May 2012 PRESIDENCY MESSAGE

 (Our Focus this month in Relief Society is: Only by Charity can the power of the priesthood be maintained.)

Dear Sisters,

Welcome to May! What a wonderful month it is, still spring, hopefully the cold is mostly over and the hot is yet to come. It is a month of beauty and awakening to the world around us. What a perfect time for the Priesthood to have been restored to the earth. On May 15, we celebrate the restoration of the Priesthood after centuries of time without the Power of God available to man on the earth. What an incredible thing that is to celebrate.

Yet, I sometimes think that as Women we may not focus on what a blessing it is, or we may feel that it is something for the men to celebrate more than us. If so, we are sorely wrong, for without the glorious blessings of the Priesthood man nor woman could attain eternal glory, without the Priesthood we would not have the Relief Society, organized by the Priesthood and after the Priesthood Pattern. We would not have the sealing power here on earth, nor any of the other covenants from baptism on, that require righteous Priesthood Power in order for them to be approved by the Lord.

It is up to us as Women to teach of the power of the Priesthood to our families, to support our husbands, sons, fathers and all men who hold it, that they may feel of our support and be strengthened in their duties to honor their Priesthood. It is up to us to be worthy of the blessings of the Priesthood, and once again, this comes through charity:

“ Only by Charity can the power of the priesthood be maintained; No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile— Reprovingbetimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.” (see D&C 121:41–45);

How grateful I am for that beautiful May day when John appeared to restore the Priesthood to the earth again.

Love,

Jamie, Cindy, Loree, & Kathy