Talk given on March 11,
2018
As I was preparing to
give this talk on our heritage as Relief Society members, I imagined what it
would be like to go back in time and be there when the first Relief Society
meeting took place! Imagine that!!
Soon after Joseph Smith
established the Church, he also organized the Relief Society by saying: “The
Church was never perfectly organized until the women were thus organized.” (end
of quote)
He defined the purpose of
the Relief Society and instructed the sisters in their purpose, just as he did
with the priesthood leaders when he taught them their priesthood purpose and
work.
If priesthood leaders need to accomplish
something significant, they can call upon the Relief Society to help them.
Ours is an organization that continues to be
led today by prophets, seers, and revelators. Relief Society is unique because
it was organized after the “pattern of the priesthood”3 Just
like the quorum of elders, the Relief Society is also an essential part of the
Lord’s Church.
In 2007, President Monson
stated the following about the newest called Relief Society General Presidency,
he said: “Sisters: Julie Beck, Silvia Allred, Barbara Thompson Thank heaven for
your dear mothers…to quote William Wallace, that “the hand that rocks the
cradle is the hand that rules the world.” (end of quote)
Silvia Allred’s mother is
my grandmother and she was also a pioneer in her day. She is featured in the
daughters in My kingdom publication. In it we read: “She served them and taught
them to serve one another. The sisters loved and respected her. She helped
other women to discover, use, and develop gifts and talents; she helped them
become builders of the kingdom and of strong, spiritual families. She stayed
faithful to the temple covenants she made. When she passed away, she was at
peace with her Maker.” (Close quote)
I remember how seriously
my grandmother took her calling as the Relief Society President of the first
branch in San Salvador. She was constantly seeking after everything virtuous,
lovely, of good report and praiseworthy, My grandmother had a strong testimony
of the true restored gospel. She trusted the Lord to be her rock, her strength
and her advocate.
President Hinckley said:
“People wonder what we do for our women. I’ll tell you what we do. We get out
of their way and Look with wonder at what they’re accomplishing! “
In that very first
meeting Emma Smith said, “We are going to do something extraordinary” She was
right! The history of Relief Society is filled with examples of ordinary women
who have accomplished extraordinary things as they have exercised faith in Heavenly
Father and Jesus Christ.
President Eyring said:
“In the
years that followed, the Relief Society grew in numbers and in power to serve
those in need. Under the leadership of women of great vision and capacity, the
Relief Society took the lead in starting charitable services which did not
exist on the frontier for those in need.
They created a hospital. That was the
beginning of one of the great hospital systems in the United States.
They began programs which
became over the years the worldwide LDS Family Services.
They created a grain
storage system so effective that they could respond to a request for help from
the federal government in a time of war and crisis.
They began what became
the Primary and what became the organization for young women in the Church.
They created their own
magazine for women. They became one of the largest organizations for women in
the world.
They were also in the
leadership of organizations for women in the United States.
The Relief Society was at
the heart of the beginning of the Church’s power to give humanitarian aid
across the world. Leaders of nations, when they visit Utah, express awe and
admiration for what the Church is doing for the poor and the victims of war and
natural disaster across the world. Those remarkable gifts to the children of
God are part of the enduring legacy of Relief Society. (President Eyring
continues)
The Prophet Joseph Smith told the Relief
Society in their first meetings that such remarkable things would come from
their faithful service. He said that queens would come to learn from and be
part of their service.3 I
have seen that prophecy fulfilled. And I can discern from the records that a
scriptural promise to those who serve the Lord in His work was also granted to
those Relief Society pioneers.” (end of quote)
Over the years, I have
belonged to many clubs and groups of women. There are many benevolent groups of
women who do great good. But the Relief Society is unique and has been from its
start, what sets us apart from every other woman’s group is that everything we
do in Relief Society matters to the Lord because Relief Society is part of the
restoration. A similar organization for women existed in the Church anciently,
just as the Savior invited Mary and Martha of the New Testament times to
participate in His work, women of this dispensation have an official commission
to participate in the Lord’s work. Relief Society was established by the Lord
to organize, teach, and inspired His daughters to prepare for the blessings of
eternal life. We have a vital role to play in helping build the kingdom of God
and preparing for the Lord’s coming.
In 1901 President Lorenzo Snow said: “The members of the
Relief Society have … ministered to those in affliction, they have thrown their
arms of love around the fatherless and the widows, and they have kept
themselves unspotted from the world. I can testify that there are no purer and
more God-fearing women in the world than are to be found within the ranks of
the Relief Society.” (End of quote)
President Monson
expressed his feeling to the Relief Society sisters when he told them: “As in
President Snow’s time, there are, here and now, visits to be made, greetings to
be shared, and hungry souls to be fed. In this spirit, I have felt to provide
each member of the Relief Society throughout the world three goals to meet:
1.
Study diligently. A study of the scriptures will help our testimonies and the
testimonies of our family members. Our children today are growing up surrounded
by voices urging them to abandon that which is right... Unless they have a firm
foundation in the gospel of Jesus Christ, a testimony of the truth, and a
determination to live righteously, they are susceptible to these influences. It
is our responsibility to fortify and protect them.
2.
Pray earnestly. Perhaps there has never been a time when we had greater need to
pray and to teach our family members to pray. Prayer is a defense against
temptation. It is through earnest and heartfelt prayer that we can receive the
needed blessings and the support required to make our way in this sometimes
difficult and challenging journey we call mortality. We can teach the
importance of prayer to our children and grandchildren both by word and by
example.
3.
Serve willingly.” You are a mighty force
for good, one of the most powerful in the entire world. Your influence ranges
far beyond yourself and your home touches others all around the globe. You have
reached out to your brothers and sisters across streets, across cities, across
nations, across continents, across oceans. You personify the Relief Society
motto: “Charity never faileth.” (end of quote)
The part of the
foundation most important to me is that at the center of Relief society is
charity.
Charity is far more than a feeling of
benevolence. Charity is born of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
From the beginning those
great sisters set “charity never faileth”1 at
the center. The history of the Relief Society is filled with accounts of such
remarkable selfless service.
In the terrible days of persecution and
deprivation as the faithful moved across the desert going west, the sisters in
their poverty and sorrows cared for others.
You would weep as I have
when I read the book “Fearless in the Cause” of some very remarkable women in
Church History. You would be touched by their generosity but even more by their
faith which lifted and sustained them.
These women were united
in their testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ and their commitment to it.
They came from a great
diversity of circumstances. All faced the universal trials and heartaches of
life. What sets us apart in Relief Society is that no matter where we are
located around the world we are of one heart, one mind, and with one intention.
We are never released from the sisterhood of the Relief Society no matter what
other calling we have in the Church.
The purposes of Relief
Society are to
1. Increase
faith and personal righteousness.
2. Strengthen
families and homes
3. Serve
the Lord and His children.
Relief Society was
established to help prepare daughters of God for the blessings of eternal life.
Latter-day saint women excel in faith, family and relief. We hold the weekly
meeting on Sundays and all around the world, thousands of groups of sisters
gathered to increase our faith, strengthen our families, and coordinate our
efforts to provide relief.
Our service and the
relief that we offer are a sign that we are the Lord’s disciples and we are
members of His true restored Church. It is a privilege to be part of this
worldwide organization for women, whose name describes what we are meant to do:
Provide relief. That relief effort was further defined by Elder Widtsoe as “
Relief of poverty, relief of illness, relief of doubt, relief of ignorance,
relief of all that hinders the joy and progress of women.” (end of quote)
Our Sunday meetings start
by taking care of essential business that will help us be more unified and
effective in our Relief Society work, then we proceed with a discussion of a
lesson. Just as the sisters in the first Relief Society meetings, we also
receive instruction from prophets and apostles, we study the words of Church
leaders today. What a blessing it is to have correlated resources that teach
doctrine and principles to help us live the gospel in our personal lives and
homes. I am honored to teach every 4th Sunday of the month but much
of the essential Relief Society work we do doesn’t happen in meetings.
Why is that? Because the
bishop, who is the ordained shepherd of the ward, cannot possibly watch over
all the members. He is dependent on inspired visiting teachers and home
teachers to help him. Because we follow the example and teachings of Jesus
Christ, we value this sacred assignment to love, know, serve, understand,
teach, and minister on His behalf.
This is one duty we have
in the Church where we are certain to have the help of the Lord if we ask for
it. This is one responsibility that is certain to increase our faith and
personal righteousness and strengthen our own homes and families as we become
partners with the Lord.
A sister in this Church has no other
responsibility outside of her family that has the potential to do as much good
as does visiting teaching. How grateful I am for all my visiting teachers who,
over the years, have demonstrated their faith as they have served, taught,
strengthened, and cared for me.
I remember at time in my life about 12 years
ago when I was going through a heart wrenching trial when my visiting teacher
came to see me. She asked me if it would be all right for her husband to give
me a blessing so I agreed. All the things that were said in that blessing have
come to pass and it was not a coincidence that she felt inspired to come over
and ask me if I needed a blessing. I remember sister Camila Kimball saying:
“Never suppress a generous thought.” It is our blessing to pray for another
sister and receive inspiration as to how the Lord would have us care for one of
His daughters.
Sister Julie Beck describes a time in her life
saying: “Years ago when I was newly married my parents announced that they
would be moving to another part of the world. One day before she left I sat weeping
with her and asked: Who will be my mother? Mother said to me: ‘if I never come
back, if you never see me again if I am never able to teach you another thing,
you tie yourself to Relief Society. Relief Society will be your mother.” And speaking about the world we live in today
she stated: “In a world of so much confusion where women are bombarded with
false messages about their “true-identity” Popular media figures, acting as
authorities and spokespersons for women regarding their identity and worth.
Those voices offer a counterfeit happiness resulting in misery, and loneliness.”
(end of quote)
In contrast, I will close
with the Relief Society declaration!
We are beloved spirit daughters of God,
And our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction.
As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion
To Jesus Christ, our Savior and exemplar.
We are women of faith, virtue, vision and charity who:
Increase our testimonies of Jesus Christ
Through prayer and scripture study.
Seek spiritual strength by following the
Promptings of the Holy Ghost.
Dedicate ourselves to strengthening
Marriages, families, and homes.
Find nobility in motherhood
And joy of womanhood.
Delight in service and good works.
Love life and learning.
Stand for truth and righteousness.
Sustain the priesthood
As the authority of God on earth.
Rejoice in the blessings of the temple,
Understand our divine destiny,
And strive for exaltation.
In
the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Con amor,
Vero
