Yesterday, March 17th, marked the 166th birthday of the Relief Society – the Women’s organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (informally known as the Mormon Church). Some Relief Society units like this one in Cape Girardeau, Missouri commemorated this important day by performing different acts of service in their communities.
This great organization started in the Spring of 1842 when a small group of women in Nauvoo decided to pool their talents and resources together to make shirts for the Nauvoo Temple workers. From these humble beginnings, the Relief Society has now grown to over 5.6 million women in 170 countries. A few other things have changed and evolved over time in the Relief Society to meet changing needs and times but the one thing that hasn’t changed is our focus on Service and Charity.
The Relief Society motto “Charity Never Faileth” is taken from 1 Corinthians 13:8. This same admonition is also found in Moroni 7:46 which reads, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail.”
In the last few weeks, I’ve witnessed the amazing capacity of the women of this great organization to love and serve each other as well as those outside of their circle. In my own little corner of the world, I’ve seen the miracle of this sisterhood come alive not once, but many times. I’d like to share with you just a few of these amazing acts of love because they’ve made such an impact in my life. I hope it will touch your heart as well.
An elderly sister needed surgery for a serious medical condition. This sister lives alone and has no family close by. Relief Society sisters took turns taking her to her appointments and even took time off work to be at the hospital while she was in surgery. The sisters in Relief Society also made sure that this dear sister was taken care of once she was released from the hospital. I am happy to report that this sister is doing well today.
In another incident, the sisters in Relief Society were made aware of a family that was in need of food and other basic needs. They were expecting some sort of financial help but it wasn’t going to be there for at least another week. This family does not attend our Ward (local Church unit). In fact, they do not belong to our faith at all. With the help of the Ward, the Relief Society sisters organized, planned, and provided a two week supply of food and other necessities for this family. There were no other motives other than to lend a helping hand to a family in need.
This past weekend, Relief Society sisters came together to provide a simple but beautiful and memorable wedding day for a single mother. She is a recent convert and has very limited means. Together, with an efficiency that the Relief Society is known for, the sisters were soon organized into a decorating crew, a shopping crew, a cooking crew, a serving crew, and even a clean-up crew. A very talented sister made and donated the gorgeous wedding cake. Perhaps, the greatest memory that I took away from this experience was the love and joy that the sisters felt for the bride as they went about their assigned tasks. I saw the true meaning of Charity in the eyes and countenance of the Relief Society sisters. They gave of themselves freely and willingly, with no other goal in mind than to help bless the life of another.
I’m so proud to be a member of the Relief Society. I feel privileged to belong to an organization that exists to do good, to serve, and to provide Charity whenever and wherever it is needed. There’s a song that we sing in Relief Society from time to time. It’s called As “As Sisters In Zion” and was written by Emily H. Woodmansee with music by Janice Kapp Perry. The second verse of this hymn is particularly meaningful for me. This verse speaks to the sisterhood and the great work that sisters in the Relief Society personify. I’ve seen and felt of this wonderful spirit of sisterhood and Charity and I hope that you have too.
The errand of angels is given to women;
And this is a gift that as sisters, we claim:
To do whatsoever is gently and human,
To cheer and to bless in humanity’s name.
