God's Organization for Women

With St. Patrick's Day parades and festivities being celebrated all over New York City, lucky for me, I was asked to speak at the Astoria Ward Relief Society Birthday Celebration. The Relief Society is the Lord's organization for women who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Relief Society is 5.2 million members strong in more than 170 countries. It is one of the oldest and largest women's service organizations in the world. On Tuesday, March 17th, we commemorated 167 years of helping families and sisters come to Christ.

Two years ago, Sister Julie Beck was called to serve as the General Relief Society President. She travels through out the world in her sacred calling as a minister of Jesus Christ. Members of the Relief Society don't just "attend church"--they speak in church, they lead music and play the organ, they teach classes, they visit members in homes, they serve and they minister.
"As Relief Society sisters," President Beck said in a recent interview, "we are united first and foremost because of our faith in Jesus Christ. He is our leader and exemplar. I bear testimony of His Atonement. I testify that He lives and that His power is real."

One way the members of Relief Society minister in the church is to visit each woman in her home each month. This is called visiting teaching. Everywhere the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is organized, visiting teachers follow the inspired pattern of ministering to sisters in their homes. "Good visiting teachers know the sisters they visit," President Beck said. "They love them, serve them and help them learn the gospel by the Spirit. They focus on fortifying homes and lives..."Visiting teachers minister in behalf of the Savior," President Beck explained. "Our hands are His hands, our love is His love, and our service is His service."
(My thanks to Alfred Gunn, a guest columnist who wrote the article about Relief Society and interviewed Sister Beck for The Peninsula Gateway.)

For nearly 15 months I have been teaching Institute classes on weeknights and have been unable to attend Relief Society Enrichment meetings. I have missed them and the sisterhood gained by serving, learning and growing together as we enjoy each others company. When I was invited to speak, my companion said he would teach our class on his own Tuesday evening. I was challenged to speak about how Relief Society has impacted my life. The difficult part was being limited to 20 minutes when I needed days to fill that assignment.

I kept thinking of my beloved Grandma Dora, my Dad's mother, who was not a member of the Church. I remember her telling me, "Renee, if I could live my life over, I'd be the best Relief Society President in your church." I believed her! She was such a dynamic homemaker and I have no doubt that she is serving and teaching in heaven right now. She recognized the value of Relief Society as she observed my mother serve in this organization. Women are looking for ways to better our world. Sheri Dew says it best,

"Good women all over the world are desperate for leadership, for role models, for the assurance borne out out in lives well lived that families are important, that virtue is not outdated, and that it is possible to feel peace and purpose in a society spinning out of control."

Everything about Relief Society has been a profound blessing in my life. As I pondered and prepared for my assignment I thought of all the sisters I've learned things from. My three favorite things are:

My favorite Motto:
"Welcome the task that takes you beyond yourself."
Louise Yates Robison


My favorite Mini-Class:
Sister Barbara Christensen's mini-class that she gave shortly after she moved into the Rexburg 10th Ward. Her husband Elder Joe J. Christensen served as the President of the Provo MTC for three years, with Sister Christensen serving by his side.
Her topic, "Making Your Home an MTC."
They later wrote a book that is out of print.
Never fear, Sister Christensen wrote her mini-class version for the March 1989, Ensign.
Highlights:
We love those that we serve. Teach your children to serve you!
Help your children develop at least one talent they do really well.
Teach children to be self-reliant, teach basic homemaking skills, and send them away to grandparents or cousins for a week or two each year to avoid homesickness. My favorite story Sister Christensen told was about a seriously homesick missionary from a dairy farm in Utah. This elder kept showing up at her office at 5 PM each day. After several visits regarding his homesickness she learned he was missing his cows at milking time!
Importance of teaching respect and obedience when children are young, in the home. It's much easier to learn as a youth rather than in the mission field.
President Christensen's Spirituality self-quiz

My favorite Relief Society Theme:

"REACH OUT IN LOVE
Across the Room
Across the Street
Across the World
Across the Veil
CHARITY NEVER FAILETH"

Each sister was challenged to select ways to reach out to others and I focused on ways we do that with our families, neighbors, as missionaries and in our temples.

Tuesday evening we were served with a most yummy, traditional Irish Feast. I spoke about the blessing of Relief Society in my life and then Sister Cassandra gave a demonstration on cupcake decorating and passed out all the makings for a butter cream good time together!

Cupcakes were decorated and consumed or taken home by one and all!

Heather prefers her cupcakes icing-free! Her husband, Jed scrapes the frosting off her cupcakes and eats it for her. Now that's "being equally yoked!"

Jiyoung, Lexie, Kristy, and little sis, (I think), decorated and visited. "Happy Birthday, sisters!"

Emily really got into it! She shared a few of her creations with the starving scouts!
Thanks for all your thoughtful and delightful planning Nellie, Emily, Cassandra and Wanda. I had a marvelous time with all of you and each sister from the Astoria Ward Relief Society.