. As Sister Barbara Smith said, "With continuing priesthood counsel and with Relief Society leaders who are called of the Lord by inspiration, the women of the Church have a divine source of direction for the work that is theirs to do and the Society provides a means to accomplish that work."

Susan, MeriAnn, Diane, Sharon, and Irene each shared thoughtful insights.   Kerri told about her father's reactivation and her mother's conversion and summed things up beautifully when it was finally time for us to part.  Since we hadn't taken time to discuss individual spiritual gifts, Kerri followed Michele's example of giving us a challenge of searching and praying to discover the spiritual gifts with which we may have been blessed.

What a blessing this group is to us in our lives!  Let's do it again on August 23rd at 7:00 p.m.!

Our May Meeting: The Heavens are Open to Women

We began our May meeting with a quote from Sister Ardeth Kapp's new book, Doing What We Came Here to Do. (It's a fabulous book, go and buy it NOW if you have not read it!) Sister Kapp admonishes us that "the heavens are open to women." I felt like our discussion proved that the heavens are open to us as we seek answers to our problems through prayer and especially reading the scriptures and our new Relief Society book Daughters in My Kingdom.

 Renae is seen above with her arm around her former young woman, Breeane. (So nice to have you with us Breeane!) Renae reminded us in our discussion about the importance of going through each talk in General Conference and applying them to our lives. Her favorite was Elder Scott's message.

 Did we really stay and eat and visit for FOUR hours? It is true. . . but it was wonderful to get caught up and continue our discussion informally. There is never enough time to share lives and experiences but Cynthia and Kimberly make a good effort to do just that.

 We were reminded to "never sit by an empty chair" in Relief Society meetings. Not a problem here for Sharon, Merianne and DiAnn.

 It has been so nice to have Sister Lise Forsbery from Norway visit our group a couple of times with Judy, who so graciously hosted Lise while she was here visiting in Utah. Lise serves valiantly in MANY church callings in her home ward in Oslo. She reminded us to be grateful for so many people that help to share the load of work in the Church. She is a lovely person and we wish her well in her life back home. It is a great feeling to know we are surrounded and sustained by a worldwide sisterhood.

Janette shared Moroni 7:26 and 33, Alma 8 and the special experience she had in striving to overcome a problem "bigger than me." She testified of the fact that the Lord is listening and will give us power to do "whatsoever is expedient in me." Janette is shown here with sister/friends Keri and Kristi.

General Conference Highlights

Sister Julene narrates a wonderful compilation of highlights from our last April General Conference on the Mormon Channel. Here is the link if you are interested in listening:
http://mormonchannel.org/relief-society/visiting-teaching-message/18

It is so wonderful to have Julene join our group and give us insight through her experiences with the General Relief Society as a missionary.

Wouldn't it be great to have our OWN individual highlights from General Conference? It seems like it would be easily done by 1) listening carefully to conference and 2) by taking notes of what impresses you and 3) then cutting and pasting specific passages into a document after they are publised online. What a great way to be reminded of the inspiration YOU recieved through the prophets. Let me know if anyone tries this!

June Meeting

Thanks to everyone who was able to attend our June scripture study gathering. I thought it was wonderful to discuss insights from Chapter 7 of Daughters in My Kingdom regarding "Pure Religion: Watchcare and Ministering through Visiting Teaching." I learned a lot about what it means to be a good visiting teacher from listening to your comments. Thanks to Susan, Janette, and DiAnn for providing our delicious luncheon. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our group and look so forward to being uplifted and taught by your comments.

Raspberry Bars Recipe

Sisters,

Here is a link to the recipe for the raspberry bars. I modified the recipe because life was crazy on Thursday and I couldn't run to the store.  The original recipe is even more delicious. I think that is why I was a little disappointed in how they turned out, because I know what they are really supposed to taste like. So if you thought mine were good, you should try the real recipe, which tastes sweeter. Here is the link.

However if you like more of a tart taste, here is what I did:

I made the crust according to the recipe. Instead of the raspberry pie filling, I mixed 5-6 cups frozen raspberries (thawed), 2 T cornstarch, and 2/3 C sugar. For the frosting, I used butter in place of the shortening and sour cream in place of the marshmallow cream and a little more confectioners' sugar. I also used a larger baking pan, I think mine is 13" x 17".

Moving Forward

Jackie gave a nice closure to chapter 4 by reminding us that we need to take what we have and keep going. We can take Eliza Snow's words to heart:

“Don’t you see that our sphere is increasing? Our sphere of action will continually widen, and no woman in Zion need[s] to mourn because her sphere is too narrow.

“God bless you, my sisters, and encourage you, that you may be filled with light, and realize that you have no interests but in the welfare of Zion. Let your first business be to perform your duties at home. But, inasmuch as you are wise stewards, you will find time for social duties, because these are incumbent upon us as daughters and mothers in Zion. By seeking to perform every duty you will find that your capacity will increase, and you will be astonished at what you can accomplish.”

Sister Snow’s personal expression of faith and optimism can serve as a guide for all Latter-day Saints. “I will go forward,” she said. “I will smile at the rage of the tempest, and ride fearlessly and triumphantly across the boisterous ocean of circumstance … and the ‘testimony of Jesus’ will light up a lamp that will guide my vision through the portals of immortality.”

Our shoulders are strong and capable. We are bright and articulate. And when we feel that our trials are too much to bear, we can appeal to the Lord. He can make our burdens lighter, and " (us) that (we will) bear up (our) with ease, and (we can) submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord." Mosiah 24:15