Fulfilling the Purpose of Relief Society

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the General Relief Society session of the October 2008 conference.

We attend church in a small branch in Minnesota. Our branch covers a large area with members living in 25 different towns in two states. The largest of those 25 is where the church building is and has a population of just under 11,000. The smallest town where members live has 167 residents. This area is mostly rural farmland. We live in the second largest town with a population of 4,700. There are four members in our town. Previously there were a few more but an elderly couple moved to Arizona and an elderly brother died.

When we first moved here the sister half of the elderly couple, who moved to Arizona, was not really active in Relief Society. She had found another women's group who better met her needs for sociality and service. I encouraged her to come to Relief Society and she eventually did and we enjoyed attending the few activities that happened together.

After living here for almost eight years I can understand why she sought out sisterhood and service in another organization. I have too. 

For whatever reasons (and there were many given, and many excuses made) the Relief Society here rarely did anything, either social or service.  Finally, last fall, after a suggestion to the RS President two sisters were called to head up the activities, and there have been a few more socials. Attempts have been made to do something in the way of community service but so far it hasn't worked out.

The sisters are generally good for service when there is a funeral or new baby born, but not so much in continuing efforts in the community. I think it is sad that we don't do more to serve which would raise the profile of the church here and help further missionary efforts. But no one asks me, and I'm not in charge.

In 2008 Sister Julie B. Beck, General President of the Relief Society said, "It is time for Relief Society to fulfill its purpose as never before. To move forward and achieve what the Lord desires, we must clearly understand the purpose of Relief Society. . . . The purpose of Relief Society, as established by the Lord, is to organize, teach, and inspire His daughters to prepare them for the blessings of eternal life."

She goes on to talk about 1) Increase in faith and personal righteousness, 2) Strengthen families and homes, 3) Serve the Lord and His children.

"Families worldwide are being assaulted and weakened by corrupt practices and false teachings. Therefore, whether we are married or single, old or young, we have a duty to defend and practice the truths found in 'The Family: A Proclamation to the World.' . . . Children being born now are growing up in an increasingly sinful world. Our homes are to be the refuge from the daily encounters they have with evil." 

Sister Beck tells of being a young married when her mother moved far away. Her mother counseled her, "If I never come back, if you never see me again, if I'm never able to teach you another thing, you tie yourself to Relief Society. Relief Society will be your mother. . . . I began from that time to learn abundantly from women of stature and faith."

I never lived near my mother because my husband's career in the military took us far away from her. I always looked to the sisters in Relief Society as my sisters, mothers, aunts and grandmothers. I asked a lot of older women for advice and counsel and learned so much from them.

I also learned from the many, many activities (lessons, workshops, demonstrations, interest groups, etc.) we had. And in a few of the places we lived the Relief Society was involved in community service.

My testimony of the benefits and work of Relief Society began early when my father was in college and my mother worked. We lived in my grandparent's basement and I spent my days in her care. She was a member of a Relief Society presidency and a doer! We visited lots of sisters, at home, and in the hospital. I got to go to Relief Society with her each week (in the olden days when RS was on a weekday morning) and my favorite time was "work day" when they made quilts and other lovely things, and had a delicious luncheon. To my mind Relief Society was the place where things happened! It was the best place in the church. I remember as a teen being really eager to be an adult so I could attend Relief Society. (Of course, the whole program changed while I was on my mission with the advent of the "block program" with everything on Sunday. That was a huge disappointment to me and Relief Society never seemed the same.) There have been times and places in my adult life when I have felt energized by Relief Society and other times and places where it is the opposite. I totally understand why my friend sought out other opportunities to socialize and serve with another group of women. 

Oh that we could have a Relief Society revival and return to increasing our testimonies of the Savior; learning homemaking and parenting skills; and getting involved in regular community service to lift others from despair and poverty, both spiritual and physical.

Sister Beck continues to inspire me!