Last week one of the Laurels (16 to 17 year old girls) in our Young Women’s organization was asked to give a talk at church on the Relief Society. On March 17, 2015, it will be the 173rd anniversary of this wonderful women’s organization. Emily Atwood gave me five questions to answer concerning how I felt about Relief Society and I wanted to share. Here are my answers:
1. Tell me a little bit about what Relief Society is. For example, what value does it emphasize, what types of activities occur and what kind of work is done?
For me, Relief Society is one of the very best organizations in the world. It helps women focus on serving others, learn gospel precepts and encourages its members to develop their talents. We keep track of each other to make certain that we are all okay, and when we are not okay, we help each other. It is really a wonderful organization. The emphasis is also in the gospel of Jesus Christ, self-sufficiency and education.
Like the Young Women’s Theme, the Relief Society has one called the Relief Society Declaration:
“We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar. We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who:Seek spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost.Dedicate ourselves to strengthening marriages, family and homes.Find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood.Delight in service and good works.Love life and learningStand for truth and righteousnessSustain the priesthood as the authority of God on earth.Rejoice in the blessings of the temple, understand our divine destiny and strive for exaltation.”
That pretty much says it all.
2. Do you think that the Relief Society is especially important?
Yes—Relief Society is especially important, because as sisters we can sometimes help others in ways the home teachers cannot. (Home Teachers are priesthood members assigned to visit all the families in the congregation each month.) Relief Society members support the gospel of Jesus Christ, practice emergency preparedness, promote education, advocate obedient children, create a beautiful home and other important principles and practices. The list is endless of what Relief Society does for women. It’s a support system women need in developing their talents as well as nurturing the lives of their families.
3. What do you like about being part of this organization?
I love the Visiting Teaching program in that we all take care of each other. Whether single, married, widowed or divorced, we help each other improve, stay close to the gospel and feel a part of the group. It’s not always perfect, but the principles laid out by the prophets are a guideline for how a woman should bless the lives of others including her family. (Visiting Teaching is the Relief Society program where women are assigned to visit other women by twos each month)
4. How has being a member of the Relief Society strengthened you?
In times of trouble, the Relief Society has helped me. When there was another sister in need, I could help her. It works so well. In my early days of Relief Society, where I was in a young married ward, the older sisters helped the younger, newly married sisters learn to bake bread, can fruit, make jam and hone some of the homemaking skills I and other girls never learned. The old saying goes “if you teach a man to fish, he will never starve.” Same for the young sisters; if you teach a girl to bake and preserve food, she and her family will never starve.
5. Describe your transition from the Young Women’s program to the Relief Society program.
This was fun for me because I went from a family ward to a singles college ward, and all of the sisters in Relief Society were around my age. We were all in the same boat, getting through college to get our degrees, and it was a different atmosphere than a regular family ward. It helped me acclimate to Relief Society very easily. We visit-taught each other, and helped where needed during our schooling years, but we formed a bond that was very strong even to this day.
Relief Society blesses the lives of everyone at church. Their motto, “Charity Never Faileth” is the essence of a Christian women’s life: the essence of the life of a woman in Relief Society.
Valerie Steimle has been writing as a family advocate for over 25 years. As a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she promotes Christian living in her writings and is the mother of nine children and grandmother to twelve. Mrs. Steimle authored six books and is a contributing writer to several online websites. To her, time is the most precious commodity we have and knows we should spend it wisely.
To read more of Valerie's work, visit her at her website, The Blessings of Family Life.
