I was asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting a little bit about the new church manual "Daughters in My Kingdom - The History and Work of Relief Society". This book will be available to the sisters in just a short time.
Sis. Beck said of the R.S. History "It was an impressive record of the Lord's dealings with His daughters and His expectations for them. Through our study and the inspiration that came with that effort, we came to know that purpose of Relief Society. We learned that in our preparation for the blessings of eternal life, the Lord wanted His daughters to increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek out and help those in need. As sisters today prayerfully read their history, they will receive insights, answers, and inspiration just as we did."
The history of Relief Society reals a long line of strong, righteous, faithful, and dedicated women. Sis Beck said "Our hope is that as we study the history and work of Relief Society we will see how our Heavenly Father helped sisters in the past. As we learn how He helped them, we will gain a testimony that He will also help us today. We will learn that if, through the Holy Ghost, God could guide a woman more than a hundred years ago, He can do the same for women in our day."
I. Increase Faith and Personal Righteousness
"Our History teaches us that strong faith is a propelling and stabilizing force in the lives of righteous women. Faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ not only heals us, but it also enables us to do difficult things and live in an exemplary way. Our history teaches us that charity, the pure love of Christ which never fails, has help women endure beautifully through some very difficult trials. We increase our faith and personal righteousness when we make choice to align our will with God's will."
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Eliza R. Snow - "Through different seasons in her life, she struggled with poor health and loneliness, However, she was strengthened as she was able to receive and act on personal revelation. To her, personal revelations and the constant companionship of the Spirit were like a fountain. She said "And is it not our privilege to so live that we can have this constantly flowing into our souls?" She also taught that individual women could receive inspiration to guide them in their personal live, their families, and their church responsibilities. Her inspired instruction helped Relief Society sisters face the trials of their day. She taught that if they would continually seek guidance and comfort from the Holy Ghost, they could enjoy peace even in the midst of adversity."
How true is that in today's world - personal revelation and the power of the Holy Ghost can us with our trials.
II. Strengthen Families and Homes
"As our presidency has traveled throughout the world, we have been in the homes of the sisters. We have seen their struggles and know that heartbreaking troubles they deal with. Many sisters feel overwhelmed. Some of them find it hard to make time for daily prayer and scripture study and to do the things that will help them feel the Spirit in their lives. We live in increasingly challenging times and are surrounded by beliefs and practices that could detract us from our eternal goal. Because we as women have great influence on those around us, we must do all we can to keep ourselves spiritually strong. Our Relief Society helps us focus on what is important and prioritize what we do."
Mary Fielding Smith - mother of Joseph Fielding Smith - "I can remember my mother in the days of Nauvoo. I remember seeing her and her helpless children hustled into a flat boat with such things as she could carry out of the house at the commencement of the bombardment of the city of Nauvoo by the mob. I remember the hardships of the Church there and on the way to Winter Quarters, on the Missouri river and how she prayed for her children and family on her wearisome journey. My mother said "The Lord will open the way but how He would open the way no one knew." I was a little boy then, and I drove team and did my share of the work. I remember coming upon her in secret prayer to God to enable her to accomplish her mission."
He remembered this incident and the powerful impact it had on his life. Her home was constantly being moved, but it was strengthened through prayer and faith.
Barbara B. Smith - "In the decades following World War II, negative influences on families and homes escalated. When President Spencer W. Kimball, the twelfth President of the Church, set apart Sister Barbara B. Smith to serve as the tenth Relief Society general president, Sister Smith felt "a profound impressions of her responsibility...to defend the home." Her message was "Hold your heads high, you wives, mothers, homemakers.. You engender life and enrich it. Don't trade that pervasive force for fleeting,surface trinkets. Cherish it, enlarge it, magnify it. You hold a mighty office."
Attacks on the sanctity of motherhood and the family have increased since the days of Sister Smith's presidency. But with faith in God and an understanding of the eternal significance of their responsibilities, Relief Society sisters of all ages continue to uphold and defend truths that strengthen homes and families. They guard the sanctity of the family in many different roles, as mothers and grandmothers, as daughters and sisters as aunts and as teachers and leader in the Church. Whenever a woman strengthens the faith of a child, she contributes to the strength of a family now and in the future."
What a powerful message Sis. Smith gave and how we can use that message today to strengthen our homes and families in any capacity that we can. May we be good mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, teachers, and leaders and build the kingdom of God in this negative world. Be a light!
In 1995 , President Hinckley announced the Family Proclamation at a General Relief Society Meeting. What a powerful and needed document! What a blessing in our life!
III. Seek out and help those in need
"Our History is rich with role models of sisters who embraced the charte to "relieve the poor"and to "serve souls".
Lucy Meserve Smith - At the 1856 General Conference, President Brigham Young announced that handcart pioneers were stranded hundreds of miles away and needed their help. The Relief Society sisters gathered everything that they could spare and pile them in a wagon to send to the Saints. "They continued to gather bedding and clothing for Saints who would arrive with only a few belongings in small handcarts. Sister Smith wrote "We did all we could, with the aid of the good brethren and sisters, to comfort the needy as they came in with handcarts late in the fall. As our society was short of funds then, we could not do much, but the four bishops could hardly carry the bedding and other clothing we got together the first time we met. These Relief Society Sisters manifested charity "the pure love of Christ" as they donated their petticoats and pieced quilts to save freezing, starving Saints whom they had never met. They found great joy in this service. After they had done all they could to help the handcart pioneers, they continued to help others. Lucy Meserve Smith's words expressed the feelings of their hearts. "What comes next for willing hands to do? This question epitomized the goodness of Relief Society women - then and now"
Cathie Humphrey - "Visiting teaching is a ongoing assignment, it is never really completed. Visiting teachers often are required to sacrifice and rise above discouragement. This is especially true when their efforts seems to be going nowhere, as in the story of Cathie Humphrey." When I was first called to be a visiting teacher, I was assigned a young woman who never came to church...I faithfully went every month and knocked on her door. She would open the inside door but leave the screen door shut...She would not say anything. She would just stand there. I would look cheerful and say "Hi, I'm Cathie, your visiting teacher." And as she would say nothing, I would say, "well, our lesson today is on ..." and try briefly to say something uplifting and friendly. When I was through, she would say "Thank you" and shut the door. "I did not like going there...But I went because I wanted to be obedient. After about seven of eight months of this, I got a phone call from the bishop. "Cathie," he said, the young woman that you visit teach just had a baby who lived only a few day. She and her husband are going to have a graveside service, and she asked me to see if you would come and be there with her. She said you are her only friend." I went to the cemetery. The young woman, her husband, the bishop, and I were at the graveside. That was all. I had seen her only once a month for a few minutes at a time. I hadn't even been able to tell through the screen door that she was expecting a baby, yet my inept but hopeful visiting had blessed us both."
Sometime we are asked to give all we can like the Saints in 1856. Sometimes we are asked to give jusst 15 minutes a month. Service has such a great impact on others.
The Relief Society has always worked with the Priesthood "The Lord has important work for His sons and His daughters. Priesthood quorums and Relief Societies do the :Lord's work. The prophet Joseph Smith said, "I will organize the women under the priesthood after the pattern of the priesthood"
Why study the Relief Society? - "We learn that Relief Society sisters in the past faced difficult time, but today we are also battling a determined enemy who wants to destroy our faith and families and leave us alone and suffering. Our Relief Society history provide us context for everything we do. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Savior gave women of the dispense nation a call to help carry out His work."
I'm so grateful for the R.S. impact on my life. I've been blessed all my life through the benefits of R.S. My mother was blessed through her membership which benefited my life greatly. Wonderful organization that has blessed my life. Thanks to all the Relief Society sisters who served in Primary, YW, Sunday School, Scouting, etc. that have been an influence on my children.
