And what If?

Thought of the week 

 

From the kitchen window in Nauvoo Sarah Kimball watched the Nauvoo Temple being built. Sarah wanted to help in the building process and because of her wish to help with the temple, the idea of the Relief Society was born. 

During this time, Sarah Kimball and Margaret Cook wanted to establish a sewing society to help out the people working on the temple so they asked Eliza R. Snow to write a set of bylaws for their society and took them to Joseph Smith and presented them to him and asked if they were appropriate and good and he said, “they are wonderful” but he said, “Meet together with your group of women on the top floor of my red brick store on March 17^th and I have something better for you.” Twenty women were present that day among those women was Emma Smith who was sustained to be the first Relief Society President. He told the women in that meeting that the Church was never perfectly organized until the women were thus organized and Eliza who was taken minutes of these meetings remembered that he said: “Although the name may be of modern date, the institution is of ancient origin. 

We were told by our martyred prophet that the same organization existed in the Church anciently.” Joseph Smith met with the sisters within those first weeks and months of the Relief Society of Nauvoo and he was teaching them what they should do but the important thing is that they were established under the authority of the priesthood. They had a president called who had counselors so they were organized after the pattern of the priesthood and they were given authority and blessings of the priesthood. One of their assignments was in helping the poor and to assist by correcting the morals and strengthening the virtues of the female community so they had a great opportunity of influence in Nauvoo and they thought they were only going to build a temple by sewing. 

Joseph Smith said: “This society is to get instruction through the order which God has established through the medium of those appointed to lead and I now turn the key to you in the name of God and this Society shall rejoice and knowledge and intelligence shall flow down from this time. this is the beginning of better days to this society.” This is clear example of how women are part of this work. Women and men in Nauvoo were building physically side by side and spiritually building up the Saints. Today is the same things, The Relief Society has a mandate to save souls to lead the women of the world, to strengthen the homes of Zion, and to build the kingdom of God. Today over 7 million women, in over 188 countries belong to the Relief Society. Jean B. Bingham is the General President. 

Con amor,

Vero