Thoughts, ideas, and messages from leaders, teachers, and members of the Pheasant Valley Ward to support home-centered discipleship.
All members are encouraged to attend in-person to partake of the emblems of the sacrament. If you are unable to attend in-person, please reach out to Bishop Wilson to discuss arrangements for you to partake of the sacrament at home.
As a reminder, this is the link for the sacrament meeting broadcast:
12:00 pm - https://www.youtube.com/@pheasantvalleybishopric9636/streams
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!
Celebrate America with Family Search and Springville Public Library: Monday nights in May and June. See flyer below.
Seminary Graduation: May 17th 4 pm at the stake center.
Save the date: Stake YM camp June 25-27 , Stake YW camp July 13-16
Help Bring Comfort to Children: The Dry Creek Stake Girls Camp is collecting materials to make fleece and quilt blankets for children in hospitals and hospice care.
We need:
• Fleece (≈2 yards)
• Cotton fabric (≈40" x 50")
• Quilt batting
• Yarn (bulky/medium)
• Quilting needles & safety pins
Drop off by: May 30
Location: 834 Matteoa Ln
Questions: Jillian Neel (801-472-2336)
Every donation helps create something warm, comforting, and full of love. Thank you for supporting this meaningful project!
Ward Choir Rehearsal: we will be meeting each Sunday at 10am at the Arrington's house. We welcome all voices, but are especially in need of men.
Skills Survey: We are looking for ward members to share skills, talents, hobbies, or experiences they would be willing to share with the kids in Activity Days: https://forms.gle/i435CgxpqZXYXDbz6
Ward Musical Talent Survey: If you have any musical talents you would be willing to share with the ward, please fill out this survey: https://forms.gle/c1xuVmD68AJ7Lya47 Youth are encouraged to fill this survey out as well.
Please download and install the Gospel Living App. The Circles feature is a communications tool.
Ward Temple Night: 3rd Saturday of every month, the 6 pm session.
Missionary and Service Opportunities:
We are seeking volunteers (age 16+) to assist in the Springville Family Search Center one afternoon or evening a month. (No experience necessary - will train.) For info, e-mail: 2serveutah@gmail.com
The Utah Salt Lake City Mission presidency has produced a video describing who and how Senior Service Missionaries serve in their mission. See https://youtu.be/IA74YQHLhYQ
Stonehenge Sacrament Meeting: will still be at 3 pm. Please feel free to invite your family members to attend and support our local residents and ward members.
2026 Meeting Schedule: Our regular Sunday meetings are from 12:00 - 2:00.
Come Follow Me Manual: If you would like a physical copy of the 2026 Come Follow Me manual, please contact a member of the bishopric. One per family.
Spanish-language Temple Session: A Spanish-language session in the Provo City Center Temple is held at 10:00 am every Saturday.
Gospel Living App: All adult members are encouraged to use the Gospel Living App (churchofjesuschrist.org) (also known as “Circles”) to stay connected to the ward and to keep abreast of what is going on. There are other benefits as well. The Gospel Living app focuses on living a Christ-centered life. You’ll discover inspiring content like music, videos, images, activities, and goal ideas. And you can create personal goals, plan activities, set reminders, record your impressions, or message your quorum, class, friends, and family.
Temple Recommends & Setting Apart: if you are in need of a temple recommend or have yet to be set apart for your calling, we encourage you to meet by the Bishop's office (southeast corner of the meetinghouse) after the 2nd hour and speak with a member of the Bishopric. Temple recommend interviews can also be scheduled for Sunday afternoons by contacting Max Gerasymenko (see information below).
Appointments with the Bishop: if you need to schedule an appointment with the bishop, please contact Max Gerasymenko, our ward executive secretary, at 321-978-8734.
Sunday Worship: all members are encouraged to attend in-person to partake of the emblems of the sacrament. If you are unable to attend in-person, please reach out to the bishop to discuss arrangements for you to partake of the sacrament at home.
As a reminder, this is the link for the sacrament meeting broadcast:
12:00 pm - https://www.youtube.com/@pheasantvalleybishopric9636/streams
This week’s Come Follow Me: May 11–17. “Beware Lest Thou Forget the Lord”: Deuteronomy 6–8; 15; 18; 29–30; 34
Click to view the 2026 calendar.
(Some thoughts from 2015)
A mother cradles her newborn in her arms and sings the babe a lullaby—a beautiful, iconic image of maternal love. We think of a lullaby as a quiet song meant to lull and soothe a child to sleep, but the word may have a much darker, and conversely, profoundly beautiful origin.
A common theory for the etymology or origin of the word “lullaby” is that it is derived from the Hebrew Lilla abi or Lilith abi, which means literally, “Lilith, go away!” In Jewish tradition, Lilith was the mother of all vampires. It was believed that Lilith or one of her children would come unseen while a newborn was sleeping and kiss the child and steal him or her away. A female infant was vulnerable until she was fourteen days old. A male infant was vulnerable until he was circumcised at eight days old. So a mother would sing to her child until it slept, and then she would keep watch over it carefully, in spite of the fact that she was exhausted after the life-threatening ordeal of childbirth. And as she kept watch, if her baby smiled in its sleep, the mother would tap the child on the lips to wake him or her up. It was believed that if the child smiled as it slept, Lilith was kissing it. So the mother would wake the child, driving Lilith away, and then sing to her child once again. In this way, the mother stood guard over her baby, protecting it from the unseen forces of evil.
That’s what a mother does, doesn’t she? She stands watch, protecting as best she can her children from the evils of the world, both seen and unseen. And she does so in spite of exhaustion, pain, heartache, sickness, fear, doubt, and personal danger.
A mother isn’t perfect. Sometimes, she dozes off. Sometimes, she cannot see all the threats her children face. Sometimes, she lets exhaustion, despair, hormones, and other human frailties momentarily overcome her patience. But she selflessly stands guard with all the love she possesses.
My own dear mother isn’t perfect, neither is my dear wife. But our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother don’t send Their children to perfect mothers. I believe this is by divine design. Our Heavenly Parents allow imperfect mothers and innocent children to grow together. And then, when children are grown, a mother continues to worry, pray, and shed tears for her children. And she continues to beat herself up for her failures.
Young children cannot comprehend the enormous sacrifice of a loving mother. Even adult children fail to see how much their mothers have done and continue to do for them. It is only as a parent of grown children, some of whom have temporarily lost their way to one degree or another, that I can begin to understand all that my mother and my wife have given to guide and protect their children.
They stood guard in the lonely, dark, exhaustive, thankless, doubt-ridden, and tearful watches of the night. And for that, I am profoundly grateful.