At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I love Relief Society. In fact, it’s one of the primary reasons that I joined the LDS church. The first time I dropped in on a meeting was back in the day when there were cultural refinement lessons, and on this particular Sunday, the teacher was educating everyone on Sri Lanka. “Wow,” I thought, “This is just like school except that there are no tests.” I’ve missed very few meetings and lessons since that morning, and today some things were said that illustrate just how sacred (yes, that’s the right word) this great organization is.
Our membership is varied. We are red, yellow, black, and white; we’re single, married, widowed, and divorced; we’re old, young, and everything in-between; we’re stay-at-home moms, professionals, retirees, retirees, hair stylists, realtors, nurses, administrative assistants, and just about any other title you want to tack on us; we live in SC, Wyoming, Canada, France, Nigeria, Russia, Mexico,Germany, and many other countries of the world.
What unites the high school dropout with the Ph.D., the old and the young, and those who say hola instead of hello? The knowledge that we are all sisters, daughters of a Heavenly Father who loved us enough to send his son Jesus Christ to atone for our sins so that we can live again with Him someday. Honestly, I know of no other organization on the face of the earth with such far-reaching positive effects and that has such power to unite its members. We earnestly want to support and encourage each other and strive to live by our motto: Charity never faileth.
So why am I writing this today? Because my heart is full. I was having the above thoughts as I sat between my friend Connie and my former mother-in-law, both of them whom I dearly love. I looked around the room and saw it filled with others about whom I have similar feelings. I found myself wondering how one sister was faring after her surgery and when another would be leaving on a mission with her husband. I glanced over at Donna and felt appreciation for the treasure trove of quotes she had given me earlier in the morning. I listened to Sister Evans talk about the humanitarian aid project that she is spearheading and felt happy to be among such noble spirits.
Interestingly, at the end of the meeting, three of the people who bore their testimonies (something we do on the first Sunday of each month) spoke of the very things I had been pondering. Now I’m wondering if any of my “sisters in the gospel” have anything to add. Seriously, I could go on and on and on and on, but I want to give someone else a chance.
mom's musings 
I wouldn’t want to add anything to such a well-written post except you are so right. I attended Relief Society for a year before I joined the Church (this was in the days before the block program, and because I worked, I went to night Relief Society). I knew these sisters had something special–something I wanted in my life.
Thanks.
It sounds like we’ve had some of the same experiences…except that it took me 11 long years before I finally said YES. I faced a lot of family opposition, but after a while, it didn’t seem to matter to me anymore, mainly because I could see how my children were developing. Even now, I know that they know about the importance of education, helping others, showing love, being modest, working hard, setting goals, doing their best, and so forth because they learned it at home AND at church. Oops, I strayed a little from my original post.
You should add…
…to treasure trove of quotes you received earlier.
In my opinion, what you wrote conveys exactly what Relief Society is with out saying “Charity never faileth.”
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thanks for the kind comment. I’ve been a part of many groups thoughout my life, and none compare with this phenomenal organization.