Relief Society

This Is Jesus  youtu.be/dIbdUU96zc0?si=sTPO5jr1j3ENOTvT 

 Risen youtu.be/YVMOKLWBExw?si=rBotB_gb4JlpAft6 

 I know That My Redeemer Lives  youtu.be/dhm2uyilsxw?si=4_WZVk961XQmiBvl 

Relief Society May Message

Dear Sisters,

In our family when we celebrated birthdays, we would celebrate on the day of the birthday. But that didn’t seem to be enough time to honor the person, so we adopted the birthday week. The birthday person would get preferential treatment for the week of their birthday and could always pull the “it’s my birthday week” card to get out of a chore or two. When my oldest daughter grew up she took it one step further. She adopted a birthday month. She has even named the month after herself. In our family it is now known as Juliannuary.

This month we honor Mother’s on just one day. Like most things, what is good for one person can cause pain for another. Some of us have struggled to become mothers and Mother’s Day is another reminder of that. Some of us have lost our mothers and this day is bittersweet. Some of us are feeling unappreciated and this one day of praise can’t begin to make up for it. Then, unfortunately, all the praise and attention can sometimes make some of us feel that we are falling short when compared to others.

We are all cherished daughters of God. I know we are loved by him and his Son, Jesus Christ. They know us and see our struggles and the burdens we carry. There is evidence in the scriptures of Their love for women--here are just a few:

Jesus purposefully travels to meet a Samaritan woman at a well, offering her “living Water” amid her daily chores and her messy and complicated personal life.

God sends an angel to Hagar in the desert when she is running away and in trouble due to the consequences of some bad choices. She even says “You are the God who sees me.”

Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb while she is mourning and performing burial duties. Meeting her in her grief and work.

God sends an angel to appear to Manoah (Sampson’s mother) announcing a promised blessing and giving her instructions while she is home and again in the fields.

These women didn’t have to climb a mountain like Moses did to see God. He met them where they were…drawing water for their families, in the desert, in the garden, and in their home. Doing their ordinary work.

He will come to us while we are taking care of our families, sitting up with a sick child, helping our elderly parents, and the million other things we are doing to keep life going. “He sees us, and if we open our eyes and our hearts we will see Him, even in the most ordinary places and ordinary things.”

Let’s try to notice all those tender mercies that get overlooked throughout the craziness of our days. We don’t have to climb a mountain to have a quiet moment with God, we can visit the temple. We can take some time to sit in a quiet space with Him without all the distractions. So even though Mother’s Day is just one day, we can celebrate it all month long by seeing how God is meeting us where we are.

With Love,

Sister Shellie Vanfleet

The Relief Society Presidency