jenessa

Subjecting the Flesh to the Will of The Father

This past week I had the opportunity  to take care of Joe Briskey since his mother was out of town   - Many of you know him.      (There is a lesson on humility right there)
    I am humbled as he teaches me what truly matters.  He will teach you to love everyone  He will teach you that you can do hard things - along with his brother Julian. 

I went to take Joe home for the night.  Julian hadn’t come home from work yet and so I decided to go to the pet store - Joe loves animals.   He was so excited there were cats and kittens there and he was able to pet them for a little while.

I  took him over to the fish tanks to watch them swim and then we walked around the reptile cages.  

First we saw a snake - Joe noticed that they had shed some skin off

so we talked about that  - how they took off the old skins yet they had shiny new ones underneath.   We saw some cool chameleons     Reptiles really do have things to teach us.

We also some some crawly crab-like creatures in colorful painted shells.  Some were empty and it looked like they may outgrow one shell and move into another.

The thoughts of reptiles leaving their home and serpent snakes shedding skins reminded me of a story    ………

Once upon a time there was a child, dwelling in the Father’s kingdom

(It could be you or me.)     The child loved living in the kingdom but the parents knew the child must become like them and so 

The Father King and Mother Queen sent the child forth after they had made preparations 

they took off  the child’s glittering golden robe, which in their affection they had made for him   And they made a compact with him, and wrote it in his heart, that it might not be forgotten:

That if the child could retrieve one pearl - which was in the middle of the sea surrounded by a loud-breathing serpent, then

-The child could come back into the kingdom and again put on the golden robe again   He could live with them and  with their brother, the second in command, and the child would be heir in the kingdom.”

So here we are on the earth -without our glorious garment - but clothed in  a garment of skin and we must find this pearl of great price  and remember our covenants so that we can once again be arrayed in that beautiful garment we left in our parent’s kingdom.

Our Savior also descended down    - left his glorious kingdom  and left his glorious garment -  and as King Benjamin  (Mos 3:5) prophesied:  “he shall come down to dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear and suffer all things……temptations, pain of body, hunger, thirst, fatigue, even more than man can suffer except it be unto death, for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people…..

Christ left his Glorious home  to come down to live in a body of clay - meaning earthy and  temporary—In Hebrew the word is (ADAM - MAN/ADAMAH-EARTH, RED  BLOOD אדמ) and show us by example how we too must live.  If Christ were to come today,  what is the first thing he would say to a people who had been waiting for his coming for 1000’s of years?

We  have his words.  The prophets wrote them down:

"And now it came to pass that there was a great multitude gathered together round about the temple in the land Bountiful."     They heard a voice and then saw a man descending out of heaven and he was clothed in a white robe -   It is a glorious display!!   He emanates light and life -His garment of glory is back!     He speaks in a voice that penetrates into your soul

   (3 Nephi 11:10-11)

“Behold I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.   And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk our of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning."

 he chooses first to speak of his obedience  loyalty and submission to his father.  This is the first and most important thing he wishes us to know about himself.  

The ideas that jump out at me in this scripture, is that the Father gave him the cup and that he suffered.   T
The Father must be saying suffering is necessary.   

Each of us suffers the trials of a fallen world.   How do we respond to these sufferings?

Elder Neal A Maxwell taught us that  “The submission of one’s will is the only personal thing we have to place on the altar.  Anything else he has already given or loaned us." 

My daughter Jenessa’s letter this week spoke of her investigator She has several people she is teaching who struggle with addiction. This week she told me that Jerry -hasn’t had anything that is against the word of wisdom this week.  She said

“I’m grateful for people with willing hearts that will submit to God’s will, whatever the commandment is.  Even if it is difficult for them and they don’t understand it! “

We submit ourselves to him with our individual wills being swallowed up in God’s will.”  

But this IS hard.  We have the natural man.  It’s natural to give in easily to an addiction   It’s natural to stay mad when we are angry.  It’s natural to stay offended.   I want to stay annoyed!!   But the natural man is an enemy to God and has been since the fall of Adam and will be forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and putteth off the natural man  —-through the atonement of Christ the Lord.   

The words are  “Putteth off”!.  We must PUT OFF the natural man.  TAKE OFF those skins and clothes.  They are prickly and scaly.  

This scripture  tells us The answer -of how to take off those clothes - it’s through the atonement of Christ.      So we take off those earthy clothes  what are we then supposed to put on instead?    The Hebrew word caphar means “to cover”  but it is so beautiful that the same word also means “atonement”.    Caphar to cover/atonement.  We PUT ON the atonement.  

Just as the beautiful snow we woke up to yesterday morning, covers the earth  - Our stained, blood red-earthy (dam), Adam clothes can be made white as snow.   We are covered by Christ.  We can put on clothing white as wool.   Of course the most wonderful way to put on the atonement is in the Holy Temple.  

The Atonement, as most know, can also be read  AT - ONE - MENT

God wants us to be  AT ONE with him

God wants us to be AT ONE with our family members

God wants us to be AT ONE with everyone around us.   For this is Zion

The pure in Heart     Those in zion are AT ONE in all things.

I have learned that although it may be true that I am in my family because they need me - it is even more true that I need them.   

Difficult children, each child in their own way causes me worry and stress  Yet what I am learning, albeit slowly, is that they are there for  ME to LEARN about the atonement. 

They are there for ME to PRACTICE the atonement.   For how can I be at-one with the Savior and the Father ——if I am not at- one with all of those around me?

Submitting to the Father’s will means using the atonement to AT ONE

Abinadi told us that God himself shall come down among the children of men   And because he dwelleth in the flesh  he shall be called the Son of God, and having “subjected the flesh to the will of the Father “  Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.”     It was profound when I saw again here  THE FLESH - the temporary FLESH  or SKIN subjected to the will of the Father.  He wants our flesh to be covered in the atonement.  Our Savior’s flesh was subjected to pain and piercing so that our’s may be covered.

There are blessing in submitting to the Father’s will.  The most important is that through the covering of the atonement we are given power!  The enabling power to help us through our trials.

When we submit, we are also blessed with less worry and more peace!  Who wouldn’t want that!    If I turn over my worries to the Savior and let him cover me and heal me I have peace.    So we must trust Him!

With that thought, a final story.   Remember C’S Lewis’ character Eustace?   For those who don’t know, he was a rich, selfish, spoiled boy.   He was on a dangerous voyage with his friends.

Yet wasn’t much help to them with his attributes.    One night he sneaked off and found a dragon’s lair filled with treasure.  He imagines how he will enjoy his new life and in his comforts he falls asleep with his treasure. When he awakes, Eustace is no longer a boy but a dragon

The gold bracelet he had put on his boy arm was now constricting his dragon leg, and the pain was piercing. Even worse, he is all alone.  He begins to weep large, hot dragon tears.

In mercy and compassion, The Great Lion Aslan arrives and leads him to a spring of water.  Eustace looks at the water and knows if he could just get into the water the pain in his leg would be soothed.

But Aslan says he will have to be undressed first….

“I was just going to say that I couldn’t undress because I hadn’t any clothes on when I suddenly thought that dragons are snaky sort of things and snakes can cast their skins.  Oh, of course, thought I, that’s what the lion means.

With his new claws, Eustace begins tearing at his dragon skin. He peels off one layer only to discover another nasty, scaly, and rough layer underneath. And then another. After three layers, he realizes it’s vain — he will never make himself clean or get rid of his pain or shed the nasty skin.

“You will have to let me undress you,” says Aslan the Lion.

“The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. . . .

Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off — just as I thought I’d done it myself the other three times, only they hadn’t hurt — and there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been. And there was I as smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of me — I didn’t like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I’d no skin on — and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I’d turned into a boy again. . . .

After a bit the lion took me out and dressed me . . . in new clothes.

The Savior wants to make us more glorious than we can ever know.  Yes, it hurts to shed the skin, the scales.  But as we submit to him we become new creatures.    Our garments of glory await us as we use the atonement in our own life. 

I testify that the Savior has the power to cover us.  He lives!!

Sacrament Meeting talk given on January 22, 2017

© 2017 JENNIFER LYNNE SOUTAS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

FHE notes

These are my notes from a class I taught about holding Family Home Evening with teenagers.

In teaching teens I think the most important thing is teaching by example and being consistent.

Some teens in the scriptures, The stripling warriors did not have to wonder what their parents believed.

They said, “We do not doubt our mothers knew it!”  Alma 56:47-48

They need to see u live the gospel daily in our lives……I was secretly happy when they burst into my room and interrupted my prayers

They know I love the scriptures because they are always open on my chair.

I think it is equally important for teens to teach and prepare the lessons.

Our lessons can sometimes turn into lectures

When teens teach - first of all they learn more   saw this YW  know it’s true with myself  (sacrament talk this week)

They are able to always pass off a personal progress or duty to God if they just look at a requirement to go with the lesson.

We always used our FHE to accomplish these church programs.

I would like to put a plug in for my new calling - Family History

Teri Forsyth came to our home for a FHE and talked to us about F History and answered questions, taught anything we wanted to know

I can do this for you!!!

I believe most of our FHE involved a bowl of ice-cream.   It was the reward for listening and sometimes it was eaten while we discussed a lesson so that certain children would stay in the room and not stand on their head while the lesson was going on

Haha  That reminds me….she …..know you probably know who it is

we were reading scriptures one night and she would never listen.  She loved to be all over the room, disrupting, discracting, dancing around….

All of the sudden I told her to act our (patominme) what was being said.

I wish I could remember the scripture but she made up a dance to it.

It worked for that night.  She had to listen to know what dance move to perform.   :)

Which also relates to my next story…….I’m just giving you a feeling that FHE at our house was never perfect.  No Way.

Every week we would say what song should we sing.   We let the kids

play the hymn for part of their piano practice.   There were only a few

they knew.  Kaitlyn played we Thank Thee O God”  every time.

Another well sung song was There is Beauty All Around - When there’s love at home.   We told the kids we would be singing it every week until we actually had Love At Home.  It became such a well known family song that I had the words cut in huge vinyl and put it up on my wall.  Still there and I like it for the memories.

FHE evolves a lot as the kids grow .  I always had a wide range of ages…trying to find something to keep the younger interested and teach something new was a challenge  - thus the ice cream

The older kids have homework, they had jobs to go to, today Dance for Kaitlyn takes over a lot of our family time.  

Sometimes the lessons just have to be quick.  Sometimes they are only at 10 pm with a scripture and a question.   

I believe that CONSISTENCY is more important than almost anything else.     The lesson may be short, but they could get something out of that 

But if you lose the consistency…..the thought that this is something our family does  Every week.   You lose them to all the other things.   We are

still not perfect because of the dance schedule…..It’s a big question - are we doing the right thing in letting her dance  - Because over the years the basketball coaches, football coaches and dance teachers and then even employers demanded that our kids be there to participate 

So we do the best we can…   I really wish everyone would respect Monday evenings.   We struggle wondering if we should not allow them to participate in those activities?  But then with teens that can also build resentment.   Its a very fine line to walk.   But consistency    Teaching and spending some meaningful time together is what is important.  And I hope that is happening    that is the goal

ideas   mine are usually for a quick lesson   New Era was our standard

lesson.  Used it each month.  Message from the first Presidency

felt like this was an inspired message my teens should hear.

love the gospel art kit.   if nothing else  someone reads the back of it and then discuss what you got out of it.

A good church video movie can be a hit with popcorn on more relaxed nights   - discuss after the movie

Use the For Strength of Youth….review one standard each week

I still remember the lesson when we talked about music standards.

EFY videos - when they go to EFY  reinforce the theme and things they learned.  each video has like 5 different lessons on them.

We used them a lot and I can still go pull out an old one that the younger kids haven’t seen or remember

Popular youth speakers  John Bytheway, Hank Smith—- have great CD’s talks    Sometimes listen in the car on the way somewhere 

I know John Bytheway has a DVD  about Standards and Basketball standards  and then you could play basketball

Scripture Rock  reinforce my kids can sing those sciptures and some really long ones.   loved those 

Used book called  “How” by John Hilton a lot!  so many great object lessons.  It Got lots of use.

Again I will  make the plug for Family History spent some time loading in photos, typing up stories

indexing

Good activities - Go with neighbors play baseball.

We often went to Jordan ridge park  took a picnic  used tennis courts and all the playground - great place for wide age ranges.

Often summer the kids loved to have the lesson on the back patio.  They would   

lay down on chairs and we could keep their attention that way.

We made a Tree of life - spread out a rope and put on a blindfold  to try and find way with others yelling and confusing them.

Practical lessons - These kids will leave your home sooner than you realize.  Teach them some cooking skills  - do it in fun ways, perhaps with challenges.

I highly recommend ironing and laundry skills   - One of my kids when they went to college didn’t know about the lint trap needing to be emptied.  Ben has a great mission pictures holding up a sweater that was shrunk down to doll size because he didn’t know you can’t wash and dry wool

Invite the missionaries over for dinner.  We’ve had some great dinners with the Elders in our home.

Even better invite the neighbors also. 

Service projects….help neighbors with yard work,  make a treat and  deliver.  Thanksgiving boxes

Serve each other:

Mom has very one write our names on a piece of paper along with something we would like done in the next 15 minutes. Here is what we wrote:

• Dad: Clean the garage for five minutes.

• Mom: Put all the winter clothing in the closet and remove all the summer stuff and put in boxes.

• College age student: Put the blue basket of laundry in the washer.

• High School Son: Make me two sandwiches.

• Middle school daughter: Vacuum my room.

When I tried this with my two kids for Family Night this week the teens wanted massages. :)

Chris wanted dinner fixed (ha ha luckily I drew his name) and I wanted laundry folded.    It was actually fun that the Brycen and Kaitlyn drew each other for the massages because they spent time together serving each other.   I really liked that!

Testimony of FHE    

Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in loe and righteousness   and we will be accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

The stripling warriors had been taught from youth and now as youth they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.

 21 Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him.  Alma 53:20-21

I KNOW the family is ordained of God and is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of his children.

Going up

I remember reading this article by Daniel Peterson and making some notes about the Hebrew word "aliyah"  in my scriptures for 1 Nephi chapter 5.

Article:

Daniel PetersonDaniel is a professor of Islamic studies and Arabic at BYU.

“After this there was a feast of the Jews,” reports John 5:1, “and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.”

That notion of “going up” to Jerusalem is much more interesting than it might at first appear. Indeed, it’s a very rich idea, and an ancient one.

Of course, it’s partly a matter of literal, physical climbing. The city of Jerusalem rests at approximately 2,500 feet above sea level on a relatively high mountain ridge; Nazareth sprawls between 1,000 and 1,500 feet lower, to the north. So Jesus would really have been climbing up to Jerusalem.

And so would virtually every other visitor to the city. The Mediterranean coast is 37 miles west of Jerusalem, and the even deeper Jordan River Valley and Dead Sea sit 22 miles to the east — forming a part of the overall Great Rift Valley that extends for 3,700 miles from Lebanon in the north down to Mozambique, in southeastern Africa.

Thus, when, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, “a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves” (Luke 10:30), he was really going down. At 1,200 feet below sea level, Jericho is fully 3,700 feet lower than Jerusalem, although it’s only about 17 miles away. And anybody who’s ever driven the road from Jericho to Jerusalem — in very low gear for buses and trucks — knows how steep the upward grade is.

The Book of Mormon, incidentally, gets things exactly right when — clever boy, that Joseph Smith! — Lehi and the members of his family continually go down from Jerusalem into the wilderness and then return up to Jerusalem when they're sent back (as at 1 Nephi 2:5; 3:9-29; 5:1; 7:2-5, 15, 22).

But it’s not merely geography: Jerusalem was the site of the temple of God, “the Mountain of the Lord’s House.”

In medieval and modern Arabic, Jerusalem is known as “al-Quds,” “the Holy One,” which refers not to streets, hotels, intersections, office buildings, gas stations and cafes, but to the temple. It’s a shortened form of the still earlier Arabic name “Bayt al-Maqdis” or “Bayt al-Muqqadas” (“the Holy House”), which, in turn, reflects the ancient Hebrew term “Bayt ha-Miqdash.”

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?” asks the Psalmist, “or who shall stand in his holy place?” He then proceeds to cite some of the characteristics of those permitted to enter the temple (see Psalm 24:3-5; compare Psalm 15).

In fact, 15 of the biblical Psalms (120-134) bear the label “song of ascent” or, as the King James Version puts it, “song of degrees.” (They’ve also been called “songs of steps” and “pilgrim songs.”) Many scholars believe that these psalms were sung by worshippers walking up the road to Jerusalem for the three great pilgrimage festivals of Passover, Tabernacles and Pentecost, or by priests as they climbed 15 steps for their service in the temple — symbolically ascending to God. Some have suggested that they were composed for Solomon’s dedication of the temple.

Lingering traces of the notion of “ascending” to Jerusalem persist. Still today, for example, nearly 2,000 years after the Romans destroyed the temple, even secular Jews who immigrate to Israel are said to be "making ‘aliyah,’” where “aliyah” means “ascent.” (Think of the Israeli national airline, “El Al,” which means “to the skies” or “skyward.”)

And, for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there are more than merely lingering traces. In modern temples, for instance, the initial ordinance of entry into God’s kingdom, baptism, is performed on a lower floor, “in a place underneath where the living are wont to assemble” (Doctrine and Covenants 128:13). Thereafter, worshippers typically climb ever higher in the temples as they receive the ordinances of the Lord’s house, symbolically approaching the presence of God.

Finally, too, the notion of temple-related ascent forms part of the prophesied future:

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (see Isaiah 2:2-3; compare Micah 4:1-2).

(End of Article)

(up to Jerusalem)

With the new year, I have started reading 1 Nephi again as he tells of his family's journeying.   I have marked the word "down" and "up" in Nephi's narrative.  When the travel was "down" it was going "down" to the wilderness.   When it was "up" it was to Jerusalem where the temple stood.  A wonderful scripture is from Psalms 24.   "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?  He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart...This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob." 

Today as I read 1 Nephi chapter 5, I re-read the notes I had made some time ago from Daniel Peterson's article mentioning "the ascent" or "ascender (aliyah)".  I looked up the root which is עָלָה  alah.  I was interested when I saw that from this root we find the word עֲלָה, which is a "burnt offering".   This is probably due to the burnt offering going "up" in smoke. 

So here, in 1 Nephi chapter 5, we find in verse one that they had journeyed "down" into the wilderness after having "ascended up" alah to Jerusalem,  they then offered sacrifice and "burnt offerings" עֲלָה alah unto the Lord.   

Next, I happened to notice the possible english word play on "descend".  And after they had given offerings and thanks unto the God of Israel, Lehi took the records which retrieval was the purpose of their journey, and Lehi searched them.

Lehi found that he was a "descendant" of Jospeh.  These records were of great worth to them and it was "wisdom in the Lord that we should carry them with us, as we journey in the wilderness towards the land of promise." (1 Nephi 5:22)

Nephi says that it is sufficient to say that [they] are "descendants" of Joseph.

I find it interesting that these chapters talk of going up, ascending, going down and descendants.  

I love how Nephi concludes chapter six with the purpose of his testimony: "For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to "come" unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.  

עָלָה  alah can also mean "come".  To come unto Christ we too must ascend to him.  To truly come unto him and partake of all that he has we must ascend to his holy house.  Although, I do not need to walk up to the Oquirrh Mountain temple as I attend each week, I notice the beautiful ascent that I make as I drive "up" and come nearer to Him  .  Is our small offering of going "up" a "burnt sacrifice" unto the Lord?  I believe it is.

(public domain)

YW 2016

Parkway 8th Ward Young Women 2016 History 

The Parkway 8th ward young women started off the year learning about the 2016 Theme -

“Wherefore ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all mankind.  Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end; behold, thus saith the Father, ye shall have eternal life.”

In January, the young women and parents attended a stake meeting to introduce the theme with talks by youth from the Stake.  

A Stake Youth Conference was held the last week of January.  The youth and leaders went ice skating at the Oquirrh Olympic Oval.  We had donuts and hot chocolate.  That evening there was a dance held at the South Valley Institute.  

We held New Beginnings in February.  We had a night with the girls, parents and new incoming beehives.  This night was entitled, Daughter of a King.  The theme was introduced and the personal progress program was explained.  We introduced the new beehives who would be joining us during the year.  They included Emma Hooper, Ruby McLeish, Katelyn Reidhead, London Isbell, Mia Angeletti, and Mia Roberts.

Each month the young women had a focus on a personal progress value.  Our mutual activities followed this monthly value.

We had a Graduation night for the seniors who would be graduating from High School and moving on to Relief Society.  These young women included: Angelica Madsen, Alyssa Bullock, and Samantha Goates.

Girls Camp was held on the ward level this year in Liberty Utah, near Eden Utah and Pineview reservoir.   The girls were able to forge stronger bonds

We had a great time learning to shoot a bow and arrow.  We went boating on Pineview Reservoir and had a wonderful testimony meeting with the Bishopric.   

There was a remarkable experience that happened 

 I still am in awe that Heavenly Father would put people exactly at the time and place when we needed them.    As we finished boating that afternoon, the rope that tied the boat to the trailer broke, however we did not have to struggle for long for there was someone standing right next to us in the water who knew how to tie the exact kind of knot needed to keep it on.

Brother Soutas was able to find someone on the phone very late a night who could talk him through disassembling the hydraulics when the propeller wouldn't

go up.  Two other young men helped him tie it up when he stopped at the gas station.   Brother Soutas knew it would be almost impossible to get the boat fixed by the morning in order to take the scouts boating as promised, but he was grateful for the little tender mercies he had along the way.

When Brother Soutas returned back to the girls camp  he told Bro Adams how grateful he was for all the help he had been given that afternoon.  Then he said, "All I need is for someone to show up and fix the boat"   It was 11:30 pm in the middle of the mountains in the remote town of Liberty, Utah.

How in the world would that ever happen?  We went outside to get the suburban ready for him to sleep, when a Paramedic truck pulled 

up and parked in front of us.   I was worried someone was hurt, but they assured us no one was.   The truck stayed there, the driver never got out.  I looked again and read on the side  of the truck, It did Not say "Paramedic" as I had originally assumed, but "Para-Mechanic"!!!!  My husband said  - No Way!!   

But it was true.  He walked over and asked him if he could fix boats.  He said he did and they made arrangements to meet at 7 am

The man said he wouldn't likely have the right switch to fix it, but he could still make it work for the day.  It turned out he had the right switch.

He fixed the boat -completely.   And Brother Soutas drove the boat to the boy scout camp on time as promised.   He says the boat works better than it ever has.

It would seem completely impossible for a boat to be fixed between the late hours of 11:30 pm and 7:00 am.  NO Boat mechanics work those

hours.  No hardware shops are open those hours.  No boat mechanics were available to fix a boat at all on a Saturday.  But Heavenly Father put the exact people at the exact time that we would need and see them to help us.      Heavenly Father and His son can help us fix a broken boat and he can help us fix broken souls.  I love my Heavenly Father and My Savior.   

The young women presidency serving is as follows:  Jennifer Soutas (President) , Lynette Kankamp (1st counselor) , Cheryl Madsen (2nd Counselor)  and Diane Bullock as Secretary.  The Laurel advisor was Nikki Hooper, The Mia Maid advisors were Tara Orr and Lisa Henderson.  The Beehive advisor was Alisa Bodily.  The camp leader was Liz Orton and the sports specialist was Shelleen Warner.

Other activities were as follows:

 The Young women went boating at Jordanelle in August.  This was a very fun activity.  We made blankets for the SL refugee Center.  We held a Service scavenger hunt around the neighborhood to do miscellaneous chores.  We went to the Beehive Senior Center in West Jordan and 

performed Christmas music and took them cookies. 

We held a back to school BBQ at Jordan ridge park, combined with the young men.

The Fall Festival activity in October was a great missionary activity to get less active youth to come.  This service to the neighborhood is well attended and draws a few less active and non-member families. 

 Young Women in Excellence was held in November by the Stake.   Each of the young women were able to display items they had completed for their personal progress.

Young women who earned their Young Women Medallion this year included, Lauren Kankamp, Danielle Orr, Samantha Goates, and Sister Cynthia Goates

Our year was awesome as we were able to Press Forward towards Christ.

In December a new Young Women’s presidency was called.

Jennifer Soutas was released as President, along with Lynette Kankamp as  first counselor and Cheryl Madsen as 2nd Counselor.  Diane Bullock as secretary. 

Tara Orr, Lisa Henderson, Nikki Hooper were also released.

The New Presidency called was Teri Forsyth, President.  Janie Hyde - 1st Counselor.  Rhonda Angeletti -2nd Counselor.  Maurielle Mouritsen secretary.   The Laurel advisor called was Diane Bullock.  The Mia Maid advisor was Alisa Bodily and the Beehive advisor was Cara Johnson.