December 2009 Newsletter

December Lessons
December 6 2009 Presidency/Group Leadership Instruction - Teacher Karen Brown
December 13 Joseph Smith #43 He Was a Prophet of God: Contemporaries of Joseph Smith Testify of His Prophetic Mission - Teacher Judy Paxton
December 20 Joseph Smith #44 The Restoration of All Things: The Dispensation of the Fullness of Times – Teacher Myrna Clark
December 27 Teaching for Our Times – General Conference Talk from October 2009 Conference

Activity Reminder
Although I don’t put in too many announcements in this paper, since it is so easy to omit an important one and the Sacrament Meeting Program is always a good source. However, I thought that this one deserved an additional mention. On Friday, December 4, 2009, Grant Stake is having Temple Day. This is done around Christmas and always includes a very special devotional in the Temple Chapel @ 7:00 PM. Members of the Stake are invited to go as much as time and circumstances warrant – being there a full day for those who are able to commit to that. For those who, for whatever reason are unable to attend, finding those ancestors who need their work done is also very important.

Good Job
Sometimes it seems like General Conference and message from the Presidency are all about telling us what we need to do better (or start doing). However, it’s nice to hear that we are on the right track and doing well. I appreciated this thank you from President Monson that came in our General Conference.

Faith and Devotion to the Gospel
Posted: 23 Nov 2009 11:00 PM PST
“My brothers and sisters, I thank you for your faith and devotion to the gospel. I thank you for the love and care you show to one another. I thank you for the service you provide in your wards and branches and in your stakes and districts. It is such service that enables the Lord to accomplish His purposes here upon the earth.”
Thomas S. Monson, “Welcome to Conference,” Ensign, May 2009, 6

Holiday Season
At this time of year, especially for women, it is easy to get the ‘Holiday Blues.’ These come in many varieties. There are those Sisters that feel that they need to be all things to all people and, if not attain perfection, have such a close approximation of it that it’s hard to tell the difference. Although Perfection is our ultimate goal, it can be a frustrating, demoralizing and possibly even a self defeating short term goal. During the Christmas season, it is easy for the ‘Spirit’ of the season/activity to be overwhelmed and pushed aside by the ‘Letter.’ Simple easy activities/decorations/celebrations can foster more closeness and build more testimonies than those that are so elaborate, expensive and time consuming they become a burden instead if a joy. It may be a good time to remember the following scripture.

Mosiah 4: 27
27 And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.

Another cause of the Holiday Blues is putting a price tag on Christmas – feeling that, in order have a good Christmas, we must spend an exorbitant amount of money. We feel that if our children don’t have a room full of toys, or if we don’t give expensive gifts to all we know, we have somehow failed. I have included some information about having a frugal Christmas (including some free gifts).

The Sister of the Month
This month we are spotlighting Sister Marjorie (Margie) Hubbard-Walker. I want to thank her for this contribution.

Ancestor of the Month
Instead of doing an ancestor of the month I thought I might share something that I have done before – when my children were young. During the Holiday season we would have Family Home Evenings that would feature Christmas in a country where our ancestors came from; in my case England, Wales, Germany, Denmark and Iceland. Since there are a fair amount of Ward members who had ancestors who were Pioneers (both Mormon and non-Mormon Pioneers) I have included some information about them. I have also included some explanations of Christmas traditions.

Book of the Month
The Book for this month club is taking December off. However, they will be meeting again in January.

December Recipe
I have included some Christmas recipes England and Denmark.

Safety Tip
Although Christmas is a wonderful time, there are also some safety issues that are specific to the Holidays. I have included from US Consumer Product Safety.