We Have An Updated Blog!!!

We are very excited to announce that we have a new and updated home for our blog (don't worry, all of your favorite posts have been moved there for your viewing pleasure)!

Please visit our new website at

www.HighlandsRanchMormons.org

And remember, if you have any articles (recipes, FHE ideas, testimonies,

Eagle Scout achievements, etc.) please e-mail us at HighlandsRanchMormons@gmail.com for

us to include on the blog.

Project Linus=Project Success!

Despite the snow, family and friends from both the LDS faith and Pax Christi came together to make beautiful blankets to be given to children in crisis. Project Linus has distributed millions of blankets throughout the world. What an inspiring program to be able to participate in!

For more information about Project Linus, click HERE.

Coming Up: Stake Conference

Brothers and Sisters,

Please come and enjoy our spring 2015, Highlands Ranch Colorado Stake Conference. It will be held Saturday, February 28 and Sunday, March 1.

We are pleased to have Elder Donald Deshler (of the Seventy) presiding at all sessions. 

Please be in your seats 10 minutes prior to each session begining to allow the sprit to be with each of us. 

Note: We will not be broadcasting Conference to the Colorado Building on Sunday March 1.

Saturday, February 28

4 pm Priesthood Leadership Meeting

Location: Highlands Ranch Stake Center

Brothers and Sisters, 

Please note, that the make up practice for Stake 

Choir is Saturady 2/28 at 9 AM in the Stake 

Center. Please come and share your voices. 

Why Do Mormons Send Missionaries Around the World?

To see the original article, please click HERE.

A Missionary Church

The blessings of the gospel are so precious that we try to share them with everyone we can.

Imagine you found a cure for cancer. How urgently would you spread the news of your discovery? Who would you tell? The gospel of Jesus Christ is the cure for so many of life's ills that Mormons want to share the good news of eternal life with the same urgency.

The Lord's Church has always been a missionary church. Jesus Christ's life was the perfect example of missionary work. During His ministry on earth, he taught the gospel at all times, in all places, and to all kinds of people. Jesus taught the educated men in the temple, the sinners, the faithful and the unbelieving. He also called apostles and other disciples to preach the gospel so more people could hear about the blessings of His gospel. Most of their preaching during Christ's life was to their own people, the Jews. After Jesus was resurrected, He visited His apostles and sent them to preach to the gentiles. He commanded them, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15).

Brothers and Sisters, 

Stake Choir practice has been cancelled for 

Sunday 2/22 due to the snow. 


There will be a make up practice held Saturday, 

February 28, at the Stake Center. 


Thank you, 

The Stake Presidency

Sunday's Pinnable Quote: Elder Christofferson

Brothers and Sisters, 

All Sunday church services have been cancelled

 for tomorrow (2/22) due to the bad weather. 


Please stay home and be safe. Please make sure 

that your neighbors are well taken care of.


The Highlands Ranch Colorado Stake Presidency 

Due to deteriorating weather conditions, the 

Multi-Stake youth dance scheduled for this 

evening has been cancelled. 

Douglas County Volunteer Fair

Activity Days!

Recently the stake Primary held our stake activity days baby-sitting clinic for all ll-year-old girls. There were 43 girls that attended.  They rotated classes of basic care, basic CPR, basic play and decorated a bag to start their babysitting kit.  Afterwards the girls enjoyed lunch.

 

Thank you to everyone involved with making this such a successful and wonderful activity!

 

 

Exciting Happenings In Missionary Work!

As the work of the Lord moves forward, missions throughout the world are seeing some exciting changes. Recently the LDS Church announced the creation of 11 new missions, as well as the sustaining of 120 new mission presidents.

To see the original article as published on LDS.ORG, click HERE.

Church Announces 2015 Mission Presidents by Area

• 13 JANUARY 2015

The number of new presidents per area. The Church has called 120 new mission presidents and created 11 new missions.  Image courtesy of the Deseret News.

Sunday's Pinnable Quote: Elder Ballard

Eternal Marriage: Love That Endures

Family History- The Easy Way!

Think all your family history is done? Think again- there is always more family history work to do! Check out this video for an easy way to see if there is some work that  needs to be done. If that doesn't help you find any family lines to work on, contact your ward Family History specialists and he/she will help you find success!

Missionary Monday: Missionaries Called to Bring Joy to Others, Elder Nelson Says

The original article was printed in Church News. You can find the original article HERE.

PROVO, UTAH

Missionaries of the Church are called to bring joy into the lives of all who will follow the Lord, Elder Russell M. Nelson affirmed January 13 at a devotional in the Provo Missionary Training Center.

“You responded to His commandment to go into all the world to teach and testify of Him,” said Elder Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “Come to know Him and to love Him.”

In addition to Elder Nelson’s address, the devotional included remarks from his wife, Sister Wendy Watson Nelson, and Elder David F. Evans of the Seventy. It was broadcast to all 14 international missionary training centers, said President Lon Nally of the Provo center.

“Throughout the world, including the Provo Missionary Training Center, approximately 2,000 missionaries will view this devotional live and another 500 missionaries will watch it by tape delay,” President Nally announced.

Among the missionaries in the Provo congregation were 17 couples attending the three-day 2015 Seminar for New MTC Presidents and Visitors’ Center Directors.

Stake Choir Practice

Brothers and Sisters, 

Come and join the Choir for Stake Conference, be assured of great seats.

Practice begins Sunday Nights at 6:00 p.m. (starting this Sunday) at the Stake Center, come join the singing!
Bring all your family members ages 12 and older, Let's All SING on in the work of the Lord!!

Sunday's Pinnable Quote: Elder Christofferson

Grandma Clark's Homemade Bread

Pull out the KitchenAid and wheat grinder, and let's get baking! Here is Grandma Clark's tried and true delicious homemade whole wheat bread. Delicious, healthy, and pretty darn easy- what more could one want?

Ingredients*

2 Tablespoons yeast
1/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
5 cups HOT water
3 cups ground wheat (yes, your food storage wheat!)
2/3 cup cooking oil
2/3 cup honey or sugar
8-10 cups white flour**
2 Tablespoons salt

Directions

RootsTech Just Around the Corner- With Some Sessions Being Streamed On-Line!

The original article was posted on Church News and can be found by clicking HERE.

Registration is open for RootsTech 2015, the world’s largest family history conference with tens of thousands of participants worldwide.

Sponsored by FamilySearch, RootsTech 2015 will be February 11–14 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The global conference will feature an innovator summit, expo hall, well-known keynote speakers, more than 200 classes, hands-on computer labs, nightly entertainment, and a free family history day for Church members.

Missionary Monday: A Message From the Mission President For All Members

                                 

2014 was a good year for the members and missionaries living in the Colorado Denver South Mission (CDSM). By working together last year we saw 441 people come unto Christ by joining His church.  This coming year we are committed to dramatically improve that number.

 This past year the work was made all the more exciting by the release of the feature length motion picture Meet The Mormons.  That was followed by the, He is the Gift initiative which gave of us all an opportunity to share the true meaning of Christmas with our non-member friends. 

 Another great missionary event took place last summer in Grand Junction as five Stakes joined together to produce the play, 18 Lives and The Book of Mormon.  This was a remarkable production and it did much to strengthen the testimonies of our youth and also served as an excellent missionary tool.

Sunday's Pinnable Quote: Elder Anderson

Pinewood Derby

Last week was the annual Cub Scout Pinewood Derby! Well done to everybody involved!

Nominate a special teenager for a Douglas County Youth Initiative award

This information was originally posted on the Douglas County website. You can find the article HERE.

Do you know a special teenager, between the ages of 13 and 19, who resides in Douglas County and has overcome adversity and created positive change in their lives, as well as the lives of others?

Nominations for the 2015 Douglas County Outstanding Youth Awards are being accepted until March 27. Ten award recipients will have the opportunity to share their special night with family members, their adult supporters and elected officials at an April 29 reception hosted by the Douglas County Youth Initiative at the Douglas County Commissioners Hearing Room in Castle Rock.

Nominators will be invited to speak at the ceremony about the obstacles the individual they nominated overcame and how those individuals have inspired change.

Award recipients will receive a signed letter from elected officials recognizing the teen’s achievements, a $100 certificate for educational or activity fees to be redeemed at a later date and County-wide recognition of their award.

“The young people who are recognized with these awards are people who very often have not received public recognition for their personal achievements,” said Douglas County Commissioner David Weaver. “This event not only calls attention to the untold stories of achievement by our community’s youth, it is also an opportunity for area businesses, the community at large, civic leaders and educators to demonstrate their belief in and support of young people in our community by recognizing them for the individual challenges they have overcome.”

This one-of-a-kind award encompasses all youth: youth who have not finished their K-12 education, youth in traditional classroom settings, youth in group homes, youth in alternative schools, youth in foster homes and emancipated youth.

For more information on the Douglas County Outstanding Youth Awards, please contact Marsha Alston at 303-688-4825 or malston@douglas.co.us. Nomination forms are available online at www.douglas.co.us

The Douglas County Youth Initiative was established in 2005 to coordinate local youth-serving efforts and asses the needs of the County’s youngest residents. It is an active collaboration between Douglas County Government, the Douglas County School District, the City of Lone Tree, the Town of Castle Rock, the Town of Parker, the Douglas County Library District and the Highlands Ranch Metro District.

Savior of the World: Taking It Across the Country

Here is one family's experience with Savior of the World- via an e-mail sent to the director:

"We took a little trip to Salt Lake this past weekend to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert (which was amazing).  We were in the hotel putting our kids to bed, and I looked around and had to smile at all the Savior of the World t-shirts.  Just thought you might like to see that our family is still feeling grateful for the opportunity to bring Christ into our Christmas season!  Thank you!"

Missionary Monday: Catholic Archbishop Delivers Message on Religious Freedom at Brigham Young University

What a wonderful opportunity the students at BYU had to listed to the words from Archbishop Chaput! For those of us with Catholic friends, this is a great talk to springboard a discussion about our similarities and how we can work together by building on things we have in common.

The original article was posted on the Church News site- HERE.

SALT LAKE CITY — 

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia shared a message on the importance of preserving religious freedom to students, faculty and administrators at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, on Friday, January 23, 2015. The university is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Archbishop Chaput addressed a noon gathering in the Wilkinson Student Center’s Varsity Theater. “Brigham Young University is an extraordinary university not just because of its academic excellence — or the fact that it occasionally beats Notre Dame (a comment that drew chuckles from the audience) — but because it’s a center for learning enriched by its religious identity. Please never lose that.”

Archbishop Chaput said Mormon and Catholic communities share common concerns and “have a duty to seek common ground where possible.”

“We need to work vigorously in law and politics to form our culture in a godly understanding of human dignity and the purpose of human freedom,” he stressed.

“The differences in our doctrine and practice are obvious,” Archbishop Chaput elaborated. “Ignoring them wouldn’t serve the truth. But that doesn’t preclude friendship. It doesn’t preclude working together. And it doesn’t obscure the fact that we face many of the same problems and share many of the same convictions about marriage and family, the nature of our sexuality, the sanctity of human life and the urgency of religious freedom.”

Archbishop Chaput discussed the significance of the Great Charter, or Magna Carta, that dates back 800 years in England, which promised the protection of church rights. “It started the process of carving out space for what would become civil society.”

“Its impact can be seen on the charters of the American colonies, on the First Continental Congress, on the Bill of Rights of the United States, on the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and on national constitutions around the world,” he added.

“The Founders clearly understood the value of the past,” said Archbishop Chaput. “Most were Christians. Nearly all were religious believers.”

“In 2015 we’re a nation of many faith communities and no single church. That’s a gift, not a burden,” he concluded. “But as the Founders knew, and we forget at our peril, the American project of ordered liberty can’t work without the support of a moral people — a people formed by a living faith in a loving God.”

Archbishop Chaput also met with BYU faculty and administrators and visited the J. Reuben Clark Law School while on the Provo campus. On Friday evening, he will attend a special dinner with leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City before returning to Philadelphia. Pope Francis is expected to visit Philadelphia in September for the Eighth World Meeting of Families.

Pinnable Quote: Mark 12:30

BYU Women’s Tennis Team Coming to Denver

BYU Women's Tennis Team Fireside:

Friday, Jan. 30, 7 pm at the Yale & Monaco Building, (2710 S. Monaco Pkwy, Denver)

Free Tennis Clinic:
Saturday, Jan. 31st, 11 am-Noon (arrive at 10:45 am to check in and go to the courts). All ages welcome.
Colorado Athletic Club Inverness, indoor courts (374 Inverness Pkwy, Englewood, CO 80112) Please
RSVP to Linda Murri, 303-882-4412, or lsmurri@msn.com

Tennis Team Match with Meet & Greet:

BYU vs. the University of Denver Pioneers
4 pm at the Denver Country Club, Indoor Courts (1700 E. First Ave. Denver, CO)

Meet the Players and Coach at 3:30pm before the match. No Jeans Please. Wear Cougar Blue!

Upcoming Service Opportunity: Project Linus

On February 21st, everyone is invited to come and help make blankets for children in crisis!

Project Title:                      Highlands Ranch Stake Relief Society Day of Service - Make a Blanket: Project Linus

Project Details:                 Assemble blankets to be given to children in our area and around the world in need.  All ages welcome, lots of ways to help.  Service hours for high school, scouting, etc.  

Project Schedule:            Saturday, February 21, 2015 (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon)

Location:  LDS Church Building - 4195 Wildcat Reserve Parkway, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126

All volunteers welcome for however long you can come.

See Sign up Genius link if you want to help bring needed supplies:

www.SignUpGenius.com/go/5080C4EA9AA23A57-make/

Sponsoring Organization:  Highlands Ranch Stake Relief Society

Representative Contact Information: Rachael Adams  #936-402-5067 - Email  rahrah_106@hotmail.com

Skills Needed: If you have sewing experience, we will definitely use that.  Jobs for everyone; coloring, tying knots, measuring, cutting, using safety pins, ironing.

Website:                              www.projectlinus.org

Savior of the World Part 6: Candids

For the last several weeks we have shared pictures from the beautiful production Savior of the World. To see the previous pictures, please click HERE.

Today we are sharing some pictures from the cast and crew members- to see the production from their perspective. We are grateful for these pictures, and for everyone involved with Savior of the World.