Relief Society Message for June

Womanhood: The Highest Place of Honor

by President James E. Faust
Ensign May 2000

"I wonder if you sisters fully understand the greatness of your gifts and talents and how all of you can achieve the 'highest place of honor' in the Church and in the world. One of your unique, precious, and sublime gifts is your femininity, with its natural grace, goodness, and divinity. Femininity is not just lipstick, stylish hairdos, and trendy clothes. It is the divine adornment of humanity. It finds expression in your qualities of your capacity to love, your spirituality, delicacy, radiance, sensitivity, creativity, charm, graciousness, gentleness, dignity, and quiet strength. It is manifest differently in each girl or woman, but each of you possesses it. Femininity is part of your inner beauty.

"One of your particular gifts is your feminine intuition. Do not limit yourselves. As you seek to know the will of our Heavenly Father in your life and become more spiritual, you will be far more attractive, even irresistible. You can use your smiling loveliness to bless those you love and all you meet, and spread great joy. Femininity is part of the God-given divinity within each of you. It is your incomparable power and influence to do good. You can, through your supernal gifts, bless the lives of children, women, and men. Be proud of your womanhood. Enhance it. Use it to serve others."

The Power of the Word by President Ezra Taft Benson

Ensign May 1986

The word of God, as found in the scriptures, in the words of living prophets, and in personal revelation, has the power to fortify the Saints and arm them with the Spirit so they can resist evil, hold fast to the good, and find joy in this life.

We are convinced that our members are hungry for the gospel, undiluted, with its abundant truths and insights...There are those who have seemed to forget that the most powerful weapons the Lord has given us against all that is evil are His own declarations, the plain simple doctrines of salvation as found in the scriptures.

Success in righteousness, the power to avoid deception and resist temptation, guidance in our daily lives, healing of the soul-these are but a few of the promises the Lord has given to those who will come to His word. Does the Lord promise and not fulfill? Surely if He tells us that these things will come to us if we lay hold upon His word, then the blessings can be ours. And if we do not, then the blessings may be lost. However diligent we may be in other areas, certain blessings are to be found only in the scriptures, only in coming to the word of the Lord and holding fast to it as we make our way through the mists of darkness to the tree of life.

And Upon the Handmaids in Those Days...

"And Upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I pour Out My Spirit"

-Julie B.Beck

A good woman knows that she does not have enough time, energy, or opportunity to take care of all of the people or do all of the worthy things her heart yearns to do. Life is not calm for most women, and each day seems to require the accomplishment of a million things, most of which are important. A good woman must constantly resist alluring and deceptive messages from many sources telling her that she is entitled to more time away from her responsibilities and that she deserves a life of greater ease and independence. But with personal revelation, she can prioritize correctly and navigate this life confidently.

Revelation can come hour by hour and moment by moment as we do the right things.

Personal revelation gives us the understanding of what to do every day to increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek those who need our help. Because personal revelation is a constantly renewable source of strength, it is possible to feel bathed in help even during turbulent times.

First Presidency Easter Message

SALT LAKE CITY 4 April 2010 The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following Easter message this weekend:

“At this Easter season as we contemplate our own mortality and remember loved ones who have passed from this life, our hearts turn to Him who promised: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’

“Jesus Christ is the literal Savior of the world, the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, the Holy One of Israel, even the risen Lord, who declared: ‘Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. … I am the light and the life of the world.’ ‘I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father.’

“This Easter season, as His witnesses, we testify that He lives and that through Him, we too shall live.”

March Message from Relief Society

 

Mind the Gap

Barbara Thompson

Many of us have gaps in our own lives. Sometimes it is the difference between what we know and what we actually do or the gap between our goals and what we actually accomplish. These gaps can be reminders of ways in which we can improve or, if ignored, can be stumbling blocks in our lives.

• First, the gap between believing you are a daughter of God and knowing in your heart and soul that you are a precious, beloved daughter of God.
• Second, the gap between completion of the Young Women program and becoming a fully participating member of Relief Society—“the Lord’s organization for women.
• Third, the gap between believing in Jesus Christ and being valiant in the testimony of Jesus Christ.

As we mind these gaps by paying careful attention and removing ourselves from danger, we will begin to realize the fullness of the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives.

Remember, it’s not just what you get out of active participation in Relief Society but what you can give and contribute as well.

Monthly Message

Love One Another
The true measure of life is not how much we get but how much we give. ~ Silvia H. Alread

You are called to represent the Savior. Your voice to testify becomes the same as His voice, your hands to lift the same as His hands. His work is to bless His Father's spirit children with the opportunity to choose eternal life. So, your calling is to bless lives. That will be true even in the most ordinary tasks you are assigned...Just the way you smile or the way you offer to help someone can build their faith.

 ~ Henry B. Eyring

January Message

Hold On - Ann M. Dibb 2009 Nov Ensign

President Harold B. Lee, the prophet when I was a teenager, taught, “If there is any one thing most needed in this time of tumult and frustration, when men and women and youth and young adults are desperately seeking for answers to the problems which afflict mankind, it is an ‘iron rod’ as a safe guide along the straight path on the way to eternal life, amidst the strange and devious roadways that would eventually lead to destruction and to the ruin of all that is ‘virtuous, lovely, or of good report’” (“The Iron Rod,” Ensign, June 1971, 7).

Holding to the iron rod is not always easy. We may let go because of peer pressure or pride, thinking we can find our own way back—later. When we do so, we are leaving our safety equipment behind. In Lehi’s vision he saw many who let go of the iron rod. Nephi says, “And many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads” (1 Nephi 8:32). In difficult times in our own lives, we may find we are also “wandering in strange roads.” Let me reassure you that it is always possible for us to find our way back. Through repentance, made possible by the atoning sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we can regain and recommit to a strong grip on the iron rod and feel the loving guidance of our Heavenly Father once again. The Savior has extended an open invitation to us: repent, hold on, and don’t let go.

Merry Christmas!

December's Message

Relief Society - A Sacred Work
- Julie B. Beck
Much of the essential Relief Society work we do doesn’t happen in meetings. Let’s focus now on learning about visiting teaching. Because we follow the example and teachings of Jesus Christ, we value this sacred assignment to love, know, serve, understand, teach, and minister in His behalf. This is one duty we have in the Church where we are certain to have the help of the Lord if we ask for it. This is one responsibility that is certain to increase our faith and personal righteousness and strengthen our own homes and families as we become partners with the Lord. A sister in this Church has no other responsibility outside of her family that has the potential to do as much good as does visiting teaching.

The Enduring Legacy of Relief Society
-Henry B. Eyring
I talked with a Relief Society member about a visit she had made. It was to a woman who would soon lose her husband suddenly and tragically. In recent years the woman had only intermittent contact with Relief Society.

The visitor prepared by stopping at a shop to buy flowers. It was a season when the tulips were stacked for sale in many colors. She chose one color, her favorite, but then felt impressed to try another. She didn’t know why she selected yellow, but she did. When she presented the yellow tulips at the door, the woman smiled and said, “Come. See my backyard garden.” It was filled with yellow tulips in full bloom. The woman said, “I was just wondering if I should cut some for the house. But now I can leave them and enjoy them a little longer in my garden because you brought me these.” They chatted pleasantly as if they were old friends. From that impression to bring some flowers and to choose yellow tulips, that visiting teacher had evidence that she was on the Lord’s errand. When she told me, I could hear the joy in her voice.
When she spoke with me, she didn’t know what the widow felt after the visit. But if the widow felt that God loved her and that He had sent an angel to her, the visiting teacher had helped her move down the road to success in the Lord’s eyes. That visitor may verify success from her faithful effort only in the world to come.

Fulfilling the Purpose of Relief Society

By Julie B. Beck - General Relief Society President

Relief Society was established by the Lord to organize, teach, and inspire His daughters to prepare for the blessings of eternal life.

Through Relief Society, women have an official role in the church with great responsibilities, "including working in the temple and teaching the gospel." Relief Society is to help women "plant and make grow...a testimony of Jesus Christ and of the Gospel," "strengthen the family and the home," and "attend to all family duties." It has responsibility to take care of the "necessities of the poor, the sick and the needy," but President Joseph F. Smith said that the larger part of its work is "to look after the spiritual welfare [and salvation]...of all the female members of the Church."

President Spencer W. Kimball stated the aim of Relief Society is to support the women of the Church in their individual responsibilities by ensuring that every meeting, every lesson, and every activity we undertake helps them increase in faith and personal righteousness, strengthen their families and their homes, and serve the Lord and His children.

Every Woman Needs Relief Society -Silvia H. Allred

I will speak today about why every woman needs Relief Society in her life.

Soon after the Prophet Joseph Smith organized and established the Church, he also organized the women’s Relief Society. He said, “The Church was never perfectly organized until the women were thus organized.”1 The Relief Society is an essential part of the Church, and as a presidency, we hope we can help you understand why it is essential in your life.

The deepest desire of our presidency is to help each woman in the Church prepare to receive the blessings of the temple, to honor the covenants she makes, and to be engaged in the cause of Zion. The Relief Society inspires and teaches women to help them increase their faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families, and seek out and help those in need.

Speaking of our day, President Spencer W. Kimball said:

“Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days
will come because many of the good women of the
world . . . will be drawn to the Church in large numbers.
This will happen to the degree that the women of the Church reflect
righteousness and articulateness in their lives and to the degree that the women
of the Church are seen as distinct and different—in happy ways—from the women of
the world.

“Among the real heroines in the world who will come into the Church are
women who are more concerned with being righteous than with being selfish. These
real heroines have true humility, which places a higher value on integrity than
on visibility. . . .

“Thus it will be that female exemplars of the Church will be a
significant force in both the numerical and the spiritual growth of the Church
in the last days.”2

I believe that these prophetic words are being fulfilled. The good women of the world are embracing the gospel of Jesus Christ in large numbers across the nations. You are the real heroines he was talking about. We have met you by the thousands as we travel the world. We have seen your good works; we have heard your heartfelt testimonies; we have felt your spirits. We have seen the light of the gospel reflected in your faces. Your example and influence for good are both extraordinary and remarkable.

But we are also aware of the many women in the Church who are not fully enjoying the blessings of activity in the Church and in Relief Society. To those of you who already attend Relief Society, we extend a call. We ask you to go to the women who are not engaged in Relief Society work in your wards and branches to teach them with love what Relief Society will do for them. Testify to them that Relief Society will enrich their homes and personal lives. Offer your friendship and sisterhood. Watch over and strengthen them. Help us reverse society’s trend of disintegrating families. Help your sisters turn to the Lord and His plan of happiness for His children. They will find guidance, comfort, peace, understanding, and inspiration. They will know Heavenly Father loves them and cares for them in ways beyond measure.

Messages for Women

Gordon B. Hinckley

Believe in yourself. Believe in your capacity to do great and good things. Believe that no mountain is so high that you cannot climb it. Believe that no storm is so great that you cannot weather it. You are not destined to be a scrub. You are a child of God, of infinite capacity.
Believe that you can do it - whatever it is that you set your heart on. Opportunities will unfold and open before you. The skies will clear when they have been dark with portent.

Marjorie Pay Hinckley

The trouble with the world and the trouble with you and me is that we don't love each other enough, And if we do, we don't bother to show it, or we don't bother to say it. If the world is to know love, it has to be in your heart and in mine, And the Lord can fill our hearts with love if we will just go to Him.
Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart ,that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ. - Moroni 7:48

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I believe that as you immerse yourselves in the work of our Father—as you create beauty and as you are compassionate to others—God will encircle you in the arms of His love. (RS Broadcast 2008)

Eternally Encircled in His Love

Bonnie D. Parkin - Ensign, Nov 2006, 108–10

I know that [Heavenly Father] loves us, sisters, as does His Son, Jesus Christ. That love will never change—it is constant.

Our Heavenly Father loved us before we came to this earth. I know that He loves us, sisters, as does His Son, Jesus Christ. That love will never change—it is constant. You can rely on it. We can trust it.Just as the motto of Relief Society reminds us that “charity never faileth,” we must believe that the love of Christ will never fail us. All that we do in Relief Society should reflect the love of our Savior and the love of our Heavenly Father. This great love should be the source of our motivation to serve others. It must be both our point of origin and our destination!

The Lord’s love is often delivered through others as they respond to promptings of the Spirit. Are we hearing and following those promptings?

I fear sometimes we see the Lord’s love only in the big events of our lives; we must also see His love in the smallest of things. Don’t underestimate your ability to share His love through a simple, genuine gesture such as sitting next to another sister and making her feel welcome.

In my morning prayers I ask Heavenly Father to fill me with His love so that I can do His work with more heart. I know that I have been blessed because of this daily petition. As Relief Society sisters, we must strive to manifest the love of Christ, who always sought to please His Father by doing His will. Sisters, we must make every effort to follow His supreme example—to demonstrate such love through our thoughts, our speech, our actions—in all the things we do and are. We must not allow pride or vanity, selfishness or personal agendas to displace our reaching out to others in love. Quite simply and profoundly, we must first allow ourselves to be encircled by God’s love. We do this best by embracing the Savior’s eternal Atonement. Then we can expand that circle to include our family and all others. Such a circle is indeed heaven.

Words from Gordon B. Hinckley

"I would hope that we might go to the house of the Lord a little more frequently. . . . In this noisy, bustling, competitive world, what a privilege it is to have a sacred house where we may experience the sanctifying influence of the Spirit of the Lord."

The Gift to Those Who Enter The Temple

"John A. Widtsoe wrote: 'I believe that the busy person on the farm, in the shop, in the office, or in the household, who has his worries and troubles, can solve his problems better and more quickly in the house of the Lord than anywhere else. If he will . . . [do] the temple work for himself and for his dead, he will confer a mighty blessing upon those who have gone before, and . . . a blessing will come to him, for at the most unexpected moments, in or out of the temple will come to him, as a revelation, the solution of the problems that vex his life. That is the gift that comes to those who enter the temple properly.' ("Temple Worship," The Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, Apr. 1921, pp. 63-64.) "Revelation also comes in receiving greater understanding of the endowment as one seeks to comprehend its meaning.
- David B. Haight, "Temples and Work Therein,"

Message for July

Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need
Elder Richard G. Scott Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Because I love you, I am going to speak to you heart to heart, without mincing words. I have seen that many times individuals have made great sacrifices to go to a distant temple. But when a temple is built close by, within a short time, many do not visit it regularly. I have a suggestion: When a temple is conveniently nearby, small things may interrupt your plans to go to the temple. Set specific goals, considering your circumstances, of when you can and will participate in temple ordinances. Then do not allow anything to interfere with that plan. This pattern will guarantee that those who live in the shadow of a temple will be as blessed as are those who plan far ahead and make a long trip to the temple.
“Many were the blessings we had received in the house of the Lord, which has caused us joy and comfort in the midst of all our sorrows and enabled us to have faith in God, knowing He would guide us and sustain us in the unknown journey that lay before us. For if it had not been for the faith and knowledge that was bestowed upon us in that temple by the influence and help of the Spirit of the Lord, our journey would have been like one taking a leap in the dark. To start out on such a journey in the winter as it were and in our state of poverty, it would seem like walking into the jaws of death. But we had faith in our Heavenly Father, and we put our trust in Him feeling that we were His chosen people and had embraced His gospel, and instead of sorrow, we felt to rejoice that the day of our deliverance had come.”2
Now I would like to speak of the special meaning the temple has for me. Part of this message is going to be sensitive, so I will appreciate your prayers as I give it so that I do not become too emotional.
Fourteen years ago the Lord took my wife beyond the veil. I love her with all my heart, but I have never complained because I know it was His will. I have never asked why but rather what is it that He wants me to learn from this experience. I believe that is a good way to face the unpleasant things in our lives, not complaining but thanking the Lord for the trust He places in us when He gives us the opportunity to overcome difficulties.
We had the blessing of having children. A daughter, the first child, continues to be an enormous blessing in our lives. A couple of years later a son we named Richard was born. A few years later a daughter was born. She died after living only a few minutes.
Our son, Richard, was born with a heart defect. We were told that unless that could be cured, there was little probability that he would live more than two or three years. This was so long ago that techniques now used to repair such defects were unknown. We had the blessing of having a place where doctors agreed to attempt to perform the needed surgery. The surgery had to be done while his little heart was beating.
The surgery was performed just six weeks after the birth and death of our baby daughter. When the operation finished, the principal surgeon came in and said it was a success. And we thought, “How wonderful! Our son will have a strong body, be able to run and walk and grow!” We expressed deep gratitude to the Lord. Then about 10 minutes later, the same doctor came in with an ashen face and told us, “Your son has died.” Apparently the shock of the operation was more than his little body could endure.
Later, during the night, I embraced my wife and said to her, “We do not need to worry, because our children were born in the covenant. We have the assurance that we will have them with us in the future. Now we have a reason to live extremely well. We have a son and a daughter who have qualified to go to the celestial kingdom because they died before the age of eight.” That knowledge has given us great comfort. We rejoice in the knowledge that all seven of our children are sealed to us for time and all eternity.
That trial has not been a problem for either of us because, when we live righteously and have received the ordinances of the temple, everything else is in the hands of the Lord. We can do the best we can, but the final outcome is up to Him. We should never complain, when we are living worthily, about what happens in our lives.
Fourteen years ago the Lord decided it was not necessary for my wife to live any longer on the earth, and He took her to the other side of the veil. I confess that there are times when it is difficult not to be able to turn and talk to her, but I do not complain. The Lord has allowed me, at important moments in my life, to feel her influence through the veil.
What I am trying to teach is that when we keep the temple covenants we have made and when we live righteously in order to maintain the blessings promised by those ordinances, then come what may, we have no reason to worry or to feel despondent.
I know that I will have the privilege of being with that beautiful wife, whom I love with all my heart, and with those children who are with her on the other side of the veil because of the ordinances that are performed in the temple. What a blessing to have once again on the earth the sealing authority, not only for this mortal life but for the eternities. I am grateful that the Lord has restored His gospel in its fulness, including the ordinances that are required for us to be happy in the world and to live everlastingly happy lives in the hereafter.

Not Only to Relieve the Poor, but Save Souls

"From its beginning, the Relief Society has led out in charitable work. At the first meeting, President Emma Smith said, 'Each member should be ambitious to do good.' (Minutes of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo, 17 Mar. 1842, p. 13.) The minutes of those initial meetings are filled with accounts of how the sisters obtained work opportunities for the needy, took in the homeless, and made donations to help those in need of food, shelter, and schooling.

"A decade after the departure from Nauvoo, sisters trained in the principles of the Relief Society were still leading in efforts to provide for those in need. In a session of conference, President Brigham Young announced that the Saints in two handcart companies were stranded by early snows and suffering in the mountains of Wyoming. He called for immediate help to rescue them, and before they left the Tabernacle many sisters had begun to gather clothing to send to the Saints in the mountains. (See Kenneth W. Godfrey et al., Women's Voices: An Untold History of the Latter-day Saints, 1830-1900, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982, p. 269.)

In the initial meetings of Relief Society the Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the society 'is not only to relieve the poor, but to save souls.' (Minutes, 9 June 1842, p. 63; History of the Church, 5:25.) A later First Presidency explained: 'One of the purposes of the organization of the Relief Society was that a system might be inaugurated by which study of religious subjects, or Church doctrine and government, might be pursued by women. The administration of charity under the direction of the Bishopric . . . was to be part of their active work. But this was not intended to absorb their activities to the exclusion of the development of faith, and the advancement of women in literary, social and domestic activities of life.' (James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-75, 5:217.)

" 'To save souls opens the whole field of human activity and development,' Elder John A. Widtsoe later declared. 'Relief of poverty, relief of illness; relief of doubt, relief of ignorance—relief of all that hinders the joy and progress of woman. What a magnificent commission!' (John A. Widtsoe, Evidences and Reconciliations, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1987, p. 308.)

"That commission included teaching. In a revelation given in 1830, the Lord told Emma Smith that the Prophet would authorize her 'to expound scriptures, and to exhort the church, according as it shall be given thee by my Spirit.' (D&C 25:7.) When she was later selected to lead the Relief Society, her prophet husband referred to this revelation that she would 'expound the scriptures to all' and 'teach the female part of the community.' He declared 'that not she alone, but others, may attain to the same blessings.' (Minutes, 17 Mar. 1842, p. 8.)"

"The Relief Society and the Church," Ensign, May 1992, 34–35

RS Message for May

Bounds of Creativity Unlimited

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Ensign Nov 2008

"If you are a mother, you participate with God in His work of creation—not only by providing physical bodies for your children but also by teaching and nurturing them. If you are not a mother now, the creative talents you develop will prepare you for that day, in this life or the next.
"You may think you don't have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us (see D&C 46:11–12). The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.
"What you create doesn't have to be perfect. . . . Don't let the voices of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside.
"If you still feel incapable of creating, start small. Try to see how many smiles you can create, write a letter of appreciation, learn a new skill, identify a space and beautify it."

Raising Heavenly Father's Children

M. Russell Ballard

Ensign May 2008

"Pray, study, and teach the gospel. Pray deeply about your children and about your role as a mother. Parents can offer a unique and wonderful kind of prayer because they are praying to the Eternal Parent of us all. There is great power in a prayer that essentially says, 'We are steward-parents over Thy children, Father; please help us to raise them as thou wouldst want them raised.' "

RS Message for April

God's Messengers
"When the time for [the] Savior's advent was at hand, an angel was sent to announce to Mary that she was to be the mother of the Son of God. Then a host of angels was commissioned to sing on the night the baby Jesus was born. Shortly thereafter an angel would announce to Joseph that the newborn baby was in danger and this little family must flee to Egypt for safety. When it was safe to return, an angel conveyed that information to the family and the three returned to the land of their heritage.

"From the beginning down through the dispensations, God has used angels as His emissaries in conveying love and concern for His children. . . . "Usually such beings are not seen. Sometimes they are. But seen or unseen they are always near. Sometimes their assignments are very grand and have significance for the whole world. Sometimes the messages are more private. Occasionally the angelic purpose is to warn. But most often it is to comfort, to provide some form of merciful attention, guidance in difficult times."

Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Ministry of Angels," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 29
Topics: Jesus Christ, Revelation