Ideas for Lesson on RS Declaration
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Contributor: stephpin
Subject: RS: Lesson-Overview of the RS Declaration
Hi Sisters..
You are always so nice to help me out. Thanks. Thought I would
send you my lesson plan. I had to overview the RS declaration. So I
used Sis. Smoot's recent talks to prepare this lesson listed below. I
gave it for the first Sunday lesson. Hope this will help any of you
out there. The sisters enjoyed it and so did I.
An Overview of the Relief Society Declaration
Compiled Lesson from the Following Talks:
Mary Ellen Smoot, "We Are Creators," Ensign, May 2000, 64
Mary Ellen Smoot, "We Are Instruments in the Hands of God," Ensign,
Nov. 2000, 89
Mary Ellen Smoot, "A Recipe For Our Time, An Introduction to the Relief
Society Declaration," RS Spring 2000 Open House
-Experience of watching a sister sit and listten as another sister occupied
the conversation
-Sometimes we focus so much on what others saay or do. "Perfect Woman,"
"Super Mom," "The Energizer Bunny disguised as a grandma"...etc...That
we forget that all of us make unique contributions...in so many
ways.
Today I've brought some potatoes...I thought you all could help me
peel them so I can make potato salad for my dinner tonight. Let's
see, who would like to help me peel these potatoes??
Ask a variety of sisters if they would like to try.. -Chef's knife
-zester -garlic presss -strainer
-egg slicer etcc... -A fork
-A spoon -can opener Only oone sister has a peeler.
Hand her a potato
Whether we are a fork, a spoon, a can opener ,a musician, a people
person, a seamstress, a devoted friend... We each make contributions
that are unique...and at many times throughout our lives we have
to say to ourselves... "What will I do with my life?? My time?? My
future??
Show Declaration
The RS Declaration is a divine standard that will help us, and our
families, stay on course. We could ask ourselves questions like,
1) Is the way I am spending my time congruent with my priorities?
2)What can I eliminate in order to better pursue my eternal goals?
3) What am I doing to strengthen eternal relationships?
4) Is my testimony of Jesus Christ and his restored gospel evident in
my daily pursuits?
READ #1
One Sister wrote the General Relief Society Presidency recently: "I
read the Declaration often, and it speaks to the tender places in my
heart. What a blessing to have such a personal guide for us as
women. I have found myself repeating out loud the phrase that
I am a beloved spirit [daughter] of God'' whose life has meaning,
purpose, and direction.'' Those words alone have given me energy
and courage."
We can use the RS Declaration in many ways
1) We can use it to remind us of the ideals of faithful Latter-day
Saint Women
2) We can use it to introduce the RS program to new converts and to our
daughters entering RS soon
3) We can devote a family home evening lesson to themes contained in
the Declaration
READ #2
President Gordon B. Hinckley stated in an interview with Larry King,
"When we make a declaration, we make a self commitment."
Today, I would like you all to join with me in recommitting ourselves
to Jesus Christ If you would join me in reading the Relief Society
Declaration
The Relief Society Declaration
We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose,
and direction.
As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ,
our Savior and Exemplar.
We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who:
Increase our testimonies of Jesus Christ through prayer and scripture study.
Seek spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
Dedicate ourselves to strengthening marriages, families, and homes.
Find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood.
Delight in service and good works.
Love life and learning.
Stand for truth and righteousness.
Sustain the priesthood as the authority of God on earth.
Rejoice in the blessings of the temple, understand our divine destiny, and
strive for exaltation.
President Spencer W. Kimball said: ""In the world before we came here,
faithful women were given certain assignments. While we do not
now remember the particulars, this does not alter the glorious reality
of what we once agreed to. [We] are accountable for those things
which long ago were expected of [us]"" (""The Role of Righteous
Women,"" Ensign, Nov. 1979, 102).
So how do we do it? Amid the pressures of life, how do we become the
most effective instruments we can be in the hands of the Lord? We can
learn a lot from the Relief Society Declaration.
Number 1. SELF-CONVERSION Our own conversion must come first.
*Why is it important to be converted??
Only when we are converted to the Lord Jesus Christ are we in a position
to strengthen others. And only then do we begin to understand that
our lives truly do have meaning, purpose, and direction.
Number 2.KNOWLEDGE OF SPIRITUAL THINGS
*What are some of these??
-knowing the whisperings of the Holy Ghost
-Receiving Blessings from keeping the commanddments... FHE, Daily
Scripture
Study and Prayer
It is almost impossible to be an effective instrument within our own
families, with our neighbors, or even from the pulpit unless we can
discern the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. Ammon was able to perceive
the thoughts of the Lamanite king because he was living close
to the Lord (see Alma 18:16).
Number 3. SERVICE
Why is it necessary to Serve?? We delight in service and good works. Service
softens and opens hearts, for it is truly the gospel in action.
together. Service is the gospel of Jesus Christ in action, for
service blesses both the giver and the receiver. Will you look
for ways to channel your service through
Number 4 LOVE
As sisters of the Relief Society, we love the Lord, we love our families,
we love life and learning, and we love one another. Our greatest and
first concern with regard to conversion, retention, and activation
must be to our own family.
President Hinckley has repeatedly asked us to become better missionaries,
and Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has
indicated that if the missionary program of the Church is to accomplish
all it must, we as sisters must join in the effort.
How Can we show love and be a missionary to others??
We don't need a new program to spur us on we need only incorporate
the desire to share the gospel and reach out to new members and those
who are less active in our existing programs. Whether we are
serving as a visiting teacher or planning home, family, and personal
enrichment meetings or teaching children in Primary or leading the
youth, we can find ways to reach those who are new in the faith
or whose faith has faltered or those who haven’t yet found the truth.
-An example to me of someone who incorporatess the RS Declaration into
her life....
USE AN EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE IN YOUR WARD OR STAKE
As we read and ponder the RS Declaration:
1) Become totally familiar with it
2) Set goals to perfect your lives by focusing on each principle in the
declaration
3) Identify with these precious virtues
As Sister Smoot said, "Don't let Satan lead you to believe that your
potato salad has to be just like mine, but also don't think you can
make potato salad without potatoes."
Point to Declaration....Sisters, this is who we are.