AUGUST 11, 2016 RELIEF SOCIETY Sister Mones and Sister A. Clark conducted the meeting. President and Sister Risenmay, President and Sister Mulford and Sister Bateman were in attendance. Sister Risenmay left early to help an ill sister.
Sister Ransom played the prelude and hymns and Sister Yoshida conducted the music. Opening Hymn: #30 Come Come Ye Saints Opening Prayer: Sister Sapera Purpose: Sister Schalk - Sister Schalk reminded us that Our Purpose is God’s Purpose
We were asked by Sister Steffensen and Sister Valdez, two of our supply sisters, to return items unused during tours to the proper desks rather than just leaving them all around the Square. We were also told about the new member lesson pamphlets. They will be placed at Map Desk.
Sister Fernandez and Sister Sturzeneggaer did a role play of missionary work at West Gate.
Our lesson this morning was given by Sisters Ghetti-Remor, Skouson, Chiu and Leavitt.
They gave lesson 12 from the Howard W. Hunter study guide - Come Back and Feast at the Table of the Lord. They had the Purpose repeated word by word – one word per missionary until the Purpose had been recited. We were asked what it means to invite. They showed a video called Reach Out with Love. The video showed a Bishop Youth Counsel where the Bishop challenged a quorum president to ask an inactive member to come to church. The video showed many steps of getting to the point where the young man felt like he could come back to church. We were asked if anyone had a recent contact with a less active or new convert. Sister Burke commented about a recent convert getting her patriarchal blessing. This sister’s boyfriend had been inactive and worked really hard to get himself prepared to baptize her. After she got her patriarchal blessing, she realized just how the gospel changes us and gives guidance and peace. How can we really help the less active come back to the gospel. Sister Mark, through Sister Sine, said that we need to boldly invite, but lovingly, even though they may not accept our invitation. It is a commandment and our purpose as missionaries to boldly invite.
Sister O’Reilly said that less active people seem to flock to her. We need to start out by being their friend and you will at some point be able to see the deeper side and why they are not active at the time. Less actives are activated by love and friends. Sister Gomes said, sometimes our day seems like a routine. The same thing every day. We forget it is different people every day and we are the hands of the Lord and this gospel is what is mission from their lives. She found that when she prayed for help she knows what to say to people and how to help them. We should ask ourselves “Why do I care?” We should change our attitude and help them know that we care. Sister Kolarova said that we need to love them. We are assigned here as missionaries because we love them. We should talk to people with love. Companionships could role play talking to investigators or less actives with love. Sister Rauta said that when she first came out on her mission that both her parents were inactive. She really wanted them to come back to the church. Her mother has regained her testimony even though she has yet to return to church attendance. What matters most is our love, testimony and the light of Christ that we share. Activation requires patience.
What does it mean to invite? Sister Hug commented that the Bishop shared a scripture and taught that it was not easy, but worth it. It is easier to get people to come out if they feel we are friends from the heart. Sister Kratzer said no one wants to be a project.
President Hunter said, “We are leading toward one objective for each individual member of the Church. That is for all to receive the ordinances of the gospel and make covenants with our Heavenly Father so they may return to His presence. That is our grand objective. The ordinances and covenants are the means to achieving that divine nature that we will return us into His presence ….”
Sister Piutau read Luke 15:4-6 We need to help others find a way out the corner they have painted themselves in. The gospel is that way. Alma 31:34-35 was read. From President Hunter, “To those who have transgressed or been offended. To those who are hurt and struggling and afraid … those who are confused and assailed by error on every side. Come back, let us stand with you and dry your tears. Come to the God of all truth and the Church of continuing revelation. Come back. Stand with us. Carry on. Be believing. All is well, and all will be well.” President Hunter also shared the following story. “My ward bishop assigned me as a ward teacher to a brother who boasted he was the oldest deacon in the Church. Home teaching was ward teaching in those days. His problem was that he loved to play golf on Sunday. It was discouraging to meet month after moth with him and his wife and see no apparent progress. But finally, the right word was said to him and it struck a responsive chord. The word was covenant. We asked him, ‘What does the covenant of baptism mean to you?’ His expression changed, and for the first time we saw a serious side to him. Eventually he came to our classes, gave up gold, and took his wife to the temple.”
Sister Sanchez said that we should be by them step by step. Sister Cabello told how she prayed to remember an investigator from back in December. They called the investigator and she said that she remembered the spirit she felt when she was talking to Sister Cabello. Who knows, they may remember us forever. The investigator was in an accident and had other problems. She needed to feel the peace of the spirit.
As missionaries, we need to really care about the person, not just the number of baptisms.
Sister Leavitt encouraged us to endure to the end. From President Hunter, “The whole purpose of the Church operating smoothly at the local level is to qualify individuals to return to the of God. That can only be done by their receiving the ordinances and making covenants in the temple.”
Closing Hymn: #97 Lead Kindly Light Closing Prayer: Sister Clement |
