Weekly Update January 18th - 24th

Faith

 

Lesson Review:

"Pray Always" 

  Ezra Taft Benson - Chapter2

Doctrine:

"Remember that whatever you do or wherever you are, you are never alone.  Our Heavenly Father is always near.  You can reach out and receive His aid through prayer.  Thank God we can reach out and tap that unseen power, without which no man can do his best." - Ezra Taft Benson

"Men ought always to pray, and not to faint."  (Luke 18:1)

"Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation." (Matthew 26:41)

"Pray always lest that wicked one have power in you, and remove you out of your place."
 (D&C 93:49)

Invitation to Action: 

If we would advance in holiness-increase in favor with God-nothing can take the place of prayer.  And so I adjure you to give prayer - daily prayer - secret prayer - a foremost place in your lives.  Let no day pass without it.  Communion with the Almighty has been a source of strength, inspiration, and enlightenment to men and women through the world's history who have shaped the destinies of individuals and nations for good.

Promised Blessings:

Families that pray together are blessed with stronger ties of love and the peace of heaven.

There is power in prayer.  All things are possible through prayer.

"It is my testimony, my bothers and sisters and friends, that God does hear and answer prayers.  I have never doubted that fact.  From childhood, at my mother's knee where I first learned to pray; as a young man in my teens; as a missionary in foreign lands; as a father; as a church leader; as a government official, I know without any question that it is possible for men and women to reach out in humility and prayer and tap that Unseen Power; to have prayers answered.  Man does not stand alone, or at least, he need not stand alone.  Prayer will open doors; prayer will remove barriers; prayer will ease pressures; prayer will give inner peace and comfort during times of strain and stress and difficulty.  Thank God for prayer.  - Testimony of Ezra Taft Benson

 Read or Listen to the entire lesson here:  

https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-ezra-taft-benson/chapter-2-pray-always?lang=eng

FAMILY

Families Come First

Maybe we are one of the lucky ones who was raised in a happy and secure family with two loving parents. Maybe we weren’t, and growing up was tough without the love and support we longed for. Likely, as an adult you want a happy home for your family. Living peacefully in a family isn’t always easy, but in God’s restored Church, marriage and families are the most important social unit now and in eternity.

 

People who have lived through a disaster never say, "All I could think about during the earthquake was my bank account." They almost always say, "All I could think about was my wife and children." It shouldn’t require a disaster for us to know this truth. But too often, we let earning money, chasing pleasure, or even the needs of people outside our families divert our attention. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints families come first.

  

RELIEF

Can you believe we are more than half way through the month of January?  If you haven't done your visiting teaching please make sure you make your appointments now!  It is a great message about Obedience.

“A good woman knows that she does not have enough time, energy, or opportunity to take care of all of the people or do all of the worthy things her heart yearns to do. Life is not calm for most women, and each day seems to require the accomplishment of a million things, most of which are important. A good woman must constantly resist alluring and deceptive messages from many sources telling her that she is entitled to more time away from her responsibilities and that she deserves a life of greater ease and independence. But with personal revelation, she can prioritize correctly and navigate this life confidently. The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life." —Julie B. Beck (Liahona, May 2010, 10-11)

Sweeping the Earth As If a Flood:

"With your guidance, those you lead will be able to see, want, and believe they can achieve their full potential for service in God’s kingdom." 

"God knows our gifts. My challenge to you and to me is to pray to know the gifts we have been given, to know how to develop them, and to recognize the opportunities to serve others that God provides us. But most of all, I pray that you will be inspired to help others discover their special gifts from God to serve.
 

I promise you that if you ask, you will be blessed to help and lift others to their full potential in the service of those they lead and love. I testify to you that God lives, Jesus is the Christ, this is the priesthood of God, which we hold, and God has prepared us with special gifts to serve Him beyond our fondest hopes. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."  - President Henry B. Eyring
 

Relief Society Announcements:

Lesson manuals - If you or any of the ladies you visit teach have not received an Ezra Taft Benson lesson manual or the teaching schedule please get with a member of the presidency.  They would like to make sure everyone who wants one gets a copy.

Have you had the chance to see all the cute new babies in the ward?

Congratulations to all the new moms and their families.

Calvin Ryan Hansen

Born:  November 14, 2014

8 lbs. 21 oz. - 21 inches

 

James "Madsen" Ball

Born:  November 21, 2014

10 lbs. 11 oz. - 21 inches

 

Noelle Collinwood

Born:  December 19, 2014

7 lbs - 19 inches

Lesson Schedule for January:

January 4th - President's Instruction

January 11th - Ezra Taft Benson #1 - "The Great Commandment" -  Love the Lord

January 18th - Ezra Taft Benson #2 - "Pray Always"

January 25th - Teachings For Our Time - "Joseph Smith" by Elder Neil L. Anderson - November General Conference

2015 Relief Society Curriculum:

Teachings of President's of the Church - Ezra Taft Benson

https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-ezra-taft-benson?lang=eng

  

Recipes on the blog:

If you have a recipe you would like to share send them to:  drbennett1@hotmail.com or call or text them to 208-351-7083. We would love to have your favorite holiday recipes!

Visit the ward recipe blog:  www.burton4threcipes.blogspot.com

Weekly update- September 28th - October 4th

Faith

Lesson Review:

"A Priceless Heritage of Hope"
April 2014 Conference Talk Henry B Eyring



 

Whoever you are and wherever you may be, you hold in your hands the happiness of more people than you can now imagine. Every day and every hour you can choose to make or keep a covenant with God.

Wherever you are on the path to inherit the gift of eternal life, you have the opportunity to show many people the way to greater happiness. When you choose whether to make or keep a covenant with God, you choose whether you will leave an inheritance of hope to those who might follow your example.

 
Doctrine:

 The Lord has given to man a code of laws that we call the gospel of Jesus Christ. Due to lack of inspiration and spiritual guidance, men may differ in relation to these laws and their application, but there can hardly be a dispute in regard to the fact that such laws do exist, and that all who seek entrance into that kingdom are subject to them.

We have every truth, every doctrine, every law and requirement, every performance and ordinance needed to save and exalt us in the highest heaven of the celestial world.

 “Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.” (D&C 132:8.)


Invitation to Action:

The Lord has given us all the source of hope as we struggle to help those we love accept their eternal inheritance. He has made promises to us as we keep trying to gather people to Him, even when they resist His invitation to do so. Their resistance saddens Him, but He does not quit, nor should we. He sets the perfect example for us with His persistent love: “And again, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, who have fallen; yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, ye that dwell at Jerusalem, as ye that have fallen; yea, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not.”

We can depend on that unfailing desire of the Savior to bring all of Heavenly Father’s spirit children back to their home with Him. Every faithful parent, grandparent, and great-grandparent shares in that desire. Heavenly Father and the Savior are our perfect examples of what we can and must do. They never force righteousness because righteousness must be chosen. They make righteousness discernible to us, and They let us see that its fruits are delicious.

Promised Blessings:
 

"After all we can do in faith, the Lord will justify our hopes for greater blessings for our families than we can imagine. He wants the best for them and for us, as His children."

"We are all children of a living God. Jesus of Nazareth is His Beloved Son and our resurrected Savior. This is His Church. In it are the keys of the priesthood, and so families can be forever. This is our priceless heritage of hope. I testify that it is true in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen."

Read or Listen to the entire lesson here:  

 https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/a-priceless-heritage-of-hope?lang=eng

As we ponder our opportunities to leave a “priceless heritage of hope” to our posterity, consider the following quote from Sister Julie B. Beck:

“I spent quite a few months this last winter studying about Rebekah from the Old Testament. I have been taken by her mission and what she had to do. I love Rebekah and I have learned so much from her. I feel that she is one of the women at the head of the house of Israel. . . . I have loved studying her characteristics, her circumstances, her blessings, her journeys, her family, her experiences, and her challenges. She had a very full mortal experience. It had its highs and its lows. I have learned that she was one of the most pivotal and important people in the history of mankind, certainly in the house of Israel. Without a Rebekah, the house of Israel would not have been brought forth. Without a Rebekah who knew who she was, the house of Israel would not have been brought forth. Without a Rebekah who knew her responsibilities in the house of Israel, that house would not have come to pass. Without a Rebekah who knew how to receive revelation, the house of Israel would not have been brought forth. Without a Rebekah who understood the blessings of the priesthood, the house of Israel would not have been brought forth.

 The lesson for me in all the hours and months of studying Rebekah and her family is that each of us in our day is as important to our generation and to our time as Rebekah was in her time. We each are pivotal in our families, and the success of the house of Israel is now dependent on millions of Rebekah’s who understand what their place and mission is on the earth. Each of us is a daughter of heavenly parents, and as part of the house of Israel, we come from royal blood.  When we choose our mission, we have power and influence in that royal house and in the Lord’s work. He is depending on us.”

 http://ce.byu.edu/cw/womensconference/pdf/archive/2009/Julie_B._Beck.pdf

FAMILY

 

Is your family prepared to listen to conference this weekend?  

General conference is intended to be a revelatory experience as participants learn from living prophets and apostles through the power and influence of the Holy Ghost. Proper preparation will help ensure that you get the most out of your conference experience.

Resources to Help You Prepare

Strengthening Faith and Testimony

By Elder Robert D. Hales
Oh, how we need general conference! Through conferences our faith is fortified and our testimonies deepened.... (watch or read more)

Activities for Children

Print activities for children like a general conference notebook or conference coloring pages. Play online games like the prophets and apostles matching game. (download or play here)

Three Basic Steps of Preparation

By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
In preparation for general conference, let me suggest three basic concepts that may help us to better receive, remember, and apply the words spoken by the Lord’s servants. (read more)

Individual Impact of Conference

“If we teach by the Spirit and you listen by the Spirit, some one of us will touch on your circumstance, sending a personal prophetic epistle just to you.” –Jeffrey R. Holland (watch video & read more)

Why We Need Prophets Today?

By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Today is not different from ages past. The Lord does not love the people of our day any less than in past times. One of the glorious messages... (read more)

Highlights from Last Conference

Read, watch, listen, download, or share highlights from April’s general conference messages. (read more)

Preparing Children for Conference

Several members share how they have helped their children prepare for, participate in, and learn from general conference. (read more)

General Conference Blessings

By Paul V. Johnson
Decide now to make general conference priority in your life. Decide to listen carefully and follow the teachings that are given. (read more)
Official Web site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

RELIEF

Missionary Spotlight:  Elder and Sister Wade

We are serving in the Edmonton, Alberta, Canada mission working with the YSA wards.  There are six wards in Edmonton that meet in two different locations.  We attend three wards one Sunday in the historical Whyte Ave Chapel, which was dedicated by President Nathan Eldon Tanner who was serving as branch president at the time.  Dedicated in 1951, it was the first LDS church building in Edmonton and is located in a unique, busy part of old town Strastcona.  The missionaries will often set up booths outside the building on the sidewalk and hand out pamphlets and talk about the church.  

 The next Sunday we attend the three wards that meet in the Institute Building located across the street from the University of Alberta campus.  This building is busy all week as it is used for classes, institute and ward gatherings, and just a refuge from busy campus life.  Our assignment is to make member, missionaries, and investigators feel welcome in this building.    We bake cookies, make and serve waffles with all the trimming, help with a weekly dinner sponsored by one of the six YSA wards, and provide a meal and speaker for Friday Forum.     We often joke, “If you feed them, they will come.”  Elder Wade also comments, “We knew we were called to serve, but we didn’t realize it would be serving cookies, dinner, lunch.” 

 We so enjoy working with the YSA.  They are intelligent, capable, giving, loving, into missionary work and fellowshipping, and they have such strong testimonies.  We have learned from them as they share the stories of their lives.  We are excited when they share news of mission calls, engagements, graduations, new job, and weddings. 

 We also invite the young missionaries to our apartment for dinner so we can get to know them better.  They will often call us to go with them to teach lessons, which is always a great experience to watch them teach the gospel.  The young missionaries are so great.  We love each one of them.  We are also assigned to check six missionary apartments once a month scattered all over the city.  We are lucky enough to check the missionaries that are serving in Edmonton finding investigators that speak Mandarin, Tagalog, and Spanish.  They have an extra challenge as they serve and we love to visit them once a month, check their apartment for cleanliness, and visit with them about their missionary service. I can’t stress enough how we enjoy our association with these outstanding Sisters and Elders that are working so hard, are so obedient, and have such strong testimonies. 

 We miss home, family, grandchildren, the Burton Ward, and the small town living of Rexburg, but enjoy our service with the Young Single Adults in Edmonton, Canada and meeting the wonderful members of the church in Canada. 

  Sweeping the Earth As If a Flood:

Invite your friends and family to watch conference using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google, or your blog!  See Lds.org for several images you can share and use to invite.   

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/invite-others?lang=eng

Relief Society Announcements:

Many of you have met Cheyenne Peterson in Relief Society.  Her family just moved into the Ranova's home.  She will be getting baptized on October 11^th @ 2:00 p.m. in the Stake Center.  We would like to invite you to attend her baptism.

Recipes on the blog

Fall is in the air!  It's time to collect recipes for soups and casseroles.  If you have a recipe you would like to share send them to:  drbennett1@hotmail.com or call or text them to 208-351-7083.
Visit the ward recipe blog:  www.burton4threcipes.blogspot.com

The recipes shared at the last Relief Society Activity will also be printed there.


October Lesson Schedule:

4^th and 5^th – General Conference

12^th – Joseph Fielding Smith #20 – Love and Concern for All Our Father’s Children

19^th – Joseph Fielding Smith #22 – Prayer – a Commandment and a Blessing

26^th – Teachings For Our Time

Did you miss the General Women's Broadcast last Saturday?  Read, listen, or share the talks here:

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions/?cid=HP14GC&lang=eng

Some great articles to check out and new Relief Society callings!

Family:

The Importance of the Family:

"May it be our resolve this year to build a gospel-centered home, a safe harbor from the storms of the adversary."  (Elder L. Tom Perry)

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2003/04/the-importance-of-the-family?lang=eng&query=family

Family History:

“The small details make a big difference when writing a quality family history.”  (David W. Smith – July 2014 - Family History and Geneology Conference)

https://www.lds.org/church/news/david-w-smith-instructs-on-writing-a-great-family-history?lang=eng

Relief:

 

Please remember the Sisters you visit teach.  Remember them in your prayers, remember them with a kind word or thoughtful gesture.  

“These simple, daily acts of service may not seem like much in and of themselves, but when considered collectively they become just like the one-twelfth teaspoon of honey contributed by a single bee to the hive.  There is power in our love for God and for His children, and when that love is tangibly manifest in millions of acts of Christian kindness, it will sweeten and nourish the world with the life-sustaining nectar of faith, hope, and charity.”  Elder M. Russell Ballard

https://www.lds.org/church/news/viewpoint-lesson-of-the-bees?lang=eng&query=small+acts+of+love

New Relief Society Callings:

Sister Dana Rae Bennett – Blog and Information Specialist

Sister Julie Powell – Visiting Teaching Supervisor

Sister Julie Wilcox - Visiting Teaching Supervisor

Sister Kera Day – Relief Society Teacher

Sister Amy Nef - Relief Society Activities Committee