God's Army Lesson Submitted June 2003 by Deb Cox

Purpose: To Unite the Relief Society Sisters and Young women and to stress the importance of Home, Family and Personal Enrichment as the program to help strengthen women and families. As the sisters were arriving, we welcomed them by Enlisting them into "God's Royal Army ... Lindon 3rd Ward" and gave each of them dog tags with those words stamped on them. (We had a rubber stamp made at a local stamp and trophy business and then stamped the words, with permanent black ink, on the dog tags. Open with Hymn: "We Are All Enlisted" Opening Prayer: After Prayer, RS presidency marched into room. We were wearing kacky-brown T-Shirts (imprinted with "God's Army" on the chest), skirts & army hat. As we were marching into the room, we were reciting this cadence: We are women of 3rd Ward - President    We are women of 3rd Ward - counselors & secretary We are women who love the Lord. - President    We are women who love the Lord - counselors & secretary We will fight with all our might - President    We will fight with all our might - counselors & secretary To bring families unto Christ. - President    To bring families unto Christ. - counselors & Secretary Sound Off - President .....one, two - counselors & secretary Sound Off - President ....three, four - counselors & secretary Sound Off - President ...one, two......... three, four. - counselors & secretary Stand at attention. RS President then told counselors and secretary to be at ease and they took their seats. RS President then welcomed the sisters and Young Women to Relief Society. She then took 10 minutes to discuss that because we are Latter-day Saint women, our Savior has enlisted us and we have made a covenant to Him to strengthen, nurture, heal and teach within God's Army. God has provided BASIC TRAINING for women..... Relief Society.  A place where we can learn and be supported in our enlistment.  (She concentrated more on purpose of RS...not the programs, they were discussed by counselors.) 1st Counselor spoke for 10 min. on the purposes of other RS Programs such as 1) Sunday, RS meetings where we are taught spiritual concepts 2) Visiting Teaching 3) Compassionate Service - She let people know who our Compassionate Service leaders are and what service they provide 4) Humanitarian - Let people know who our Humanitarian Leader is and the purpose of this program. Home, Family and Personal Enrichment (HFPE) Counselor spoke for 10 min. on the purpose of HFPE. (This was my part) I told the sisters that the other talks were very sweet but now they had me and I was in charge of BOOT CAMP.   I walked through the sisters noticing that some were quite young...we would have a lot of work to do with them and then acknowledged that there were several "experienced enlistees" (I picked older sisters who would know that I was kidding about their ages) and that there was still a need for them in this army.  Then I told them that they were not drafted...they enlisted in the pre-existence and they knew what they would be expected to do as women, wives and mothers. I asked them to tell me some things that we have been commanded to do as women, wives & mothers and future wives & mothers (Young Women). These responses I put on the chalk board such as Family Home Evening, prayer, preparedness, scriptures, etc. After we had the list, I asked them that if the Lord has commanded us as women to do these things, does He expect us to instinctively know how to accomplish the things which he has commanded?  If He has promised to provide a way, and He will always keep his promises, what has He done to provide a way to accomplish those things? I then told them that every commandment that we wrote on the board is what Home, Family and Personal Enrichment has or will address in our year-long theme of "A Season to Strengthen" such as the importance of Family Home Evening....we will be focusing on this issue for 3 months in our "Season to Strengthen the Family" this summer.   If we are to become a "BELIEVING" member of the Church as our prophet has asked, we must believe that His programs have a purpose....HFPE has a purpose for us as women and mothers. Where else can YW and women have and learn mortal experiences based on an eternal perspective than at Home, Family and Personal Enrichment meetings? President Hacking (my Stake President) just told us at a Stake Meeting that the souls of our families are in dire jeopardy. Now, more than ever, we, as women must draw from every resource the Lord has provided to strengthen, nourish, heal and teach all of God's children. HFPE is for this purpose and we promised, as their RS presidency, that every month Enrichment meeting will be planned with this purpose in mind. I challenged them to bring their Young Women daughters to HFPE Tuesday night (we were combining with YW this month) and show them that they support Relief Society. I expressed that Satan knows the future of the world is the family and if he can destroy or side-track the heart of the family - A WOMAN and MOTHER - (especially in a woman's youth) he has a better chance of taking down an entire generation of souls.  Never has Satan been so cunning.  Let us unite as sisters in the Lindon 3rd Ward Relief Society. Let us love one another and support one another.  Let us older sisters give wisdom to younger sisters....let younger sisters give laughter, love of life and acceptance to older sisters.  We are Sisters in Zion and Daughters of God enlisted in the greatest army of all.....God's Army.  Join us as we reinforce that message in song. We ended the meeting by our choir leader having us all come to the front as a choir with the YW mixed between the RS sisters (they knew the song) and we sang the choir rendition of As Sisters in Zion/Army of Helaman (with an emphasis on the last phrases of the song which says "We are as the armies of Helaman"...sang louder & with strength). After the song, we stayed standing side by side as the closing prayer was given. The Bishop met each of the women & YW at the door as they left and gave them their Deployment Orders. This was a letter the Bishop had written to the sisters about his love for them and his testimony and support of HFPE, challenging them to go forward and learn all they can to strengthen the Army of God. (I had gotten the letter from the Bishop prior, copied it onto Yellow paper with the RS seal on the top and rolled it up, tieing it with a royal blue ribbon.) Bishop's "Deployment Orders" Official Deployment Orders By Order of the General Date: May 11, 2003 Regarding: Deployment Orders God's Royal Army, Lindon Third Ward Sisters Dear Sister, You live in the greatest period in the history of the world. Many of Heavenly Father's most valiant children have been held in reserve to come to earth at this time. Satan knows them and is working harder than ever to deceive them. Satan is cunning and is attacking our youth on so many different fronts. Our youth live in perilous times. Whether you are a mother, grandmother or future mother, the Lord has entrusted in you the grand and noble responsibility to love, nurture, and teach these spirits and help draw them to Jesus Christ. You are hereby called to prepare yourself for these glorious responsibilities by personally participating in the programs the Lord has established to strengthen you and, through you, strengthen your family. When making the announcement that the name of Homemaking meeting was being changed to Home, Family and Personal Enrichment meeting, Sister Virginia U. Jensen of the General Relief Society Presidency said: "The purpose of the new name is to clearly communicate what this important midweek meeting of the Relief Society is designed to accomplish. The further purpose of the new name is to help each of us refocus our attention on strengthening ourselves and then, with that increased strength, build our family members, friends, neighbors, and community so that each may be brought closer to our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. During the 15-minute lesson portion of this meeting, teachers will present a spiritual topic. During the 60-90 minute activity portion, we will learn practical skills based on the spiritual topic. This meeting would enrich and bless each of our lives." Home, Family and Personal Enrichment meetings provide a flexible format that enables our Relief Society presidency to respond to the needs of our ward members. The topics taught at these meetings are vital to your personal and spiritual growth and will help you develop an ability to strengthen your immediate and extended family and other loved ones.  We invite you to make every effort to attend each month. Sister Jensen promised, "As we catch the vision and the excitement of Home, Family and Personal Enrichment meeting and act out of the resultant enthusiasm, we will grow in testimony and spiritual strength. We will come closer to our Savior and know how to build homes where He can dwell." We promise you that you will be spiritually strengthened and the Lord will pour out His blessings more abundantly as you participate in this inspired program. Yours Faithfully, Bishop Hansen Back to Lessons Directory