Sisterhood United

What a wonderful weekend it has been. I don’t know of a better choice for my topic than being united as a sisterhood. I have experienced what I would say has been a reawakening to the many important lessons that we are taught on a daily basis, but a few of which I have focused more of my attention to. I would like to take a moment now, and share with you my thoughts. As a Relief Society in our ward, we all came together on Friday night for an Enrichment Retreat. First of all, I want to extend my thanks to sister Jolene Krahenbuhl for allowing us to stay at her beautiful, spacious home and providing her hospitality to as many as 50 or more women of our ward family. Rita Merrick of our ward did a fantastic job planning our retreat, of which the plans were altered quite drastically at the last minute. I also want to thank all of those who participated in the planning of this wonderful event. Upon arriving on Friday night, we enjoyed a BBQ, that included teriyaki chicken made from a marinade provided by Angie Magoffin in our ward, which is found in the Relief Society cookbook that many of us have in our possession. It was very tasty! There were a few wonderful salads, and many great treats and desserts! We then played a few games, which allowed each of us to get to know the sisters of our ward much better. To end the night, we each shared some good news in our lives and participated in a short lesson from the scriptures provided by Shelly Johnson of our ward as well. Many stories were shared, and the laughs were plenty. I will not forget the spirit that was felt that night. I feel so much closer to the sisters of our ward, and am so entirely grateful to have them in my life. I have really taken to heart that each of us has been blessed with many gifts and talents of which we can share with one another. It may seem difficult to see that from time to time, but we are all choice daughters of our Heavenly Father with divine qualities, and the truest beauty one can possess. It is true that each of us can be there for one another when our needs are great or to share the good times when our lives are enriched with many great blessings. I made a handout for each of the sisters at the retreat that I believe really sums up the importance of Relief Society and what it means to come together as a sisterhood and our responsibilities and duties. I have included it here, for those of you that read my posts regularly and may not have had a chance to make it to the retreat. We are beloved spirit daughters of God

and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction.

As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion

to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar.

We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who

increase our testimonies of Jesus Christ

through prayer and scripture study,

seek spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost,

dedicate ourselves to strengthening

marriages, families, and homes,

find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood,

delight in service and good works,

love life and learning,

stand for truth and righteousness,

sustain the priesthood

as the authority of God on earth,

rejoice in the blessings of the temple,

understand our divine destiny,

and strive for exaltation.

Our experiences over the weekend didn’t end there. We also had the opportunity to attend the General Relief Society Meeting as a Stake, where we were not only fed physically, but more importantly, spiritually as well. The food was delicious, and was served to us so graciously at our tables. At that moment, I was beginning to feel very spoiled! After our fine dinner and conversation, we had the privilege of hearing from our new President of the General Relief Society Presidency, Julie B. Beck, along with her two counselors, Silvia H. Allred and Barbara Thompson. After which, the second counselor of the First Presidency, Dieter F. Uchtdorf concluded the meeting with his inspiring words. After such a spiritually uplifting weekend, I thought long and hard, asking myself why it seems I don’t participate in more activities that would bring me the kind of joy and happiness I experienced this weekend. I will always be grateful for my membership in the church, and the blessings I receive when I stand up for what I believe and share that belief with others. My eyes have been opened to fully see and accept my duties as a daughter of God here on this earth, and I will strive each day to fulfill those responsibilities. May my thoughts be with each of you as well, and I hope the very best for you and your families.