December 2015 Relief Society Presidency Message

“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38.). This was Mary’s faithful and obedient response when the angel declared unto her that she was to be the earthly mother of the Son of God - Jesus the Christ, the Savior of all mankind. She acknowledged and accepted and accomplished her divine roll with gratitude and humility. 

In her October General Conference talk, Sister Rosemary M. Wixom, Primary General President stated:

“ We come into this world “trailing clouds of glory.”² “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” teaches that each one of us “is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents” and “each has a divine nature and destiny.”³ Heavenly Father generously shares a portion of His divinity within us. That divine nature comes as a gift from Him with a love that only a parent can feel.

We come to this earth to nurture and discover the seeds of divine nature that are within us.

We have come to this earth to help build His kingdom and to prepare for the Second Coming of His Son, Jesus Christ. With every breath we take, we strive to follow Him. The divine nature within each one of us is refined and magnified by the effort we make to draw nearer to our Father and His Son.

Our divine nature has nothing to do with our personal accomplishments, the status we achieve, the number of marathons we run, or our popularity and self-esteem. Our divine nature comes from God. It was established in an existence that preceded our birth and will continue on into eternity.”

Elder Jeffrey R Holland, of the First Presidency, paid this tribute ,” To all of our mothers everywhere, past, present, or future, I say, “Thank you. Thank you for giving birth, for shaping souls, for forming character, and for demonstrating the pure love of Christ.” To Mother Eve, to Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel, to Mary of Nazareth, and to a Mother in Heaven, I say, “Thank you for your crucial role in fulfilling the purposes of eternity.” To all mothers in every circumstance, including those who struggle—and all will—I say, “Be peaceful. Believe in God and yourself. You are doing better than you think you are. In fact, you are saviors on Mount Zion,¹³ and like the Master you follow, your love ‘never faileth.’¹⁴ ” I can pay no higher tribute to anyone. 

Today I declare from this pulpit what has been said here before: that no love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child. “

Dear Sisters, you are each priceless and precious daughters of a God who loves you dearly; who know us and our divine potential. Let us, as Mary, fulfill our lives as handmaids of the Lord.

We love you and wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

 Sister Cathy Bentley

1st Counselor Centralia Stake Relief Society

Presidency Message

     A family decided to spend a hot summer afternoon floating down a river on inner tubes. A river guide gave them clear instructions to make their trip enjoyable and safe. In particular, he warned them about a stretch of river where a bridge produced a strong undercurrent. He instructed them to get out of the river at that point and carry their tubes to the next launching area.
     All went well, until one adult family member decided to ignore the river guide's warning. The detour seemed like an unnecessary limitation. Besides, he had floated the river before, and he knew what he was doing.
     It was a mistake. the violent undercurrent flipped his tube over and plunged him into the water. luckily his life jacket kept him afloat, and all he lost were some of his belongings. It could have been much more tragic. He quickly realized how much better off it would have been to avoid the danger zone altogether.
     The counsel to avoid dangers at first seem like an unnecessary and unwanted restriction. sooner or later, however, we realize that such counsel does not restrict us; it protects us. It is not enough to simply "go with the flow". The safe course is rarely a path of least resistance; rather, it requires deliberate choices, willingness to learn, and humble recognition that we don't know everything.
     Although we can choose to rationalize, reject, or ignore good counsel and divine commandment, the choices we make-though they may seem small and unimportant at the time-have lasting consequences. Often the best course is to heed the advice of those who have foreseen the dangers or who are wiser and better informed-such as a parent, teacher, bishop,prophet, or God speaking in the scriptures. Our choices determine our safety, our happiness, and our destiny to make it home to Our Heavenly Father.

Sister Val Walsh
Centralia Stake Relief Society Secretary