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\u2019s Second Coming; that this is a mighty organization, full of mighty women.<\/p>\n
Sis. Beck started her talk on the purposes of Relief Society.\u00a0 There has been some confusion on this point. \u00a0\u00a0Each Relief Society Presidency emphasizes a slightly different angle of the purposes of Relief Society.\u00a0 All of the purposes are similar; there are no glaring right or left turns.\u00a0 But Sis. Beck has stated her presidency\u2019s purpose before:<\/p>\n
1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Increase faith and personal righteousness<\/p>\n
2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Strengthen families and homes<\/p>\n
3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Serve the Lord and His children<\/p>\n
These are certainly areas we have always understood as important.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 I like the three short, neat points.\u00a0 It\u2019s easy to stay focused.<\/p>\n
We now have a new name for our activities:\u00a0 Relief Society Meetings.\u00a0 Does that mean no more Super Saturdays? Enrichments? or Activities?\u00a0 \u201cShould 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.\u201d\u00a0 She has laid out the basic plan and allows us now to govern ourselves.<\/p>\n
Notice now there will be a \u201cRelief Society Meeting Coordinator\u201d.\u00a0 I’ve often wondered why there was an Enrichment Leader, now I wonder, even more, why there is a Meeting Coordinator.\u00a0 The 2nd Counselor handles all the activities during the week.\u00a0 This is now the focus of Relief Society activity.\u00a0 The Coordinator takes care of the occasional large group gatherings that meet, at least, quarterly.\u00a0 These have turned into a dinner party, with an occasional service project or speaker.\u00a0 I’m not sure how necessary they are anymore.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 It seems to me the Coordinator should help more with the weekly\/monthly activities; in creating, attending, and supporting them.<\/p>\n
If we go by the three basic guidelines, listed above, there should be no question of our focus.\u00a0 \u201cUsing Relief Society meetings appropriately will increase the ability of the Relief Society to work in powerful ways with priesthood leaders in every ward.\u201d\u00a0 Sis. Beck calls Relief Society “serious work”.\u00a0\u00a0I know many of us worry about the “fun times” being over, but really, just being together, doing good satisfying work, is fun.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n
Sis. Allred gave us an assignment.\u00a0 \u201cTo those of you who already attend Relief Society, we extend a call.\u00a0 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.\u201d\u00a0 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.\u00a0 I think when we stopped the monthly meetings we lost a lot of sisters.\u00a0 We need to round everyone up again and engage them in something they will be compelled to make time for.\u00a0 There is strength in numbers, and right now, we all need strength from one another.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour attendance at Relief Society Sunday meetings will bless you, but your participation in the work of Relief Society will bless the whole Church.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0I think she is talking about two different things here.\u00a0 Sunday meetings of course, but the work of Relief Society is all week long, every day.\u00a0 What is that work we do as sisters?\u00a0 Checking up on one another; serving each other, our families, the world; strengthening and supporting one another; bearing testimony, exemplifying, and teaching one another.\u00a0 I have felt that we try to get that all done on Sunday, because we can\u2019t be bothered doing any of it during the week\u2014\u201cWe are all SO busy\u201d.\u00a0 Indeed, we are all busy, but Satan relishes that statement, and being Relief Society sisters, we can\u2019t let him relish anything.<\/p>\n
She did say one other thing in her talk I found interesting.\u00a0 \u201cEvery husband and father should encourage activity in Relief Society.\u201d\u00a0 In the Salt Lake Valley, both BYU and U of U played football the night of our Relief Society meeting.\u00a0 How many sisters either went to a game, or were stuck at home with the kids, because their husbands went to a game?\u00a0 Someone goofed!<\/p>\n
Sis. Thompson talked about three really important things.<\/p>\n
1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Believing that we are truly a daughter of God; when good things happen to us, and especially when bad things happen to us.<\/p>\n
2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Transitioning between Young Women\u2019s and Relief Society.\u00a0 I still hope someday our General Meeting will include all women both times.<\/p>\n
3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Being Valiant in the testimony of Jesus Christ.\u00a0 Being Latter-day Saints, \u201cwe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pres. Eyring talked about the legacy of Relief Society.\u00a0 What are we doing today that will inspire the next generation to carry on?\u00a0 He emphasized Charity.\u00a0 It\u2019s more than benevolence; it\u2019s faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.<\/p>\n
I lament that accomplishments of the Relief Society–Hospitals, grain, budgets, etc.–were all taken over by the Priesthood.\u00a0 But instead of stewing over that\u2026being women, we can come up with more inspired accomplishments that will only further the work of the Lord, through charity and faith.\u00a0 Our young women need to prepare themselves to brainstorm new ideas as we face a wicked world, with countless diversions.\u00a0 Their minds are needed.\u00a0 Their righteousness is required.\u00a0 As older sisters continue teaching younger sisters, our sisterhood will move forward with new creative and inspired direction.<\/p>\n
There is a lot to consider in each of these talks.\u00a0 I hope we will all pray to receive inspiration from them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,484],"tags":[261],"class_list":["post-1346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-conference-talks","category-relief-society-challenge-ideas","tag-women-meeting"],"yoast_head":"\n