May Newsletter Announcements

Please mark your calendars for the Stake Youth Fireside at 5pm on Sunday, May 20th at the Stake Center. All youth 12-18 and their parents and leaders are invited to attend.  (We apologize that this event was left off May's Newsletter calendar.)

Neighborhood Clean-up and Clothing Swap - Saturday, May 12^th 9-11am - Contact Pres. Shannon for more info about the clean-up or Lisa Peterson for more info about the clothing swap.

YW News –

"Reminder to all the YW that we start camp prep activities in June.  Dig out your camp manual and camp necklace and prepare to have fun!"

YM News – April found the scouts at Willow Park for the Spring District Camporee.  This year they celebrated 100 years of Eagle Scouts.  Dustin and Spencer were awarded their Eagle at a special celebration. Congratulations on all your hard work!  The YM also spent time preparing for Scout-O-Rama learning knots and using them to make camp gadgets and participating in more cycling and hiking in preparation for the upcoming 50/30/20/12.  They joined the YW for two activities this month: a stake youth night about the restoration of the gospel and a night of games, including kickball and capture the flag.

Mark your calendar for our Ward Pool Party on Saturday, August 18^th from 8-10pm at the Oquirrh Park Fitness Center Pools.  This will take place instead of the annual ward camp-out.

Congratulations to Tyler Savage on his mission call to the Carlsbad California Mission.

April Wise Stewards Finance Tip

Many of you remember Elder Marvin J. Ashton.  Some may even remember the talk he gave in the April 1975 general conference during the welfare session titled “Guide to Family Finance”.  This talk, given more than a quarter century ago is the basis of the church pamphlet “One for the Money” that is available through church distribution.  Its advice is as good today as it was then, and even more important to heed now.  I wanted to include a quote from Elder Ashton’s quote which is disturbing in that the statistics continue to remain similar to those cited in 1975.

“How important are money management and finances in marriage and family affairs? May I respond, “Tremendously.” The American Bar Association has indicated that 89 percent of all divorces can be traced to quarrels and accusations over money. Others have estimated that 75 percent of all divorces result from clashes over finances. Some professional counselors indicate that four out of five families are strapped with serious money problems.”

Elder Ashton’s talk has been reprinted in more than one Ensign issue in the years since it was first given, which reinforces how important his message is.  With all the resources the church puts out to help families, this one is vital.  I feel so blessed to belong to a church where the importance of the stability of marriage and family is paramount, and this reinforces my testimony of the gospel.  Over the next several months we’ll look at the 12 points that Elder Ashton covers in “One for the Money” so we can take a closer look at this topic that is so important whether you are single, married, or busily raising a family.

April RS Message

Happy Spring and a big welcome to Elsie who just turned 18 and joined the Relief Society!

It is such a beautiful time of year! Lawns are starting to green, trees and flowers are blooming. The world is awaking after winter. We celebrate Easter and think of the Savior and His atonement. We have all been promised the gift of "awaking" - resurrection and the opportunity of Eternal Life - to live as our Heavenly Father lives - if we are worthy. What an amazing gift is the Atonement!

We have been blessed by General Conference with the opportunity to hear the messages of the gospel from our prophet, apostles, and other general leaders. President Julie Beck, who was just released as the General RS President, gave a wonderful talk about Relief Society. She reminded us that Relief Society is to teach, strengthen, and inspire sisters in (our) purpose regarding faith, family, and relief. She quoted from President Joseph F. Smith, who said he expected the sisters "to lead the world and ... especially the women of the world, in everything that is praise-worthy, everything that is God-like, everything that is uplifting and that is purifying to the children of men." She closed her remarks by quoting President Lorenzo Snow: "The future of the (Relief) Society is full of promise. As the church grows, its field of usefulness will be correspondingly enlarged, and it will be even more potent for good than it has been in the past." 

Sisters, we have been given the charge! Let us strengthen ourselves so that we exert our righteous influence in our homes to our families; in our ward to our brothers and sisters; in our neighborhood to those around us; in our workplaces to those we associate with. May we, as individuals, and as a (relief) society of women let our light shine out to the world.

April Newsletter Announcements

YW News – A huge thank you to everyone who supported the youth fundraiser.  The YW enjoyed a nice dinner in March and each girl brought a special guest.  We'll start camp prep activities on June 6th.  Our YW who are in Kearns Color Guard just returned from San Francisco.  Andi was awarded with team MVP at her first track meet.  Kassidie is our newest Mia Maid, and Aspen joins YW in April.  We're so proud of our YW and all of their achievements!

YM News - March was full of excitement and adventure. In preparation for the 50/30/20/12 (50 miles total, 30 mi. biking, 20 mi. hiking, in 12 hours) the scouts walked to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. Afterwards they had their overnight camp for the month at the Jamison home. Thank you to all who came and supported our successful annual YM/YW Chili Cook-Off Camp Fundraiser. During March, the scouts also worked on the Swimming MB at the fitness center. To finish off the month, the youth participated in a service scavenger hunt. They worked hard at ironing, pulling weeds, washing cars, raking leaves, and more for the members of the ward. Thanks to our youth who gave of their time.

March Wise Stewards Finance Tip

119 Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;

As I was thinking about what to write this month a scripture from the 88^th section of the D&C kept coming back to me. I began thinking about the upcoming General Conference we will be enjoying next month, and about the Easter holiday we will celebrate the week after. I also have a touch of spring fever and can’t wait to get outside & enjoy some warmer weather. With all these things running through my head, I realized I have a lot to prepare for this coming month. There are seeds to start, windows to wash, junk drawers to clean out, and donations to organize-all this in addition to my already busy schedule. This is about when the panic should be setting in, right? How can anyone not feel overwhelmed when there seem to be so many demands on our lives? My life is a different kind of busy than anyone else’s, but we all have responsibilities. So how do we keep it all together when the tasks before us seem insurmountable?

Just as the spirit has testified to me so many times before, I’ve again found myself turning to the scriptures and found an answer. Organize. Prepare. Pray, fast, have faith. Give glory to God for the blessings you have, and humble before Him when asking for those things which you have need. Strive to make your home a house of order where the Spirit will remain. I hope we can all start now to organize, prepare, and do whatever we need to do so we’ll be ready for this session of General Conference and the words that our leaders are preparing for us to hear. The blessings we can take away are well worth the effort, and having His spirit with us as we celebrate His death and resurrection can help us to be truly grateful for His ultimate sacrifice.

March RS Message

RS Birthday Dinner – Thurs, March 22, 7pm – Come for cake, conversation and an inspirational speaker. Nursery will be provided.

Relief Society Message

This month we are continuing our discussion of The Relief Society Declaration by studying the topic “Finding nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood.”

Sister Margaret Nadauld, in an address called the Joy of Womanhood, states “Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity.”

2 Nephi 2:25 - Adam fell that (wo)men might be; and (wo)men are, that they might have joy.

Each time I meet with the sisters of the Church, I sense that I am in the midst of similar remarkable souls . . . I am grateful for who you are: treasured daughters of our Heavenly Father with infinite worth. – President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, October 2008 General Conference

March Newsletter Announcements

The annual Ward Chili Cookoff/Service and Dessert Auction will be held March 17 at 6pm at the Stake Center. This is the only fundraiser the youth will have all year to help pay for upcoming YW and Scout camps. Please support our youth by making your favorite chili or donating a dessert. The youth will be selling different services such as babysitting, lawn care, etc. The cost to attend will be $5/person or $15/family. Please invite friends and family!

YM News - February found the scouts focused on winter camping. They kept warm by participating in the activities including the famous Klondike race and Ice Age Scout Refuge (troop was in charge of this). It got down to 5°F, so each scout got a feel of what it’s like to be a turkey in your freezer! Sunday found the scouts back in action as they went out and shoveled many sidewalks in the neighborhood. Being in the service of our fellow beings is definitely being in the service of our God! Thank you to our scouts for their efforts and the leaders who make it possible for our scouts to advance in scouting.

YW News – The theme for New Beginnings last month was "Arise and Shine Forth that your Happily Ever After May be Bright" based on Pres. Uchtdorf's talk from the April 2010 General YW Meeting. Sister Anderson talked about how Personal Progress helps us live up to our potential as royal daughters of our Heavenly Father. The girls and leaders also performed a cute skit written by Sister Jamison. Thank you to all of the family members that came to support us. We are excited to welcome Megan as our newest MiaMaid and Sister Gerber as our Beehive Advisor.

February RS Message

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As we celebrate Valentine's Day this month may we commit ourselves to increase our love each day of the year. We would like to share with you:

Twenty Ways to Make a Good Marriage Great

By Richard W. Linford, Ensign, Dec 1983, 64

1. Night and Morning Prayer . . . to say thanks, to ask for help in your marriage and family, to worship together.

2. A Weekly Planning Meeting . . . to discuss the calendar, talk over needs and problems, decide priorities and next steps. (Write decisions in a journal, including goals and discussion topics, and reasons for each.)

3. A Daily Phone Call or Personal Conversation . . . to say . . . I love you, . . . to touch base, to discuss the day, to show you care.

4. A Weekly Date . . . to a favorite park, a concert, the library, the gym; or staying home for a candlelight dinner, a game, or a mutual hobby.

5. Patience Regardless . . . of missed meals, tardiness, forgotten favors, a thoughtless remark, impatience.

6. Daily Service . . . helping with house or yard work, mending a piece of clothing, taking a turn with the sick baby, fixing a favorite meal. (Write it down. Do it!)

7. A Budget . . . to tie down income and expenses, help set financial goals, and give you control over your finances.

8. Listening . . . not only to what is said, but also to what is meant.

9. Regular Attendance . . . at church . . . and where possible . . . the temple.

10. Daily Scripture Reading . . . to learn the gospel, to receive inspiration for yourself and your marriage, to become more like Jesus.

11. Working Together . . . caring for a garden, painting a bedroom, washing the car, scrubbing floors, building a piece of furniture, writing a poem together, team teaching a class.

12. Forgiving Each Other . . . always learning from each other, trying a different way, being the first to make peace.

13. Courtesies . . . like saying please and thank you, not interrupting or belittling, not doing all the talking, continuing the niceties of courtship.

14. Soft and Kind Words . . . of tenderness, compassion, empathy.

15. Learning Together by . . . reading to each other, discussing ideas, taking a class.

16. Respecting . . . opinions, ideas, privacy.

17. Supporting Your Spouse’s . . . Church callings and righteous goals.

18. Caring for Your Spouse’s Family by . . . enjoying their company, praying for them, serving them, overlooking differences.

19. Occasional Gifts . . . such as a note, a needed item . . . but mostly gifts of time and self.

20. Loving with All Your Heart. “Thou shalt love thy wife [thy husband] with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her [him] and none else.” (D&C 42:22.)

February Wise Stewards Finance Tip

February has come and the Christmas decorations are packed away (hopefully). You might still be keeping some of your New Year’s resolutions, and you may already be eyeing a certain box of chocolate for that special someone, but do you have your taxes done? Taxes aren’t due until April 17^th, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get them done early. If you do your taxes yourself there are some great ways to save time and money. Before you go out and buy an at home tax program for your computer, check out the IRS website. Go to www.irs.gov and click on the “Free File” icon. If you made under $57,000 last year you can use software programs by some of the same companies that sell them in the store, for free. E-filing is free for anyone regardless of how much you made, and you can find online tax forms at the IRS website as well.

Now that I’ve put a bug in your ear about taxes, let’s get down to the really important stuff. Have you picked out a Valentine’s present yet? How about a plan to get out of debt?! It may not be easy to gift wrap, but it could have a more positive effect on a relationship than a stuffed toy or some perfume. Whether you’re married or single, having a solid financial plan is beneficial to anyone. Being in good financial standing when you’re single is tough, but doable. Staying in good financial standing after you’re married should be just as important a goal. In Elder Marvin J. Ashton’s Guide to Family Finances, Elder Ashton quotes, “The American Bar Association has indicated that 89 percent of all divorces can be traced to quarrels and accusations over money. Others have estimated that 75 percent of all divorces result from clashes over finances.” Having good communication and positive goals is essential to a good marriage, but this is especially true regarding your family finances. So if you are married and a financial plan isn’t a romantic enough Valentine’s present for you to give, go ahead & wrap it up with some candy hearts. I bet they’ll both be appreciated.

February Newsletter Announcements

Mark your calendars for Stake Conference, February 4^th & 5^th. Special meeting on Sunday morning for youth at 8am. Make sure to come early Sunday morning for the choir prelude at 9:30am. It will be a spiritual treat!

YW News – New Beginnings will be Wed, February 1st in the Relief Society room. Young Women (and girls who turn 12 this year) and their parents are encouraged to attend. Sunday dress requested.

Valentine Adult Dinner – Saturday, Feb. 18^th at 6:00pm. Nursery will be provided by the youth.

Choir practice will be Sunday mornings, 11am at Sister Beck’s home starting Feb 19^th.

January Relief Society Message

Happy New Year!

We are excited to spend some time discussing The Relief Society Declaration this year. We will be discussing different aspects of it each month in the first Sunday lessons. Last Sunday Sister Hunsaker started us off by teaching about seeking spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost. In February, the topic will be "Finding nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood". We hope that we will all be strengthened as we learn together.

The Relief Society Declaration

We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar. We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who:

v Increase our testimonies of Jesus Christ through prayer and scripture study.

v Seek spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

v Dedicate ourselves to strengthening marriages, families, and homes.

v Find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood.

v Delight in service and good works.

v Love life and learning.

v Stand for truth and righteousness.

v Sustain the priesthood as the authority of God on earth.

v Rejoice in the blessings of the temple, understand our divine destiny, and strive for exaltation.

January Finance Tip

Wise Stewards Finance Tip

In his April 2004 Conference talk entitled Earthly Debts, Heavenly Debts Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin outlines five key steps to financial freedom. This month we’ll look at:

· First, pay your tithing.

· Second, spend less than you earn.

· Third, learn to save.

· Fourth, honor your financial obligations.

· Fifth, teach your children to follow your example.

It’s a new year! What a great time to get a new start! As you work on your resolutions for this year, don’t leave the kids out. Share your goals with the family. You’ll be more likely to achieve them if someone else is watching. Better yet, make family goals this year. Make it a goal to save up for something fun or important and let each family member do their part to help. Little ones can save their pennies too and feel like they’ve done something very important.

Discuss tithing in family home evening and share your progress with each other every week. This is a perfect opportunity to share your testimony of the importance of tithing and the blessings received from Heavenly Father from paying it. Your example is the most important thing you can show your kids to help them develop healthy habits. This can include healthy eating and exercise, scripture reading and prayer, and yes - money habits. Being open and honest about the rewards and consequences of your money habits and developing good habits will bless your children’s lives for years to come. If you don’t have children or they’ve grown and gone, you can share goals with others around you. We can all benefit from a good example and we can all use encouragement from each other.

January Newsletter Announcements

Relief Society Super Saturday - Jan. 28 from 10am to 1pm. Crafts, quilting, and food. Come and enjoy a good time together!!!

Mark your calendars for Stake Conference, February 4th & 5th. Priesthood Leadership is Saturday, 4pm and the adult session follows at 7pm. Sunday morning’s session is at 10am with a choir prelude at 9:30am. Come early for a great seat and enjoy the spiritual uplift from listening to the choir.

2012 Primary Theme – “Choose the Right”

2012 Mutual Theme - “Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations” (D&C 115:5)

The youth had two combined activities in December. They went to the Salt Lake Temple to see the lights and also helped with the ward’s Sub for Santa. Both activities helped the youth reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.
YM - Basketball season has started and games are Saturday mornings. Practices are following youth night until 9:15. See Bro. Thomas for more info.

Congratulations to the Allreds on the birth of their baby girl last month.

December Newsletter Relief Society Message

December brings to an end our discussion of:

SMALL & SIMPLE

Simplify
Miracles
Atonement
Laugh
Love

Service
Improve
Meek
Peace
Lift
Endure

It seems appropriate that we should end this study with ENDURE. Pres. Uchtdorf has said that: “Enduring to the end is a process filling every minute of our life, every hour, every day, from sunrise to sunrise.” (Ensign, Nov. 2007 p. 20)

Elder Dale G. Renlund, of the Seventy, stated that “to endure to the end, we need to be eager to please God and worship Him with fervor and passion. This means that we maintain faith in Jesus Christ by praying, studying the scriptures, partaking of the sacrament each week, and having the Holy Ghost as our constant companion. We need to actively help and serve others and share the gospel with them. . . . In our homes we need to talk of, rejoice in, and preach of Christ so that our children - and we ourselves – will desire to apply the Atonement in our lives.” (Ensign, Nov. 2009 p. 99)

Pres. Uchtdorf taught us that “enduring to the end is exalting and glorious, not grim and gloomy. This is a joyful religion, one of hope, strength, and deliverance… By doing our best to endure to the end, a beautiful refinement will come into our lives. The blessings that come to us from enduring to the end in this life are real and very significant, and for the life to come they are beyond our comprehension.” (Ensign, Nov. 2007 pp. 20, 21)

May we remember that our lives are the accumulation of many small and simple things – the choices that we make each day. May we choose wisely and follow the Savior. “And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.” (D & C 14:7)

Thank you to all who supported the Relief Society Cantata last month: the food committee, singers, pianists, readers, and especially Sister Savage. It started the holiday season on a spiritual note for all who attended.

December Newsletter Announcements

Ward Christmas Brunch
Sat, Dec 17^th, 10am - noon
Breakfast and fun activities! Invite your neighbors.

2012 Schedule

Sunday Meetings – 1 – 4 pm
Youth Night – Wednesdays
Relief Society Evenings – 2nd Tuesday
Cub Scout Pack Meeting – 4th Tuesday

Young Men News – In November, the scouts camped out under a full moon in Cedar Fort: the perfect backdrop for Capture the Flag. Saturday they left early to beat the snow storm and had breakfast in the Savage garage. For their combined activity, they gathered food for Christmas. Thanks to the youth for braving the cold and to each of you for donating. They also visited the downtown Family History Center for a scavenger hunt set up by the missionaries where they worked on the Genealogy Merit Badge and learned what resources are available to help find our ancestors.

Young Women News – MaKayla is now part of Color Guard at Kearns High. The YW did an excellent job sharing their spiritual growth at YW in Excellence. They recited The Living Christ, which they worked on memorizing this year. Emily received her Honor Bee award. Sister Bowers received her Young Womanhood medallion.

December Newsletter Finance Tip

In his April 2004 Conference talk entitled Earthly Debts, Heavenly Debts Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin outlines five key steps to financial freedom. This month we’ll look at:

· First, pay your tithing.

· Second, spend less than you earn.

· Third, learn to save.

· Fourth, honor your financial obligations.

· Fifth, teach your children to follow your example.

Are you honest in your dealings with your fellow men? You probably recognize this as one of the questions from your temple recommend interview. As a child it’s an easy question to answer. As we get older and are influenced by the ways of the world it becomes a matter of integrity. It’s no longer just a lack of deceit, but turns into a matter of doing what’s right even though no one is watching.

From an economical standpoint we understand that failing to honor one’s financial obligations has a ripple effect that spreads across the board to many people. Many companies expect and write off losses, or translate them into higher fees for others. Its common sense to think that paying back your obligations helps to keep commerce running efficiently. It also goes without saying that defaulting on an obligation spreads the consequences of one person’s poor choices or mistakes onto others. With so many companies claiming to have the “easy way out” of debt, we may forget that consequences are still there, not the least of which can be a loss of integrity. Paying back a debt can be a difficult ordeal, but even a child learns quickly not to make the same mistake when the consequences are unpleasant.

If we remain stalwart as Job (Job 27:5 till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.) we will have peace of mind and be able to answer the question of honesty without question.

November Newsletter Relief Society Message

Relief Society Message

SMALL & SIMPLE

Simplify
Miracles
Atonement
Laugh
Love

Service
Improve
Meek
Peace
Lift

The new word for the month of November is LIFT. The word “lift” has 29 definitions. There are 5,892 results on lds.org. Happy learning!

“Lift up your heart! Lift up your voice! Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!” (“Rejoice, the Lord Is King!” Hymns, no. 66).

Please never forget that the “why” of the gospel of Jesus Christ will inspire and uplift you. [Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Oct. 2011 General Relief Society Talk]

“My Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross . . . , that I might draw all men unto me.” [3 Nephi 27:14]

As was stated in the Sep. 2011 General Relief Society Meeting by Pres. Julie Beck, "One of the Lord’s purposes in organizing the sisters into a discipleship was to provide relief that would lift them above “all that hinders the joy and progress of woman.” May we "lift" one another each day and find the joy that is promised to us.”

November Newsletter Announcements

Relief Society Dinner and Program –
Thur Nov 17^th, 6:30pm - “Jesus Once of Humble Birth”

Men are also invited. Please wear Sunday dress as part of the evening will take place in the chapel. The young single adult ward is providing babysitting in the nursery.

Ward Additions - Congratulations to the Rowes for the addition of their baby girl and Sister Gasu for the birth of her baby boy. And a big welcome to the Dejolie siblings who were recently baptized.

Young Men News - Last month Sis. Vivar taught the Communications Merit Badge and Bro. Matthews taught the Truck Transportation MB. Thank you to them both for sharing their time and expertise. The Scout troop had a camp out at the Lee Kay Shooting range for the district Jamboree on the Air where they talked to people in NV, Provo, NY and TX. The scouts worked on the Radio MB and learned the importance of radio communication in case of an emergency or disaster. The youth finished off the month by carving pumpkins!

Young Women News – Young Women in Excellence will be at 7pm on Nov 29^th. All YW and parents are especially invited to attend, but anyone is welcome to come learn what our YW have accomplished this year. Sunday dress, please. By mid-Nov we'll have three new Laurels and two new Beehives.

Building Scheduling – Contact Sister Benedict to avoid double booking the building.

Food Drive – The youth will be picking up non-perishable food items on Nov 15^th for Sub for Santa. Please leave donated items on your doorstep that evening.

Contact Bro. Christensen if you would like to feed the missionaries during the last week of November.

November Newsletter Finance Tip

In his April 2004 Conference talk entitled Earthly Debts, Heavenly Debts Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin outlines five key steps to financial freedom. This month we’ll look at:

· First, pay your tithing.

· Second, spend less than you earn.

· Third, learn to save.

· Fourth, honor your financial obligations.

· Fifth, teach your children to follow your example.

Last month we set the goal to spend less than we earn. Here is where we prove ourselves. Not only will we reign in our desire to overspend this holiday season, were going to “learn” to save. Anyone can and should learn to save. Whether you are collecting loose change for your rainy day fund, or maximizing company fund matching for future retirement, saving is a learned behavior. One tip to help you succeed with saving is to have an emergency safety net. This should be kept full at all times. You decide on the amount, but $1000 is a good goal. After that, start saving for specific things. If you know your water heater is on its last leg, start saving for that. The safety net comes in handy when little Billy falls through the picture window in the living room and breaks his arm. You’ll be grateful for the safety net you had in place when the water heater does goes out a week later. This example also shows how saving can help you stay true to step #2, spending less than you earn. Make it a goal this holiday season to spend a little less and save a little more. After all, a Christ centered holiday season doesn’t have to cost a dime.

November Newsletter Thought

If you can't think of anything else you can say, "I know that God lives." That's the greatest testimony in the world. And you don't need to have a thousand reasons for doing it.

—Spencer W. Kimball