July Stake Relief Society Message

Sisters,

As I sat in my car in the parking lot of the grocery store a few months ago I sat asking myself the same question over and over. How am I going to do this all by myself? I had been experiencing unknown abdominal pain and severe fatigue for almost a week and just couldn’t shake it. I quickly said a prayer letting my Heavenly Father know how much I needed his help. As I grabbed my cart and headed into the store I heard a familiar voice behind me it was my friend next door, we began talking about our day and as we talked we grabbed things we had on our lists. I began to notice she didn’t have much on her list but she stayed with me through every isle as I loaded my cart. When I had finally finished and was ready to check out she was still there with me, we were having so much fun visiting. She went through the check stand first and after bagging her own grocery’s she began emptying my cart and began bagging up my grocery’s. Did she know she was the answer to my prayer?

In President Monson’s October 2013 Conference address he said “Relief Society is made up of a variety of women. There are those of you who are single-perhaps in school, perhaps working-yet forging a full and rich life. Some of you are busy mothers of growing children. Still other of you have lost your husbands because of divorce or death and are struggling to raise your children without the help of a husband and father. Some of you have raised your children but have realized that their need for your help is ongoing. There are many of you who have aging parents who require the loving care only you can give. Wherever we are in life, there are times when all of us have challenges and struggles. Although they are different for each, they are common to all. When you find yourself in such circumstances, I plead with you to remember prayer”.

Often times I look back at the life I lived when I didn’t have the knowledge of how daily prayer could bless my life and wonder how I got so far without it but what I’ve realized is, I didn’t have that peace that comes through prayer or the understanding of how much my Heavenly Father and the Savior love me. I also didn’t have the understanding of how often we are sent to answer someone’s prayer and not even realize it.

Do we truly know how important we are in being a tool in answering other people’s prayers? We go about our day not really knowing how one simple phone call, smile, letter, visit, lesson, meal, kind word or prayer will effect those around us and may never know how it changed someone’s life for the better. Sisters I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such talented, strong, sensitive, nurturing, caring, faithful women you are true examples to me.

Love, Sister Mark 2nd Counselor

Sept 2014- Sisterhood - A True Love Story

         I wanted to thank the youth and leaders of our ward and stake for doing the baptisms for the names which I and others have submitted. What you are doing is making a great difference to people on both sides of the veil!

         Among the names I submitted was the name of James (Jimmy) K and his parents. He was a very nice Catholic man who was engaged to my Aunt Margurite H (an active member of the church) for over 55 years, although they never married. They both passed away many years ago, but I'd received a strong impression that I should work to get them sealed together.  After Jimmy's baptism and temple work were recently completed,  I wrote the following letter to the First Presidency, and received the following reply.  Needless to say we were crying with happiness when we opened and read the reply.  The happy ending to their love story is that we are going to have them sealed in the Rexburg temple on Saturday, Sept. 13, where they will be joined together forever! Thank you all for the important work you are doing!  I know Jimmy and Margurite, and our family, will be eternally grateful for your dedication to do temple work, as will all of the others for whom you have done baptisms.   With love and gratitude,     

                                         Sister Maggie (Margaret) J, Fairgrove Ward.

Letter to 1st presidency

Dear First Presidency,

I am writing this letter related to my LDS Aunt, Margurite H (name removed) , and her fiancé, James (Jimmy) K (name removed), who was a Catholic. Although they never got married, they were engaged about 55 years, and I have had a very strong impression for the past few years that I should do his temple work and get them sealed. When I asked my Stake President as to how to do this, he said that after the temple endowments are completed that I should ask the First Presidency for permission and direction as to how I should proceed. This same advice was also stated by the Bountiful Temple recorder about two weeks ago when I inquired there.

Here is some background on their engagement.

Margurite , who was strong LDS, and Jimmy, who was Catholic, met in their 20’s and fell in love and were engaged to be married in Great Falls, Montana. When they decided to get married, the Catholic Church at that time requested that they sign a document that any children they had would be raised in the Catholic Church. When Margurite refused to sign it, she and Jimmy decided it would be better if they postponed the marriage, and basically stayed engaged for about 55 years until she passed away.

They did not live together, and were morally clean, but saw each other almost every day. Margurite would light up when he walked in the room, smiling, and both talking very kindly to each other. Jimmy was a mild mannered man, a perfect gentleman. He was always there in the background, and never interfered with Margurite’s church attendance or beliefs. They were totally devoted to each other, and he was an important part of Margurite’s life. She stayed active in the church, and continued to attend in her later years even when she had crippling arthritis and had difficulty getting in or out of a car.

She was instrumental in my family’s membership in the church. My dad, her brother, was also LDS, but totally inactive, and married my mother who was Episcopalian. The H (family) came from pioneer stock, and Margurite and my dad were from a family of 12 children, my dad Arnold being the youngest. We lived about 8 blocks from Margurite, and had such a close association with her. She was like a second mom to us, and we were like her children since she had none of her own.

As we got older, she would occasionally pick up us older children in a big black taxi to take us to Sunday School. At times Jimmy drove all of us to church and dropped us off. I remember enjoying the experience of being at church. When I was about 8 years old, my friend Linda who was LDS, started taking me to Primary. I loved it and also brought my older sister and younger brother. Then the missionaries came to teach mom and our family the gospel, and the four of us were baptized. Eventually my other three siblings also were baptized when they were old enough. I am sorry that my dad never got active, but before he died he said that he knew the church was true and wished that he had done things differently.

Margurite was a very big influence for good in our lives. Now I would love to finish their love story by having them sealed in the temple. I hope you can give me direction in this matter, which I humbly submit for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Margaret Ellen H

Member of the Kanesville Stake, Fairgrove Ward

Response

Jul 2014 - Sisterhood - Putting your trust in God

This is Cindy M.'s story . . .

July 2009 I was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer with lymph node 

involvement. I was devastated to learn that I had cancer. That wasn’t part 

of my life’s plan!

After the mammogram, ultra sound, and biopsy I met with a surgeon to get 

the final pathology report. The appointment lasted two hours because she 

discussed all the findings and all the treatment options with my husband and 

me. It didn’t sound good. I had to have surgery for a port inserted in my 

chest, chemotherapy, breast surgery, radiation, periodic heart tests, etc etc. 

There were decisions to be made such as whether to have surgery first or 

chemo first and what kind of surgery to have. I left the appointment totally 

overwhelmed and in shock. I was in a daze the remainder of that day. 

When I went to bed that night I couldn’t sleep. About 2:00 am I got out 

of bed. I was very anxious and scared. It had finally hit me...I had breast 

cancer! I was experiencing some strange emotions I had never felt before. 

I was so anxious that I just paced back and forth. It finally dawned on me, 

“I need to pray.” I got on my knees and told my Heavenly Father that I 

knew a lot of people had faced harder trials than what lay ahead of me, but 

I was really scared. I told Him I couldn’t do it alone and I needed His help. 

Immediately I felt peace. The dark feelings went away and were replaced 

with God’s overwhelming love and a calm reassurance that all would be 

well. I spent some time talking to Heavenly Father and sharing my fears 

with Him. When I went back to bed I was able to go right to sleep.

I was given many tender mercies during that year of cancer treatment; I 

knew that God was watching over me. I came to know how near He is, how 

much He loves me. I learned to put trust in God and the Lord, and my faith 

in His atoning power grew. With their help, and the support of my husband, 

I was able to get through this challenge. I know that God our Father knows 

us personally and reaches out to help us. I know that I can access the Lord’s 

power to bless and deliver me in any of life’s challenges.

Cindy is a member of the Prairie Crossing ward.