Snippets for Relief Society 2015 :) Use search term Ezra Taft Benson to view more for this week or for other weeks.
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When I first started reading this lesson through, I thought, "Oh dear...this is a dry bare-bones Elder's Quorum discussion-panel kind of thing about stake organization. Not a Relief Society, sisters exploring secrets-of-the-universe kind of topic."
But then it got better. Thank goodness, right?
What lies at the heart of this lesson are calamities happening now, and calamities shortly to come and how stakes fit into this picture. It's actually a great topic and an absolute original lesson theme. It certainly has me re-thinking some of my perspectives.
Discussing today's calamities refers to significant events of great concern to us. Paris, ISIS, the new children of same-sex marriage policy, "equality" (which denies a lot of godliness and the extraordinary power of gender roles), war, disease, natural disasters, economy, destructive and short-sighted political correctness, or how about immorality being the new benchmark? Add to this list whatever occurs to you...we (our society collectively) very much fit the description of a verse Ezra Taft Benson uses in this lesson.
“The day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion.” (Doctrine & Covenants 1:35)
I read this verse not too long ago and it occurred to me peace is a gift given. So of course, it's something which can be taken away as well. But when we have peace, it's a privilege which perhaps at times, is taken for granted. And maybe we tend to notice more that we don't have peace and well-being, not so much the other way around.
Peace is an effect of the Spirit and involves a sense of well-being and confidence. Of course, these qualities are fast eroding in today's world. We feel cautious and on guard out in the world, both locally and globally.
When we work on and focus on having a close relationship to Christ, one of the outcomes is "peace as a river." (Isaiah 48:18) This means unexplainable peace amid the turmoil and chaos of today, both in our personal lives and in the world at large:
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)
Possible class discussion: What are some of the calamities and turmoil happening in the world today which disrupt our peace?
During the last days, LDS Stakes play an important role in this promise. Ezra explains:
As the Church grows, it is very important that we build solidly and well, and that our prospective stakes have the basic ingredients that are necessary for success and that existing stakes work tirelessly for full stakehood in the sense of spiritual achievement. These stakes are to be the gathering spots for the Zion of today, and they need to be spiritual sanctuaries and to be self-sufficient in as many ways as is possible.
Note: WE are the stakes, or to put it another way, stakes are all the people in them. "Stakes" in all these quotes refers to us as a body of Saints, and our togetherness. Not specifically the present leadership at any given instance.
Here is the verse which truly clarifies the need for a lesson like this, and is probably the pivotal theme as well:
"And that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth." (D&C 115:6)
As bad as it is today, it's gong to get a whole lot worse! We're told the worst persecution is yet to come.
As a side note, I think some of the most obnoxious, hypocritical persecution comes from the "politically correct" crowd. Just yesterday I read a prominent, popular LDS blogger denounce her LDS faith and try to do it in a neutral, flowery, admirable, I-may-come-back-to-it-later way. She is sure to get momentary accolades from certain crowds. My sad thought was, "Convenience and courage are two different things entirely my dear."
"Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Lord needs us to step it up and deepen our roots in the face of social discomfort and disapproval ~ not flow along with the precepts and concepts of men and the political darling of the day. There will always be pressure to abandon and denounce our faith...always. It helps to decide ahead of time what to do with that pressure. The valiant and the stalwart are made manifest in difficult times...not convenient ones.
Chaos, turmoil and calamities are already scripted into the world's agenda and future. Even though they've been foretold, it is the world which insists on the downhill-spiral path. Commotion and hardships will happen and keep happening and keep escalating because Satan has dominion over the majority of the world, who sadly give up light and truth in exchange for his persuasions.
Nonetheless, there's an important function both natural and social turmoil and chaos perform. We'll get to that in a bit along with a very effective object lesson I've used before. (And I'm not an object lesson kind of teacher, but this one does work well.)
This lesson really made me think! Stakes are more important than I perhaps gave them credit for. I mean, I tend to ignore Stake events and have often thought they were more for people who had nothing else to do or were for the more sentimental, "churchy" lot. After reading this lesson, I realize the need to be much more supportive and lend a hand to the integrity and the quality of how our Stake functions. It means I need to conscientiously participate more and show up more.
I love the list President Benson gives for what Stakes need to be focused on:
"The stakes and districts of Zion are symbolic of the holy places spoken of by the Lord where His Saints are to gather in the last days as a refuge from the storm. You and your children will gather here:
to worship
to do sacred ordinances
to socialize
to learn
to perform in music, dance, drama, athletics
and to generally improve yourselves and one another.
It is often thought significant that our chapels have on them a steeple, with spires toward the heavens symbolic of how our lives ought to be ever moving upward toward God."
So now it makes so much more sense why we have Stake Conference, stake temple goals, monthly baptisms, stake speakers, stake activities of all kinds, etc. The integrity of how well our own Stake functions and how involved we are in that process has everything to do with our future well-being.
I've only been in Salt Lake City for 7 weeks, so I don't know my current Stake's personality very well ~ but the last couple of Stakes I've been in ~ they have really been into emergency preparedness. They have public emergency preparedness fairs, HAM radio groups, food storage specialists, etc. This class of involvement highlights another dimension from the Stake's role of "refuge from the storm," doesn't it?
Possible Class Discussions: How important is your Stake to you? Is it sometimes easy to ignore or consider Stake events and functions lightly? What happens to our perception of the Stake events and activities when we understand they are an important means to an end? What are some ways to be supportive of our Stake? Why do we want to help the Stake succeed and become a strong force in our lives?
President Benson reminds us one of the most important aspects of our local stake succeeding:
"The Lord states: “For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness; her borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthened; yea, verily I say unto you, Zion must arise and put on her beautiful garments.” (Doctrine and Covenants 82:14.)
"Here the Lord declares another great purpose of a stake: to be a beautiful emblem for all the world to see."
And this is where the dark, troubled times of the latter days comes into play. Perhaps Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best:
"When it is darkest, men see the stars."
The darker the world gets, the more obvious truth and light will appear to those seeking. As times get more desperate, people will notice and recognize the light they didn't even glance at before. It's speeds the time of gathering those who would gravitate towards the light if they could.
Object Lesson: I'll describe just how I did it, but you can use various versions of light and bags, etc. with the same effect, so be resourceful. There's no need to run out and buy stuff, especially if you're short on time, cash or patience. Trust me, I've been short on all of those.
I bought those cheap little flickering electric tea lights, a whole box (the ones they use for weddings sometimes). And for each sister I stamped a small white craft bag with the RWE quote above. It's a stamp I happen to have. A tea light went into each bag.
I stood at the front of the room with mine. I turned it on and the tea light flickering in the bag was barely noticeable. I made the point that if you weren't expecting it or looking right at the bag, it would be easy to miss. Then we turned out the lights. All of the sudden, the tea light in the bag was very noticeable as a source of light and was the most noticeable thing in the room. All eyes were drawn to it.
I then had the ladies turn on their tea lights in their bags and we all held them up in the dark. It made quite an impression.
If you have only the one light/bag in front ~ the point is well-made.
We are to develop our stakes so they are ready to shine, to function well and be noticed. That time is just around the corner and frankly, that time is now.
"Yet another revelation from the Lord gives this explanation of the purpose of stakes: “Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations; and that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.” (Doctrine and Covenants 115:5.)
"In this revelation is a command to let our light so shine that it becomes a standard for the nations. A standard is a rule of measure by which one determines exactness or perfection. The Saints are to be a standard of holiness for the world to see. That is the beauty of Zion."
This lesson has the potential of renewing involvement and participation within our gospel community. May you be inspired and fortified as you prepare this lesson.
Possible Hymns: High On A Mountain Top #5 (Could there be a more perfect hymn?)
As Sisters In Zion #309 (I've always love this one).
When I first started reading this lesson through, I thought, "Oh dear...this is a dry bare-bones Elder's Quorum discussion-panel kind of thing about stake organization. Not a Relief Society, sisters exploring secrets-of-the-universe kind of topic."
But then it got better. Thank goodness, right?
What lies at the heart of this lesson are calamities happening now, and calamities shortly to come and how stakes fit into this picture. It's actually a great topic and an absolute original lesson theme. It certainly has me re-thinking some of my perspectives.
Discussing today's calamities refers to significant events of great concern to us. Paris, ISIS, the new children of same-sex marriage policy, "equality" (which denies a lot of godliness and the extraordinary power of gender roles), war, disease, natural disasters, economy, destructive and short-sighted political correctness, or how about immorality being the new benchmark? Add to this list whatever occurs to you...we (our society collectively) very much fit the description of a verse Ezra Taft Benson uses in this lesson.
“The day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion.” (Doctrine & Covenants 1:35)
I read this verse not too long ago and it occurred to me peace is a gift given. So of course, it's something which can be taken away as well. But when we have peace, it's a privilege which perhaps at times, is taken for granted. And maybe we tend to notice more that we don't have peace and well-being, not so much the other way around.
Peace is an effect of the Spirit and involves a sense of well-being and confidence. Of course, these qualities are fast eroding in today's world. We feel cautious and on guard out in the world, both locally and globally.
When we work on and focus on having a close relationship to Christ, one of the outcomes is "peace as a river." (Isaiah 48:18) This means unexplainable peace amid the turmoil and chaos of today, both in our personal lives and in the world at large:
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)
Possible class discussion: What are some of the calamities and turmoil happening in the world today which disrupt our peace?
During the last days, LDS Stakes play an important role in this promise. Ezra explains:
As the Church grows, it is very important that we build solidly and well, and that our prospective stakes have the basic ingredients that are necessary for success and that existing stakes work tirelessly for full stakehood in the sense of spiritual achievement. These stakes are to be the gathering spots for the Zion of today, and they need to be spiritual sanctuaries and to be self-sufficient in as many ways as is possible.
Note: WE are the stakes, or to put it another way, stakes are all the people in them. "Stakes" in all these quotes refers to us as a body of Saints, and our togetherness. Not specifically the present leadership at any given instance.
Here is the verse which truly clarifies the need for a lesson like this, and is probably the pivotal theme as well:
"And that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth." (D&C 115:6)
As bad as it is today, it's gong to get a whole lot worse! We're told the worst persecution is yet to come.
As a side note, I think some of the most obnoxious, hypocritical persecution comes from the "politically correct" crowd. Just yesterday I read a prominent, popular LDS blogger denounce her LDS faith and try to do it in a neutral, flowery, admirable, I-may-come-back-to-it-later way. She is sure to get momentary accolades from certain crowds. My sad thought was, "Convenience and courage are two different things entirely my dear."
"Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Lord needs us to step it up and deepen our roots in the face of social discomfort and disapproval ~ not flow along with the precepts and concepts of men and the political darling of the day. There will always be pressure to abandon and denounce our faith...always. It helps to decide ahead of time what to do with that pressure. The valiant and the stalwart are made manifest in difficult times...not convenient ones.
Chaos, turmoil and calamities are already scripted into the world's agenda and future. Even though they've been foretold, it is the world which insists on the downhill-spiral path. Commotion and hardships will happen and keep happening and keep escalating because Satan has dominion over the majority of the world, who sadly give up light and truth in exchange for his persuasions.
Nonetheless, there's an important function both natural and social turmoil and chaos perform. We'll get to that in a bit along with a very effective object lesson I've used before. (And I'm not an object lesson kind of teacher, but this one does work well.)
This lesson really made me think! Stakes are more important than I perhaps gave them credit for. I mean, I tend to ignore Stake events and have often thought they were more for people who had nothing else to do or were for the more sentimental, "churchy" lot. After reading this lesson, I realize the need to be much more supportive and lend a hand to the integrity and the quality of how our Stake functions. It means I need to conscientiously participate more and show up more.
I love the list President Benson gives for what Stakes need to be focused on:
"The stakes and districts of Zion are symbolic of the holy places spoken of by the Lord where His Saints are to gather in the last days as a refuge from the storm. You and your children will gather here:
to worship
to do sacred ordinances
to socialize
to learn
to perform in music, dance, drama, athletics
and to generally improve yourselves and one another.
It is often thought significant that our chapels have on them a steeple, with spires toward the heavens symbolic of how our lives ought to be ever moving upward toward God."
So now it makes so much more sense why we have Stake Conference, stake temple goals, monthly baptisms, stake speakers, stake activities of all kinds, etc. The integrity of how well our own Stake functions and how involved we are in that process has everything to do with our future well-being.
I've only been in Salt Lake City for 7 weeks, so I don't know my current Stake's personality very well ~ but the last couple of Stakes I've been in ~ they have really been into emergency preparedness. They have public emergency preparedness fairs, HAM radio groups, food storage specialists, etc. This class of involvement highlights another dimension from the Stake's role of "refuge from the storm," doesn't it?
Possible Class Discussions: How important is your Stake to you? Is it sometimes easy to ignore or consider Stake events and functions lightly? What happens to our perception of the Stake events and activities when we understand they are an important means to an end? What are some ways to be supportive of our Stake? Why do we want to help the Stake succeed and become a strong force in our lives?
President Benson reminds us one of the most important aspects of our local stake succeeding:
"The Lord states: “For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness; her borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthened; yea, verily I say unto you, Zion must arise and put on her beautiful garments.” (Doctrine and Covenants 82:14.)
"Here the Lord declares another great purpose of a stake: to be a beautiful emblem for all the world to see."
And this is where the dark, troubled times of the latter days comes into play. Perhaps Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best:
"When it is darkest, men see the stars."
The darker the world gets, the more obvious truth and light will appear to those seeking. As times get more desperate, people will notice and recognize the light they didn't even glance at before. It's speeds the time of gathering those who would gravitate towards the light if they could.
Object Lesson: I'll describe just how I did it, but you can use various versions of light and bags, etc. with the same effect, so be resourceful. There's no need to run out and buy stuff, especially if you're short on time, cash or patience. Trust me, I've been short on all of those.
I bought those cheap little flickering electric tea lights, a whole box (the ones they use for weddings sometimes). And for each sister I stamped a small white craft bag with the RWE quote above. It's a stamp I happen to have. A tea light went into each bag.
I stood at the front of the room with mine. I turned it on and the tea light flickering in the bag was barely noticeable. I made the point that if you weren't expecting it or looking right at the bag, it would be easy to miss. Then we turned out the lights. All of the sudden, the tea light in the bag was very noticeable as a source of light and was the most noticeable thing in the room. All eyes were drawn to it.
I then had the ladies turn on their tea lights in their bags and we all held them up in the dark. It made quite an impression.
If you have only the one light/bag in front ~ the point is well-made.
We are to develop our stakes so they are ready to shine, to function well and be noticed. That time is just around the corner and frankly, that time is now.
"Yet another revelation from the Lord gives this explanation of the purpose of stakes: “Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations; and that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.” (Doctrine and Covenants 115:5.)
"In this revelation is a command to let our light so shine that it becomes a standard for the nations. A standard is a rule of measure by which one determines exactness or perfection. The Saints are to be a standard of holiness for the world to see. That is the beauty of Zion."
This lesson has the potential of renewing involvement and participation within our gospel community. May you be inspired and fortified as you prepare this lesson.
Possible Hymns: High On A Mountain Top #5 (Could there be a more perfect hymn?)
As Sisters In Zion #309 (I've always love this one).