RS Presidency Message: December 2015

Teaching Children the Gospel.

Here are links to two of the sources that the Stake Primary Presidency used in their Teaching Children the Gospel class at our Stake Relief Society Conference last month.

*Improving Teaching Methods

*Love Those You Teach

RS Presidency Message: November 2015

When I think of November, the first thing I think of is Thanksgiving.  For may people, Thanksgiving has become a day devoted to eating a lot of food, watching the parade and some football before falling asleep on the couch.  But, what we typically think of as the first Thanksgiving was quite different.  After an extremely difficult sea voyage and a disastrous first winter in America, the settlers eventually prospered and celebrated their first successful harvest with a community feast of thanksgiving.

In the succeeding years, days of thanksgiving were proclaimed, but it wasn't until 1863 that Thanksgiving became a national holiday.  In a proclamation given in October of that year, President Abraham Lincoln said, "The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fiends and healthful skies.  To these bounties, which as so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added... It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged... by the whole American People.  I do therefore invite my fellow citizens... to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens."

Gratitude is a valuable enough virtue to receive its own nation holiday.  Even more notably, we get an idea of how important it is to the Lord that we give thanks, when He said, "Wherefore, I give unto them a commandment, saying thus:  Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him.  Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  Thou shalt not steal; neither commit adultery, nor kill, nor do anything like unto it.  Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things" (D&C 59:5-7)

Here, gratitude or giving thanks is grouped with some other pretty major commandments.  Of this scripture, President James E. Faust said, "It it clear to me... that to 'thank the Lord thy God in all things' i more than a social courtesy; it is a binding commandment."  The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines gratitude as 'a feeling of appreciation or thanks.'  To me, this definition, while accurate, seems inadequate in capturing the emotion of the gratitude we should feel toward our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ for everything they have done for us and for all that they have given to us.  President Uctdorf said that "true gratitude is an expression of hope and testimony.  It comes from acknowledging that we do not always understand the trials of life but trusting that one day we will."

It can be very challenging to be grateful when we are going through these trials in our lives.  President Uctdorf share a different way of looking at being grateful.  He said, "Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of life that stand independent of our current situation?  In other words, I'm suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances--whatever they may be.  We sometimes think that being grateful is what we do after our problems are solved, but how terribly shortsighted that is.  How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?"

As with all the commandments, there are great blessings associated with gratitude.  In D&C 78:19, we read "And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more."  In the end, gratitude is a choice, so as we begin this Holiday season, I hope we will all think a little more deeply about what and who we are truly grateful for and never take anything good in our lives for granted.

-Sister Amanda Warner

1st Counselor, Kirtland Stake Relief Society

November 2015 Visiting Teaching Message.

For the month of November, please select one of your favorite talks given in the October General Conference to share a visiting teaching message.  Use inspiring messages from our leaders to teach and uplift.

Click here to access the October 2015 General Conference 

Thank you!

A huge thank you to all of you who were able to come and attend our annual Relief Society Conference last month!  It was so wonderful to spend the morning with you sisters.  We learn so much just from being in your presence.  We will be adding information from the conference to the blog over the coming weeks to help you remember what you learned, or to share for the first time with those who were unable to attend.

To start, here are a few of the recipes from our luncheon.  Enjoy!

Cowboy Caviar- from allrecipes.com

1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, drained
1 (15.5 oz) can black-eyed peas, drained (or Great Northern Beans)
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped pickled jalapeno peppers
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup Italian salad dressing
3/4 cup chopped cilantro

Mix beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, bell pepper and jalapeno peppers in a large bowl.  Season with garlic salt.  Add dressing and cilantro; toss to coat.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until ready to serve.

Sweet Pulled Pork

2 pounds pork roast
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1 cup brown sugar
1 jar salsa (we used peach/mango from costco)

Cook the pork roast on low overnight in the soda.  In the morning, drain the meat, and shred it.  Add brown sugar and salsa; toss to coat.  Keep on a warm setting until ready to serve.

Cilantro Pineapple Lime Rice

10 cups uncooked sushi rice
10 cups water
1 large can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 T lime juice
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

Cook the rice with the water in a large rice cooker.  When finished, add the pineapple, lime juice and cilantro; toss to coat.  Add more lime juice and cilantro to taste.

173rd RS Birthday Celebration: Shaker Ward

The Shaker Ward hosted a very fancy, formal dinner celebrating Relief Society back in March.

 A short program included music, talks by RS sisters and a video on the RS from lds.org.  Personal invitations were sent and the attention to detail in the planning of the evening made a big impact on stressing the importance and the value of women and of the Relief Society organization.

Cleveland Welcome Packet.

The sisters in the Shaker Ward have created a Cleveland Welcome Packet for the new sisters that move into their ward.  There is a digital copy available on their RS Blog.  Click {HERE} to access it.

Topics include:

Important Phone Numbers
Driving Information
Grocery Stores
Shopping Centers
Other Shopping
Physicians and Dentists
Things to DO
Restaurants
Extra Information

This is a great idea to help new sisters get acquainted with the area when they first move here.  It would need to be adapted to your specific area, but a lot of it is great information for any ward in the Stake.

Super Saturday.

The Euclid Ward sisters held a Super Saturday in October.  It was a very low key, fun event for the sisters to get together and visit while working on simple crafts that could be done in a short amount of time.  There were items to purchase and make (all less than $10), as well as several free crafts and demonstrations.

The crafts and classes included:

2 types of holiday wreaths
Sugar Scrubs
Smoothie making
Canvas subway art
Lacing cards for children
Christmas ornament making
Bread making
Yoga
Wooden nativity

A light lunch was served and baby-sitting was provided for those who needed it.  It was a wonderful day with the sisters in the ward!

Game night.

The sisters in the Shaker ward had a very fun end of summer/getting to know you/farewell party back in July.  They met outside and played Minute-to-Win-It games together.  It was a great opportunity for sisters to build friendships and get to know each other as they had to work together to perform silly tasks on teams and cheer each other on.  It looks like it was a night to remember!

Service Auction.

The Shaker sisters held a service auction in October.  It is an annual activity that they do each Fall.  They look forward to it as it is an opportunity for sisters to serve one another in more personal ways and build unity in their Relief Society.

 They had each sister fill out a survey of a random assortment of questions that gave them points.  They then used these points to "buy" services at the auction.

They donated their services or goods to the sisters in the ward at the auction  Each item or service was auctioned off to the highest bidder that night.  Some ideas included:

Lessons in knitting or crocheting
Baby blankets
Computer lessons
Quilting lessons
Dance Lessons
Dinner
Scrapbook kits or premade pages
1 hour of cleaning
Snow shoveling
Cinnamon rolls or other homemade treats
Sewing lessons
Birthday cake
Homemade Jewelry
Set of homemade candles
Professional family photo
2 hours of geneology work
Baseboard cleaning

They had a light dinner with the evening, with baby-sitting provided.  It was a huge hit!

Addiction Recovery Program and Counseling Information.

Don't forget our Stake offers a wonderful Addiction Recovery Program- particularly for those struggling with pornography.

Classes meet twice a week:

-Solon Ward primary room
Sundays 6:30pm (men only)

-Euclid Avenue building primary room
Tuesdays 7pm (men only)

-Spouse support group call-in
1st and 3rd Sunday of each month, 8 pm
855-537-4000
access code 998 051 699


If you feel you are in need of counseling for any reason, please consider contacting one of the following in our area.  If finances are a barrier, please speak with your Bishop.

-Jessica Spittle- LDS Family Services (Akron) 440-212-8004
-Julia Wade- General Counseling Services (Mentor) 440-231-0645
-Laura Lockwood- General Counseling Services (Akron) 330-664-3469
-Steve Perkins- General Counseling Services (Akron) 330-664-3469
-Nancy Gould (works from her home in Chardon) 440-377-0059

RS Presidency Message: October 2015

When I think about the Relief Society, the order of the purposes of the Relief Society echo what the spirit has likewise confirmed in my heart.  The first and foremost purpose of the Relief Society is to increase faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement.  This is the foundation upon which the other purposes in our lives are to be built.  Without faith in Christ and His Atonement, all our efforts to strengthen families and homes through ordinances and covenants, or work in unity to help those in need are less effective.

As Relief Society sisters in the Kirtland Ohio Stake, I sense that the Lord wishes that we focus on Him.  He commands us to "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.  Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven." (D&C 6:36-37)

Prayerfully consider one way you can improve your personal faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement.

I have a deep love and respect for the amazing women in the Kirtland Stake and consider it a great privilege and honor to serve among you.  Know that I love my Savior, Jesus Christ and I testify to you that the times I have sought a stronger and more profound relationship with Him have been the sparkling highlights of my life.  I long and seek for many more.

Love,

Sister Linda Young

Kirtland Ohio Stake Relief Society President

Save the date!

General Women's Session: September 2015

Did you miss the General Women's Session of conference?  

Watch it {HERE}

Here are some of our favorite quotes:

Join us...

Relief Society Activity ideas.

To increase attendance at your RS Activities, start each activity with a 10 minute spiritual presentation and then have a "fun for all" activity.  Frequently every sister makes a quick craft to take home at no cost to her.

Some ideas include:

• Herb gardening how-to's.  Each woman went home with 4 essential herb seedlings.
• Scarf knot tying and coasters from tiles.
• How to make pumpkin bread.
• Spotlights on Special early Kirtland Pioneer Sisters.
• Special music and readings/
• Films of Jesus and His love for the early Biblical sisters.

Christmas in July.

Perry ward holds an annual Christmas in July activity with their sisters.  Ideas are presented and examples of gifts under $10.00 to make and share.  All kinds of examples for infants, toddlers, teens, and adult men and women.

Each sister made a simple dry erase board out of a $1 picture frame.  Then we did a Constitutional Surprise:  a description and information on each signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Sit, Chat & Finish That.

A fun monthly activity is to hold a "Sit, Chat & Finish That" with your sisters.  This gives them a chance to get out of the house and finish a project they are working on while talking to sisters and enjoying friendships.  Very simple and easy to carry out.

This can also be adapted at Christmas time to be called a "Sit, Chat & Wrap That".

clothing swap.

In an attempt to help your sisters de-clutter, hold an annual clothing swap!  Encourage them to clean out the closets and bring everything to the cultural hall.  Have tables set up by gender/size to keep things organized.

Sisters can take new-to-them items home and the rest can be donated to a local charity.

Bonfire and smores on the beach.

For a more laidback activity, invite your sisters to have a bonfire and smores.  This ward visited a private beach along the shores of Lake Erie.  

It was a very fun night filled with sisterhood and companionship.  Friendships were cultivated and the spirit was felt as they watched the sunset on the water.

173rd Relief Society Celebration: Euclid Ward

The Euclid ward celebrated the 173rd Relief Society Birthday by enjoying a delicious dinner together.  They gathered family heirlooms to use as decorations throughout the cultural hall.  There were quilts, wreaths, baby blessing dresses, and more.

At the conclusion of the evening, the Relief Society President gave a few remarks.  Afterwards they shared the following clip from youtube, and a slideshow of pictures of each sister in their ward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFRUwxsEiI8

These are a few of my favorite things activity.

Sisters brought a favorite thing/product (3 of the same item) to share with 3 other sisters.  Then went home with 3 new things.  Items brought that night were favorite cleaners, lotions, candy bars, kitchen gadget, yarn, and thank you cards.  Everyone put their name into the basket 3 times, and when it was their turn to tell about their favorite thing, they pulled 3 names out of the basket to give it to.  

To bring the spirit into the meeting, we asked the sisters to come with answers to the above questions.  When their name was drawn, they had the opportunity to answer one question.  Since their name would be drawn 3 times over the course of the activity, they had the opportunity to share answers to all three questions.  

This has become an annual tradition for our ward.

Combined Ward Testimony Meeting.

In May of 2015, the Euclid and Shaker Wards held a combined Relief Society in the Kirtland Temple.  A brief history of the Kirtland Temple was shared, testimonies were given, a group of sisters sang The Spirit of God from the four corners of the chapel, and the Spirit was felt in great abundance!  Ice cream was eaten at the Stake Center down the street at the conclusion of the meeting.

To schedule the Temple for an activity such as this, contact the Community of Christ Visitors Center in Kirtland.  You will need to pay a small fee for each sister in attendance.  

173rd Relief Society Birthday Celebration: Chardon Branch

The Chardon Branch had a Mad Hatters Tea Party to celebrate the 173rd birthday of the Relief Society!