Embark! YW Camp 2015

You may wonder why a post about Young Women Camp would be featured on the Stake Relief Society blog.  It's because in just a few short years, they will become our sisters in the Relief Society and building connections with them now is important to those future relationships.

As I've talked with young women and leaders this week, it is clear that this year's camp was not only a lot of fun, but provided a spiritual impact on their lives.  I would recommend you take the time to engage the young women from your ward/branch in a conversation about their experiences at young women camp.  It's a great way to reach out to your future sisters and be uplifted yourself.

-Lorie Pierce

More a Way of Life

Recently, I had a conversation with my 18 year old daughter about visiting teaching.  It occurred to me that although she had grown up knowing that I was a visiting teacher and having seen me provide service in that assignment, no "formal" training had been provided to her.  Now, she is herself a visiting teacher, and I, along with her Relief Society leaders, have a responsibility to provide that training.  

As I pondered on the training resources available, I decided it would be of value to highlight some of them here.

- Handbook 2: Administering the Church, Section 9.5 provides information and instruction regarding the visiting teaching program and responsibilities of visiting teachers.

- Daughters of My Kingdom, Chapter 7, "Pure Religion: Watchcare and Ministering through Visiting Teaching" is an amazing chapter that recounts the history of visiting teaching and provides insights on how visiting teachers minister and serve in the building of Zion.

- Visiting Teaching: The Priviledge of Ministering is a page on lds.org with content and links provided to help us learn how to serve as visiting teachers.

- Relief Society: A Sacred Work, Julie B. Beck (15th Relief Society General President), Oct 2009 is one of the best talks given about the purposes of Relief Society and includes an inspiring and instructive section on visiting teaching.

- Responsibilities of Visiting Teachers is a training video in the Leadership Training Library on lds.org which provides a short overview linked to the Handbook 2 instruction.  It is a short, yet visual way to instruct us in our "job".

- Reporting Visiting Teaching is another training video in the Leadership Training Library which specifically addresses reporting and reminds us that visiting teaching is more about people than a task to be completed.

- Visiting Teaching in the Work of Salvation is also available in the Leadership Training Library and helps us to see the importance of our assignments in the larger picture of bringing souls unto Christ.

"Visiting teaching becomes the Lord’s work when our focus is on people rather than percentages. In reality, visiting teaching is never finished. It is more a way of life than a task. Faithfully serving as a visiting teacher is evidence of our discipleship."  (Julie B. Beck, 15th Relief Society General President, Oct 2009)

Is visiting teaching easy?  Is it convenient?  Does it sometimes feel forced?  Perhaps No, No, Yes might be your answers - they have sometimes been mine.  But as I have thought about my own visiting teachers over the many years since I turned 18 and about the sisters I have taught - one thing becomes clear - this is the Lord's work and when we "let" Him participate with us the burden is lighter and the work is sweeter.

-Lorie Pierce

Oh, What Do You Do When The Temple Is Closed?

The Washington DC Temple will be closed from August 10-October 5 for maintenance, construction and cleaning.  We are greatly blessed to live so near a temple and have the opportunity to attend there as often as we choose.  This is a long closure, but it doesn't need to be a time of drought for us.  We can still maintain our focus and devotion to temple ordinances and worship during those weeks it is closed.

Here are three suggestions for how to fill the void and perhaps better prepare ourselves and our families for when the temple reopens.

One: Contribute your time to the Indexing effort

What is Indexing?  Historical records (birth certificates, ships manifests, death records, census records, etc) that have been digitized are viewed and transcribed by Indexers on their own computers.  Their efforts make available online astounding and growing numbers of records for family history researchers to trace their ancestors.  Without Indexers our efforts to redeem our dead would be moving along at a very slow pace.  With Indexers our ability to find our ancestors and take their names to the temple is significantly increased in speed, ease and feasibility.

Go to https://familysearch.org/indexing/ to learn more and get started.

You can even kickstart your and your family's Indexing efforts by participating in the Worldwide Indexing Event,  "Fuel the Find", August 7-14.

Two: Increase your Family History efforts

Maybe you need to start at the beginning or maybe you are somewhere in the middle, but each of us can find a way to be involved in Family History.  Here are just a few ideas....
- Log on to Family Tree (on familysearch.org) and begin verifying that the information and family connections in your tree are accurate....they might not be!
- Begin researching the gaps you find in your Tree.  Use tools such as puzzilla.org to locate "cousins"....family members who still need temple ordinances performed for them.
- Visit the Family History Center either at the Stake Center or at the Hampstead Building and get educated on what is available to you there and online.  OR talk with your ward/branch Family History Consultants to learn how to start or figure out how to move forward from where you are.
- Start gathering family photos and scanning them to preserve them digitally.  You can even upload them to Family Tree (on familysearch.org).
- Collect family stories.  If someone doesn't record them, they will eventually be lost and forgotten.  Ensure that your children and your grandchildren will remember Grandpa Anderson's "Egg Fight" story or the story of how Dad finally convinced Mom to marry him or the story of how Uncle Ken traveled through guerrilla territory in Central America on a humanitarian mission or how Great-Great Grandmother Mary Ann Ross was disowned when she joined the Church in Scotland, but remained faithful to her conversion.

Elder Bednar issued an invitation and a promise to our youth regarding Family History efforts.  These same promises can apply to all of us regardless of our age.

"I invite the young people of the Church to learn about and experience the Spirit of Elijah. I encourage you to study, to search out your ancestors, and to prepare yourselves to perform proxy baptisms in the house of the Lord for your kindred dead (see D&C 124:28–36).  And I urge you to help other people identify their family histories.  As you respond in faith to this invitation, your hearts shall turn to the fathers. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be implanted in your hearts. Your patriarchal blessing, with its declaration of lineage, will link you to these fathers and be more meaningful to you. Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increase. Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding.  And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary.  As you participate in and love this holy work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives."   (David A. Bednar, “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn,” Ensign, Nov. 2011)

Three: Go to the Temple Visitors' Center

The Visitors’ Center will be open for their usual hours (10am-9pm daily) during the temple closure.  Take your family, invite your friends or simply go by yourself and partake of the sweet spirit that is present there. 

For updates on exhibits and performances visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WashingtonDCVC   or go to https://www.lds.org/church/events/washington-dc-events?lang=eng

Did You Know? Leadership Training Library

Did you know there is a Leadership Training Library available on lds.org?

As sisters in the Church we all have opportunities to serve in callings and assignments.  Often those calls to serve involve leading others.  Sometimes, we can feel inadequate and unprepared for such opportunities.  Thankfully, we don't have to wander around wondering what and how.  We have many leaders and resources within the Church to assist us.

"The Leadership Training Library of lds.org is designed to help you learn and apply Handbook principles in your calling."  (lds.org, Leadership Training Library, Library Tutorial)

What is available?  There are videos with messages from our leaders, videos about general leadership principles and videos about specific topics such as Visiting Teaching, Young Women Personal Progress, or Primary Sharing Time.  Also included is the most recent Auxiliary Training which focused on Learning and Teaching in the Home and at the Church.

How blessed we are to have these resources so easily available for our use.  The Lord truly loves us and will bless our efforts to accomplish the tasks given us.  If you haven't looked at these resources - today would be a good day to start.