If you missed the General Relief Society Meeting, you will want to see it, or read it, in its entirety at www.lds.org. I have to be honest here; I love how they are talking about the history and legacy of the Relief Society. They are making sure we understand that the Relief Society works hand in hand with the Priesthood. That together we have the responsibility of preparing a people for the Lord’s Second Coming; that this is a mighty organization, full of mighty women.
Sis. Beck started her talk on the purposes of Relief Society. There has been some confusion on this point. Each Relief Society Presidency emphasizes a slightly different angle of the purposes of Relief Society. All of the purposes are similar; there are no glaring right or left turns. But Sis. Beck has stated her presidency’s purpose before:
1) Increase faith and personal righteousness
2) Strengthen families and homes
3) Serve the Lord and His children
These are certainly areas we have always understood as important. The Relief Society Declaration gives us quite a bit more detail and reference, but it is basically all the same; but know that that was given to us by a different Presidency. I like the three short, neat points. It’s easy to stay focused.
We now have a new name for our activities: Relief Society Meetings. Does that mean no more Super Saturdays? Enrichments? or Activities? “Should you have questions regarding anything we have taught here after studying this message, please counsel together in your own wards and stakes to discover the solutions you need.” She has laid out the basic plan and allows us now to govern ourselves.
Notice now there will be a “Relief Society Meeting Coordinator”. I’ve often wondered why there was an Enrichment Leader, now I wonder, even more, why there is a Meeting Coordinator. The 2nd Counselor handles all the activities during the week. This is now the focus of Relief Society activity. The Coordinator takes care of the occasional large group gatherings that meet, at least, quarterly. These have turned into a dinner party, with an occasional service project or speaker. I’m not sure how necessary they are anymore. But then there are lots of wards who don’t have very many activities and this is the only place to mingle with one another. It seems to me the Coordinator should help more with the weekly/monthly activities; in creating, attending, and supporting them.
If we go by the three basic guidelines, listed above, there should be no question of our focus. “Using Relief Society meetings appropriately will increase the ability of the Relief Society to work in powerful ways with priesthood leaders in every ward.” Sis. Beck calls Relief Society “serious work”. I know many of us worry about the “fun times” being over, but really, just being together, doing good satisfying work, is fun. Inspiration now has the go ahead to run like a current in each of our wards; all we have to do is tap into it.
Sis. Allred gave us an assignment. “To those of you who already attend Relief Society, we extend a call. We ask you to go to the women who are not engaged in Relief Society work in your wards and branches to teach them with love what Relief Society will do for them.” This would include sisters serving in other auxiliaries, as well as our neighbors, member or non-member, who may need help with their families, or who may enjoy service and serving others. I think when we stopped the monthly meetings we lost a lot of sisters. We need to round everyone up again and engage them in something they will be compelled to make time for. There is strength in numbers, and right now, we all need strength from one another.
“Your attendance at Relief Society Sunday meetings will bless you, but your participation in the work of Relief Society will bless the whole Church.” I think she is talking about two different things here. Sunday meetings of course, but the work of Relief Society is all week long, every day. What is that work we do as sisters? Checking up on one another; serving each other, our families, the world; strengthening and supporting one another; bearing testimony, exemplifying, and teaching one another. I have felt that we try to get that all done on Sunday, because we can’t be bothered doing any of it during the week—“We are all SO busy”. Indeed, we are all busy, but Satan relishes that statement, and being Relief Society sisters, we can’t let him relish anything.
She did say one other thing in her talk I found interesting. “Every husband and father should encourage activity in Relief Society.” In the Salt Lake Valley, both BYU and U of U played football the night of our Relief Society meeting. How many sisters either went to a game, or were stuck at home with the kids, because their husbands went to a game? Someone goofed!
Sis. Thompson talked about three really important things.
1) Believing that we are truly a daughter of God; when good things happen to us, and especially when bad things happen to us.
2) Transitioning between Young Women’s and Relief Society. I still hope someday our General Meeting will include all women both times.
3) Being Valiant in the testimony of Jesus Christ. Being Latter-day Saints, “we must have faith in Him, repent of our sins, be baptized in His name, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and then we must endure faithfully to the end.”
Pres. Eyring talked about the legacy of Relief Society. What are we doing today that will inspire the next generation to carry on? He emphasized Charity. It’s more than benevolence; it’s faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.
I lament that accomplishments of the Relief Society–Hospitals, grain, budgets, etc.–were all taken over by the Priesthood. But instead of stewing over that…being women, we can come up with more inspired accomplishments that will only further the work of the Lord, through charity and faith. Our young women need to prepare themselves to brainstorm new ideas as we face a wicked world, with countless diversions. Their minds are needed. Their righteousness is required. As older sisters continue teaching younger sisters, our sisterhood will move forward with new creative and inspired direction.
There is a lot to consider in each of these talks. I hope we will all pray to receive inspiration from them.