November Presidency Message
Look for a moment at your hands. Your hands have done and will continue to do many great and wonderful things. The Lord has given us our hands to do His work -- our hands are His hands. I echo the words of Relief Society General President Julie Beck when she said, “We rejoice in the knowledge that you are going about doing good as the Savior did. You are doing a magnificent work. Yet we feel impressed to say there is more to be done. It is time for Relief Society to fulfill its purpose as never before. What is that purpose? “…to organize, teach and inspire His daughters to prepare them for the blessings of Eternal Life.” The Lord loves each of us individually and He wants each of us to return to live with Him forever. Making and keeping sacred ordinances and covenants in His holy temple enables us to return to the presence of our Father and to gain eternal exaltation. To accomplish His purposes, we need to move forward, our hands reaching out to the sisters in our ward as never before. Each of us must increase our faith and personal righteousness, strengthen our homes and families, and serve the Lord and His children. We have a great desire to share the happiness the gospel brings into our lives with the sisters who are not meeting with us regularly. There are also sisters around us who appear to be doing just fine, but who are in need and are desperately praying for help. The Savior needs us to help answer their prayers. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, the loneliness and despair, let us feel the silent prayers of others around us and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers...In the end, the number of prayers we say may add to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance.” It will take all of us, all of our hands, praying, receiving inspiration from the Holy Spirit and acting on those promptings to help the Lord answer the prayers of His daughters and help prepare them to receive the blessings of eternal life.
Black Bean 'n' Pumpkin Chili
from the kitchen of Annie Freeman
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained.
2 teaspoons dried parsely flakes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a large skillet, saute the onion, yellow pepper and garlic in oil until tender. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through. Yield:10 servings (2 1/2 quarts).
Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 192 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 28 mg cholesterol, 658 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 16 g protein. Diabetic exchanges: 2 very lean meat, 1-1/2 starch, 1/2 fat.
Notes: I used chicken instead of turkey because I never have turkey on hand. I also added a little brown sugar, because it always makes everything taste better. I doubled the recipe for the party and cooked it on the stove top on really low heat for about 5 hours. It worked great. The recipe also says that it freezes well.
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained.
2 teaspoons dried parsely flakes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a large skillet, saute the onion, yellow pepper and garlic in oil until tender. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through. Yield:10 servings (2 1/2 quarts).
Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 192 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 28 mg cholesterol, 658 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 16 g protein. Diabetic exchanges: 2 very lean meat, 1-1/2 starch, 1/2 fat.
Notes: I used chicken instead of turkey because I never have turkey on hand. I also added a little brown sugar, because it always makes everything taste better. I doubled the recipe for the party and cooked it on the stove top on really low heat for about 5 hours. It worked great. The recipe also says that it freezes well.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
from the kitchen of Karen Taylor
2 cubes butter
2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 large can pumpkin
1 C white flour
2 C wheat flour
1 C oatmeal flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp nutmeg
4 tsp cinnamon
1 bag chocolate chips
Mix together, drop on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
2 cubes butter
2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 large can pumpkin
1 C white flour
2 C wheat flour
1 C oatmeal flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp nutmeg
4 tsp cinnamon
1 bag chocolate chips
Mix together, drop on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
November Spotlight
I’m Darcy Moody. I’ve lived in the Salem 2nd Ward for almost 2 ½ years now. I grew up in Springville and lived there for the most part, until I found this wonderful place called Salem. I’m the youngest of 5 children: 4 girls and 1 boy, and love spending time with family. My mother owned and ran a catering business until I was 19 years old. Some of my fondest memories live in that giant kitchen. I don’t know what I loved most, the smells, the tastes, the noise, the wonderful people or the big stainless steel bowls that I would sit in and spin on the floor for hours. My 2 wonderful grandmothers were a big part of my life. My maternal grandmother lived in the apartment above the catering, and later lived with us after the catering was sold. I feel very blessed to have had them in my life
I met my sweet husband Scott when I was a senior in high school. It was love at first sight . Literally! I saw him playing basketball and that was it. I went home and told my mom that I saw the guy I was going to marry, and what do you know, I did. After Scott’s mission, we married and were sent the 3 most wonderful children in the world, Abe, Lucy and Jude. We own run Suggestions Salon in Orem and love it most of the time. It can be a little tricky keeping 56 girls happy at all times but I do my best to keep everyone smiling.
I love traveling, cooking and the Salem 2nd Ward primary. I love love love, my husband and my sweet sweet kids and my mom who bring me more joy than a girl could ask for.
I met my sweet husband Scott when I was a senior in high school. It was love at first sight . Literally! I saw him playing basketball and that was it. I went home and told my mom that I saw the guy I was going to marry, and what do you know, I did. After Scott’s mission, we married and were sent the 3 most wonderful children in the world, Abe, Lucy and Jude. We own run Suggestions Salon in Orem and love it most of the time. It can be a little tricky keeping 56 girls happy at all times but I do my best to keep everyone smiling.
I love traveling, cooking and the Salem 2nd Ward primary. I love love love, my husband and my sweet sweet kids and my mom who bring me more joy than a girl could ask for.
Cub Scout Shirts
Sister Nedra Hanks is looking for used Cub Scout shirts for scouts that are unable to purchase their own.
If you have any please contact her at: 801-423-1604
If you have any please contact her at: 801-423-1604
October Spotlight
Sister Jill Swenson:
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Jill was born September 22, 1959 to Max and Gay Wallentine, in Ithaca, New York.
She is 4th in line in a large family of 9 children. She grew up on a small farm where she helped raise sheep. She moved to Salem when she was 9 years old. After High School she attended Brigham Young University, where she majored in Interior Design. This is where she met her sweetheart Lyle. They have been married 29 years. During High School and College, she worked for Far West Bank, where she was the Assistant Manager. She and Lyle first settled in Spanish Fork but with much persuasion, she convinced him that Salem was the best place on earth! They have lived here for 22 years and have loved every minute. She has spent most of her time raising 5 children who are the love of her life, 2 boys and 3 girls, and serving in the church. Her first grandchild is coming in February and it’s a boy!!! The whole family is very excited for this big event because this will be the first grandchild in both families. (I think he will be a little spoiled.)
She enjoys being with her family, decorating, gardening and just getting her hands in the dirt, exercising, traveling the world, singing and music of all kinds, especially Classical. She loves reading, and spending time enjoying the beauty that God has created. She would much rather be outside working than inside.
Her summer project was helping her husband build a cabin in Fairview. She has learned many new building skills like laying tile, putting up wood walls, and how important it is to measure exactly and not hit your fingers with the hammer!
Her favorite season is Fall. Things that frustrate her are growing old and not moving as fast as she would like too and not retaining things in her memory. Her fears are public speaking and driving in snow storms. She is organized, determined, and generally a very happy person. Her dreams are to one day sing with the Tabernacle Choir, work in the temple and serve a mission with her husband. Her favorite scripture is: D.C. 6:36 “Look to the Lord in every thought, doubt not, fear not.” It is one that is short enough to memorize. She loves the women of this ward and is excited to serve with them in the greatest women’s organization in the world, the Relief Society.
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Jill was born September 22, 1959 to Max and Gay Wallentine, in Ithaca, New York.
She is 4th in line in a large family of 9 children. She grew up on a small farm where she helped raise sheep. She moved to Salem when she was 9 years old. After High School she attended Brigham Young University, where she majored in Interior Design. This is where she met her sweetheart Lyle. They have been married 29 years. During High School and College, she worked for Far West Bank, where she was the Assistant Manager. She and Lyle first settled in Spanish Fork but with much persuasion, she convinced him that Salem was the best place on earth! They have lived here for 22 years and have loved every minute. She has spent most of her time raising 5 children who are the love of her life, 2 boys and 3 girls, and serving in the church. Her first grandchild is coming in February and it’s a boy!!! The whole family is very excited for this big event because this will be the first grandchild in both families. (I think he will be a little spoiled.)
She enjoys being with her family, decorating, gardening and just getting her hands in the dirt, exercising, traveling the world, singing and music of all kinds, especially Classical. She loves reading, and spending time enjoying the beauty that God has created. She would much rather be outside working than inside.
Her summer project was helping her husband build a cabin in Fairview. She has learned many new building skills like laying tile, putting up wood walls, and how important it is to measure exactly and not hit your fingers with the hammer!
Her favorite season is Fall. Things that frustrate her are growing old and not moving as fast as she would like too and not retaining things in her memory. Her fears are public speaking and driving in snow storms. She is organized, determined, and generally a very happy person. Her dreams are to one day sing with the Tabernacle Choir, work in the temple and serve a mission with her husband. Her favorite scripture is: D.C. 6:36 “Look to the Lord in every thought, doubt not, fear not.” It is one that is short enough to memorize. She loves the women of this ward and is excited to serve with them in the greatest women’s organization in the world, the Relief Society.
July Presidency Message
In the Relief Society Auxiliary Training in March, Sis. Julie Beck encouraged us to read and ponder the parable of the Good Samaritan as a pattern of how to provide relief. Since we are all members of Relief Society I would like to extend that invitation to all of us in the Salem 2nd Ward.
The parable of the Good Samaritan is found in Luke 10:25-37. We know that the Savior taught in parables so that he could teach people “exactly in proportion to [their] faith and intelligence” (Bible Dictionary, pg. 740). As I studied this parable I found the first time I read it, it was just a story. The more times I read it, and the more I pondered it, I found more meaning. The following thoughts and questions are from my study. I know you will find more in your own study.
I pondered the questions of the story. There are four – two asked by the lawyer and two asked by the Savior. I asked myself these questions before and after I studied this parable and got slightly different answers the more I understood what the Savior was trying to teach.
I pondered the characters in this story: The Savior; the lawyer; the wounded traveler; the thieves; the priest; the Levite; the Samaritan; and finally, the host of the inn. In the February, 2007, Ensign there is an article discussing the early Christians belief that this parable was a symbolism for the fall of man and the Savior’s rescue of mankind through the Atonement. They taught that the inn symbolizes the Church and the innkeeper is each of us as members of the Church who are entrusted to care for the sinner until Christ returns. What did the Samaritan (or Christ) ask of the innkeeper? What did he promise him? Can this charge and these promises apply to me?
Elder M. Russell Ballard asked in his October 2001 conference address why the Savior chose the hero of this story to be a Samaritan. The Samaritans were a despised class of people to the Jews. I read this talk and asked myself, “If this parable were given today, who would the hero be? And who would the other cast of characters be? Who would I be?”
We are told at the end of the parable to “Go, and do thou likewise.” I listed the specific ways the Samaritan provided relief to the traveler. I pondered how I could improve my own efforts at helping others. This reminded me of a saying of Mother Teresa’s that Elder Oaks quoted in his last conference address. She said, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”
President Eyring gave a talk in the last Priesthood session entitled “Man Down” where he reminds us of our responsibility to help others. He discusses home teaching as a part of this. I read his talk and thought of ways I could improve my visiting teaching. I pondered the blessings promised as we faithfully , prayerfully, and lovingly help others . I thought of the blessings in my own life from wonderful visiting teachers and as I have been a visiting teacher. I resolved to do better .
Martin Luther King, Jr. once spoke about this parable and divided the characters into 3 philosophies: 1) What is thine is mine; 2) What is mine is mine - what is thine is thine; 3) What is mine is thine. It seemed to me that this could very easily describe the 3 different degrees of glory. I wondered how close I was to the third and highest degree.
I am so grateful for the Good Samaritans in my life and in the life of my loved ones. I am especially grateful for the Savior, the ultimate Good Samaritan. I am grateful for His teachings, His example, and His Atoning sacrifice for us all.
The parable of the Good Samaritan is found in Luke 10:25-37. We know that the Savior taught in parables so that he could teach people “exactly in proportion to [their] faith and intelligence” (Bible Dictionary, pg. 740). As I studied this parable I found the first time I read it, it was just a story. The more times I read it, and the more I pondered it, I found more meaning. The following thoughts and questions are from my study. I know you will find more in your own study.
I pondered the questions of the story. There are four – two asked by the lawyer and two asked by the Savior. I asked myself these questions before and after I studied this parable and got slightly different answers the more I understood what the Savior was trying to teach.
I pondered the characters in this story: The Savior; the lawyer; the wounded traveler; the thieves; the priest; the Levite; the Samaritan; and finally, the host of the inn. In the February, 2007, Ensign there is an article discussing the early Christians belief that this parable was a symbolism for the fall of man and the Savior’s rescue of mankind through the Atonement. They taught that the inn symbolizes the Church and the innkeeper is each of us as members of the Church who are entrusted to care for the sinner until Christ returns. What did the Samaritan (or Christ) ask of the innkeeper? What did he promise him? Can this charge and these promises apply to me?
Elder M. Russell Ballard asked in his October 2001 conference address why the Savior chose the hero of this story to be a Samaritan. The Samaritans were a despised class of people to the Jews. I read this talk and asked myself, “If this parable were given today, who would the hero be? And who would the other cast of characters be? Who would I be?”
We are told at the end of the parable to “Go, and do thou likewise.” I listed the specific ways the Samaritan provided relief to the traveler. I pondered how I could improve my own efforts at helping others. This reminded me of a saying of Mother Teresa’s that Elder Oaks quoted in his last conference address. She said, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”
President Eyring gave a talk in the last Priesthood session entitled “Man Down” where he reminds us of our responsibility to help others. He discusses home teaching as a part of this. I read his talk and thought of ways I could improve my visiting teaching. I pondered the blessings promised as we faithfully , prayerfully, and lovingly help others . I thought of the blessings in my own life from wonderful visiting teachers and as I have been a visiting teacher. I resolved to do better .
Martin Luther King, Jr. once spoke about this parable and divided the characters into 3 philosophies: 1) What is thine is mine; 2) What is mine is mine - what is thine is thine; 3) What is mine is thine. It seemed to me that this could very easily describe the 3 different degrees of glory. I wondered how close I was to the third and highest degree.
I am so grateful for the Good Samaritans in my life and in the life of my loved ones. I am especially grateful for the Savior, the ultimate Good Samaritan. I am grateful for His teachings, His example, and His Atoning sacrifice for us all.