Last month on March 17th the RS celebrated the 169th anniversary of its organization. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “The Church was never perfectly organized until the women were thus organized.” “And I now turn the key to you in the name of God and this Society shall rejoice and knowledge and intelligence shall flow down from this time.”
Pres. Julie Beck has said, “The organization of Relief Society mobilized the collective power of the women and their specific assignments to build the Lord’s kingdom, just as the organization of priesthood quorums gave men specific responsibilities.”
Since its organization in 1842, Relief Society has spread throughout the world and has been called the largest, and by all measures the greatest women’s organization on earth.
Pres. Joseph F. Smith taught that RS was divinely made, divinely authorized, divinely instituted, divinely ordained of God, according to the law of Heaven, to help the Lord bring to pass the eternal life of man.
Pres Faust said in his opinion that RS centers on four great concepts:
First, it is a divinely established sisterhood
Second, the society is a place of learning
Third, it is an organization whose basic charter is caring for others; its motto is “Charity never Faileth”
Fourth, the RS is a place where the needs of women to socialize can be met.
He further stated that Membership in RS, which is a privilege for every adult woman in the Church, provides a home away from your heavenly home, where you can fellowship with others who share your beliefs and values.
We as Sisters of the Relief Society were also presented in 1999 the Relief Society Declaration. Although we have been asked not repeat the Declaration every week, I felt prompted to review it with you today.
We are beloved spirit daughters of God and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction.
We are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar.
What does it mean to be a daughter of God? To be a daughter of God means that you are the offspring of Deity, literal descendants of a divine Father, inheriting godly attributes and potential.
Being a daughter of God means that if you seek it, you can find your true identity. You will know who you are. This will make you free—not free from restraints, but free from doubts, anxieties, or peer pressure. A conviction that you are a daughter of God gives you a feeling of comfort in your self-worth. It means that you can find strength in the balm of Christ. It will help you meet the heartaches and challenges with faith and serenity. James E Faust
Mary Ellen Smoot, “We declare to the world that it is not by chance that we have embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ. This great plan, when reflected upon puts this life in perspective. We know we have and always will exist. We know we have been sent to earth to gain experience and prove ourselves. The decisions we make are vital if we are to gain eternal life and exaltation. We know that this estate is important, and this understanding gives meaning, purpose, and direction in our lives.
We have faith, virtue, vision, and charity.
FAITH
Russell Ballard states, The Lord especially loves righteous women—women who are not only faithful but filled with faith, women who are optimistic and cheerful because they know who they are and where they are going, women who are striving to live and serve as women of God.
VIRTUE
Elaine Dalton: “Virtue is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards. It encompasses chastity and moral purity. Virtue includes modesty—in thought, language, dress, and demeanor. Virtue provides an anchor on the path leading to our Heavenly Father’s presence. The paths of virtue lead to happiness in this life and in the life to come. The paths of virtue lead to strong families. The paths of virtue contain the foundation stones for the blessings of eternity.”
CHARITY
Charity is “the pure love of Christ,” or “everlasting love” . The prophet Mormon taught: “Charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things”.
Elder Marvin J. Ashton of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “We often equate charity with visiting the sick, taking in casseroles to those in need, or sharing our excess with those who are less fortunate. But really, true charity is much, much more. “Real charity is not something you give away; it is something that you acquire and make a part of yourself. And when the virtue of charity becomes implanted in your heart, you are never the same again. … “Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don’t judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone’s differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended. … Charity is refusing to take advantage of another’s weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other”
We increase our testimonies of Jesus Christ through prayer and scripture study.
Elder Russell M. Ballard states; first are fasting and prayer. When the sons of Mosiah were united with Alma the Younger, they rejoiced in their reunion and acknowledged that because “they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting,” they had been gifted with the spirit of prophecy and revelation, “and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God.
Second is immersing yourself in the scriptures. The word of God “will tell you all things what ye should do”. The scriptures are a conduit for personal revelation. {Sisters}, you have been taught to read and study the scriptures. I urge you to intensify your study of them. I promise that your ability to hear the voice of the Lord as communicated through the Holy Ghost will increase and improve.
We seek spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
If you want to avoid the snares of Satan, if you need direction when the choices in front of you are puzzling and perplexing, learn to hear the voice of the Lord as communicated through the Holy Ghost. And then, of course, do what it tells you to do.
Nephi taught clearly that the Holy Ghost “is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him” and that “he that diligently seeketh shall find”. The stunning reality is that you control how close you are to the Lord. You determine just how clear and readily available promptings from the Holy Ghost will be. You determine this by your actions, by your attitude, by the choices you make, by the things you watch and wear and listen to and read, and by how consistently and sincerely you invite the Spirit into your life.
We dedicate ourselves to strengthening marriages, families, and homes and find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood.
We understand that the home is the basic unit created by God for our service and learning. Out of this understanding grows a commitment to make our time spent with family a top priority and to look inside to determine how to be a better companion. Out of these reflections flow actions that are kind and loving and forgiving toward our spouses. Spend time holding meaningful family home evenings, family scripture study, and prayer, and in regular personal temple attendance.
We delight in service and good works.
Service is an imperative for those who worship Jesus Christ. To followers who were vying for prominent positions in his kingdom, the Savior taught, “Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” On a later occasion, he spoke of ministering to the needs of the hungry, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. He concluded that teaching with these words: “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
SERVICE
In latter-day revelation the Lord has commanded that we “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.” In another section of the Doctrine and Covenants, he instructed us to be “anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of [our] own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness.”.
GOOD WORKS
Mosiah 5:15 Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all.
Love life and learning
President Young repeatedly taught that “the object of our mortal existence is to learn.” We might ask, when shall we cease to learn? I will give you my opinion about it: never, never.”
You and I are here on the earth to prepare for eternity, to learn how to learn, to learn things that are temporally important and eternally essential, and to assist others in learning wisdom and truth. Understanding who we are, where we came from, and why we are on the earth places upon each of us a great responsibility both to learn how to learn and to learn to love learning. Elder David Bednar
Stand for truth and righteousness.
Pres Monson:
My plea is that you have the courage to stand firm for truth and righteousness. Because the trend in society today is away from the values and principles the Lord has given us, you will almost certainly be called upon to defend that which you believe. Unless the roots of your testimony are firmly planted, it will be difficult for you to withstand the ridicule of those who challenge your faith. When firmly planted, your testimony of the gospel, of the Savior, and of our Heavenly Father will influence all that you do throughout your life. The adversary would like nothing better than for you to allow derisive comments and criticism of the Church to cause you to question and doubt. Your testimony, when constantly nourished, will keep you safe. May you declare with the Apostle Paul, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation.”
We sustain the priesthood as the authority of God on earth.
We see sisters in this great Church who recognize the blessings of the restored priesthood. We rejoice as each baby is blessed, each child is baptized, as we partake of the sacrament and are set apart for Church callings and watch our husbands give fathers’ blessings. We are grateful for priesthood blessings that light our way and give us direction and hope. We rejoice in and support worthy priesthood holders.
There are those who suggest that males are favored of the Lord because they are ordained to hold the priesthood. Anyone who believes this does not understand the great plan of happiness. The premortal and mortal natures of men and women were specified by God Himself, and it is simply not within His character to diminish the roles and responsibilities of any of His children. M. Russell Ballard
We rejoice in the blessings of the temple, understand our divine destiny, and strive for exaltation.
We see sisters in this great Church who recognize the blessings of the restored priesthood. We rejoice as each baby is blessed, each child is baptized, as we partake of the sacrament and are set apart for Church callings and watch our husbands give fathers’ blessings. We are grateful for priesthood blessings that light our way and give us direction and hope. We rejoice in and support worthy priesthood holders.
There are those who suggest that males are favored of the Lord because they are ordained to hold the priesthood. Anyone who believes this does not understand the great plan of happiness. The premortal and mortal natures of men and women were specified by God Himself, and it is simply not within His character to diminish the roles and responsibilities of any of His children. M. Russell Ballard
