This Saturday's RS Event

This Saturday is the Stake Relief Society Humanitarian Service Event.

You don't have to sign up to attend! 

Just show up because we would love to have you be involved!

Our plan is to go to Hill Ray and Courtyard nursing homes to visit a dozen or so female senior citizens.

Please join us!

Our sole objective in visiting the seniors is to give them some special attention; it's as simple as that. Through gentle hand massage, fingernail painting and conversation, we hope to give them contact (in touch and friendship) which they may receive less of compared to their younger years before they became widowed and alone. 

Come to the Stake Center at 11:00 AM this Saturday  (Feb 16th), enjoy a hosted lunch and orientation, and then we'll head to the nursing homes for visiting, musical numbers and fingernail painting. Our stay at the nursing homes will be one hour in length. We'll be wrapped up at 3:00 PM.

Contact Kelsey Livingston with questions:  kelsey_aes@hotmail.com

February's Visiting Teaching Message

Converted Unto the Lord

"... Every convert needs three things: a friend, a responsibility, and nurturing with ‘the good word of God’."  President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008)

New sisters of the Church—including Young Women entering Relief Society, sisters returning to activity, and new converts—need the support and friendship of visiting teachers. “Member involvement is vital to convert retention and in bringing less-active members back into full activity,” said Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “Capture the vision that the Relief Society can become one of the most powerful friendshipping resources we have in the Church. Reach out early to those being taught and reactivated, and love them into the Church through your organization.”

As members of Relief Society, we can help new members learn basic Church practices, such as:

• Giving a talk.
• Bearing testimony.
• Living the law of the fast.
• Paying tithing and other offerings.
• Participating in family history work.
• Performing baptisms and confirmations for their deceased ancestors.

“It takes attentive friends to make new members feel comfortable and welcomed at church,” said Elder Ballard. All of us, but especially visiting teachers, have important responsibilities to establish friendships with new members as a way of helping them become firmly “converted unto the Lord” (Alma 23:6).

From the Scriptures:

2 Nephi 31:19–20; Moroni 6:4

From Our History

“With the ever-increasing number of converts,” said President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008), “we must make an increasingly substantial effort to assist them as they find their way. Every one of them needs three things: a friend, a responsibility, and nurturing with ‘the good word of God’ (Moroni 6:4).”

Visiting teachers are in a position to help those they watch over. Friendship often comes first, as it did for a young Relief Society sister who was the visiting teacher of an older sister. They had been slow in building a friendship until they worked side by side on a cleaning project. They became friends, and as they talked about the Visiting Teaching Message, they were both nurtured by “the good word of God.”

President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) said Relief Society “is a vital part of the kingdom of God on earth and helps its faithful members to gain eternal life in our Father’s kingdom.”

What Can I Do?

1. Do I pray for my companion and ask that the Spirit will guide us as we minister to our sisters?
2. In what ways do we serve each sister we watch over so that she knows we truly care about her?

Take me to the Ensign to see the complete message! 

Relief Society Service Project

Relief Society Service Project

Compassionate Service Meal Assembly

Tuesday February 12th, 6:30pm, At the church

 

Please join the Relief Society Sisters as we assemble freezer meals to store in our various communities. Sometimes a meal is needed at a moment’s notice.

Never underestimate the healing power of a cheesy Mormon casserole!

 

Please bring: Chopping knives, cutting boards, large bowls and mixing spoons.

 

Contact Betina Workman @ 397-2288 if you would like to bring items to donate to the cause.

Food Pantry Volunteers and Needs

The Food Pantry is looking for people to volunteer their time on-site twice a month. If anyone is interested, please get in touch with Patti Wilkinson at (509) 635-1156. You can also email her at patti@smarttouring.com or talk to her at church. The time slots for volunteering at the Food Pantry are listed below.

VOLUNTEER TIME SLOTS

The 2nd Tuesday of the month, 3:30 - 6:00 PM

The last Friday of the month, 3:30 - 6:00 PM 

FOOD BANK NEEDS FOR FEBRUARY

Baby Food, Cereals, Wipes, Baby Wash and Lotions, Shampoo/Conditioner, Body Soap, Can Openers, Dish Sponges, Dish Detergents, Mustard, Mayonnaise, Kleenex, Instant Beverage Mixes, Spices, Kidney Beans, Canned Tomatoes, Taco Seasonings Packets, Peanut Butter, Jams/Jellies, Fruit-Butters, Kid-Friendly Snacks, Jiffy Muffin/ Bread Mixes, Packets of Biscuit Mixes

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Where is the Food Pantry located? In the basement of the DSHS building in Colfax. You get to it by turning right where the U-Hauls are and there is a ramp on the side of the bldg, going down to the basement.

Spokane Washington Temple History

"Each holy temple stands as a symbol of our membership in the Church, as a sign of our faith in life after death, and as a sacred step toward eternal glory for us and our families." 

—Russell M. Nelson

The Spokane Washington Temple was the 59th operating temple in the world when it was ultimately dedicated in 1999.

The announcement for its construction was made in August of 1998. Ground breaking began just over a year later, in October of 1998. Less than one year later, 52,000 members and non-members alike came to tour the building during its open house in August of 1999.

Dedication: On 21–23rd of  August, 1999, Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Spokane Washington Temple with roughly 16,000 members attending.

Here are several facts about the temple:
     ~ Sits on a 2 acres site
     ~ Has a granite exterior finish
     ~ Has two ordinance rooms (two-stage progressive) and two sealing rooms
     ~ Total Floor Area of 10,700 square feet.

Regional Temples: The Spokane Washington Temple was the second temple built in the state of Washington, following the Seattle Washington Temple (1980). Not long after the Spokane Temple came the Columbia River Washington Temple, in 2001.

The Temple is located in the Veradale suburb of Spokane, located east of the city of Spokane. It serves approximately 50,000 LDS church members who come from Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho and Western Montana. The closest temple in Montana is Billings (Montana's only temple). The closest temple in Canada is Vancouver BC. The closes temple in Idaho is Boise.

Spokane Washington Temple, before Moroni
statue was replaced to face westward.

Spire Statue:  A statue of the angel Moroni exists atop most, but not all, LDS temples. It does not always face east, but often does. The symbolism is that Moroni is heralding the return of Jesus Christ, who is to come from the east. In March 2009, nearly a decade after its dedication, the Spokane Washington Temple received a new angel Moroni atop its spire. Instead of facing east as the original statue did, the new statue was positioned facing west—the same orientation as the temple.

Architecture:  Described as a "classic modern, single-spire design," the temple has two progressive ordinance rooms and two sealing rooms.  The Spokane Washington Temple was the first of 38 small temples that were built in an aggressive building cycle using relatively identical models and floor plans. If you look at the other "identical temples", you can see the similarities, yet they are differentiated by minor variations in finish and unique landscaping that is suited for regional climate. These similar temples can be found throughout the united states, as well as Australia, Mexico, Quebec, Fiji, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Worldwide Facts & Statistics

Taking a Look at the Numbers.....

At General Conference in April of 2012, the First Presidency issued a statistical report of the Church as of December 31, 2011. This data is now a year old, but still very interesting. Presumably, a similar report will be issued for 2012 statistics at the upcoming April 2013 General Conference. At that time, it will be interesting to compare the 2011 statistics to the year 2012.

WORLDWIDE STATISTICS

Total Church Membership: .................... 14,441,346

Converts Baptised:.................................... 281,312

Missions: ....................................................... 340

Missionaries:............................................... 55,410

Missionary Training Centers:............................... 15

Temples:......................................................... 140

Congregations (i.e., Wards):........................ 28,784

Universities and Colleges:.................................... 4

Seminary Students Enrollment:................... 375,388

Institute Enrollment:................................... 352,441

Countries Receiving Humanitarian Aid

                        (Since 1985):........................... 179

Welfare Services Missionaries: ...................... 9,251

Church Materials Languages:............................ 176

NORTH AMERICA STATISTICS

Total Church Membership: ...................... 8,521,430

WASHINGTON STATE STATISTICS

Total church Membership:  ........................ 271,625

Missions: ........................................................... 5

Congregations (i.e., Wards): ............................ 528

Temples: ........................................................... 3

Follow this link to read the original article on MormonNewsroom.org

Food Bank Donations

Just because the holidays are over doesn't mean we stop thinking of others!

Each household is strongly encouraged to bring at least one food item to church every Sunday to help feed our brothers and sisters who are hungry. It is our responsibility to make sure they are not going without!

ITEMS IN NEED OF INCLUDE:

Canned Stew ~ Chili or Soup ~ Tomato Products ~ Rice ~ Pasta ~Tuna or other Canned Meats ~ Canned Fruits and Vegetables ~ Peanut Butter ~ Mac & Cheese ~ Boxed Dinners ~ Fruit Juice ~ Jelly or Jam ~ Cereal ~ Seasoning Mixes (Taco, Sloppy Joe, etc) ~ Kids Snacks ~ Instant Potatoes ~ Shampoo ~ Body Wash ~ Lotion

You may drop off items in the green donation bins in either foyer. Thank you for your generosity and for striving to be more Christlike!