Hill Cumorah Pageant

Did you know there is a theatrical production held yearly at the Hill Cumorah in Palmyra, New York?  It is known as the Hill Cumorah Pageant.  I haven't been to see it for many, many, many years.  The last time I was chaperoning a Youth Conference trip in the 1990's.  It was quite an amazing production.  Recently, I saw a blurb about it as I was searching online for something else.  It got me thinking about some of the opportunities that are nearby and yet we often seem to miss and I decided to share a bit about the Hill Cumorah Pagent and other Church History sites in that area.  Maybe you and your family or friends will want to make plans to visit there in July for the pageant.

The following is from the Hill Cumorah Pageant page on lds.org and gives a brief idea of what the pageant is about:  Experience the excitement, drama, and pageantry of America's largest and most spectacular outdoor theatrical event, which focuses on the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Witness the trials of Lehi’s family and his descendants, the climactic visit of Jesus Christ to the Americas, and Joseph Smith receiving the plates.

The dates for the 2018 pageant are July 13-14, 17-21.  The pageant begins at 9:15 p.m. and runs for about 75 minutes.  Admission is free. No ticket is required, and no reservation is necessary.  It is held at the Hill Cumorah site grounds (603 State Route 2, Palmyra, New York).  Below are a couple links that can provide further details and contact information:

Hill Cumorah Visitors' Center

Hill Cumorah Pageant Website

While in the Palmyra area there are several more Church Historical sites worth seeing.  My favorite is the Sacred Grove.  I also love the Palmyra Temple and with the Washington DC Temple construction closure - if I'm in the Palmyra area I wouldn't miss the opportunity to attend the temple.  You can find more information about the Palmyra Temple schedule on their lds.org page.  It's a good idea to schedule with them if you want to do a session.  It is a small temple with limited hours and no clothing rental.

To find out more about the other Church History sites see the links below.  I did a previous post in 2015 about the Sacred Grove and the Palmyra area if you want to go back and read that.  Let It Change Your Life, 26 May 2015

The Sacred Grove

Smith Family Farm

Book of Mormon Publication Site

Peter Whitmer Log Home

Martin Harris Farm

While we don't have plans to attend the pageant this year, we love this area and the heritage that all of us as Church members can connect to there.  We will go back to Palmyra again and hope that many of you will find that opportunity as well.

-Lorie Pierce

Farewell to Kim Olivier and Welcome to Mendy Hunter

This past Sunday at Stake Conference Sister Kim Olivier was released as a counselor in the Stake Relief Society Presidency.  We are so sad to say goodbye to Kim, but we truly wish her and her family all the best as they relocate to Pennsylvania.  Sister Mendy Hunter of the Savage Mill Ward was sustained as the new second counselor in the presidency.  We are excited to have this opportunity to work with Mendy and get to know her better.

Mendy was born in raised in York County, PA, the 4th of 8 children. (She grew up in Shrewsbury--the same town her dad's family has lived in since the 1730s!) After graduating from high school, she went to BYU where she majored in English. Before graduating from college, she served a mission in Romania where she fell in love with the warm people and the breathtakingly beautiful Transylvania. After her mission, she graduated from the Y, backpacked through Europe with a friend, and then married Michael Hunter. While Michael finished his schooling, Mendy worked in the staffing industry until her first baby, Maia (19), was born. When Maia was only 3 months old, Mendy and Mike decided to move from Utah back to the east coast, where most members of their families lived. With Mike's family in Virgina and Mendy's in Pennsylvania, he suggested they move to the middle: Laurel, MD--and that's where they've been for the past 19 years! Here, they have added a son, Mason (18), and two more daughters, Marlee (14) and Mackenna (12), to their family. Mendy has remained a full-time homemaker and enjoys volunteering at her kids' schools, reading, doing crafts, and learning new DIY skills. She loves Relief Society and is especially excited to get to know more of the sisters in the stake through this new calling.

Mendy Hunter - Cindy Erekson - Lisa Larson

When We Are Prepared and Ready To Receive

I have been struggling to get over bronchitis the past couple weeks.  I was feeling better yesterday, but felt it was a wiser choice to continue resting rather than attend Stake Conference.  I did not attend the meetings yesterday.  This morning when I woke up I felt significantly better, but was still thinking it wiser to stay home.  However at 9am I was overwhelmed with a feeling of "go to Stake Conference!".  I quickly dressed and headed out the door.  As I sat and listened to the speakers this morning, I knew why the Lord wanted me there.  I received answers to private prayers through the messages shared.  How grateful I am for the preparation of the speakers.  How grateful I am that I didn't question the impression - that I didn't make my excuses and stay home to rest another day.  How grateful I am that I had been faithful this week in my personal reading of the Book of Mormon - even though I really just wanted to lie back down.  How grateful I am that I was indeed well enough to go and spiritually prepared enough to hear what I needed to hear.

For those of my sisters who for whatever reason were unable to be with us this morning at Stake Conference, here are some of the things that impressed my heart and mind.  It's obviously not a complete transcript...just the notes from my scribblings.  Hopefully I have the names of the youth speakers spelled correctly.

Kasey Baird - youth speaker from Columbia 1 Ward
The Savior is the perfect example of how to Minister.  She shared two simple ways for youth (and all of us) to follow Christ's example by ministering: 1.  Being a Friend  and 2. Attend mutual (our RS meetings) with a different mindset - Who Needs Me Today?  We can ask ourselves that question everyday.

Mason Hunter - youth speaker from Savage Mill Ward
Our heart should be in the right place - in the Savior's Way.  We need to choose to Minister for the right reasons.  Love should be our motivation.  Love should be our compass and Ministering our vessel.

Felicity Hancock - Savage Mill Ward
Everyone fights a hard battle.  She has seen direct blessings for their efforts to attend the Temple - peace in difficult times.  She quoted Elder Renlund's 2018 conference talk that spoke of blessings from temple and family history work.   "When ordinances are performed on behalf of the deceased, God’s children on earth are healed."  The best way to keep our youth on the Gospel path is to involve them in temple and family history work.  We matter to our Heavenly Father.  If you're seeking answers and peace - go to the temple.  It's easy for us to over complicate attending the temple, but what we really need is to realize that it is a possibility and work from there.

Sister Christiansen - Maryland Baltimore Mission
Knowing who we are and why we're here on this earth makes all the difference.  When we establish our vision through the Gospel lens, we can see things as they really are.  Faith must be active. Repentance daily. Continuous in keeping sacred covenants. Actively receiving the Holy Ghost.  Each of us much choose to act in faith, to remove distractions, to seek the Lord and to know for ourselves.

President Christiansen - Maryland Baltimore Mission
Our fellowship together is a great opportunity to lift one another.  Do we realize what we know and what we have?  Ministering should be a way of life - looking outward we can find opportunities all around us.  How will you bless?  Who will you bless?  Revelation assists us in knowing who and how to bless.  He also shared this thought from his counselor, President McConkie: Simplicity means focusing on that which is essential.  The ordinances of the Priesthood are essential for us to walk back into the presence of God the Father and Jesus Christ.  We are those the Lord is relying on to prepare the world for the coming of Jesus Christ.  There is an urgency in what we are doing.

President Peterson - Columbia Maryland Stake
In our families we first learn and practice worship of our Father in Heaven.  As we remember the blessings of God for our families we will be able to reverence and worship Him more.  We worship through prayer, through our Sabbath Day observance and through Temple attendance.  We need to set aside time to worship in the Temple.

President Towne - Columbia Maryland Stake
The most important things in life are not things.  Do we really understood how important the Gospel is?  The pearl of great price referred to by the Savior is the Restored Gospel.  He quoted President Nelson:  "What will your seeking open for you? What wisdom do you lack? What do you feel an urgent need to know or understand? Follow the example of the Prophet Joseph. Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort."  The truth is what is important.  Knowing Christ is what is important.

President Mitchell - Columbia Maryland Stake
He began by sharing his testimony and told us - you can receive a witness for yourself.  Though the Spirit you can feel peace, assurance, calm, guidance and witness that this is His church and knowing that changes our perspective on life.  He also spoke on Ministering.  To be disciples of Christ we need to love one another.  How can we develop more Christlike love?  We need to be mindful of others needs.  Spiritual strengthening is as important as meeting physical needs.  He quoted President Nelson regarding the need for revelation in our lives: “Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly. -- I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation. -- Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and family history work.”  He reminded us that the Gathering of Israel is the most important thing going onto today - on both sides of the veil.  The Lord hasn't left us alone.  We should work together in love and unity.  We need to strengthen and help one another.

- Lorie Pierce

Ministering - A Demonstration of Discipleship, Gratitude and Love for God

Sister Jean B. Bingham, General Relief Society President, has said that “our service to others is a demonstration of discipleship and our gratitude and love for God and His Son, Jesus Christ”. I know we all want to be obedient to the commandments.  We all strive to “Love one another” and to “love our neighbor as ourselves”.  But sometimes it’s a little scary to put ourselves out there, to take that extra step and offer our services, to become friends with someone we don’t know and have little in common with.

But whatever our differences, our divine heritage unites us as sisters and daughters of God.  We are united in our love and devotion to God, and our desires to follow His prophet. It really is an exciting time to live, and as I contemplate all of the new information and guidance we have received during and since General Conference, I am awed and humbled by the need to take better care of and more interest in the sisters whom I serve.

We have literally been asked to strengthen one another in the Lord. To go above and beyond what we usually did in visiting the sisters we are assigned to visit, as well as others in our wards and communities.  I know many of you have already been doing this. You have always gone beyond the monthly required visit.  You have taken a personal interest in the sisters you visit and have become a part of their lives. They have moved beyond being an assignment on a piece of paper.

How do we do this now that a monthly in-home visit with a message is no longer required?  The best place I know of to start is with prayer. Pray for your sisters by name.  Pray that you will be open to promptings that will allow you to help them.  Our Father is mindful of all of us.  He knows our hearts, and He knows their needs.  Turn your heart to Him and let Him guide you.

Ask your sisters what works best for them.  A visit, phone call, text, walk in the park, play date with your kids, lunch together, a short conversation at church…all these and more can be part of your Ministering and care. Sister Aburto, General Relief Society 2nd counselor, has said: “It’s not so much what you do, but how you feel and how they feel.  Do whatever it takes so that person knows that you are a true friend and that you will come when they need your help.”

So maybe we need to ask ourselves - What am I are going to do that will be different than I’ve done before?  How can I show more care instead of less?  How will I be able to respond during my quarterly interview with my Relief Society leaders when they ask how my sisters are doing? Will I really know?

I think we’re going to find greater unity in our wards and branches as we implement this new program.  I think we’ll have more needs being met, and more of our less active sisters returning to activity.  I trust that we’ll grow closer as we counsel together and coordinate with our Priesthood brethren. Whole families will be blessed by our care and love.  Isn’t it marvelous to watch our Father’s plans for us unfold?

I’m so grateful for a living Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, and for his counsel to us to seek revelation. In his words: “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost."  I pray that you will seek for and follow the guidance you need as you watch over your sisters with love.

- Cindy Erekson
Columbia Stake Relief Society President