And The Sisters of the Stake did Meet Together Oft... Another Passage from the Book of Mindy

Chapter 1

1. In the second month of the 2,012^th year, during the third year of the reign of President Jones over the West Stake, did the Stake Relief Society hold a dinner and a conference. And many sisters did attend, yea, 308 sisters did attend.

2.  And great was the eating and the conferencing therein.

3. And the Relief Society presidency was glad; yea, for about two and twenty minutes was the presidency glad.

4. But after eating and conferencing for two and twenty minutes, a great fear did settle upon the presidency, for they did realize that in twelve short months, another meeting must be held; and they were sore afraid.

5. And from that time on, the Relief Society presidency did begin to plan the 2013 meeting.

Highlights from last year's meeting.

Chapter 2

 

1. In the fall of the 2,012^th year,  after the days of the fair booth were accomplished, did the Relief Society presidency begin in earnest to make preparations for the next stake Relief Society meeting.

2. But they were confounded in their planning, yea, the great success of the previous meetings did weigh heavily upon them, and they knew not what to plan.

3. And after many minutes of silent pondering,  Mindy did speak unto Jolene and Sue, saying… “Remember, remember, our previous meetings.”

4. And Jolene and Sue did remember, but despite their great remembering, Mindy did continue to speak thusly:

5. “For our first meeting, did not President and Sister Jones speak unto the sisters? And was it not wonderful?”

6. “And for our second meeting, were not the sisters uplifted though song and dance?”



Our Angel

 

 

7. “And who canst forget the miracle of last year’s meeting, wherein the sisters moved from room to room receiving instruction and inspiration?”

8. Then Mindy continued, “Were not these meetings successful? Why then can we not combine ALL these things? Would not a meeting wher in President and Sister Jones sang and danced in a multitude of rooms uplift, instruct, and inspire the sisters three-fold?”

9. And Jolene and Sue did ponder these sayings in their hearts before shooting each other a knowing look, even that look which doth day, “Sister Mindy doth need to get more sleep.”

10. And so the idea of having President and Sister Jones sing and dance in a multitude of rooms did go the way of many of Mindy’s other wackadoodle ideas.

11. But soon a new idea was presented, even the idea to have a special guest speaker travel to the meeting. And the Relief Society Presidency saw that this idea was good.

12. And so the Relief Society Presidency set out to invite, or lure, or beg a guest speaker of great renown to the meeting. And President and Sister Jones did sleep in peace, knowing that they would not be asked to sing and dance in a multitude of rooms.

 

Scott and Paul not only helped set up tables and chairs, they also precisely folded 324 pink napkins.

 

Chapter 3

 

1. So, with this idea in mind, did Jolene set out to find a special guest speaker who would be willing to travel to the West Stake, even to that stake which is choice amongst stakes.

2. And in the month of September did Jolene go in search of a special guest speaker.

3. For behold, many phone calls were made and a multitude of emails were sent, and the Relief Society presidency did feel secure in the knowledge that a special guest speaker would soon be acquired.

The night before the meeting, Diane led us in putting pink-frosted heart cookies in pink-polka-dotted bags with scriptures printed on pink paper and tied on with pink ribbon.

 

5. And likewise in November and even into December did the Presidency continue to search for a special guest speaker.

6. And in December word was received that a speaker, an author famous among LDS readers, had agreed to travel to the West Stake to speak unto the sisters.

7. And in December there was much rejoicing amongst the Relief Society presidency.

8. But in January, word did reach the Relief Society presidency that their speaker, even their special guest speaker, was ill and, being ill, would not be able to make the journey from Utah to the West Stake.

9. And so Jolene did return to making many phone calls and sending multitudes of emails.

10. And in their despair, some of the sisters did consider asking the Joneses to sing and to dance…

It took us about 3 1/2 hours to do 320 cookies.
It is sure a good thing we all like hanging out together so much!

 

11. But behold, the Joneses and the Relief Society presidency were saved when another special guest speaker agreed to travel to the West Stake.

12. And this special guest speaker who agreed to make the journey was known throughout the land as the biographer of President Thomas S. Monson, yea, even Sister Heidi Swinton, a writer and speaker of great renown .

13. And so in January of the 2,013^th year, did the Stake Relief Society acquire a special guest speaker, yea, even an exceptionally special guest speaker, and the sisters did then begin to prepare the rest of the meeting.

 

The color scheme for the meeting was cream and pink with black accents. Sister Each table had a picture of the Savior and a sign proclaiming, "Seek this Jesus". The center of the hall had lighted tables with pictures and figures of the savior and a giant, lighted floral centerpiece. The front of the hall featured famed pictures of the Savior on lighted tables with lighted trees on the sides. Have I mentioned that Sister Woodhouse are Sister Thruston are geniuses?

 

Chapter 4

1. And in the first month of the 2,013^th year, the Stake Relief Society presidency did attempt to plan a ginormous meeting to be held in three months time.

2. And as they were in the midst of their preparations, an angel did appear unto them.

3. And the angel spake unto them saying, “Fear not, for behold I come to you with color schemes and centerpiece ideas, yea, even menu options do I bring unto you, and all for your meeting which must surely come to pass in a few months time.”

4. And the Relief Society was greatly comforted, for this angel was well known unto them, for behold she had delivered the Relief Society presidency from near destruction  many times with her talents for planning and beautifying.

5. And the angel’s name was Sister Woodhouse, and from that time on the sisters of the Relief Society Presidency did cease to worry; for they knew that where Sister Woodhouse signs on, success doth always follow.

The dinner was chicken cordon bleu, green salad, fruit kabobs, rolls, and cheesecake. Most of the dinner was prepared by the folks at Morey's Steakhouse, to whom we are eternally indebted.

 

Chapter 5

1. And so, in the fourth month of the 2,013^th year, during the fourth year of the reign of President Jones over the West Stake, did the Stake Relief Society hold a dinner and a conference.

2. And the theme of this conference, suggested by their special guest speaker, even their VERY special guest speaker Sister Heidi Swinton, was “Seek This Jesus”.

3. And the color of the conference was pink; and great was the pinkness thereof.

4. And when the evening of the meeting had arrived, the sisters of the West Stake did enter into the stake center; and they did behold the beauty of the cultural hall, yea, the cultural hall that had been decorated by many hands according to Sister Woodhouse’s instructions.

5. And the sisters saw the hall and they exclaimed unto themselves, “Wow.”

6. But when the time for the opening prayer had arrived, yea, the prayer that would commence the eating of the chicken cordon bleu and the fruit kabobs and the rolls and the salad and the cheese cake;

7. When that time did arrive, behold, the very special guest speaker had not. And once again, the fear settled upon the hearts of the Relief Society presidency.

8. But President Jones did try to relieve their fears saying, “I know your speaker shall arrive in time to speak but, if by some slim chance she doth not arrive in time to speak, behold: The entire Stake Presidency is in attendance. And, because of the great love the Stake Presidency has for the Sisters in this stake, we shall be willing to speak unto them this night.”

Dinner began at 6:30 p.m. and there was a very special musical number written by our very own Paige Beck, featuring six singing sisters, a string quartet, and a flute.

 

9. But the Stake Presidency did not speak to the sisters that night.

10. For behold, fifteen minutes after the meeting had started, yea, just as the sisters were polishing off their chicken and preparing to partake of their cheesecake, a great cry arose from the south foyer.

11. And this was the cry that arose: Sister and President Swinton hath arrived!

12. And when the Relief Society presidency heard this cry, they did, in unison, exhale a sigh of relief, and so great was the exhaling that it was only surpassed in fervency by the greatness of the offering of prayers of thanks.

13. And as Sister Swinton spoke of our beloved Prophet, even President Monson, and as she did use his life to instruct the sisters in making time in their lives and room in their heart for Jesus, behold, prayers of thanks were offered my many.

 

Sister and President Swinton stayed after the meeting to visit with sisters and joined our traditional group photo before they drove home to Utah that night. (from left to right: Jalene, Sue, me, President Swinton, Sister Swinton, Jolene, Diane, Bonnie, and Kristi.)

Chapter 6

1. And so the Stake Relief Society dinner and conference did proceed as planned; with over 300 sisters  of the stake being fed physically and nourished spiritually.

2. And at the conclusion of Sister Swinton’s remarks, the Relief Society Presidency did thank her, and they did thank her husband, even President Swinton, and they did thank the many sisters and brethren who helped to make the meeting a blessing in the lives of the sisters in the West Stake.

3. And when the meeting had ended and the Swintons had departed back to the land of Utah; yea, when the serving wear had been washed and the chairs stacked and the goldfish cracker crumbs vacuumed off the floor of the nursery;

4. And when the centerpieces who stood taller than all of the nursery children, yea, and even the one floral arrangement that stood taller than many Young Women nursery leaders, when those centerpieces had been put away,  only then did the Relief Society presidency return unto their homes.

5. And that night , the Relief Society presidency offered more prayers of thanks and then slept soundly, and dreamed of pink frosting and pink ribbon and pink flowers and pink dresses.

6. And great was the pinkness thereof.  

We would be lost without our wonderful Priesthood brethren who stayed until the lights went out and the doors were locked. We would have liked to get Brother Woodhouse in the photo too, but he didn't stand still long enough.