The Power of the Relief Society

“Relief Society has always been a strength to the Church,” says Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “It has always helped provide what was needed in each stage of the Church’s development. Today its contribution becomes more poignant because of the difficult times in which we live. It’s not a program per se. It is the gospel—the gospel in action in the lives of our remarkable women. In difficult times we realize it offers its members, and by extension the whole Church, just what we need to help us right now.”

“My dear sisters, we believe in you,” says Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “We believe in and are counting on your goodness and your strength, your propensity for virtue and valor, your kindness and courage, your strength and resilience. We believe in your mission as women of God. We realize that you are the emotional (and sometimes spiritual) glue that holds families and often ward families together. We believe that the Church simply will not accomplish what it must without your faith and faithfulness, your innate tendency to put the well-being of others ahead of your own, and your spiritual strength and tenacity. And we believe that God’s plan is for you to become queens and to receive the highest blessings any woman can receive in time or eternity. . . . Never lose your precious identity by doing anything that would jeopardize the promised eternal future your Heavenly Father has provided for you.”
Elder Ballard then says that a woman who knows her identity as a daughter of God can have great influence. He says, “Every sister who stands for truth and righteousness diminishes the influence of evil. Every sister who strengthens and protects her family is doing the work of God. Every sister who lives as a woman of God becomes a beacon for others to follow and plants seeds of righteous influence that will be harvested for decades to come. Every sister who makes and keeps sacred covenants becomes an instrument in the hands of God.”

The purpose of Relief Society as established by the Lord is to prepare women for the blessings of eternal life by helping them:

1. Increase faith and personal righteousness.
2. Strengthen families and homes.
3. Seek out and help those in need.

As each sister in the Church does her part to ensure that the purposes of Relief Society are fulfilled, angels will be our associates and we will be participants in amazing miracles.

If our membership in Relief Society is so important, we need to know what sets us apart from every other woman’s group or organization. Everything we do in Relief Society matters because Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, visited Joseph Smith and, through him, the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth. Relief Society is part of that restoration. The Prophet Joseph Smith defined the purpose of the Relief Society and instructed the sisters in their purpose, just as he taught priesthood leaders in Kirtland and Nauvoo their priesthood purpose and work. Ours is an organization that continues to be led today by prophets, seers, and revelatots.

I just love the Relief Society orginization. How lucky are we all to be able to be a part of this amazing gift our Father in Heaven has sent here to this earth for us. I miss Relief Society so much the spirit that is felt every Sunday during the lessons in beyond words; The sisterhood that is formed is indescribable. I am grateful for my calling as a Primary Teacher but I do miss Relief Society.