Lesson Material and Announcements - 26 March 2015

Sisters,

The other week's Relief Society lessons were supposed to be based upon the fo9llowing talks, which can be found on the Church website at LDS.org:

The Sacrament - A Renewal for the Soul by Sister Cheryl A. Esplin
and
The Sacrament and the Atonement by Elder James J. Hamula

Both links should direct you to the full text of the talks on LDS.org.

The third hour block on SUNDAY 29 MARCH will be a combined Relief Society/Elders' Quorum meeting.

Also, the General Women's Broadcast will be airing on SUNDAY 29 MARCH at the Reading Stake Centre.

RS Sunday Lesson 15 Feb 2015 - "Living Joyfully"

The lesson was titled "Living Joyfully in Troubled Times" and was taught by Sister Sue Freeman.

The lesson was chapter 4 in the Ezra Taft Benson manual and the full text can be found HERE on the Church website.

• President and Sister Hinckley were cited as examples of those who live joyfuly.
• "Come what may and love it"
• How else can we live joyfully?
• have a prayer in your heart
• be optimistic
• just be happy
• remember to laugh
• come to Relief Society - you may hear the one thing you need to help you through the week.

A Quick Reminder About the Ward Temple Trip

Dear Lovely Ladies,

Come join us for a lovely afternoon at the Temple.

We have organised a Temple Trip on the 17th of February. 

We will be participating in the 2.30pm session and will meet in the Visitor Centre at 1.45pm.

For those of you who are not able to go inside the temple yet, we have arranged for you to watch a movie in the visitors centre.

And for those of you who have younger children, we have sisters who are willing to look after the children so that you can go to the Temple.

If you could please let us know if you need children to be taken care of so we can have enough sisters to cover this.

Also, if you are needing transport or have spaces in your car for others, please let us know.

We look forward to this day where we can grow together in testimony and in sisterhood at the holy temple grounds and pray that many of you will accept this invitation to be with us for this spiritually bonding experience.

23 November 2014 lesson: Dallin H Oaks "Living With Differences and Learning to Love"

For the text of the talk this lesson was based on, check here on lds.org.

Teacher: Sister Nikki Matthews
Opening Hymn: "We Are Different" (from Children's Songbook)

• Brother Ratliff had asked Nikki to read the Church Handbook of Instructions for Relief Society upon receiving her call as a RS teacher.
• for some sisters this may be the only gospel teaching they get in a week.
• the class made a list of the differences among the sister in our ward.
• young single adults, young mums, grandparents, single parents, unemployed, stay-at-home-mums, working mums, young married couples, recent converts, raised in the church, those with health issues, various degrees of education, financial stability, etc.
• we all have different experiences and different perspectives and things to teach one another.
• Example of the Saviour: "His life was a legacy of love" Thomas S. Monson
• we need to show love in spite of differences.
• Remember the importance of including other who may not share the same faith.
• there is some difficulty in making friends outside of children & callings & church activities
• you don't always have to proselytize, just live the way you believe.
• Remember principles of kindness, fairness, and giving the benefit of the doubt when interacting with others around us.
• Fight the impulse for insularity that the church can bring. There are good people everywhere.
• 3 Nephi 11:28-30 "he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me."
• Speak the truth with love.
• Try not to be contentious, but don't give up our convictions out of politeness.
• It takes two people to have an argument.
• We don't have to take everything personally. Try to have charity with disagreements. We should remember our commonalities.
• Golden Rule: treat others how we want to be treated. Platinum Rule: treat others how they want to be treated.
• "Disagree, but don't be disagreeable."
• Remember that even those who feel unkind and antagonistic towards us may be acting out of love and concern for us.

•  The commandment to love one another surely includes love and respect across religious lines and also across racial, cultural, and economic lines. We challenge all youth to avoid bullying, insults, or language and practices that deliberately inflict pain on others. All of these violate the Savior’s command to love one another.

• Our words can have such a powerful effect on others and how they see the world and themselves.
• The commandment to love one another may be our greatest challenge.

Closing Hymn: "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus"