Be Strong...

"Finally, my [sisters], be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." - Ephesians 6: 10-12

"The war goes on.  It is waged across the world over the issues of agency and compulsion.  It is waged by an army of missionaries over the issues of truth and error.  It is waged in our own lives, day in and day out, in our homes, in our work, in our school associations; it is waged over questions of love and respect, of loyalty and fidelity, of obedience and integrity.  We are all involved in it - [women and girls], each of us.  We are winning, and the future never looked brighter."

- President Gordon B. Hinckley

The war is here, we are fighting it every day.  We know one thing for certain and that is that God's side WILL win.  Girls, I love you!  It's time for camp!!  Come and join us and enlist in God's Army and His cause.  Come and learn how to arm yourselves against the power of the destroyer and leave camp "Battle Ready".  We need an Army to stand up for truth and righteousness in this world.  We need YOU!  

- Love, Sister Landers

Be Still...

When people fight in wars, they take breaks from the fighting so they can regain their strength. Racers and exercise enthusiasts give their muscles breaks so they can build back up. After the Youth Cultural Celebration I bet more than a few of you slept well...But with the battle between ourselves and the world, do we take appropriate "breaks?" Do we turn off electronics, kneel on our knees and refresh our testimonies and replenish our spiritual strength? We need to take time to be still, to quietly build our our inner reserves so we may fight again when needed.

Be still, and know that I am God.

Sister Rhinehart

Stand ye in holy places...

“What you choose to think and do when you are alone and you believe no one is watching is a strong measure of your virtue.”5 Be courageous! Be strong! “Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved.”6

Young [women], I promise the Lord will empower you. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power.”7

- Gary L. Stevenson

Today more than ever you young women have temptations your parents couldn't even have dreamed about.  The technology that you have did not exist when your parents were your age.  You have evil lurking at the touch of a button.  Heaven takes notice of these temptations and records your actions.  When you are alone and know that no one is watching what you do, what do you do?  Be strong girls!!  God needs a powerful army and he is counting on you to help push back the evil in this world.  Stand for what is right!  Even when no one is watching you need to know that unseen beings ARE watching.  You can fight evil by not giving into temptations and choosing goodness.  We are counting on you girls!!  Future generations are counting on you!  I promise you that as you strive to become virtuous you will become a powerful warrior in God's army and that He will be able to bless you with all of the gifts and blessings that are available to you as one of His children.  I love you girls!

-Love Sister Landers

Stay Vigilant

"So, as we enter the final climactic stages of the war against Satan, be sober, my young friends.

Understand that you cannot partake of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco. You cannot participate in

pornography or other immoral activity. You cannot lie, cheat, or steal. You cannot use false,

demeaning, or dirty language. You cannot deface your body with tattoos and other piercings. You

cannot do these things and be victorious in the battle for your own soul, let alone be a valiant warrior in the great struggle for the souls of all the rest of our Father's children."

- Elder James J. Hamula

I love you girls! I feel so PROUD to even get to be associated with you! You really are the Lords elect daughters, and warriors in His army. EVERY SINGLE DAY you will need to fight!!! Satan will NOT stop attacking until Jesus comes and puts an end to it. You cannot stop defending your soul or fighting against evil that is flooding this earth.

A friend of mine was at the ocean with some youth when two of them unknowingly swam into a riptide. Within seconds the riptide began pulling them rapidly out to sea. Less than a minute had passed when my friend noticed, yelled for help, and had trained lifeguards on motorized rescue vessels to save them. It took nearly an hour before the two were safely on the beach. Just a second of not being vigilant...literally unrecognizable to them, and they were in mortal danger. Satan is even more subtle and deadly than the strongest riptide! We must watch, pray and fight for our souls. It will be worth it in the end.
Can't wait to be with you at camp!!!

Love,

Sister Rhinehart

Our Best Defense

"The best defense we have against being fooled by Satan's counterfeits is to be as familiar as possible with truths of the gospel.  The more deeply we know the truth, the easier it will be to spot the differences when Satan presents us with his counterfeits."

- Dennis C. Gaunt  (April 2016 Ensign - Recognizing Satan's Counterfeits)

Having read the scriptures over and over and studied many of its stories, I have learned something valuable in the way that Satan operates.  The scriptures are full of examples of anti-Christs.  They are all different, yet all are similar in some way.  Many times they will use the tactic to tell you partial truths.  They will teach things that will flatter the people and usually they are very good at public speaking and can easily persuade others to listen because of the powerful speech that they use.  For example, in the Book of Mormon, Nehor is an anti-Christ.  In Alma 1:4, Nehor states that the Lord has created all men (TRUE) and that the Lord has also redeemed all men (TRUE) and that all men will have eternal life (LIE).  Nehor tells partial truths to confuse them in order to get them to believe in the lie….it just sounds so good.  Many believed his words and started to pay him money to hear him preach and were led away.  It is important to learn to recognize this tactic in our own lives.  We are surrounded by millions of different influences each day, whether it be news, social media, friends, school, etc.  There are many things that can persuade us one way or another.  Learn to recognize Satan's trick where he will tell a few truths and then mix in a lie.  It's incredible how prominent this tactic is in our culture.  Don't be lured in by his illusions!!  Study the gospel and learn the truth.  You will be able to have the spirit with you as you study the truth and therefore be able to recognize Satan's subtleties and counterfeits.  I love you girls!  Put on your armor!!

- Love, Sister Landers

Knowledge- A powerful tool

Knowledge is a powerful tool we can use to combat Satan, but only if we USE it.  Knowing and doing are two different things.  The Lord has blessed each of us with so many ways that we can obtain knowledge but it is completely up to us whether we get it, and whether we use it.

Here's an example: your mom can tell you not to run in the street. You can say "I know!" But then, if you choose to run in the street anyway, you may get runover! Knowing… Doing… Two different, very important things. Get the knowledge! Apply the knowledge! That is how we will win the war against Satan.

Love Sister Rhinehart

Spiritual counterfeits.. Can you spot them?

"The Book of Mormon is filled with examples of spiritual counterfeiters, who followed Satan's methods of lying and deceiving others for their own gain.  By studying their tricks ad tactics, we begin to notice their mistakes and errors in the same way a trained eye begins to notice the difference between genuine and counterfeit currency.  The more we train our eye to identify the differences, the better prepared we will be to expose the counterfeiters of today and resist their lies."

- Dennis C. Gaunt (April Ensign 2014, Recognizing Satan's Counterfeits)

Girls, it is crucial that you learn to recognize the counterfeits of Satan.  He is the father of all lies.  Satan will tell you one thing and do another, while Jesus Christ will actually do what he says.  Even as an adult I have had to learn to see through counterfeits, especially with friends.  I have had many experiences where I have been betrayed by those who I thought were my friends.  In reality, these individuals were never really my friend, but were using me for their own purposes.  The pain of being betrayed is awful, it hurts on the inside and isn't easy to fix.  I often think of our Savior and how he was betrayed by one of his twelve apostles, Judas Iscariot.  In order to get money, Judas betrayed the Savior by kissing Him on the cheek in front of some of the soldiers so they would know who Jesus was and arrest Him.  How heartbreaking this must have been for our Savior to be betrayed by someone he thought was His friend.  

It is important for us to understand what the atonement of Jesus Christ really is and how it applies to each one of us as daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves us without condition. Christ's atonement is something very personal and powerful.  When we really understand His atonement we will be better equipped to recognize Satan's counterfeits and to stay as far away from them as possible.  Satan's only goal is to drag you down into an endless misery.  

- Love, Sister Landers