Incidentally, this is post #1,200 for Mormon Women: Who We Are!

~by Natalie

Editor’s note: Natalie kindly consented to share the Relief Society History video she put together for the women in her congregation. But first, we’d like you to get to know her a little better, and hear more about what went into making this video.

I am the “Additional Weekday Meeting Coordinator” (previously Enrichment Leader) in the Relief Society [organization for women] in my ward congregation. Ironically, all but two of my three sisters and two sisters-in-law have the same calling. In my opinion, this is the best calling in the Church. I am the party planner and the person that helps coordinate the activities that allow the women to do both the work of Relief Society and strengthen our bonds as sisters.

I am married with four children. We have lived in Nashville, TN, Northern Utah, and a year ago moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, which we have loved! I enjoy cooking, baking, sewing, reading, traveling, and learning new things, which always ends up adding to my list of things I enjoy doing. My oldest daughter has Celiac Disease and so I also cook gluten free, which has made me a better cook in every possible way. When she was diagnosed our bishop [congregation leader] told us this would stregthen her and us as a family and it has.

When we were planning the Relief Society birthday party in March we decided to focus on Relief Society history. Since history is one of my loves (I have a degree in it), I was in charge of putting the program together. Lucky for me, one of my sisters also had the same theme for their ward’s Relief Society birthday celebration so she was a lot of help and we bounced a lot of ideas off each other. As I started looking for ideas and at information I found this power point presentation on the History of Relief Society that I found interesting. Then I found this Tribute to Relief Society Skit, where there was a narrator and different sisters would read parts of the past Relief Society General Presidents. I loved a lot about both of these resources, and they formed a foundation the video I made.

I did more research and found other quotes from past presidents and information about them. I, of course, couldn’t fit it all into this video so I talked a little about the added info before starting the video. For example Zina Young was asked by President Brigham Young [second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] to be in charge of the silk production and she HATED it and had nightmares about feeding the worms, yet she still did it. Or that Amy Lyman worked in Hull House with Jane Adams (one the the principal people associated with the US Progressive Movement in the early 20th century) which made her perfect for both General Relief Society President and her later role with the church’s Social Services department.

To round out the video, I remembered President Henry B. Eyring’s talk a couple years ago about the history of Relief Society. I found this so uplifting and strengthened my testimony of the power the Relief Society has had and can have for good. The other talk is Sister Julie B. Beck’s from Oct. 2010 General Relief Society Meeting which I also loved. For both I read the talks and found the quotes I liked and then cut the talks accordingly.

I hope you like it. The process of making this has been such a testimony builder of the love of our Heavenly Father towards his daughters and the power of Relief Society to do good in the world. I think sometimes women in the Church can get too caught up with what we can’t do that we miss all the good we can do. There is a quote by Belle Spafford in the video where she talks about power vs. influence, about which is greater. To her it was influence, and I felt the same. While some of these women lived over a hundred years ago, so much of their influence is felt today in the welfare program of the church, in the Primary, in the Young Women program and in the emphasis’s we choose to place on the family. So many of them could have spoken the same words today and they would have been just as relevant. There are not a lot of people, men or women, that we can say that about.

I was also impressed with how they managed families and in many circumstances started what became grand programs just from seeing a simple need. They were women of great faith who did what their Heavenly Father asked of them and knew when to speak out when something was wrong. They were radical women in getting the vote, and radical women in fighting the Equal Rights Amendment. They were quiet women who grew wheat and quiet women that helped others to read. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed making it and your heart is as touched as mine was by the women of Relief Society and feel pride to be a part of such a wonderful organization.

Please note: Natalie asks that you obtain permission if you want to share this video. A link to this post is fine, but please ask for permission for any other usage. Thank you!

Create.lds.org has announced a video contest. The challenge is to create a 1-minute or shorter video to introduce the site. For complete details, visit create.lds.org. Contest ends February 20.

Help your friends and family discover how to contribute their talents.

Following is a new video from Mormon Messages for Youth, with teachings from Sister Elaine Dalton’s talk “Remember who you are!” including thoughts about true, deep beauty:

[Deep] beauty … cannot be purchased. It [comes] from years of seeking the best gifts, becoming well educated, seeking knowledge by study and also by faith. It [comes] from years of hard work, of faithfully enduring trials with optimism, trust, strength, and courage. It [comes] from her unwavering devotion and fidelity to … husband, … family, and the Lord.

“[D]eep beauty” [is] the kind of beauty that shines from the inside out. It is the kind of beauty that cannot be painted on, surgically created, or purchased. It is the kind of beauty that doesn’t wash off. It is spiritual attractiveness. Deep beauty springs from virtue. It is the beauty of being chaste and morally clean. It is the kind of beauty that you see in the eyes of virtuous women…. It is a beauty that is earned through faith, repentance, and honoring covenants.

A new video has been released on the “Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos website” (BibleVideos.org). In the video “Jesus Teaches about the Widow’s Mites,” Jesus teaches that the widow’s contribution is greater than those who gave of their abundance.

If you want to be notified when new videos are posted (about weekly), you can subscribe at BibleVideos.org. At the bottom of the page, just click the RSS or the e-mail button, depending on how you want to be notified.

A member of the Church has created a YouTube channel Understanding Mormonism, where he has posted several videos that explain Mormon beliefs in a simple, authentic way. You may be interested in sharing these videos with your friends.

First video: Introduction

Blacks and the Priesthood

Mountain Meadows Massacre

A Mormon Talks about Jesus Christ

And then if you have an iPad or an Android tablet you can download a free, interactive app that children might enjoy.

The desire to have and show charity intensifies during the Christmas season. How can we continue to find ways to show charity to others, to watch for those in need? Our challenge to you as we begin a new year is to think and look for ways to continue to serve the poor, to relieve suffering, to cheer a friend, to help a stranger.

We recently told you about the video “The Coat: A Story of Charity,” which is a true story from the childhood of President Heber J. Grant that depicts a young boy giving selflessly to another child in need. (You can watch the video below.)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has also released this story as an interactive app that works on the iPad and Android tablets (but not smartphones).

Over the Christmas holidays, we invite you to try this out with your young children and provide feedback.

Today, we are linking to a variety of Mormon posts, musicians’ works, and videos to finish up our series of pondering the Christmas story. Merry Christmas Eve to all!

The Two Christmas Lists (on LDS Friends): Consider the tradition of gift-giving that began, at least in a sense, with the wise men. This post shows the power of the love of God that can be shown (and felt) in the process of giving (and receiving) gifts.

We Three Kings and What Child is This? — sung by Mormon bloggers and musicians DeNae and Karen

Clap for Joy: Catherine shares beautiful thoughts on the Nativity, including reflections on both the Bible and the Book of Mormon Christmas stories. She also shares some lovely family Christmas traditions, and a scripture Advent (save for next year!)

The Christmas Angel, by Middle-Aged Mormon Man: Middle-aged Mormon Man ponders the role of the angel Gabriel (Noah, the prophet Noah from the Old Testament)

Here’s another blog to bookmark for Christmas Advent ideas for next year. This Mormon woman does a musical advent every year on her blog.

Silent Night by Mormon artists Amy Whitcomb and Jake Justice (with a hat tip to Mormon Soprano for sharing their video)

Wise Men Still Seek Him: New Mormon Messages video, showing three modern-day men who choose to seek and follow Christ in their daily lives through serving others around them. That we all may be so wise.

To make it easier for you to share the new Bible Videos about the Life of Jesus Christ with your friends, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has done the following:

Bible Videos now on More Media Channels

This collection of videos about the life of Jesus Christ was initially available only on the website BibleVideos.lds.org or through the Bible Videos iPad mobile app. The videos have now been added to YouTube, iTunes, Facebook, Mormon Channel, and Roku.

The Mormon Channel on YouTube has a new playlist with the Bible Videos that are currently available. The videos are also on the Mormon Channel website and mobile app, as well as on the Mormon Channel on iTunes and Roku. The new Facebook app lets you watch and share the videos within Facebook.

Share Bible Videos on your Blog or Website

Bible Videos banners and badges have been created for you to upload to your blog or website and link them directly to BibleVideos.lds.org. You can download 8 different banners through the links listed below. The banners come in 3 different sizes and 3 different designs. A web page with these and additional banners, as well as interactive widgets for bloggers, will be available soon.

120 x 240: Christ, Mary and Baby, Joseph and Mary
180 X 180: Christ, Mary and Baby, Joseph and Mary
234 X 60: Christ, Mary and Baby

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~by Michelle

There is nothing about the Nativity story that I don’t love, but as a woman, it’s hard not to be moved in a special way by the stories of Elisabeth and Mary. To me, their stories underscore something I feel very strongly in my heart — that women are so important to God and His plan. I love how these two cousins had their lives and missions intertwine in such a remarkable way. They are such examples of faith. They had both anxiously awaited the Messiah, and willingly did their part in helping bring His mission to pass…as the mothers (respectively) of the forerunner, John the Baptist, and of the Savior Himself.

I love how their stories show that we worship a God of miracles. Their stories testify of angels and revelation from God, and that God knows us personally, by name. They reinforce the truth of the reality of life and existence before birth. They teach us of the importance of marriage and motherhood and family. Their stories also gently remind us that God’s timing and will may not always match our own, but that if we are willing, we can be instruments in His hands to help Him do His work.

And along with all the wonderful lessons their stories teach, I also try to remember them as humans, women with bodies susceptible to all the weakness and weariness of mortality. Pregnancy was a hard, demanding process then, too. (Imagine that process later in life as Elisabeth experienced it!) I try to imagine riding an animal for long distances right before giving birth, too, and giving birth in less-than-ideal (to say the least) circumstances. (I love the thoughts Mormon Soprano shares on this topic in her post, “Mary Went the Distance“)

The following video, in my mind, combines both the wonder of their stories and their humanness in a lovely way. I can only imagine how overwhelming it must have been to have all of these things happening, and to be sharing such sacred and challenging experiences together. Along with their expressions of faith come also evidences of humanness…see how tired Elisabeth appears, and sense how awestruck Mary sounds. This video helps me imagine some of what they must have felt, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I sense a deep gratitude and wonder, even some shock, perhaps. Imagine what it must have been like to play such key roles in the fulfillment of ancient prophecies that they had treasured, studied, anticipated. I also imagine they were needing each other’s support and encouragement as they embarked on their respective missions to raise these sons to and for God.

I’m so grateful for the examples of faith that Mary and Elisabeth left for us. Our individual missions will most likely not be as known to the world, but they — and we — are each known to God. I believe each of us has our own work to do, and most of it, like with Mary and Elisabeth, will be within our own families. I think Mary and Elisabeth are examples of how we can respond when God calls to us in our own lives. Because He will. He does.

OK, I winced a few times during this, but there’s actually some thoughtful points underneath. And the final zinger is priceless.