Quote - Recognizing the Authorized Servants of God

"It has always been hard to recognize in fallible human beings the authorized servants of God. Paul must have seemed an ordinary man to many. Joseph Smith's cheerful disposition was seen by some as not fitting their expectations for a prophet of God.

"Satan will always work on the Saints of God to undermine their faith in priesthood keys. One way he does it is to point out the humanity of those who hold them. He can in that way weaken our testimony and so cut us loose from the line of keys by which the Lord ties us to Him."

--Henry B Eyring, "Faith and Keys," Ensign, November 2004, 28

The Influence of Righteous Women

As you live up to this mission, in whatever life circumstance you find yourself—as a wife, as a mother, as a single mother, as a divorced woman, as a widowed or a single woman—the Lord our God will open up responsibilities and blessings far beyond your ability to imagine.

May I invite you to rise to the great potential within you. But don’t reach beyond your capacity. Don’t set goals beyond your capacity to achieve. Don’t feel guilty or dwell on thoughts of failure. Don’t compare yourself with others. Do the best you can, and the Lord will provide the rest. Have faith and confidence in Him, and you will see miracles happen in your life and the lives of your loved ones. The virtue of your own life will be a light to those who sit in darkness, because you are a living witness of the fulness of the gospel (see D&C 45:28). Wherever you have been planted on this beautiful but often troubled earth of ours, you can be the one to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees” (D&C 81:5).

My dear sisters, as you live your daily life with all its blessings and challenges, let me assure you that the Lord loves you. He knows you. He listens to your prayers, and He answers those prayers, wherever on this world you may be. He wants you to succeed in this life and in eternity.

--Dieter F Uchtdorf

(For the full article, click here)

Visiting Teaching - I will go and do!

Sister Claire taught us about visiting teaching yesterday. She had us refer to 1 Nephi 3 which talks about how Nephi and his brothers obtained the plates and likened it to us doing our visiting teaching.

4 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness.

Us: Wherefore, the Lord has commanded Claire that we and our sisters should go and do visiting teaching.

5 And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord.

Us: And now, behold sometimes we sisters murmur, saying it is a hard thing which Claire has required of us; but behold Claire has not required it of us, but it is a commandment of the Lord.

6 Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast ^anot ^bmurmured.

Us: Therefore go, sisters, and we shall be favored of the Lord, because we have not murmured.

7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I ^awill go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no ^bcommandments unto the children of men, save he shall ^cprepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

Us: And it came to pass that we, sisters, should say to Heavenly Father: We will go and do the things which the Lord has commanded, for we know that the Lord gives no commandments unto the children of men, save He shall prepare a way for us that we may accomplish the thing which He commands us.

10 And it came to pass that when we had gone up to the land of Jerusalem, I and my brethren did consult one with another.

Us: And it came to pass that when we have gone up to the meeting place, I and my companion(s) should consult one with another.

13 And behold, it came to pass that Laban was angry, and thrust him out from his presence; and he would not that he should have the records. Wherefore, he said unto him: Behold thou art a robber, and I will slay thee.

Us: And behold, it came to pass that sometimes the sisters we visit teach may be angry, and may thrust us out from their presence; and they would not that we should have the meeting.

15 But behold I said unto them that: ^aAs the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have^baccomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.

Us: But behold Claire says unto us that: As the Lord lives, and as we live, we should not go down unto our homes until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord has commanded us.

Nephi made many sacrifices and tried many times before he was successful in obtaining the plates. We too may need to make sacrifices and may need to keep trying before we are successful in earning the love and trust of the sisters whom we visit teach.

"The purposes of visiting teaching are to build caring relationships with each sister and to offer support, comfort, and friendship. In visiting teaching, both the giver and the receiver are blessed and strengthened in their Church activity by their caring concern for one another." (Church Handbook of Instructions, page 202)

Email from Sister Tracy Friend - Hello from Colorado

I was just reading the RS blog and reminiscing on old friends. Looks like things are moving right along without us!

We are still looking for a job, but Mark has 3 companies now that are keenly interested in him. He is in Texas right now, getting our van with Marcus. We are looking to rent a house in October. We have been living in my sister’s basement since July 1^st!

The kids are happy in school and church. There are 3 seminary classes that meet at our chapel M-F! (That’s 3 wards of kids.) Casey misses Sis. Han sorely. She says seminary is boring here. I think she misses Sis. Han’s love, and her treats! From seminary they walk to school, which is right next door.

I’m my sister’s cook. That was part of the bargain of me staying here. It’s great though. I love it!

I found a great volunteer job at the Office of Emergency Management. I can work as much and whenever I want! I got put in charge of a big project the first week. I love it!! More on that later.

The food here is great. Of course. My favorite so far – Horchata. It’s a rice milk drink flavored with vanilla and cinnamon. Yum!!!! I sometimes I get a big cup of it (it’s called a SMALL!!) and bring it home for Mark for a treat. Too much sugar for me. The weirdest thing I’ve had? Celery soda, and yesterday – Alligator!!

Back to my job – the RS asked me to prepare regular Emergency Preparedness tips for their newsletter. I included the first one with this email (Click here). If you want, I’m happy to send them to you guys as well! Not only are they going to be used in our ward, but perhaps in the Stake (District) and a few Housing complexes here that have asked our office (at my work) for monthly tips.

Well, I’d better go. Miss you guys!

Tracy

Arkansas centenarian receives endowment at Memphis Temple

Dorothy Wagner turned 105 on Sept. 2.

In July, when she was still 104, she had a first.

She went to the temple for her own endowment on July 22 in the Memphis Tennessee Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"It was a marvelous experience just going," she said. "It's something you would remember."

Her visiting teacher, Teresa Bailey, taught her the temple preparation lessons. Bailey and her husband, Robert, who is Wagner's home teacher, took Wagner the 170 miles from her home in Horseshoe Bend, Ark., to the temple in Memphis.

(For the full article, click here)

Birthday gift: Do something for others

One man asked his children to think of ways to serve their neighbors for President Monson's birthday. After some consideration, one of his daughters thought it would be fun to bake cookies for some families in the neighborhood. "The week leading to the day we were planning on making the delivery of the cookies had been particularly busy at my work," he wrote. "I was getting home late and was unable to take care of some of the basic home needs including mowing my lawn that was getting quite tall. As I arrived home on the day we were planning on delivering the cookies, the kitchen was busy with all four of my children and my wife baking. Upon completion, we delivered the goodies to all 10 families, which took two hours as we had short visits with each neighbor. We had a great time.

"The next day was Saturday and I had to work. When I got home that evening, my neglected lawn had been mowed and cared for. I knew that my wife, who was pregnant, was gone that day and would not have been able to do it. I then realized that I was the recipient of the service that was rendered on behalf of President Monson. I had never thought that I would be on the other end of the giving that was done for his birthday. It is a day I will never forget.

"Thank you President Monson, your gift did more than I had planned for."

(For the full article, click here)

Happy 52nd Birthday, Malaysia!

Negaraku, tanah tumpahnya darahku

Rakyat hidup, bersatu dan maju

Rahmat bah'gia, Tuhan kurniakan

Raja kita, selamat bertakhta

Rahmat bah'gia, Tuhan kurniakan

Raja kita, selamat bertakhta

I love our national anthem. I feel much in my heart especially when I come to the words: "tanah tumpahnya darahku". How beautifully written it is. I am thankful to have been born and bred here. This is where my heart is, this is my home. I pray that our country will continue to be blessed and that our leaders will serve the people will integrity.

Emergency Preparedness

Today, we had a combined Priesthood and Relief Society meeting and President Renner was moved upon to chastise us for not being obedient to the counsel of the Lord to have our 72-hour kits and 3-month home storage fully prepared.

President Renner quoted from Alma 5:6 which says, "And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in ^aremembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has ^bdelivered their souls from hell?

We were also told that blessings were being withheld from our branch due to this disobedience. I felt really sorry that the Lord was displeased with me. It made feel really bad that I had let the Lord down. I need to repent.

Sisters, we can't deny that we have been reminded over and over again to do this. There must be a good reason that this is happening. Let us be diligent and obedient and do all that we can. I know that the Lord will bless our efforts.

Let us go and do!

Quote - Facing Doubt and Discouragement

"In the gospel of Jesus Christ you have help from both sides of the veil and you must never forget that. When disappointment and discouragement strike--and they will--you remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection. They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham's seed."

--Jeffrey R. Holland, "For Times of Trouble," New Era, October 1980, 15

You're Never Alone

Each of us knew that the journey to exaltation would be long, strenuous, and sometimes lonely, but we also knew that we would not travel alone. Heavenly Father provides all who fulfill the prerequisites of faith, repentance, and baptism with a companion and guide, the Holy Ghost.

--Keith K Hilbig

Charity in Action - Sister Catherine Larsen

In 2006, I took a trip with two friends to Thailand, Malaysia, and Cambodia. I was teaching classes on world religions at BYU at that time, so I decided to devote my summer vacation to studying Buddhism and Islam first-hand. Unfortunately, I faced some terrible back problems during the first few days of the trip. A disc in my lower back had herniated so profoundly that it was hitting my sciatic nerve and causing me excrutiating pain with any movement. I hurt so badly that I couldn't even tolerate getting home, so I stayed and spent all day every day flat on my back at $5/night hostels in Asia. I was miserable.

When I was in Chiang Mai, Thailand, I received a blessing from a priesthood holder who said, "After faith comes the miracle." I certainly didn't believe him because I had endured so much pain and could not see a possible solution. I kept thinking to myself, "If I could just find an anti-inflammatory I've used in the past, I could make it home to where I could get help."

When we arrived at church in KL, it was Mother's Day. The primary sang the same songs I sang as a little girl. I cried like a baby, mostly out of love for the church and those songs and my mom but also out of pain in my back and leg. During Sunday School, I decided to lie flat on my back in a vacant classroom and take the pressure off of my nerves and joints. My friends were so upset, wondering what they could possibly do to help me. About half-way through the hour, in walked Elder Merritt. He introduced himself and shook our hands, even bending down to reach me on the floor. He looked at me and exclaimed, "You look just like my wife!" At that moment, Sister Merritt came in with the same hunched over back and the same swollen hip. It was just like looking in the mirror. The second she saw me, she asked, "Do you want some anti-inflammatory medicine?" Like my own manna in the wilderness, it was the exact same medicine I had hoped for in Thailand.

Sister Merritt and I crippled over to the Merritts' home like two old, old men. They gave me their bed and their clothes and their food. They invited a nurse over to help me--the same nice girl who periodically helped Sister Merritt. It was a true demonstration of mothering and fathering. I needed it, and they provided it. Their medicine saved my broken body, and their love saved my broken soul.

Sister Catherine Larsen and Her Band - Silver City Pink

From left: Lisa Blaser (lead vocals), Kim Dubois (mandolin), Amber Crowley (fiddle), Catherine Larsen (harmony vocals, guitar, piano), Stacey Davis (bass).

Sisters, do you still remember Sister Catherine Larsen from the United States who visited us on 2 August? Well, she was too modest to mention anything but I found out later just how talented she is! She has a bluegrass band with four other friends and they are known as Silver City Pink.

Sister Catherine Larsen sings harmony, plays the guitar and the piano and has written most of their original work! She's awesome and her band is awesome! They have won numerous competitions and are now working on their second album.

To know more about them, please visit: www.silvercitypink.com and www.ldsmusicworld.com/artists/silvercitypink.html

As a treat, we can download one of their songs called "Old Climbing Tree" courtesy of LDS Music World.

So sisters, enjoy!

This Is Your Phone Call

President Monson tells the story of a retired executive named Ed who lived the example of a quorum member. On one occasion President Monson was speaking with Ed and asked him, “ ‘Ed, what are you doing in the Church?’ He replied, ‘I have the best assignment in the ward. My responsibility is to help men who are unemployed find permanent employment. This year I have helped 12 of my brethren who were out of work to obtain good jobs. I have never been happier in my entire life.’ “ President Monson continues, “Short in stature, ‘Little Ed,’ as we affectionately called him, stood tall that evening as his eyes glistened and his voice quavered. He showed his love by helping those in need. He restored human dignity. He opened doors for those who knew not how to do so themselves.”

There are many ways bishops and quorum members can help to relieve the suffering and anxiety of the unemployed. Phil’s Auto of Centerville, Utah, is a testament of what priesthood leadership and a quorum can accomplish. Phil was a member of an elders quorum and worked as a mechanic at a local automobile repair shop. Unfortunately, the repair shop where Phil worked experienced economic trouble and had to let Phil go from his job. He was devastated by this turn of events.

On hearing about Phil’s job loss, his bishop, Leon Olson, and his elders quorum presidency prayerfully considered ways they could help Phil get back on his feet. After all, he was a fellow quorum member, a brother, and he needed help. They concluded that Phil had the skills to run his own business. One of the quorum members offered that he had an old barn that perhaps could be used as a repair shop. Other quorum members could help gather needed tools and supplies to equip the new shop. Almost everyone in the quorum could at least help clean the old barn.

They shared their ideas with Phil; then they shared their plan with the members of their quorum. The barn was cleaned and renovated, the tools gathered, and all was put in order. Phil’s Auto was a success and eventually moved to better and more permanent quarters—all because his quorum brothers offered help in a time of crisis. Priesthood quorums can and must make a difference.

Bishops, the sisters have a role in this effort. Because of the economy, many mothers are finding it necessary to make budget and other living adjustments. Some are even finding it necessary to leave the home to find work. The Relief Society sisters, with their specially endowed, compassionate hearts, can help. They can help identify the needy. They can teach. They can babysit, console, comfort, and encourage. They can make a difference.

(For the full talk, click here)

Ideal Birthday Gift for President Monson

Last year, on the occasion of his 81st birthday, President Thomas S. Monson was asked to describe the ideal birthday gift. Without hesitating, he said, "Do something for someone else on that day to make his or her life better. Find someone who is having a hard time or is ill or lonely, and do something for them. That's all I would ask."

This year, as the Church News planned a report about President Monson's birthday, we invited readers to tell us about their "birthday gifts for President Monson." Following are highlights of service members have performed in his honor. We're almost certain that more reports will be sent about service performed on the date of his 82nd birthday, which is Aug. 21.

(For the full article, click here)

Conversion Story - Sister Tina Lee

After my husband died in 2006, I was very sad and afraid as I felt like a tree with no branches, just emptiness. So I did something which I had never done before: I went to church. After two years of going to the Catholic Church, I still felt afraid, alone and without anyone whom I could confide in. As time went by, it became worse. I felt weak and vulnerable. When I finally thought that I had found a friend, this person took advantage of my trust.

One day, I saw two white guys traveling on the same bus, talking to the other passengers. What surprised me was that one of them was talking to a passenger in Tamil! I later asked the passenger what the white guy wanted and he said that the white guy was telling him about God. He was also given a book in Tamil. I became interested and wanted to know more but the question was: How? Where could I find them?

Some time later, I saw those same white guys in Mid-Valley Mega Mall where I was working. I approached them and asked for the book about Jesus Christ. They were so happy and asked whether they could meet me to teach me. I told them no problem and a date was set for the following week. However, when the time came for us to meet, they were taken ill and I never got taught by them.

Later, when my work took me to Ampang Point, I saw another two guys from the same church. When they checked my address, they told me that they were the ones who were supposed to teach me, not the previous two guys. I got to know them as Elder Houston and Elder Taimoni.

Not long after they started teaching me about the Prophet Joseph Smith and what he did, Elder Houston told me that he had been transferred to Singapore. I couldn't understand why someone who was so concerned about me and my knowledge of God had to go. My heart ached and I felt very sad.

Elder Taimoni continued teaching me with Elder Richards. After a few meetings, Elder Taimoni too had to go. You can imagine how I felt as the teachers kept being changed.

Then came Sister Parry and Sister Clark. By the end of September last year, they decided I should get baptized but I was very reluctant. I became afraid. I told them I couldn't be baptized as I was already baptized in another Church but if God called me to be baptized, I'd do it. I wouldn't do it just for the sake of making them happy.

They agreed and started sending me scriptures to read every day. They also asked me to ask God about my baptism. I started having problems with one of my sons and as I thought about it, I realized that God was calling me to be baptized so that I could have the companionship of the Holy Ghost and be able to feel peace.

One day before I was baptized, I felt faint. I don't remember how I managed to walk to where I could get a cab, told the driver where I live, got out of the cab, walked up the stairs and reached my front door. I realized later it must have been God who had taken me safely home. I decided to do what God had wanted me to do and that was to get baptized. The date was set for 19 October 2008.

Sister Parry and Sister Clark were very happy but neither of them got to attend my baptism. Sister Svenson and Sister Kotogama took over their place. I was baptized by Brother Friend. I had a very good feeling. I felt like all my burdens and sadness had been lifted up.

Now, I feel happy going to church. I am very blessed that President Renner takes good care of me as he knows I had a lot of sadness in my life. I feel like I have a family now, not just a bare tree but one with many branches. After Sister Svenson and Sister Kotogama left, Sister McCurdy and Sister Alford continued to teach me and it made me happy. I feel the Holy Ghost who comforts me.

It feels really nice to belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It's like a home, full of laughter and love that I had never experienced before, not even with my sons. They have all left, thinking that I'm the most foolish mother. But with God by my side, I don't worry so much any more. I know He is there for me.