Announcements - July 21, 2013

Next Saturday, July 27^th,  is our last chance to bid farewell to Marcia and Marv Storm  at the home of Riki and Andy Sorenson from 4:00 – 7:00.   Sign up online to bring a side dish if you like.

Judy Xu will be baptized next Sunday afternoon at 5:30 at the Overlook chapel.  All are invited to this wonderful occasion.

The Red Cross blood drive will conclude on Wednesday, July 31^st, at the Overlook chapel from 1:00 – 7:00.  Please sign up or just show up for this important event.

On Thursday, August 22^nd, all those interested will gather for a play (a vignette of James Thurber) at the Orinda Community Park in downtown Orinda.  This is a family appropriate event.  Let Sue know if you plan to attend.  We will enter as a group and she needs a count.  The play

 starts at 8:00 P.M.

Relief Society is collecting backpacks of all sizes for some families in need.   Bring them to the Relief Society room anytime before the end of August.  Avoid red please (it is a gang color).

Lesson Recap - July 21, 2013

Lesson 14

“With God All Things Are Possible”

given by

Mary Eggertsen

President Lorenzo Snow was a worker, following his own often-repeated counsel: “We have to exert ourselves.  Remaining idle without putting ourselves into action is of no use.”  But he acknowledged that in his desire to build up the kingdom of God, his own exertions would never be enough without the grace of God – or “supernatural aid” as he often called it.  He testified that God will add His strength to our efforts: “Where the Lord plants us, there we are to stand; when He requires us to exert ourselves for the support of these holy principles, that we are to do; that is all we need to trouble ourselves about; the rest our Heavenly Father will take care of.”

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” 

                                                                                                            Prov. 3:5

President Snow’s sister, Eliza R. Snow, noted that he had lived true to his teachings.  Lorenzo had unshaken confidence in God’s assisting power and grace.  He knew in whom he could trust and therefore he was able to endure every obstacle, every hardship, every opposition.

We learned about three principles:

1)   With God’s help we can do anything required of us.

2)   God has promised to help us in our personal efforts to live the gospel.

3)   When we participate in God’s work, we need God’s help.

Pres. Snow taught:  “First, we should realize the relationship that we sustain to the Lord our God, and the peculiar position we occupy.  To properly discharge the obligations devolving upon us, we require supernatural aid…”

He referred to the story of the young man who came to Jesus and wished to know what he should do in order to inherit eternal life.  He was told to keep the commandments.  The young man replied that he had done so since childhood.  Still, the Savior knew something was lacking.  The young man was rich and had much influence in his society.  He could not bring himself to sell what he had and give to the poor, thereby forsaking that which he valued in order to follow the Lord.   His wealth and position were more dear to his heart than obedience to celestial law.

                                                           

* * *

No group is a greater example of people who believed in the second principle than those whom we celebrate this week, our own pioneers.

Mary had three former Primary students of hers come to tell us about some pioneer experiences:

Ben DeLange:

My great-great grandfather, Francis Webster, fell in love with Ann Carsons when he was a young man in England.  She loved him too.  In 1848 he sailed to Australia where he worked for a doctor.  Then he worked on a trading ship going to San Francisco.  He worked in the gold mines until 1852 when he returned to England with $1500 in gold dust.  While he was away, Ann joined the church.  Francis was skeptical about the church but was eventually baptized also.  They were married in 1855.  They heard the prophets’ call to come to Zion.  They had enough money to travel in style but instead shared their money so that 9 others could make the trip.   Ann was pregnant with their first child and would deliver the baby on the plains.  They were assigned to the Martin Handcart Company and had a terrible time crossing the plains but they never complained about their hardships.  In fact, my great-great grandfather later said that the price he had paid to come to know God while traveling to Zion was a privilege to pay.  I am grateful for Francis and Ann Webster.  They gave everything they had to follow the prophet and loved the church and the Savior.  They are great examples to me that we shouldn’t complain but to always be grateful for our blessings.

Savannah Hilton:

My ancestor,  Mariah Normanton, joined the church in England.  Her family worked and saved their money.  They left England in May of 1856, arriving in Boston six weeks later.  Maria and her husband and four young children built their own handcart because there were none left when they arrived in Iowa.  Their traveling company had deep hardship and hunger as they traveled late in the season and in the snow.  Mariah felt so hungry she once tried to eat dirt so that her children could have more of their meager rations.  Her husband, her one year old son and the baby born on the trip all died during their tragic journey.  Yet Mariah’s faith was deep and strong and she never waivered in her faith in the Lord.  Mariah once heard that  their family friend,  James Bleak,  had been left back on the trail because his family believed he would die.  She went back for him because it had been prophesied that he would arrive in Zion in peace and safety.  He survived and later became an assistant to Brigham Young.  Mariah’s faith and strength blessed her life and the lives of others.  Her story is a great example of how God does not expect us to go through hardships alone.  He will guide us if we have faith in Him.

Andrew Logan:

Brigham Young and the saints faced many dangers and obstacles as they moved west into the Rocky mountains.  The Lord gave instructions to Brigham Young, telling him how to organized the saints to make this journey.  The instructions given to him are found today in section 136 of the Doctrine and Covenants.  A pioneer is someone who prepares the way for others who will follow.  A group of saints with several covered wagons and handcarts traveling  together in a group is called a company.   One with many wagons is called a wagon train.  At night time, after a long day of walking on their journey across the plains,  the pioneers  were directed by Brigham Young to bring their wagons into a circle.  The horses and oxen were tied inside the circle where they were protected from attacks from the outside.  This is called circling the wagons.  It provided safety for the pioneers and their livestock during the night.  The pioneers enjoyed singing and dancing within the circle.  They especially enjoyed singing the hymn, “Come, Come Ye Saints”  which was written during their journey by William Clayton.  They sang it often to give them courage to face their challenges.  The idea of circling the wagons for safety was one of the many ways the Lord helped the pioneers on their very difficult journey.  Sometimes we hear of people wondering if they would have the faith and courage to leave their precious belongings behind and travel to a land they had never seen.  We can increase our faith by listening to the prophet’s counsel and by keeping the commandments and by making right choices every day.  I am proud of my pioneer ancestors, they set such a great example for me.  I am thankful to know that my Heavenly Father will help me overcome challenges in my life, and that with His help, I can do anything he asks of me.

                                                            * * *

And in further regard to the second principle,  Pres. Snow taught, “In and of ourselves we cannot possibly comply with all the commandments that God has given unto us.  Jesus himself could not, without the Father, accomplish His work.  He said on one occasion, ‘I can of mine own self do nothing, as I hear I judge and my judgment is just because I seek not my own will but the will of the Father who sent me.’  (John 5:30)  And we, if it was necessary for Him, our Lord, to have divine assistance, will find it all the more important to receive His assistance.  And in every circumstance and condition surrounding the Latter-Day-Saints, while in the performance of their duties, they are entitled to supernatural aid from the Holy Spirit, to help in the various conditions surrounding them, and in the duties that they are required to perform. “

No man or woman should be discouraged when they feel that they cannot complete what they would like to perform, but we all should do what we can toward carrying out the grand work for which we are here.

Recently, the Primary theme was “I can do hard things”.  I have thought about that a lot lately.  The Lord requires us to do lots of hard things in our lives.  Life isn’t easy for any of us. 

Elder Dallin Oaks teaches us that the day of the pioneer is not past.  There are modern pioneers whose achievements are an inspiration to all of us.   He says, “In every nation and in every worthy occupation and activity, members of this church face hardships, overcome obstacles and follow the servants of the Lord Jesus Christ as valiantly as the pioneers of any age.  They pay their tithes and offerings, they serve as missionaries or as church service volunteers or they support others who do so.  Like the noble young mothers who postpone the pursuit of their personal goals in order to provide the needs of their children, they sacrifice immediate pleasure in order to keep commitments that are eternal.  They accept callings and in the service of others, they willingly give their time and sometimes their lives.”

Elder Oaks acknowledges that the path of modern pioneers is not easy.  Burdens carried in the heart can be just as heavy as those pulled in a handcart.   Just as the early pioneers struggled for the benefit of others,  some modern pioneers carry burdens imposed by the transgression or thoughtlessness of others.  Many of our members are struggling valiantly to do it all.   They support themselves and their families, they strive to carry out the responsibilities of their church callings, they spend many hours transporting their children to church and school activities.  They try to be generous with money and time for worthy causes in the community.  They strive to improve themselves.  They hope after all of this to have some little time for togetherness and recreation. 

What are some of the hard things you face in your life?

One sister said how hard it is for her to make a big change in her life, to move away and leave where she was raised and has lived many years.  She feels at peace with the decision and will go forth knowing that it is what the Lord would have her do at this time. 

Another sister told of helping her son rely on the Lord to help him give a talk he had not prepared.   Where he could have faltered, he faced up to the challenge and did well. 

                                                            * * *

The third principle is: When we participate in God’s work, we need God’s help. 

Pres. Snow taught, “Whatever you may undertake for the furtherance of the interests of Zion, you must depend upon the  Lord for its success.  The work that we have to do here is of that nature that we cannot do it unless we have the assistance of the Almighty.  We must not forget that we are here in order to carry out certain purposes that we have promised the Lord that we would carry out.  It is a glorious work that we are engaged in, it is the work of the Almighty; and He has selected the men and women whom he knows from past experience will carry out His purposes.”

Pres. Eyring keeps a book in which he records on a daily basis how his life is touched by the Lord.  He started keeping this record because he wanted his children to  know that he recognizes the hand of the Lord in his life.  His children can look at his book at any time.  His question was: have I seen the hand of God reaching out to our family today?  What a treasure those journals must be! 

Mary then invited all to join the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and to learn more about those wonderful  people!  To qualify for membership, one must either 1) be a descendant of a pioneer who came to the valley before 1865 or 2) to have an interest in pioneers!   That means everyone qualifies.  For further information please email Laurine  Jones at renie2@sbcglobal.net.   Our meetings are interesting, informative and lots of fun!  Hope to hear from you soon!

Announcements - July 14, 2013

• Stake Blood Drive is happening during July.  Go to redcross.org to schedule an appointment.  July 20 & 30 will be at the Interstake Center in Oakland, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; July 31 will be at the Overlook Chapel in Walnut Creek, 1-7 p.m. 

Lesson Recap - July 14, 2013

Lesson by Michelle

“Relief Society:  True Charity and Pure Religion”

Teachings of Presidents of the Church

Lorenzo Snow

Michelle began her lesson by playing a video “Daughters of God” from lds.org. and she expressed her love and appreciation for the women in the Moraga Ward.

She then gave a history of Relief Society.  Michelle said that basically that “Relief Society” is a new name for an old organization. 

In the book, “Daughters in My Kingdom” it states:  “During His mortal ministry, the Savior showed special love and concern for women.”

Michelle mentioned that Jesus taught women in multitudes and as individuals.  He showed them in His parables, he healed them, cried with them and forgave them.  “Even in excruciating pain on the cross, the Savior expressed concern for His mother, who by then was very likely a widow in need of watchcare.  And the first person to whom He appeared after His Resurrection was a woman.” –Daughters in My Kingdom.

Women were vital participants in the Savior’s ministry.  Many others became exemplary disciples too.  They travelled with Jesus and his Apostles.  They supported Jesus and His ministry.  Even after His death they remained faithful.

Luke 10 describes that Mary and Martha were two main examples of faithful women in the New Testament.  Martha opened her home to Jesus.  She served the Lord by taking care of his temporal needs, and Mary sat at the Master’s feet and absorbed His teachings.  Jesus also taught Martha and Mary that they could also participate in His work spiritually in a time when women were expected to provide only temporal service.

After the restoration of the Gospel, the Relief Society was organized in the Spring of 1842 in Nauvoo.  All the Saints in Nauvoo were working hard to build the temple.  There were several separate women’s groups/organizations at the time, providing various forms of assistance such as sewing or cooking. 

Sarah M. Kimball gave the following account: “Miss (Margaret) Cook…one day in conversation with me on the subject of a recent appeal for provisions, clothing, bedding and general supplies for the workmen and their families, remarked that she would be pleased to contribute needlework if it could be made available.  I proffered material for her to make up, and suggested that others might feel as we did.  We then (discussed) the subject of organizing a sewing society.  The object of which should be to aid the erection of the temple.  About a dozen of the neighboring sisters by invitation met in my home the following Thursday.”

It was common in those days for women to form their own organizations, often with constitutions and bylaws.  Eliza R. Snow (sister of President Lorenzo Snow) offered to write up these bylaws.  The women asked Joseph Smith to review them and give his opinion of them.  He said they were “the best he had ever seen.”

On March 17, 1842, twenty women met with Joseph Smith and Elders John Taylor and Willard Richards. D & C 25 is the prophecy given to Joseph Smith twelve years earlier that relates to the organizing of the Relief Society and was read to those in attendance by Joseph Smith.  The Prophet organized the women’s organization after the manner of the Priesthood:  There would be a president and two counselors.  Sister Sarah Rich said that it made them united more like family than strangers.

In “Daughters of My Kingdom” it says, “The Relief Society was not just another group of women trying to do good in the world.  It was different.  It was “something better” because it was organized under priesthood authority.

Today, the Relief Society is the oldest and largest women’s organization in the world.

Several sisters in the audience noted that for many years, it cost $.50 to join; membership was not automatic.  Joseph Smith gave the Relief Society $5 to start up the organization and until recently, the Relief Society managed their own budget.   It was also mentioned that under Brigham Young, Relief Society was disbanded for a time (about 20 years).  In Utah, the sisters helped Native Americans, and sometime after that, it was reinstated.

Until the late 1970’s, the Relief Society met during the week.  When the Relief Society didn’t meet on Sundays, the lessons were generally centered around homemaking, cultural refinement, and child rearing.  Once church meetings were all moved to Sundays, the Relief Society lessons became more directed to spiritual subjects. 

Lorenzo Snow said, “The mission of the Relief Society is to succor the distressed, to minister to the sick and feeble, to feed the poor, to clothe the naked, and to bless all the sons and daughters of God.  No institution was ever founded with a nobler aim.  Its basis is true charity, which is the pure love of Christ (see Moroni 7:47), and that spirit has been manifested in all the ministrations of the Society among the people.  The Apostle James said that “pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this:  To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27)  Accepting that as true, the members of the Relief Society have most surely exemplified in their lives pure and undefiled religion; for they have ministered to those in affliction, they have thrown their arms of love around the fatherless and the widows, and they have kept themselves unspotted from the world.  I can testify that there are no purer and more God-fearing women in the world than are to be found within the ranks of the Relief Society.”

Michelle asked how does the Relief Society fulfill its mission today?

Michelle related the story of when she was pregnant and on complete bed rest.  It meant so much to her when the sisters of the Relief Society came in and took complete care of her and her husband for the duration of her pregnancy.

Melanie spoke about the time when she attended a speech by a local pediatrician at the intermediate school.  The doctor was discussing adolescent health and behavior.  The audience asked many questions and were hungering for more information.  The lasting impression that has stayed with Melanie is that she gets this kind of information and support weekly from the Relief Society but others in the community don’t.

Marna stated that Relief Society gives us the opportunity to “feed ourselves” spiritually. 

Michelle closed her lesson by playing a video “The Caregiver” by Elder Henry B. Eyring from lds.org and by reading from Matthew 25:40, 43-45:

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye           have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. . . Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the ^aleast of these, ye did it not to me.