What I Hope My Granddaughters (and Grandsons) Will Understand about Relief Society

I hope my granddaughters will understand that Relief Society today is organized after a pattern of discipleship that existed in the ancient Church.

What is the pattern? It seems to be the pattern of individual effort based on faith in Christ and guided by personal revelation and priesthood direction.

Rather than being selected by popular vote, as was common in organizations outside of the Church, this presidency was called by revelation, sustained by those they would lead, and set apart by priesthood leaders to serve in their callings, thus being “called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority.”9 Being organized under the priesthood made it possible for the presidency to receive direction from the Lord and His prophet for a specific work. The organization of Relief Society enabled the Lord’s storehouse of talent, time, and means to be administered in wisdom and order.

It is critical to recognize the importance of the difference between choosing leaders based on popular vote and choosing leaders based on revelation to priesthood leaders. People outside the church claim this is a method of keeping the Relief Society subservient to the priesthood but the truth is that it is a way to give Relief Society the benefit of revelatory direction that comes with being organized under the direction of the priesthood of God.

All of these difficulties have the potential to bleach the bones of faith and exhaust the strength of individuals and families.

I hope my granddaughters will understand that through Relief Society, their discipleship is extended and they can become engaged with others in the kind of impressive and heroic work the Savior has done. The kind of work the sisters of this Church are asked to do in our day has never been too modest in scope or inconsequential to the Lord. Through their faithfulness, they can feel His approval and be blessed with the companionship of His Spirit.

…As our times become ever more difficult, the faithful sisters of Relief Society will unite to protect the homes of Zion from the shrill voices of the world and the predatory and provocative influence of the adversary. And through Relief Society, they will be taught and strengthened, and the influence of righteous women can bless many more of our Father’s children.

I hope my granddaughters will understand that visiting teaching is an expression of their discipleship and a significant way to honor their covenants. This element of our discipleship should closely resemble the ministry of our Savior. In the early days of Relief Society, a visiting committee from each ward received an assignment to assess needs and collect donations to be distributed to those in need. Throughout the years, Relief Society sisters and leaders have learned one step at a time and have improved in their ability to watch over others.

As committed disciples of the Savior, we are improving in our ability to do the things He would do if He were here. We know that to Him it is our caring that counts, and so we are trying to concentrate on caring about our sisters rather than completing lists of things to do. True ministry is measured more by the depth of our charity than by the perfection of our statistics.

This obviously applies to home teaching as well. We should do more than check off a visit but that can help us establish a pattern of watching over others.