ANNOUNCEMENTS:
*Enrichment Night for putting together the Chemo Kits has been changed to August 7th @ 6 pm. There will be a list of items for this kits on the side bar of this blog. Please come and attend. The material for the seat belt port pillows will be provided. For those sisters that want to come and sew, please bring your sewing machine. We will also need sisters to stuff and close these pillows, so come and visit.
*Ward Party August 14 @ 6 pm. Details to come.
*Stake Family Night (Previously called Early Park Roundup) will be held at Peterson Park in Elwood on August 11 @ 6 pm.
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Today's combined Priesthood/Relief Society Meeting was based on President Nelson's talk given in General Conference; Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives.
Sister Christina Smith, Jil Cornaby, Patrick Johnson and Brent Pedersen were asked to talk about how this has had impact on their lives.
Sister Smith talked about how she has used personal revelation in her ministering for the sisters she visits. She talked about how she is often intimidated and has had to learn to overcome those feelings so that she can follow the Spirit and not worry if she is making a mistake or not. She bore a beautiful testimony on how the Spirit will lead and direct us in ministering to others. Christina talked about how we can grow into greater understanding and receiving more inspiration as we use it.
Sister Cornaby talked about what revelation is and how she often feels like she isn't sure if it is revelation or not, but she tries to err on the side of kindness and just does what she feels is what the Lord would have her do. She also talked about how people receive revelation and inspiration in different ways. To some it is a direct prompting, to others revelation comes line upon line, precept upon precept.
Brother Patrick Johnson talked about the five things that President Nelson instructed us that we need to improve in to receive revelation. These things are: 1) Increase in purity, 2) Exact obedience, 3) Earnest seeking, 4) Daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and 5) Regular time committed to temple and family history work.
He reiterated how our Prophet is pleading with us to increase our spiritual capacity to receive revelation. In President Nelson's talk, he said, "Let this Easter Sunday (Brother Johnson changed that to this fifth Sunday combined meeting) be a defining moment in your life. Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly."
Brother Pedersen talked about how Heavenly Father cares about revealing to us even the smallest of things. He told of going camping with the young men in the ward this week. How when they began they invited the Lord to be with them and how we need to invited the Lord to be with us in all that we are doing. At camp, one of the young men had been kayaking and his kayak began to sink. He was able to make it to shore, however in doing so this young man lost his glasses. The next day some of the leaders went back to the lake to try and find the glasses. They began with a prayer inviting the Spirit to be with them as they undertook what they thought was an almost impossible situation. Brother Pedersen was standing in the canoe and as they went across the lake to the point where this young man came ashore, they were able to look down and see the glasses in the water.
Heavenly Father is so aware of us and our needs and he is so willing to help us, but we need to invite him to help us.
It was a wonderful meeting and gave everyone something to think about and ways in which to improve so that we can all become more open to receiving revelation from our Heavenly Father. I would invite you to read this talk and pray about it to find ways that you can improve in receiving personal revelation. Here is the link.
I hope you all have a beautiful week.
