Jeanelle Averett - Central Ward

I needed the challenge of making my prayers more sincere.  In my household, it is really hard to find a quiet, private, place to pray, and I find myself rushing my prayers so that I am not interrupted or getting up from my knees before I've given myself a chance to hear an answer.  After I selected this topic, I read the next lesson from the Gordon B. Hinckley manual for 2017, (How Mighty a Thing is Prayer) and it was really timely to read how President Hinckley addressed our Heavenly Father while he prayed and how positively impacted his children were to hear him pray.  I love my Heavenly Father and I want to do as President Stucki counseled for our stake to become a Zion people by starting with myself and then my family and outward from there.  What better way to start than with prayer.

Michelle DePrizio - Veyo Ward 

I recently read Elder Christopherson’s talk “Abide in My Love.”  I have felt to abide in the Savior’s love through temple attendance and its blessings.  I wanted to relate the following experiences that I have been blessed with through keeping the commandment of temple attendance.

It has only been in the past year or so that I have attended the temple regularly.  I have made a commitment to go on a weekly basis and have grown to love feeling the Spirit and participating in the great and saving work that goes on within these beautiful heavenly sanctuaries.  Many times I have felt the presence of angels, family members and the spirits of the beautiful sisters for whom I am receiving the ordinances by proxy.  I have also felt the sweet, loving, reassuring presence of Heavenly Father and our Savior.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve and my heart burns with a testimony of the covenants and promised blessings associated with temple ordinances.

Regular temple attendance has been a much needed life-changing experience for me.  As I have pondered on the wonderful Spirit I have felt there, I remember the Lord’s desire to “always have His spirit to be with us.”  I recognize and am grateful for this desire that the Lord has  – to always be with us- and not only to always be with us, but for us to be aware that He is with us, to feel His presence in our lives, which in turn increases our love for Him and our faith in Him.  He in turn fills us with His love and a desire to love and serve others as He loves and serves us.  With that in mind I am trying each day to “Take Time To Be Holy” (see beautiful lyrics of this song at the bottom of this post)

Through the simple act of having a personal devotional before going to bed each night, I have come to realize that I can have holy “temple” experiences within the walls of my own home.  My special place to experience these sacred moments is in my rocking chair in my bedroom.  I turn on a soft lamp and gospel-centered music on the Mormonchannel  (I love that app! J).  Then I begin writing in my gratitude journal.  This journal is more than just a recounting of things I am grateful for.  It involves looking back on my day with an open heart to feeling gratitude for the many experiences I have had.  I find that as I begin to think about all of the daily blessings that I receive from the Lord’s hand, my heart softens and expands, and my thoughts and emotions become centered on feeling gratitude for the things of greatest value.  These blessings most often relate to my interactions with family, friends or even “strangers” (who are in reality our brothers and sisters) that I had during the day.  It might also be gratitude for the beauties, both great and small, in nature that have come to my attention.  It might be the enjoyment of learning something new or having the eyes of my spiritual understanding opened.  It might be as simple as gratitude for the help I receive in problem-solving a computer glitch, or the taste of a really good grapefruit for breakfast.  It might be gratitude for a healthy body and the means to keep it functioning well.      

When I write in my gratitude journal, I can easily fill a page in just a few short minutes.  I find, however, that I like to take time and ponder as I write.  When I do this, the Lord pours His spirit out upon me.  He blesses my soul with feelings of love, and my mind with insights about many things that He desires me to know.  If there is something not right in my thoughts, actions or interactions with others that occurred that day that hasn’t been resolved, He brings it to my attention and helps me know how I can repent and reconcile and move forward with a clean heart and mind.  He speaks peace to my heart about things that are troubling me.  He brings joy to my heart and a smile to my face as He helps me remember the good things in my life.  He helps me to experience and understand and feel humble reverence and gratitude afresh for the very real effects and personal nature of His Atoning sacrifice for me.

Many times in the middle of writing and pondering I will feel the overwhelming desire to fall on my knees and offer up the feelings of my full heart to Father in Heaven.  I find that when I follow this prompting my prayers truly become expressions of loving reverence and gratitude and also a holy and intimate communion with Him.  I feel His loving arms envelop me.  This feeling is warm, comforting, loving, peaceful and very, very personal.  As I quietly listen, I hear His gentle reassuring and guiding words in my mind.  These beautiful moments of prayer help me to truly know and understand in a very real way that Heavenly Father knows me intimately, that our Savior knows me intimately.  And I am given an additional witness that Heavenly Father knows each one of us, His children, intimately.  It is an astoundingly sweet and beautiful reality to contemplate! 

When I rise from my knees I feel spiritually refreshed, uplifted and nourished.  Sometimes I will climb under the covers and just bask in the spiritual glow with a heart full of thanksgiving.  Other times I desire to write down thoughts and feeling that I have experienced, or I will feel prompted to organize the upcoming day, with the focus of prioritizing what the Lord most desires me to accomplish, which is always is about how to connect with and serve others.  Sometimes I am prompted to read the scriptures or other gospel-centered writings.  Right now I am reading the Discourses of President Gordon B. Hinkley Volume 1, which includes all of his general conference addresses from 1995-1999.  What a blessed experience to read his encouraging and hopeful words and to feel his good spirit and the mantle of his prophetic calling as I contemplate his inspiring messages and the accomplishments he was able to bring into fruition in moving the work of the Lord forward during his many years of devoted service!  I am reminded we all have our place and our work to do in Zion, and that Zion is built through the individual faithfulness and efforts of each and every one of us.  The Lord needs all of us in a very real and crucial way.    

I share these deeply personal experiences as my personal witness that Heavenly Father and the Savior love us.  They desire every one of us to experience these sweetly intimate spiritual moments with them.  As we take the time for quiet contemplation each day and open up our hearts they will come in and sup with us.  Oh, then what a spiritual feast we can enjoy through the Spirit!  I bear my witness that the Father and the Son desire us to know them, and to know that they are with us in every infirmity and struggle and challenge of life.  They are with us in the good times as well as in the hard times.  They send angels to attend us and to help us along our path in life and to fulfill our missions here on earth.  I am grateful for their infinite love and power to help us and to heal us!  I bear this witness in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.       

Take Time To Be Holy

1. Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
   Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.
   Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,
   Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.
2. Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
   Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone.
   By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
   Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.
3. Take time to be holy, let Him be thy Guide;
   And run not before Him, whatever betide.
   In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,
   And, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.
4. Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,
   Each thought and each motive beneath His control.
   Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
   Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above. 

Follow Up to Previous Post 

Amy Baldwin - Dammeron Valley Ward

On Valentine's day, I was sitting on the couch and I did not rush to my husband and throw my arms around him like had I planned to do every night and tell him that I loved him. I was in a bad mood and was complaining more than anything. He ended up throwing a box of luscious chocolate strawberries and said , “Happy Valentines Day” they were yummy and I shared them with him and my daughter later. Good thing we can start over on our plans. :)

Charity Smith - Winchester Hills 2 Ward

As a mother of seven small children I am often praying for patience. One day as I was speaking to the Lord about my children a thought came to my mind. " These are not my children they are His. They are only on loan and I should treat them as such. While rereading The Righteous Judge by Elder Lynn G Robbins I was reminded of this very thought when he said, "attributed to Goethe: “The way you see [a child] is the way you treat them, and the way you treat them is [who] they [will] become.” To remember a child’s true identity is a gift of foresight that divinely inspires the vision of a righteous judge." I have found this insight to help me in love and patience as I strive to bring His children back to Him.

Julie Harward - Pine Valley Branch

The article I have chosen is by David A, Bednar..."IF YE HAD KNOWN ME"...My whole desire is to truly know my Savior Jesus Christ and this talk pointed out some ways for me to actively work on that.  I loved where he asked, do we only know about the Savior, or are we increasingly coming to know Him? We are told that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that we cannot come to the Father but by Him. We come to know the Father as we come to know His beloved son. What a beautiful circle that is!  David talks about 4 ways for us to do so...1.By exercising faith in Him...by relying upon Him and all His ways, then we begin to know the Savior.  As our faith in the Lord increases, we trust in Him and have confidence in His power to redeem, heal, and strengthen us. True faith is focused in and on the Lord and always leads to righteous action. He tells us that we are to be "doers of the word, and not hearers only." This takes on a very personal note to me, let me share my experience about this. I serve in the temple as an ordinance worker, one day one of the members of the temple presidency asked how I liked my new calling? I said; "What calling?" He just smiled. I went home and in my evening prayers, I told Heavenly Father that I did not want a new calling in the temple, I just wanted to keep doing what I was doing. The next morning as I awoke to get ready to serve in the temple, these words kept rolling over and over in my mind..."BE YE DOERS OF THE WORK AND NOT HEARERS ONLY." As I got to the temple, I asked a friend if she knew where that scripture was found? She went and looked it up, it was in James 1:22 and it read; "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." But to me, it had been said; "Be ye doers of the WORK"....later that same day, I was called to work as one of the coordinators, and I knew what the Lord wanted me to do! He had chastised me in a most loving way. This talk also goes on to say that we become acquainted with the Lord and His voice as we study and feast upon His word, pray to  the Father in His name, with real intent and seek for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. 2. Follow Him...following the Lord includes emulating Him and through the atonement become like Him. He marked the path, led the way, and set the perfect example. Doing enables us to receive an actual knowledge that the course of life we are pursuing is in accordance with God's will. 3. Serving Him...We come to know Him as we serve Him and labor in His kingdom. As we do so, He generously blesses us with heavenly help, spiritual gifts, and increased capacity. He never leaves us alone. Then our desires align with His desires and purposes, and helps us to "not ask that which is contrary to His will." We grow to love those in whom we serve, what a blessing this is to me!  I learn that serving others is serving God, I grow to love Him and all my brothers and sisters, seeing them as He sees them. This is the pure love of Christ, this is a true Zion. We have been told to pray to the Father that we may be filled with His love, that we may become like Him and that when He comes, we may be like Him. 4. Believing Him...Do I believe what I know? Believing Him with my whole soul comes as I press forward along the covenant pathway, surrendering my will to His, and submit to His priorities and timing for me, because it is always the way of my happiness. Believing Him, accepting as true His power and promises, which always brings, perspective, peace, growth, joy into my life. I loved this talk and it always has been and always will be my goal, to truly know all that I can about the Lord...my way of happiness. 

Mindy Muller - Diamond Valley 2 Ward

Dear Sisters in Zion,

As I read through the Relief Society's blog posts on sgnorthstakers@blogspot.com, I was inspired to begin my personal work in Zion so I pulled up the 2016 General Conference talks and, with a prayer, began scrolling through.  Two talks jumped out at me immediately, so fast in fact, I never even made it past the first session on Saturday.  The first talk I watched was by Elder Craig C. Christiansen called "A Choice Seer Will I Raise Up."  I had just read those very words, "A Choice Seer Will I Raise Up,"  in my scriptures before deciding which talk to choose so to see those words so clearly made this talk an easy choice.  I learned things of Joseph Smith.  I felt extreme love for him and faith on his calling as prophet as I watched this amazing talk.  I was left pondering though, why this talk?  How am I helping build a Zion community by reading this specific talk?   So I read the other talk which jumped out at me by Carol F. McConkie called "The Soul's Sincere Desire."  This talk was also incredible.  It reminded me of how prayer worked, and that sometimes we are left puddled on the floor for a time, like Henry B. Eyring's sick father had been, before being lifted back up into a place of comfort, or like our Savior,  left in Gethsemane with the miserable cup he asked to be removed, still in full force.  I learned how proper prayer should engage each member of the Godhead for maximum power.  And I was inspired to do better with my prayers; to get on my knees more often to pray rather than to do it while lying in bed, or waiting till I'm in the shower. 

But again I pondered "Why this talk?"  as it seems it would only benefit me, and not necessarily a community.  And that is when, while on my knees in the spirit of prayer, a picture entered into my mind that answered EVERY ponder on this subject.  I saw a community of people not unlike where we live and I watched as one person lit up with a bright light.  And then another, and then another. I watched as the entire community lit up, person by person, until the entire community radiated light and I GOT IT!  By me making inspired changes for myself, strengthening my own faith and devoting myself to our Savior, I was providing a portion of light to my own community.  Me, simple me. 

I feel excited.  I know as each one of us bring our own light to this endeavor, our community will radiate with the love of Christ.  Is there any place I'd rather live? I think not.

Thank you for the inspired opportunity to participate in this effort.  I love our Stake.


Cheers, Mindy Muller, DV2 Ward

Deonna Burnett - Diamond Valley 1st Ward

I had a conversation with a young man a couple of years ago that really got me to thinking about true worship.  He said he had several siblings that had gone away from the church because of anti Mormon teachings.  It was all so bizarre for him and he wanted to understand what they were going through and so he started to delve into some of these things as well.  He went through a whole range of emotions and thoughts and went into a fairly dark place for a while.  Through all of this he came to understand that he had gone through his whole life doing his duty to the church, fulfilling callings, doing all the assignments given.  So when he went to church it was out of his duty to the church and would get all the things done at church that he could to fulfill his duty.  He realized, through this process that he never went to church to truly worship.  Once he realized that and started to change, and go to worship, his testimony was renewed and strengthened he came back into the light and came to know we can’t know everything right now and it’s ok.

I knew then that I was somewhat the same in my worship.  And I made some effort to change, but didn’t really understand how.  Then I read the conference talk “Blessings of Worship” by Dean M. Davies.  The words he used to describe worship have helped me get in touch with some deeper feelings.   He said, “When we worship God, we approach Him with reverent love, humility, and adoration.  We acknowledge and accept Him as our sovereign King, the creator of the universe, our beloved and infinitely loving Father.  We respect and revere Him.  We submit ourselves to Him.  We lift our hearts in mighty prayer, cherish His word, rejoice in His grace, and commit to follow him with dedicated loyalty.”   These words have changed the way I feel as I go to church and to the temple.  In this frame of mind, the hymns we sing have become a very spiritual experience for me.  I’ve learned things in the temple that have been very eye opening.  I have felt a deeper appreciation for The plan of Salvation that has been given to us.  It’s such a perfect plan.   I am coming to understand more about how Lehi felt when he said. “Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty!” 1 Nephi 1:14.

I am praying for each of you sisters in our stake.  May we each learn and grow in our testimonies of the Savior and thus contribute to our Zion Society here in the St George North Stake.

Amy Baldwin -  Dammeron Valley Ward

I was so excited to be able to be a participant in this challenge to become pure in heart. This goes hand in hand with how I have been feeling. I had a goal last week during sacrament meeting on 1/29/16-  I have been feeling that I needed to improve on my relations/showing love towards people closest to me. This challenge is the perfect opportunity to be able to report, to have accountability.  The first on the list is my husband. We have been married for 26 ½ years. When he comes through the door, I do not even bat an eye anymore, it is like he is a roommate, actually, I treated my roommates with more acknowledgement. So, every day when he comes through the door, I am going to jump up and put my arms around him, tell him I missed him and that I love him. I started yesterday, I was even a little creative and played a clip of a song, from Nickelback, “Far Away”, I said, “Listen, this is for you”…….then I played, “I love you!, I’ve loved you all along, I’ve missed you!” A big grin spread across his face, and then I gave him a hug. So simple, later, he made me a sandwich with a plate of veggies and fruit. That little act changed the way he treated me. It was so amazing to witness and feel this love come quickly and easily.

I then gave my daughter a big hug and said, “I love you.” Again, warm fuzzies spread around us. So, I am going to give my daughter a hug and say “I love you" every day.

This morning, before work, while exercising I listened to the talk “He asks us to be his hands”. I also want to improve love communications with my parents and two sisters. I keep waiting for them to call me and see how I am doing. I realize that it is not going to happen, unless I make it happen. I would like to talk to them on a weekly basis. They live in northern Utah so, I cannot see them at Sunday dinners etc. I am going to call them once a week. I started today, Monday. I left a message on my sister’s phone and I was able to talk to my parents. I started talking with my parents on my way home and didn’t stop talking for a half hour later. We had some spiritual, funny and just catching up moments. Before I hung up I made sure I said, “love you.” So great, and really fulfilling, I feel complete.

Jodi Gledhill - Winchester Hills 1st Ward

As I think and pray about our wonderful last General Conference and what I can work on to personally strive to improve in my life, I have narrowed it down to the talk by Elder Peter F. Meurs titled: “The Sacrament Can Help Us Become Holy.”  For me growing up and taking the sacrament was more just something I thought we do out of routine, it has only been the last few years of my life that I recognize the importance of this symbolic ordinance.

For starters,  I have begun to pay close attention to the words of the sacrament hymn as well as the sacrament prayers as I think and pray about their meanings. I’m also doing as Elder Meur tells us to; “prepare in advance and contemplate our spiritual progress and preparation.”  This is one thing that never really crossed my mind to do on Saturday.  Another point he makes is to “arrive early and receive that nourishment for the spirit as we reverently listen to the prelude music and ponder.”  I love how he words it as  nourishment for the spirit.  What comfort that gives me to think about and work toward. 

As I have begun doing these small things the past couple of weeks and will continue to do on a regular basis, I already feel my testimony and relationship with the Savior deepen which also makes my prayers more meaningful, as this is yet another way to deepen my spiritual growth and relationship with Heavenly Father.  Thank you to our wonderful stake leaders for this opportunity to become more aware of  our spiritual commitment to the gospel.  I am implementing the questions found within this talk and am eager to reap the blessings of this challenge.  

Joan Glasgow - Winchester Hills 1st Ward

The talk I have chosen is entitled "Joy and Spiritual Survival" by President Russell M Nelson, from Oct. Conference 2016. As I read this talk I was pulled in by the thoughts that he expressed about these being the latter days, and that we should not be surprised by the things that are going on around us. Many of the prophets foresaw these tumultuous days, including Isaiah, Paul, Nephi and Mormon. Modern day prophets that I can think of that have foretold these times were Pres. Benson, and President Hinckley, especially Pres. Benson.

Pres. Russell M. Nelson, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said in his Oct. 2016 General Conference Talk, "When we focus our lives on the Savior and His Gospel, we can feel joy, regardless of what is happening - or not happening- in our lives. So my word for this month is “Joy”.

As I think about all the evil and turmoil that abounds in this country and this world, I realized that the only thing I really have control of is my little part of His universe. If I want to have joy in my life it is entirely up to me. I can't help what is going on in Washington DC or in other parts of this country or the world, the only thing that I can have any effect upon at all, is me and maybe my family. Everything else has to be turned over to our Heavenly Father and he will take care of it.

I love Eliza R. Snow's observation of what was going on in the grueling winter of 1838. The Extermination Order had been issued and she and the other Saints were forced to flee the state of Missouri in the dead of winter. One of these bitter cold winter nights were spend in a small cabin, only 20' square, with about 80 people huddling together to try to stay warm. It was so cold, that even the food was frozen. Outside, a group of men spent the night gathered around a roaring fire, singing hymns and roasting frozen potatoes. Eliza recorded, Not a complaint was heard, all were cheerful and judging from appearances, strangers would have taken us to be pleasure excursionists, rather than a band of gubernatorial exiles."

They were truly a Zion people.

My question to myself today is, how can I become like those saints of old....finding joy no matter what my circumstances. By becoming more Zion like must be the answer.  

Sister Judilyn Christensen - Winchester Hills 1st Ward

I'm thankful for this opportunity to be challenged by our stake RS presidency and do my part in answering President Stucki's call to become a Zion people here and now. I know that they are inspired and this will not only benefit us personally, but also as a Stake.
As I have pondered and prayed about the many areas I personally need to improve in. The word "FOCUS" kept coming to my mind.
As I have listened and reread several conference talks, all of them have great council of things I need to be doing to help me draw closer to my savior, but I found myself struggling in picking the "one". So I continued my search.
While I was reading  the First Presidency message for January "Aiming for the Center" by President Uchtdorf, the word "FOCUS" again came into my mind.
As I read about how he explained how he was watching a group of people practicing the art of archery. He observed that to become an accomplished archer you don't just shoot at an empty wall and draw a target around it.  You have to first find the target, then focus on the bull's-eye. It takes a lot of time and practice.
In the article President Uchtdorf explains that "sometimes we have a tendency to attach ourselves to gospel programs, issues, and even doctrines that seems interesting and enjoyable to us. We are tempted to draw targets around them, making us believe we are aiming at the center of the gospel.  The savior has not only shown us the target, but he also identifies the bull's-eye"
When the savior was asked, "Master, which is the great commandment?"
We all know how Jesus answered:
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind"
"This is the first and great commandment.
"And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
When I read this I realized that my priorities needed adjustment and that this is what I needed to "Focus" on.  I have been practicing applying this in my life, and trying to focus on these commandments. I have felt an increase of love for my Father in Heaven and my Savior.  I feel more love and peace in my life. I don't feel as overwhelmed with the obligations I need to attend to daily. I feel like my priorities are in place and the things that really matter get taken care of. I have really noticed a big difference in how I feel about myself and how I look and feel about others. I find myself having more patience and genuinely concerned for others.
I really like how President Uchtdorf finished his message.
"If our primary focus, thoughts, and efforts are centered on increasing our love for Almighty God, then we will be able to extend our hearts to others and reach out in understanding and love."