As a Stake Relief Society Presidency, we invite you to reflect on the new Stake goals for 2016 as you are pondering your New Years resolutions for the year...
Kirtland Ohio Stake 2016 Theme and Goals
Members of the Kirtland Ohio Stake seek the power and protection promised to the covenant-making and covenant-keeping people of the Lord (see 1 Nephi 14:14). Covenant keeping enables us through Christ's atonement to "be perfected in him" and to "become holy without spot" (see Moroni 10:32-33). To strengthen our efforts in honoring and keeping our covenants in 2016, we will consistently strive to do the following:
- Study daily from the Book of Mormon as individuals and families. Devote time to ponder and pray on what we have read. Note and follow impressions received. We trust King Benjamin's promise that as we open our ears to hear and our hearts and minds to understand that the mysteries of God will be unfolded to our view. (see Mosiah 2:9)
- Strive to make the Sabbath a delight. Our personal preparation to partake of the sacrament, our worship at Church, and our Sabbath day activities in our homes will be signs of commitment and devotion to our Heavenly Father. We ho nor the Sabbath with thanksgiving and with cheerful hearts and countenances trusting that the fullness of the earth will be ours (see D&C 59:9-10, 13, 15-16).
- Strive to be a temple-worthy, temple-attending, temple-building people. Be worthy of a temple recommend and regularly use it. Earnestly petition Heavenly Father for an ordinance temple in NE Ohio. We trust that as we faithfully worship in the Lord's house we may go forth armed with power, with Christ's name upon us, and His glory round about us, with angels having charge over us (see D&C 109:22).
- Serve others by assisting them in making and keeping covenants through proclaiming the gospel, ministering, rescuing and finding our ancestors and performing vicarious ordinances. We reach out in love to all those around us knowing that they, too, are beloved sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father and trusting that we can have great joy in helping them come unto Christ (see D&C 18:15-16).
Making and keeping our covenants ensures that our lives are built on the Rock of our Redeemer and that we consistently receive the Holy Ghost. Such a life will provide strength and confidence and "when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." (Helaman 5:12)
