March Stake Relief Society Message

Dear Sisters,

I often wonder why, out of all the millions of people who have lived on this earth, I was chosen to be born into the gospel.  The truths that we know because of the gospel give our lives so much meaning and direction.  One truth in particular that has been on my mind lately is the nature of our Heavenly Father.  Much of the world have no idea what our Heavenly Father' is like.  They don't know of His love for them.  They don't know of His plan for them.  They don't even know that they are His children.  But we do.  How is your life different because you know this?

Because of the veil being over our minds we can't remember what it was like to be with our Heavenly Father.  So to have a relationship with Him, we have to work at it.  Think of the times you felt closest to Him, what were you doing?  When you pray to Him, how do you remember that you are talking with someone who loves and cares about you deeply?  When times are hard, what can you do to feel His comfort and remember that He has a plan for you?
 
Words from our latter-day prophets can help us remember things the veil has taken from our minds.  Listen to what some of them have to say about our Heavenly Father:

• Pres Monson:  "God's love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love.  It is simply always there."

• Pres Uchtdorf:  "To strengthen our relationship with God we need some meaningful time alone with Him quietly focusing on daily prayer and scripture study, always aiming to be worthy of a current temple recommend.  These will be some wise investments of our time to draw closer to our Heavenly Father."

• Elder Holland:  ". . . all of us need to know God more fully in order to love Him more deeply."

• Pres Ezra Taft Benson:  "And now we're here - our memories are veiled - and we're showing God and ourselves what we can do.  And nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side than to realize how well we know our Father and how familiar His face is to us."

• Pres Gordon B. Hinckley - "You are His child all the time, not just when you are good, you are His child when you are bad.  You have within you a portion of Divinity that is real and tremendous and marvelous and wonderful."

Studying our scriptures will also strengthen our relationship with Heavenly Father.  Please take some time to look up and study the references listed on the next page.  Add more of your own and use them to remind you often how important you are to your Heavenly Father.

Love, Sister Dana Call, Stake RS Sec

How can I know my Heavenly Father better?

If I were to see Heavenly Father, what would I expect to see?
    Genesis 1:26-27
    D&C 20:17-18
    D&C 76:20-23
    Moses 2:26-27
    Moses 7:4
    Joseph Smith - History 1:17
     
How do I know Heavenly Father loves me?
    John 3:16
    Acts 17:28
    Hebrews 12:9  
    1 Nephi 11:17
    2 Nephi 2:24  
    3 Nephi 13:26-33   
    Moses 2:29-31
    Moses 7:28, 32-33, 40
     
What blessings can I gain by strengthening my relationship with Heavenly Father?
    Psalms 8:26 
    John 17:3
    1 Corinthians 2:9
    Ephesians 4:6
    1 John 3:1-3 
    Alma 26:35
    D&C 88:63-64
   
"The Grandeur of God" by Jeffrey R. Holland

November Stake Relief Society Message

November 2016

Sisters, I was so excited to have the opportunity to write the November message, especially after watching General Conference. After a weekend of inspiring messages, everything just seems a little easier. I sat down and wrote my message and I just wasn’t satisfied, so I tried again and the same thing happened. Two more messages later and I realized I wasn’t able to portray the messages that I felt so strongly about. Because I can’t put the whole weekend of talks into one message, I wanted to focus on President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s O How Great the Plan of Our God conference address. 
 

He talks about how it seems to be human nature that as we become more familiar with something, even something miraculous and awe-inspiring, we lose our sense of awe and treat it as commonplace. He goes on to say:

“Think of how you felt when for the first time you believed and understood that you are truly a child of God; that Jesus Christ willingly suffered for your sins so that you may be clean again; that priesthood power is real and can bind you to your loved ones for time and for all eternity; that there is a living prophet on the earth today. Isn’t that wonderful and amazing?

Considering all of this, how could it ever be possible that we of all people would not be excited about attending our Church worship services? Or get tired of reading the holy scriptures? I suppose this could be possible only if our hearts were past feeling to experience gratitude and awe for the sacred and sublime gifts God has granted us. Life-changing truths are before our eyes and at our fingertips, but sometimes we sleepwalk on the path of discipleship.”

We have answers! I am grateful as well that the gospel of Jesus Christ has answers to the most complex questions in life. The Lord has provided answers that are true, plain, straightforward, and easy to understand. It is so simple, that the answers are often referred to as “Primary answers”, but it can take courage to trust in the guidance of the Spirit and choose the right.

I still remember the time when I was sitting in sacrament meeting after not attending a church meeting for over 17 years. I felt the spirit so strongly that I began to cry. It was a feeling of coming home. I am extending President Uchtdorf’s question to all of us. “What shall we give in return for the flood of light and truth God has poured out upon us?” How blessed we are to have the knowledge of the Plan of Happiness! May we share it with those that have never heard it and those that have forgotten. I feel blessed to be surrounded by such amazing women. You are truly my sisters!

Love, 
Patty Mark 2^nd Counselor 
Kanesville Stake Relief Society Presidency