Missionary Monday: Follow and Share Conference Messages

To share conference highlights and join the on-line conversation of inspirational moments related to conference, click HERE.

Sunday's Pinnable Quote: Elder Hales

Stake Activity Days Part 1

The stake primary held their annual Stake Activity Days bash- and they truly outdid themselves! The photos are so amazing, in fact, that we had to divide them into two segments. We will post some pictures today, and some more next Friday, October 3rd.

Coming Up: General Women's Meeting

Missionary Monday: Impact of Mission Age Change One Year Later

Watch how the change in missionary age has changed missionary work:

Sunday's Pinnable Quote: Elder Packer

Family Home Evening: A Lesson About the Holy Ghost

There are many great resources for fantastic Family Home Evening Lessons!

Click HERE for a full list of wonderful ideas presented by LDS.ORG.

Here is just one of their ideas for a lesson about the Holy Ghost:

Before the lesson, allow a small amount of clay or play dough to harden. Read “Scriptures and Bullies” and discuss the important role that the Holy Ghost had in helping the girl know how to help Mike (September 2009 Friend). Give a family member some fresh clay. Pick a shape or object for him or her to mold the clay into. Next, give someone the hardened clay and ask him or her to mold it into the same shape. Talk about how we need to be “moldable” so the Holy Ghost can direct us to do Heavenly Father’s work.

Scriptures and Bullies:

Look up the following scriptures: Psalm 94:16; Luke 12:12; 2 Nephi 8:7. Circle the one you think fits the story best.

“Hey, Mike,” Chris said in a loud whisper. “Good thing Mr. Morton didn’t call on you!”

“Yeah,” another boy said. “Mike would never have known the answer.”

“You’ve got that right,” Chris replied. “The only thing small about Mike is his brain!”

Behind me, Mike tried to laugh. I peeked over my shoulder. His face was bright red. Mr. Morton kept writing on the board as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

This was my first week in seventh grade, and the boys picking on Mike were probably two years older than me. Mike was taller than all of us, and he wouldn’t want my help anyway, I reasoned. But as the teasing continued, I thought I was going to cry.

After school, I kept thinking of all the mean things the boys had said. “If I were Mike, I wouldn’t come to school at all,” I decided. I felt sad for the way he had tried to joke with the bullies, only to have them make fun of whatever he said. “If I were older, I would have known what to say to them,” I thought.

Then I remembered a family home evening about how missionaries depend on the Holy Ghost to help them know how to teach people. Dad said if we read the scriptures and invite the Holy Ghost to help us, we can know what to say and do too—even at school.

The next morning, I read my scriptures and prayed. “Heavenly Father,” I said, “I feel so sad for Mike. Please help me to know how I can help him.”

One of the scriptures I read said that when we help other people, we’re actually helping Jesus Christ (see Mosiah 2:17). “I wouldn’t be too scared to talk to the bullies if they were picking on the Savior,” I thought.

I wrote that scripture on a note card and put it in my notebook. I read it often during the day, but I still didn’t know how I could stop the teasing.

Then one afternoon, as I left math class, my answer came. The Holy Ghost whispered, “Mike needs to know you care about him, and the bullies need to know you don’t like what’s going on.” My hands felt clammy. My legs started to shake. I bit my lip and said a silent prayer.

A minute later in the hall, I heard Chris yell a mean comment to Mike. I took a deep breath. “Hey, Chris,” I said, “If you can’t say something nice, just be quiet.”

Chris gave me a mean look. “Boy, that sounded silly,” I told myself. But the bullies didn’t say anything else to Mike.

The next day, the boys were back to their regular teasing—until another seventh grader interrupted them. “Come on, guys,” David said. And the teasing stopped.

Another day, it was a ninth-grade girl who stopped the bullies. “That’s not nice, Chris,” Rhoda said. Mike gave her a grateful smile.

I’d like to say that was the end of the teasing. It wasn’t. But the bullies seemed to make mean jokes less often. Other students stood up for Mike too. I knew that the Holy Ghost had given me courage to do what I needed to do to help stop the bullies.

Look around you for someone who is kind—someone who reminds you of what you think the Savior is like. Watch the things this person does, the way he or she treats other people. … Then, as you treat others kindly and try to do what Jesus would want you to do, you will be filled with that love.

Elder Paul V. Johnson of the Seventy

Do you have a great idea for an FHE lesson? E-mail us at HighlandsRanchMormons@gmail.com and we would love to share it!

Spring Gulch Ward Boy Scouts

In honor of September 11th and Patriot Day, the Boy Scouts from the Spring Gulch Ward helped with a flag ceremony at Coyote Creek Elementary.

Here's a video that explains more of what these wonderful young men did:

Missionary Monday: Life At the MTC

Here is a video about a day in the life of a missionary in the MTC (Missionary Training Center):

Sunday's Pinnable Quote: Elder Anderson

First Presidency Message: Are We Prepared?

Here is President Monson's message regarding preparedness:

In the vicinity where I once lived and served, the Church operated a poultry project, staffed primarily by volunteers from the local wards. Most of the time it was an efficiently operated project, supplying to the bishops’ storehouse thousands of fresh eggs and hundreds of pounds of dressed poultry. On a few occasions, however, being volunteer city farmers meant not only blisters on the hands but also frustration of heart and mind.

For instance, I shall ever remember the time we gathered the Aaronic Priesthood young men to give the project a spring-cleaning. Our enthusiastic and energetic throng assembled at the project and in a speedy fashion uprooted, gathered, and burned large quantities of weeds and debris. By the light of the glowing bonfires, we ate hot dogs and congratulated ourselves on a job well done.

However, there was just one disastrous problem. The noise and the fires so disturbed the fragile population of 5,000 laying hens that most of them went into a sudden molt and ceased laying. Thereafter we tolerated a few weeds so that we might produce more eggs.

No member of the Church who has helped provide for those in need ever forgets or regrets the experience. Industry, thrift, self-reliance, and sharing with others are not new to us.

We should remember that the best storehouse system would be for every family in the Church to have a supply of food, clothing, and, where possible, other necessities of life. The Lord’s storehouse includes the time, talents, skills, compassion, consecrated material, and financial means of faithful Church members. These resources are available to the bishop in assisting those in need.

We urge all Latter-day Saints to be prudent in their planning, to be conservative in their living, and to avoid excessive or unnecessary debt. Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had a supply of food and clothing and were debt-free. Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse: they have a supply of debt and are food-free.

I repeat what the First Presidency declared a few years ago:

“Latter-day Saints have been counseled for many years to prepare for adversity by having a little money set aside. Doing so adds immeasurably to security and well-being. Every family has a responsibility to provide for its own needs to the extent possible.

“We encourage you wherever you may live in the world to prepare for adversity by looking to the condition of your finances. We urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt. Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from this bondage. Save a little money regularly to gradually build a financial reserve.”

Are we prepared for the emergencies in our lives? Are our skills perfected? Do we live providently? Do we have our reserve supply on hand? Are we obedient to the commandments of God? Are we responsive to the teachings of prophets? Are we prepared to give of our substance to the poor, the needy? Are we square with the Lord?

We live in turbulent times. Often the future is unknown; therefore, it behooves us to prepare for uncertainties. When the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is past.

Stake Temple Day Tomorrow!

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Ward Temple Day for each ward in our Stake is Thursday, 9/11/2014.

As a Stake Presidency, we encourage you to attend the temple on Thursday and bring a friend that may not have been in while.

President Benson said at the dedication of the Denver Temple in October 1986:

The saints in this temple district will be better able to meet their trials. Your families will be protected; your children safeguarded.

September Assignments:

Laundry Workers:
Morning shift (8am - noon) No Assignment
Evening shift (4pm- 8pm) 2 workers from Roxborough

Sealing Assignment:
Highlands Ranch and Northridge (Each Ward is to have 6 Sisters & 6 Brothers, arrive at the Sealing Office between 5:45 pm & 6:15 pm)

Initiatory Assignment:
6 Brothers and 6 Sisters from Daniels Park and Falcon Park (arrive at the Initiatory Desk between 6 – 6:30 pm)

Chapel Session:
Westridge has the chapel session at 6:00 pm in conjunction with their ward conference. Patrons should pick up a 6:30 pm tile when entering the temple. We ask that the Ward have at least 20 persons attend the Chapel Session

Endowment Schedule:
Heritage Park 5:00 pm
Spring Gulch 5:00 pm
Daniels Park 6:00 pm
Falcon Park 6:00 pm
Westridge 6:30 pm- 6:00 pm Chapel Session
Roxborough 6:30 pm
Northridge 7:00 pm
Saddle Ranch 7:00 pm
Highlands Ranch 7:30 pm
Summit View 7:30 pm


If you have Family File names and would like help from our stake members in completing the temple work on Ward Temple Day, we invite you to bring the cards to the temple office and put them in the Highlands Ranch Colorado Stake box, which will be available on the second Thursday of each month for Ward Temple Day. You can pick up the names any time after they are completed in the usual location according to normal temple procedures.

Stake Members who are willing to do Temple Work with Family File Names:

As you arrive at the temple, stop at the office and pick up Family File cards from the Highlands Ranch Colorado Stake box, which will be there on the second Thursday of each month for Ward Temple Day. After the work is completed, the cards will be returned to the office, recorded, and returned to the person who submitted the name in the usual fashion. You do not need to make any special arrangements to return them unless you are unable to complete the work that day, in which case you can return the card to the stake box before leaving the temple.

Thank you for your faithful service in the Temple.

Sincerely,

The Highlands Ranch Colorado, Stake Presidency

Missionary Monday: Christ Is Real

Read one man's testimony of how he learned that Christ is real:

Sunday's Pinnable Quote: Elder Eyring

Worship Services

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has four buildings in Highlands Ranch. Each building offers a worship service at 9 AM, and everyone is invited and welcome to attend.

You can visit our church at any of the following locations:

9800A Foothills Canyon Boulevard  

HIGHLANDS RANCH COLORADO 80129
 

9800B Foothills Canyon Boulevard  

HIGHLANDS RANCH COLORADO 80129
 

4195 East Wildcat Reserve Parkway  

HIGHLANDS RANCH COLORADO 80126
 

7471 Timberline Rd

            LONE TREE COLORADO 80124

8150 South Colorado Blvd

LITTLETON, CO 80127

Acitivity Days Stake Activity!

Sister Dixon Serving In Uruguay!

Here is a recent letter from Sister Dixon:

July 21, 2014

Hola familia! 

 I am happy to let everyone know this week was BETTER!  I am no where close to being comfortable, but slowly but surely, things are getting better!  Yay!  This is the first week where I’ve actually started to fall in love with Uruguay and the people here.  Little by little, we’ve been seeing some miracles!  We’ve started teaching a really cute family (a mom, a dad, an eighteen-month-old baby named Dillon, and a baby on the way)!  We found them on the street one day, and we’ve been visiting them a lot since.  They live in a one-room house and Hermana M. and I have to share a chair when we teach them, but I love it.  My whole leg fell asleep one lesson because I was leaning on it so I wouldn’t fall off the chair, but it’s all good.  Anyway, since they are a new family, they (especially the dad) are super open to everything we’re teaching!  We invited them to come to church and they didn’t end up coming yesterday, but we are still so excited! 

Okay, now I’m just going to write bullet points of things I love about Uruguay and some funny things that have happened!

·         I love the rain here.  Sometimes it kind of stinks because when it rains, it POURS, but it’s kind of fun to dodge puddles and look out into the flooded streets.

·         The little kids here are so cute and are hoots!  This little boy in our ward is super aggressive, but it’s funny.  One day when we were eating at his family’s house he threw a chewed-up orange piece at me and yesterday during ward council he reached up and scratched my face with a wooden block, but it’s all good!

·         We played basketball last P-Day, and I jammed my finger.  I didn’t think very much of it, but the next day, my finger was super swollen and purple.  I will have to send you a picture sometime soon!

·         Everyone here wears Crocs and I love it.

·         I love looking up every night at the sky and seeing the stars!

·         I love how generous people are here!!!  I have never had so much torta (cake) and hot cocoa in my life because whenever we visit people, they love giving us little treats.

·         I just realized the other day I am the first new sister missionary my ward has ever had!  They love that I don’t know Spanish very well and joke around with me a lot.  It probably should bother me a little bit, but I just think it’s funny!

·         I have been making a lot of sweet treats these days!  We give treats to ward members when they go out with us and to investigators or random street contacts.  

·         I love how much members of the Church here love the Lord!  

I have to go, but I love you all so much.  Once again, thank you for the advice!!!  This is by far the hardest thing I have ever done, but I know hard things are always worth it. 

Until next week!

Hermana Dixon

Sister Dixon is serving from the Northridge Ward. For more information, you can visit her blog at: http://montevideomusings.blogspot.com/