Relief Society Birthday Field trip 2012....

 We celebrated the birthday of  Relief Society
 by going to the "This is the place Heritage park".
  Historic interpreters in period dress
 related stories of 4 Utah pioneer Sisters,
 and their struggles to come and settle here in the Valley.

*

One such Sister was Emily Hill
who wrote the words to "Sisters in Zion" 
In 1856, Julia and Emily Hill, sisters who had joined the Church
 as teenagers in England and been disowned by their family,
 had finally earned passage for their way to America
 and had almost reached their longed-for Zion.
 They were crossing the American plains
 with the Willie handcart company when they
 and many others were stranded on the trail by an early October storm.

 Without each other, these women probably would
 not have lived. In addition, they helped others survive this devastating portion of the journey, including a young mother and her children.

Those who survived were comforted in their
 suffering by their testimonies
 of Jesus Christ, and their love for each other as sisters.

 It was Emily Hill Woodmansee who later wrote
 the beautiful words to the song "As Sisters in Zion."
 The verse "We'll comfort the weary and strengthen the weak"
 takes on new meaning when you imagine
 her experience on the snow-packed plains.

Many of us will not survive our tests in mortality
  without help from others, and as we reach out
 to extend a helping hand we keep our own spirits alive.

As we go through our trials, just like Emily
 we needn’t perish on the windswept summit alone.
 Though we may feel abandoned, we are not.
 The Savior is near, and our brothers and sisters in the gospel
 are near as well. Perhaps we can even do as Emily did and lift another,
 even though we ourselves are suffering.
 When we do this, our brothers and sisters
 become as important as ourselves.
 We become sanctified—made clean and holy through our service.
 We become more like our Savior

As sisters in Zion, we’ll all work together
The blessings of God on our labors we’ll seek
We’ll build up the kingdom with earnest endeavor
We’ll comfort the weary and strengthen the weak
*

The errand of angels was given to women
And this is a gift that, as sisters, we claim
To do whatsoever is gentle and human
To cheer and to bless in humanity’s name
*

How vast is our purpose, how broad is our mission
If we but fulfill it in spirit and deed
Oh, naught but the Spirit’s divinest tuition
Can give us the wisdom to truly succeed.

*
One of the presenters said we often times think and say "How did
the pioneers do what they did? I could never have done it
 to which she replied
 of course you could"
*

We were counseled  to leave behind something
 for our posterity, that

would strengthen them and help their Testimonies
 grow by sharing our trials with them.

We were also reminded that those faithful sisters
 who have gone ahead of us, and whom we admire
 as valiant pioneers are cheering us on.
That they know our names, and think we are pioneers
 in our day to endure the many trials we face in a modern society.
*

Our evening together helped us find inspiration
 from the past and feel peace as we face the future, of our own frozen rivers.

We were each given this little card with a covered wagon

charm.

with the words:

Every sorrow endured,

every fear conquered,

every challenge faced

made my for bearers who they were

and made me who I am.
*
We ended the evening with yummy cookies that were provided for us.