I just got this email, and I'd rather stab myself in the eye with a sharp pencil than go to either of these. I'm betting someone in leadership has an essential oil MLM business. Gag!!
I guess I can feel lucky that I have no idea what the Come Unto Christ program is. Freedom feels awesome!!
<<<<<Dear sisters, A Relief Society activity is tonight at 7pm at the church. We will be learning about amazing essential oils that have many health uses and get some beauty tips as well.
Also, just a heads up that in May we will be having an activity where we will discuss experiences we have had while working on the Come unto Christ program, so hopefully we're all working on it. If it seems overwhelming, just look at it a little more closely. It is simply doing the things we need to be doing already.>>>>>
I bet they would especially appreciate the edifying and enlightenment they would receive if you brought along the approved missionary positions: http://mormonmissionarypositions.com/
That does sound like an MLM sales presentation. Does that sort of thing happen a lot at RS activities these days? Doesn't the Church try to crack down on that sort of thing?
That's what I thought, too. I'm not curious enough to find out. A while back, one of the gals in our ward who has some kooky health beliefs was presenting. I've already heard her theories, and asked her for scientific studies regarding them, to no avail. I had NO desire to sit through an hour of unfounded theories.
...I use essential oils in my home and I love them.
We only use vinegar to clean with, and I'm actually contemplating making my own laundry detergent from a link I found on pinterest...
But essential oils add lovely fragrance to our home, laundry, etc. I don't think they are magical or anything, but I love them. I have a lot of allergies, both scents and contact allergies, so I have been using fragrance free products for a long time. Not only that, but one of my best friends has her PhD in chemical engineering, and she wouldn't allow things like Glade or Downy in her home for anything. They just aren't good for us.
With all that being said, there's really nothing you can't learn about essential oils in a 10 minute google search, so the RS activity does sound like it would suck balls.
I'm not against essential oils at all, but the MLM ones are so expensive. I make my own laundry soap and I have for over a year. It runs me about $10/year!!
There are a million recipes out there. I really like this site. This link is for a dry laundry soap. If you run a search on this site, there is a "cook" and "no cook" recipe for liquid laundry soap. And a million other DIY recipes and ideas.
A stay-at-home dad in my ward just starting selling essential oils. He spent 3 days in......yes, Utah, where the business is based. My bet, someone from that co. in your ward volunteered to share her wonderful discoveries of oil. And in case you too, want the wonderful quality of life they bring, she conveniently can supply you.
On facebook a relative of mine mentions using those oils and how they improve her life. They help her sleep, they helped her dog heal from surgery, blah, blah, blah. I roll my eyes because I thought she was smarter than that. They also don't seem to have kept her two adorable children from getting some really weird diseases. Kids are fine now, but they have gotten some things I'd never heard of before.
When people start preaching on and on about how wonderful things like that are, I start seeing red flags. My Dad used to be into some kind of vitamin drink that sounded like an MLM thing, too. The stuff certainly wasn't making him feel better and at one point his doctor told him to quit using it.
I just got an email from RS. Here's what I'll be missing this weekend:
"Subject: exciting news for Saturday!
Hello my dear sisters,
Hey, the Relief Society has been asked to clean our beautiful chapel this Saturday morning. I know we have a ward activity at 10 and this would make for a very busy morning. We would start at 8am and hopefully be done by 9:30, depending on how many sisters we have. The Relief Society was in charge of cleaning a few months ago, and we really had a good time. It is fun to serve with sisters and a great way to get to know some sisters that you wouldn't have normally crossed paths with.
So please come and serve the Lord by cleaning His building. I would rather not have to do this alone. This is a great way to get your kids to do a service project too! I'll be bringing my boys to help.
So let me know if you are able to come so I'm not panicking Sat am!
Thanks Ladies!"
All the righteous cleaning fun I'm missing out on!
My wife is responsible for organizing RS activities. She doesn't like putting them together, and it doesn't sound like many people like to attend. In sum, a couple people get callings where they fell obligated to organize activities they don't enjoy so that others feel obligated to attend activities they don't enjoy. I suggested canceling RS activities so everyone would be happier, but my suggestion wasn't received very well.
Back in the day, like a long time ago, they had daytime relief society and it seemed like they did a lot of fun things. Crafts, lunch, etc. Women started working and church moved to three hour blocks so I guess that's why that kind of thing went away. I can imagine that no one wants to go to relief society on a week night after they've been at work all day and have children and other things to attend to.
Yeah, it made more sense back in the day. Just another case of the "brethren" being out of step with the times.
I remember two friends and I planned a "mini" class for R.S. We taught them car maintenance..how to clean the battery posts, jump start a car, change the oil, and change a tire. We adjourned to the church parking lot to give them hands-on practice.
Oh, the raised eyebrows! Kathy and Cindy, if you ever see this, I want you to know that was one R.S. class I won't forget.
GIRLS aren't 'sposed to fix cars! They are supposed to look helpless, wring their hands and maybe twist their ruffled apron a bit, and then toss their curls and stamp their little foot in a dainty way and ask the big strong superior man to do it!
Fixing cars is UNFEMININE! Helen Andelin said so! After all, you DO want to be FASCINATING,don't you?
I was in a ward once where we actual did some fun activities. The problem was that they had them all during the day on weekdays, with no nursery provided and they always made sure to put "no kids allowed" on the flyers. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense when most of the sisters had little kids at home.