Sunday Report

Dear Sisters,

On this the last week of 2009, we want you to know how much we love each of you and appreciate all that you do for your families, for one another, and in your callings. To those of you who labor so diligently teaching our youth and little ones, we are so grateful for all of your efforts, and you are missed in our weekly Relief Society. We hope that these emails have motivated you to make our lessons part of your regular scripture study, either from the manual or the conference talks, so that all of the Cedar River Sister will be gaining similar spiritual tutoring. Be sure to get your new Gospel Principles Manual which is the course of study for the next two years in RS and Priesthood. If you did not yet receive one see the RS leadership next Sunday. In the meantime have a wonderful, less hectic week! Remember that meeting time shifts to 1:00 PM nest Sunday

Today's lesson was given by Nicole Hill, who presented two exceptionally uplifting talks from the October Conference. She began with excerpts from Our Perfect Example by Pres Eyring who noted that all Latter-day Saints share a desire to become better that we are. He goes on to emphasize that we can and must expect to become better as long as we live. He then gave the formula for making that kind of progress in our lives: we believe that through living the gospel of Jesus Christ we can become progressively more like the Savior who is perfect. Love is the motivating principle by which the Lord leads us along the way towards becoming like Him, our perfect example.It is love of God that will lead us to keep His commandments. And love of others is at the heart of our capacity to obey Him. Each day we should look for opportunities to do as He did and to love as He loves. And we have been promised that on that path we will have the special peace in our minds and hearts that can come only from our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, which will comfort and sustain us despite whatever the world might bring. The second talk, equally inspiring was given by Pres. Uchtdorf entitled The Love of God. He asked how we can become true disciples of Jesus Christ and immediately responded to his own question by quoting John 14:15, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Then he pointed out that the first and great commandment was to love God and the second was to love our fellow beings. Therefore love is the great commandment and ought to be at the center of all and everything we do in our own family, in our Church callings and in every aspect of our lives. Love is the motivating power behind all that is good. We love God because of all He has done for us and given to us, but it is we ourselves that benefit most from loving God, for it is what we truly love that shapes our actions, our character, what we will ultimately become. We can become like our Father and Elder Brother, but it is our choices that determine if that will happen. President Uchtdorf reminded us that the first step to walking the righteous path as a true disciple of Christ is simply to try, try and keep on trying until it beomes possible, then becomes habit and then is a real part of us. As true Latter-day Saints we must be people who love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and who love our neighbor as ourselves. That is the path of true discipleship and the way to true and eternal happiness. Both of these talks will be great reading in preparation for a new year of even deeper commitment to the covenants we have made as members of the Lord's true church.

Wishing each of you and yours blessed and peaceful New Year.

The Relief Society Presidency