A Brief History of Relief Society Meetings


This morning I woke up in the middle of dreaming that I was telling people about how monthly Relief Society meetings had evolved. Weird, huh?! But, weirder still, I found a way this dream can apply to this week’s General Conference Odyssey report.

In October 1988, Neal A. Maxwell spoke on how Jesus Christ can demand an answer from us, specifically on how well we see ourselves living His gospel. In turn, Maxwell asks his own questions to help us “consider our ways.” He asks, “Why is our life-style sometimes blurred and out of focus when we have been told clearly what manner of men and women we ought to be?”

How does this apply to the monthly Relief Society meetings, you ask? You’ll see at the end of this post.

 

Work Meetings

By the time the Saints first settled in the Salt Lake Valley, Relief Society had been disbanded. Yet, sisters like to get together, right? Little by little, groups of women got together to perform various acts of service. They made clothes for the Indians, rugs for the temples, and quilts for one another.

Brigham Young finally assigned Eliza R. Snow the task of formally organizing the women. The Relief Societies built their own buildings next to the chapels. Then held meetings upstairs and ran mercantile stores on the main level. Their meetings were spiritual gatherings as well as work gatherings. Eventually, they began holding Work Meetings on a regular basis. This was where they sewed together, discussed cultivation, harvest, and selling their wheat (read about the wheat project here), and they even rallied to “get the vote” for women.

As wars affected the United States, Relief Societies began wrapping bandages, learning how to care for returning soldiers, and finding ways to uplift one another through those bleak years. Work meetings continued to evolve according to needs. Sisters supported those who went back east to study medicine. They improved sanitation, and canned large amounts of food for future use.

 

Homemaking Meeting

After the second World War, to cheer the women, it was encouraged that every woman focus on beautifying her home. So much had been sacrificed, as people went without for so long. Work meetings became Homemaking meetings. Relief Society sisters began beautifying their homes. Over the years, crafts became the main activity for Relief Society sisters. Relief Society became famous for holding bazaars where crafts and foods were sold. Money was often collected so Relief Societies could purchase materials for service projects.

 

Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment Meeting

Within the last ten years, Homemaking has gone through many changes and even many name changes. Julie B. Beck encouraged sisters to think about the destiny of Relief Society. Crafts were discouraged and sisters were encouraged to study the history of the church and the scriptures more. We were meant to enrich our lives with knowledge and testimony. The name Homemaking became Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment. Instead of meeting on a monthly basis, sisters were invited to meet on a quarterly basis, and begin having smaller and more casual group meetings, according to the interests of sisters.

Because crafts were discouraged, sisters had a difficult time coming up with activities to entertain one another. Dinner parties became popular and game nights seemed to bring sisters out.  

Relief Society Meeting

Fairly recently, our Relief Society General leaders made another change. Instead of calling this “quarterly” meeting Home, Family, Personal Enrichment (which was shortened to Enrichment), it was now to be called simply “Relief Society meetings.” No fancy, or hard to remember, name.  

For many years, Handbook 2 (9.4.2.2) has offered suggestions on how sisters can focus their purpose as a Relief Society organized under the Priesthood. Several years ago, I came up with an extensive list of ideas that follow the Handbook guidelines.

As Relief Society sisters, we are being asked to design activities that will strengthen our spirituality, offer service across the world and around the corner, and help our families find powerful ways to teach the gospel in our homes. Our lifestyles need to represent Jesus Christ because we care what manner of men and women we wish to be. May we consider what is truly important as we perform the work of Relief Society in these very last days.