When the Female Relief Society was first organized, there were nineteen members, plus officers; by the following March there were 1158 members attending.\u00a0 They outgrew their meeting room and would meet in The Grove, where the spillage of sisters could still be included.\u00a0 The Society became so popular that even unseemly women wanted to join.\u00a0 Stricter rules were adopted to control the incoming, and finally they resorted to insisting that each new member \u201cpresent a certificate of her good moral character, signed by two or more responsible persons\u201d.\u00a0 That makes me laugh.\u00a0 Now we have sisters who are members, but don\u2019t care a hooey about Relief Society.
\nIn each meeting, visits were reported, the welfare of fellow Saints were discussed, donations were collected for various projects, discussions ensued upon women\u2019s responsibilities, duties and influence.\u00a0 I often wonder why we don\u2019t do that anymore.\u00a0 Perhaps it would become misconstrued into gossip, pride and nosiness, which I think is very unfortunate.\u00a0 Much good happens when people pray and brainstorm for the sake of others.
\nA delegation of Relief Society women paid a personal visit to His Excellency the Governor of Illinois, with a signed petition to release Pres. Smith from prison.\u00a0 A pretty bold move.\u00a0 The sad truth of the story is while the governor welcomed the women and declared his friendship and concern, he was in the very act of plotting with and aiding the mobs from Missouri.\u00a0 In spite of their failed attempt, Joseph knew of their love and loyalty, which as we know, was all important to him.
\nPres. Smith had given a city lot for the Relief Society to build homes for the homeless coming from Missouri, and to provide work for those in need.\u00a0 It\u2019s clear, the sisters were busy; involved in many projects of goodwill.\u00a0
\nEliza R. Snow writes, \u201cIn having been driven from a city, [now in a Territory] the Female Relief Society, more amply developed than in Nauvoo, has extended its branches to every ward, and settlement from Bear Lake in the North to Santa Clara in the South, and yet, as seen in prospective, it has but little more than emerged from its embryo state in comparison to its great future\u201d.
\nWhat is this great future Eliza imagined?\u00a0 I don\u2019t believe it was population, even though we are the largest women\u2019s group in the world (5,000,000+).\u00a0 I believe it is the influence and power that we hold.\u00a0 My question is\u2014are we doing enough?\u00a0 Are we doing what Eliza would do if she were here today?\u00a0 Are we on fire, as Eliza clearly was, in everything she set her mind to?\u00a0 Is the impact of a Mormon Woman being felt around the world?\u00a0 Is our reputation preceding us in a positive light; a motivating light; a loving light?\u00a0 What can we do more?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When the Female Relief Society was first organized, there were nineteen members, plus officers; by the following March there were 1158 members attending.\u00a0 They outgrew their meeting room and would meet in The Grove, where the spillage of sisters could still be included.\u00a0 The Society became so popular that even unseemly women wanted to join.\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"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":[484],"tags":[87],"class_list":["post-72","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-relief-society-challenge-ideas","tag-relief-society-future"],"yoast_head":"\n