Relief Society Purposes:

*Increase faith and personal righteousness

*Strengthen families and homes

*Seek out and help those in need

FAITH

Lesson Review: "I Will Not Fail Thee, Nor Forsake Thee" (President Thomas S. Monson)

Key Doctrine: 

"Our Heavenly Father...knows that we learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials through which we pass."

"Were it not for challenges to overcome and problems to solve, we would remain much as we are, with little or no progress toward our goal of eternal life."

Invitation to Action:

"This should be our purpose - to persevere and endure, yes, but also to become more spiritually refined as we make our way through sunshine and sorrow."

Promised Blessings:

"From the bed of pain, from the pillow wet with tears, we are lifted heavenward by that divine assurance and precious promise: 'I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.' Such comfort is priceless."

 December 8th lesson - The Prophet Joseph Smith (Lorenzo Snow - Ch. 23)

FAMILY

The Christmas season is such a special time to create new family traditions and build upon the ones that you already have.  We all have traditions that are a part of our heritage.  It seems that we also tend to form new traditions with our own families, either intentionally or unknowingly. This season is a great time to be deliberate about the traditions we start in our homes!  It's a great idea to think about what you would like to teach your children or see happen in your family and build a tradition around it!  Would you like to enforce family unity?  Build community? Teach unselfishness and giving? Strengthen faith and build testimonies? Have fun as a family and spend more time together?  Teach a skill?

This year, I wanted to get my younger children to focus less on the Santa Claus aspect of Christmas and more on the birth of Christ. More on the miraculous wonder and less on the "magical."  One night as I was tucking my little ones into bed I suddenly remembered this book that we got last year:

 

This book has all the fun, traditional Christmas songs, and also all of our primary songbook and hymnal Christmas carols. It is also filled with the most beautiful art work!  

I have started singing three songs from it each evening when I tuck the younger kids into bed.  I think a new tradition has begun! They get to look at the pictures and internalize the words as I sing, and I really believe that they will begin to feel the miraculous wonder of Christ's birth.

What would you like to teach your family this season?  What tradition might you start this year?

RELIEF

“The only system which could provide succor and comfort across a church so large in a world so varied would be through individual servants near the people in need. The Lord had seen that coming from the beginning of Relief Society.

He set a pattern in place. Two Relief Society sisters accept their assignment to visit another as a call from the Lord” (Henry B. Eyring, “The Enduring Legacy of Relief Society,” Liahona, Nov. 2009, 123; see also Daughters in My Kingdom, page 110).

Missionary news:

Sister Hammer has written us a letter!:

      "I hear that you are in the new church building.  That is exciting but the excitement will be all over when I get home.

     All is going well here.  I am working in the LDS Employment resource center here in San Jose, California.  We don't get to do any gospel teaching but hopefully what we do for people, both members and nonmembers will do missionary work.  We help people prepare to go out and find work with resumes, applications, and counseling.  There is more to that than I realized.

      My companion is sister Victoria Chambers from Arizona.  She 82 years old and has been here a little over a year.  She does all the driving in all of this traffic.  She is a real go getter and can run my legs off, but so patient with my slow learning.  I really enjoy her company.  I also have 2 young sister missionaries for roommates.  One is from Tonga and one is from Hawaii.  They are lots of fun and we have gotten them to dance for us.  They are really good.  They teach the Tongan people here.  The population here is more Asian, Tongan, Mexican and Black than Caucasian.  We are the minority. 

      Pres. Watkins and the missionaries in the office as so good to us.  Sister Chambers and I are the only single senior sister missionaries and they make sure we are well taken care of.

      I do so hope all is well for all of you and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas."

It is so good to hear from her!  I hope that we can all take a minute and write to our ward missionaries.  I'm sure that they would all like to hear from everyone from home at this time of the year especially!! (addresses can be found by clicking on the "Missionaries" button at the side of the blog)

 Announcements: 

*Choir practice for the Ward "Celebration of Christ" will be this Sunday (Dec 1st) from 5:00 p.m. to 6:15! If you have any questions about this Choir, please contact Sister Cooley.

*If you are participating in the Art Display for the "Celebration of Christ" program, please get your art work and testimonies turned in to Sister Briggs as soon as possible.  This is the big week!!

*December 5th - 7th - This Thursday, Friday and Saturday - Burton 4th Ward's "Celebration of Christ" Christmas Concert and Art Display.  Please invite everyone that you think could benefit and be up-lifted by this event!

* December 14th - (a Saturday at 11:00 a.m.) - Lutheran Church Cantata Performance and Luncheon.  Please make an effort to attend! Any questions? Please contact a member of the RS Presidency.