Relief Society
Encyclopedia
The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization and an official auxiliary
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo
, Illinois
, USA
and has approximately 6 million members in over 170 countries and territories. The Relief Society is often referred to by the church and others as "one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the world."
and her seamstress, Margaret A. Cook, discussed combining their efforts to sew clothing for workers constructing the Latter Day Saints' Nauvoo Temple
. They determined to invite their neighbors to assist by creating a Ladies' Society. Kimball asked Eliza R. Snow to write a constitution and by-laws for the organization for submission to Latter Day Saint Church President Joseph Smith for review. After reviewing the documents, Smith called them "the best he had ever seen" but said, "this is not what you want. Tell the sisters their offering is accepted of the Lord , and He has something better for them than a written constitution. . . . I will organize the women under the priesthood after a pattern of the priesthood."
Twenty women gathered on Thursday, March 17, 1842 in the second-story meeting room over Smith's Red Brick Store
in Nauvoo
. Smith, John Taylor
, and Willard Richards
sat on the platform at the upper end of the room with the women facing them. "The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning
" was sung, and Taylor opened the meeting with prayer. The women in attendance at the initial meeting were: Emma Hale Smith
, Sarah M. Cleveland
, Phebe Ann Hawkes, Elizabeth Jones, Sophia Packard, Philinda Merrick, Martha Knight, Desdemona Fulmer, Elizabeth Ann Whitney
, Leonora Taylor, Bathsheba W. Smith
, Phebe M. Wheeler, Elvira A. Coles (Cowles; later Elivira A. C. Holmes), Margaret A. Cook, Athalia Robinson, Sarah Granger Kimball, Eliza R. Snow, Sophia Robinson, Nancy Rigdon and Sophia R. Marks. Additionally, eight other women not present that day were admitted to membership: Sarah Higbee, Thirza Cahoon, Keziah A. Morrison, Marinda N. Hyde, Abigail Allred, Mary Snider, Sarah S. Granger
, and Cynthia Ann Eldredge.
Smith stated "the object of the Society—that the Society of Sisters might provoke the brethren to good works in looking to the wants of the poor—searching after objects of charity, and in administering to their wants—to assist; by correcting the morals and strengthening the virtues of the female community, and save the Elders the trouble of rebuking; that they may give their time to other duties, &c., in their public teaching." Smith also proposed that the women elect a presiding officer who would choose two counselors to assist her. Emma Hale Smith
was elected unanimously as president. She chose Sarah M. Cleveland and Elizabeth Ann Whitney
as her two counselors. John Taylor was appointed to ordain the women and he did so.
It was proposed that the organization go by the name Benevolent Society and with no opposition the vote carried. However, Emma Smith made a point of objection. She convinced the attendees that the term "relief" would better reflect the purpose of the organization, for they were "going to do something extraordinary," distinct from the popular benevolent institutions of the day. After discussion, it was unanimously agreed that the fledgling organization be named The Female Relief Society of Nauvoo. Joseph Smith then offered five dollars in gold to commence the funds of the Society and the men left the room. Eliza R. Snow was unanimously elected as secretary of the Society with Phebe M. Wheeler as Assistant Secretary and Elvira A. Coles as Treasurer. Emma Smith remarked that "each member should be ambitious to do good" and seek out and relieve the distressed. Several female members then made donations to the Society. The men returned, and Taylor and Richards also made donations. After singing "Come Let Us Rejoice," the meeting was adjourned to meet on the following Thursday at 10 o'clock. Taylor then gave a closing prayer. Of his experience Joseph Smith recorded: "I attended by request, the Female Relief Society, whose object is the relief of the poor, the destitute, the widow and the orphan, and for the exercise of all benevolent purposes. . . .[W]e feel convinced that with their concentrated efforts, the condition of the suffering poor, of the stranger and the fatherless will be ameliorated"
The new organization was popular and grew so rapidly that finding a meeting place for such a large group proved difficult. Under Emma Smith's direction, the Society was "divided for the purpose of meeting" according to each of the city's four municipal wards
. Emma and her counselors continued to preside over the groups. Visiting committees were appointed to determine needs in each ward. Young mother Sarah Pea Rich, wife of Charles C. Rich
, recalled, "We then, as a people were united and were more like family than like strangers." By March 1844, membership totaled 1331 women. The last recorded meeting of the Relief Society in Nauvoo
was held on March 16, 1844.
were taken into legal custody and then killed
by a mob at Carthage, Illinois
on June 27, 1844. After their deaths, local church members focused on completing the Nauvoo Temple
and performing ordinances before leaving the city.
When Relief Society secretary Eliza R. Snow joined the Saints in their exodus west in 1846, she carried the Relief Society Book of Records with her. Although they no longer met in an official capacity, women continued to assemble informally; the care and nurture of the needy continued without a formal Relief Society organization.
As Saints established homes in the Great Salt Lake valley
and surrounding settlements, formal meetings for women gradually emerged. A Female Council of Health was established in 1851. On January 24, 1854, in response to Brigham Young’s call to Saints to assist neighboring Native Americans, women from several Salt Lake City wards decided to organize "a socity of females for the purpose of makeing clothing for Indian women and children." Two weeks later, February 9, 1854, they formally organized an association remembered as the "Indian Relief Society." Matilda Dudley was elected president and treasurer, Mary Hawkins and Mary Bird as counselors, Louisa R. Taylor as secretary, and Amanda Barnes Smith as assistant secretary. Twelve other women were listed as charter members. Though these Mormon
women were poor in material goods, they felt the need of Native Americans exceeded their own. Over the next four months their efforts to clothe Indian women and children continued in earnest. In June 1854 Brigham Young encouraged women to form societies in their individual wards. Members of the first Indian Relief Society disbanded to help establish organizations in their own wards, many of them becoming leaders. Matilda Dudley, for example, became president of the Thirteenth Ward Relief Society with Augusta Cobb and Sarah A. Cook as her counselors and Martha Jane Coray as secretary. Records are limited but show that by 1858 over two dozen organizations had formed in some twelve Salt Lake City wards and in other outlaying settlements such as Ogden
, Provo
, Spanish Fork
, and Manti, Utah
. Each Relief Society operated independently within its ward in cooperation with the local bishop. Ward societies apparently were not interconnected by central women’s leadership, though many of them engaged in similar activities such as sewing clothing for Indians, caring for the poor, especially emigrants, and weaving carpets for local meetinghouses.
In 2004, historian Carol Holindrake Nielson documented the organization, activities and membership of the Salt Lake City Fourteenth Ward Relief Society. The Fourteenth Ward included Temple Square
and eleven residential squares to the south and west. This section contained the homes of many church leaders. Among others, the ward Relief Society roll included the names of Leonora Taylor and Jane B. Taylor, wives of John Taylor
; Elizabeth B. Pratt, Kezia D. Pratt and Phoebe Soper Pratt, wives of Parley P. Pratt
; and Phebe W. Woodruff, Emma Woodruff, Sarah Woodruff, Sarah Delight Woodruff, Phebe A. Woodruff, Susan C. Woodruff, Bulah Woodruff, wives and daughters of Wilford Woodruff
.
Interrupted by the 1858 Utah War
, no more than three or four of these independent ward organizations survived the temporary move of much of the Mormon population south of Salt Lake County.
publicly called for the reorganization of Relief Society in every ward. Eliza R. Snow provided a historical account of the society and described its purpose to seek "not only for the relief of the poor, but the accomplishment of every good and noble work." Young again addressed the need to establish local Relief Society units at the church's 1868 April conference, stating: Now, Bishops, you have smart women for wives, many of you. Let them organize Female Relief Societies in the various wards. We have many talented women among us . . . . You will find that the sisters will be the mainspring of the movement. Snow was then assigned to assist local bishops in organizing permanent branches of the Relief Society. Using the minutes recorded in the early Nauvoo meetings as a Constitution, Snow created a standard model for all local wards that united women in purpose and provided a permanent name and structure to their organization. She and nine other sisters began visiting wards and settlements in 1868, and at the end of the year, organizations existed in all twenty Salt Lake City congregations and in congregations in nearly every county in Utah.
Ward branches of the Relief Society performed a variety of functions. Women helped the bishop of the ward assist the poor by collecting and disbursing funds and commodities. They nursed the sick, cleaned homes, sewed carpet rags for local meeting houses, planted and tended gardens, promoted home industry, and shared doctrinal instruction and testimony.
Snow provided central leadership both before and after her call as General President in 1880. She emphasized spirituality and self-sufficiency. The Relief Society sent women to medical school, trained nurses, opened the Deseret Hospital, operated cooperative stores, promoted silk manufacture, saved wheat, and built granaries. In 1872 Snow provided assistance and advice to Louisa Lula Greene (Richards) in the creation of a woman's publication, the Woman's Exponent
, which was loosely affiliated with the Relief Society. Emmeline B. Wells
succeeded her and continued as editor until its final issue in 1914.
Under Snow's direction, Relief Society sisters nurtured young women and children. Heeding Brigham Young's 1869 call to reform, Snow, Mary Isabella Horne, and others established the Ladies' Cooperative Retrenchment Association from which the Young Ladies' Department of the Ladies' Cooperative Retrenchment was formed (later called the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association and now the Young Women). Snow also worked with Aurelia Spencer Rogers to establish the first ward Primary Association
in 1878. By 1888, the Relief Society had more than 22,000 members in 400 local wards and branches.
Early Relief Society meetings were generally held semi-monthly. One meeting per month was devoted to sewing and caring for the needs of the poor. At meetings members might receive instruction, discuss elevating and educational topics, and bear testimony. The women were also encouraged to explore and develop cultural opportunities for their community. Stakes began circulating outlines for lessons in 1902. The first standardized lessons were published by the General Board in 1914 in the Relief Society Bulletin, later renamed the Relief Society Magazine
in 1915.
In each local congregation of the church, a member of the Relief Society serves as the local President of the organization. The president is permitted to ask two other women from the congregation to assist her as counselors; together the three women make up the local Relief Society Presidency. The Relief Society Presidency acts under the direction of the bishop or branch president
in presiding over and serving the women in the congregation. Additionally, stake
or district
Relief Society presidencies exist to supervise five or more local Relief Society Presidencies.
Relief Society holds weekly meetings every Sunday that last approximately fifty minutes. During these meetings, an educational lesson is presented by a member of the Relief Society Presidency or another woman who has been asked to serve as the Relief Society instructor. Since the 1990s, the curriculum has been composed of Teachings of Presidents of the Church
and other materials. The Relief Society also leads the LDS Church's efforts to teach basic literacy skills to those members and non-members that lack them.
Three women are called to serve as the General Relief Society Presidency of the entire LDS Church. Although these women are not considered general authorities, they are considered to be general officers of the church and are among the highest ranking women in the LDS Church's hierarchy. Since April 2007, the General Relief Society Presidency has been composed of Julie Bangerter Beck, President; Silvia Henriquez Allred, First Counselor; and Barbara Thompson
, Second Counselor. They are assisted and advised by a Relief Society General Board drawn from women in the church.
Annually in late September, the Relief Society holds a General Relief Society meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah
, which is broadcast around the world via television, radio, satellite and the Internet. This meeting is an opportunity for the General Relief Society Presidency to address the entire body of the Relief Society. Typically a member of the church's First Presidency
also speaks to the women of the church.
in the 1840s, the Relief Society is the only auxiliary organization in the LDS Church today which has a completely separate facility. This building is also the closest of any building to the door of the Salt Lake Temple
.
, the Relief Society President is the key person in the ward in ensuring that the temporal and emotional needs of the members of the congregation are met. The Relief Society Presidency is responsible for helping the women of the congregation learn welfare principles such as work, self-reliance, provident living, personal and family preparedness, and compassionate service of others. In many congregations, the Relief Society will ask a woman to serve as the Compassionate Service Leader, who is responsible for organizing service activities and responses to members' needs in times of emergency or hardship.
"Heroes 2004 Award" for its service in the Greater Salt Lake area.
Auxiliary organization (LDS Church)
An auxiliary organization is a secondary body of church government within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is "established for moral, educational, and benevolent purposes." As their name suggests, LDS Church auxiliary organizations are ancillary to the governing power of the...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo
Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and has approximately 6 million members in over 170 countries and territories. The Relief Society is often referred to by the church and others as "one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the world."
Mission
The motto of the Relief Society, taken from 1 Corinthians 13:8, is "Charity never faileth". The official purpose of Relief Society is to "prepare women for the blessings of eternal life by helping them increase their faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and help those in need. Relief Society accomplishes these purposes through Sunday gospel instruction, other Relief Society meetings, visiting teaching, and welfare and compassionate service."History
Beginnings
In the spring of 1842 Sarah Granger KimballSarah Granger Kimball
Sarah Melissa Granger Kimball was a 19th-century Mormon advocate for women's rights and early leader in the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
and her seamstress, Margaret A. Cook, discussed combining their efforts to sew clothing for workers constructing the Latter Day Saints' Nauvoo Temple
Nauvoo Temple
The Nauvoo Temple was the second temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons. The church's first temple was completed in Kirtland, Ohio, United States in 1836. When the main body of the church was forced out of Nauvoo, Illinois in the...
. They determined to invite their neighbors to assist by creating a Ladies' Society. Kimball asked Eliza R. Snow to write a constitution and by-laws for the organization for submission to Latter Day Saint Church President Joseph Smith for review. After reviewing the documents, Smith called them "the best he had ever seen" but said, "this is not what you want. Tell the sisters their offering is accepted of the Lord , and He has something better for them than a written constitution. . . . I will organize the women under the priesthood after a pattern of the priesthood."
Twenty women gathered on Thursday, March 17, 1842 in the second-story meeting room over Smith's Red Brick Store
Red Brick Store
The Red Brick Store in Nauvoo, Illinois, was a building that was constructed and owned by Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Original building:...
in Nauvoo
Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
. Smith, John Taylor
John Taylor (1808-1887)
John Taylor was the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1880 to 1887. He is the only president of the LDS Church to have been born outside of the United States....
, and Willard Richards
Willard Richards
Willard Richards was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served as Second Counselor in the First Presidency to church president Brigham Young in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death.Willard Richards was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to...
sat on the platform at the upper end of the room with the women facing them. "The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning
The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning
"The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning" is a hymn of the Latter Day Saint movement. It was written by W. W. Phelps, one of the most prolific hymnwriters of early Mormonism....
" was sung, and Taylor opened the meeting with prayer. The women in attendance at the initial meeting were: Emma Hale Smith
Emma Hale Smith
Emma Hale Smith Bidamon was married to Joseph Smith, Jr., until his death in 1844, and was an early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement, during Joseph Smith's lifetime and afterward as a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...
, Sarah M. Cleveland
Sarah M. Cleveland
Sarah Marietta Kingsley Cleveland was the first counselor to Emma Smith in the presidency of the Relief Society from 1842 to 1844....
, Phebe Ann Hawkes, Elizabeth Jones, Sophia Packard, Philinda Merrick, Martha Knight, Desdemona Fulmer, Elizabeth Ann Whitney
Elizabeth Ann Whitney
Elizabeth Ann Whitney , born Elizabeth Ann Smith, was an early Latter Day Saint leader, and the wife of Newel K. Whitney, another early Latter Day Saint leader.Born in Derby, Connecticut to non-sectarian parents, Ms...
, Leonora Taylor, Bathsheba W. Smith
Bathsheba W. Smith
Bathsheba Wilson Bigler Smith was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement. She was the fourth general president of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a matron of the Salt Lake Temple, a member of the Board of Directors of Deseret Hospital, Salt Lake...
, Phebe M. Wheeler, Elvira A. Coles (Cowles; later Elivira A. C. Holmes), Margaret A. Cook, Athalia Robinson, Sarah Granger Kimball, Eliza R. Snow, Sophia Robinson, Nancy Rigdon and Sophia R. Marks. Additionally, eight other women not present that day were admitted to membership: Sarah Higbee, Thirza Cahoon, Keziah A. Morrison, Marinda N. Hyde, Abigail Allred, Mary Snider, Sarah S. Granger
Sarah Granger Kimball
Sarah Melissa Granger Kimball was a 19th-century Mormon advocate for women's rights and early leader in the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
, and Cynthia Ann Eldredge.
Smith stated "the object of the Society—that the Society of Sisters might provoke the brethren to good works in looking to the wants of the poor—searching after objects of charity, and in administering to their wants—to assist; by correcting the morals and strengthening the virtues of the female community, and save the Elders the trouble of rebuking; that they may give their time to other duties, &c., in their public teaching." Smith also proposed that the women elect a presiding officer who would choose two counselors to assist her. Emma Hale Smith
Emma Hale Smith
Emma Hale Smith Bidamon was married to Joseph Smith, Jr., until his death in 1844, and was an early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement, during Joseph Smith's lifetime and afterward as a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...
was elected unanimously as president. She chose Sarah M. Cleveland and Elizabeth Ann Whitney
Elizabeth Ann Whitney
Elizabeth Ann Whitney , born Elizabeth Ann Smith, was an early Latter Day Saint leader, and the wife of Newel K. Whitney, another early Latter Day Saint leader.Born in Derby, Connecticut to non-sectarian parents, Ms...
as her two counselors. John Taylor was appointed to ordain the women and he did so.
It was proposed that the organization go by the name Benevolent Society and with no opposition the vote carried. However, Emma Smith made a point of objection. She convinced the attendees that the term "relief" would better reflect the purpose of the organization, for they were "going to do something extraordinary," distinct from the popular benevolent institutions of the day. After discussion, it was unanimously agreed that the fledgling organization be named The Female Relief Society of Nauvoo. Joseph Smith then offered five dollars in gold to commence the funds of the Society and the men left the room. Eliza R. Snow was unanimously elected as secretary of the Society with Phebe M. Wheeler as Assistant Secretary and Elvira A. Coles as Treasurer. Emma Smith remarked that "each member should be ambitious to do good" and seek out and relieve the distressed. Several female members then made donations to the Society. The men returned, and Taylor and Richards also made donations. After singing "Come Let Us Rejoice," the meeting was adjourned to meet on the following Thursday at 10 o'clock. Taylor then gave a closing prayer. Of his experience Joseph Smith recorded: "I attended by request, the Female Relief Society, whose object is the relief of the poor, the destitute, the widow and the orphan, and for the exercise of all benevolent purposes. . . .[W]e feel convinced that with their concentrated efforts, the condition of the suffering poor, of the stranger and the fatherless will be ameliorated"
The new organization was popular and grew so rapidly that finding a meeting place for such a large group proved difficult. Under Emma Smith's direction, the Society was "divided for the purpose of meeting" according to each of the city's four municipal wards
Ward (Mormonism)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a ward is the larger of two types of local congregations . A ward is presided over by a bishop, the equivalent of a pastor in other religions. As with all church leadership, the bishop is considered lay clergy and as such is not paid...
. Emma and her counselors continued to preside over the groups. Visiting committees were appointed to determine needs in each ward. Young mother Sarah Pea Rich, wife of Charles C. Rich
Charles C. Rich
Charles Coulson Rich was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served as an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
, recalled, "We then, as a people were united and were more like family than like strangers." By March 1844, membership totaled 1331 women. The last recorded meeting of the Relief Society in Nauvoo
Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
was held on March 16, 1844.
Moving west
Joseph Smith and his brother HyrumHyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith was an American religious leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement. He was the older brother of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr....
were taken into legal custody and then killed
Death of Joseph Smith, Jr.
The death of Joseph Smith, Jr. on June 27, 1844 marked a turning point for the Latter Day Saint movement, of which Smith was the founder and leader. When he was attacked and killed by a mob, Smith was the mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois, and running for President of the United States...
by a mob at Carthage, Illinois
Carthage, Illinois
Carthage is a city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,725 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hancock County. Carthage is most famous for being the site of the murder of Joseph Smith in 1844.- History :...
on June 27, 1844. After their deaths, local church members focused on completing the Nauvoo Temple
Nauvoo Temple
The Nauvoo Temple was the second temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons. The church's first temple was completed in Kirtland, Ohio, United States in 1836. When the main body of the church was forced out of Nauvoo, Illinois in the...
and performing ordinances before leaving the city.
When Relief Society secretary Eliza R. Snow joined the Saints in their exodus west in 1846, she carried the Relief Society Book of Records with her. Although they no longer met in an official capacity, women continued to assemble informally; the care and nurture of the needy continued without a formal Relief Society organization.
As Saints established homes in the Great Salt Lake valley
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
and surrounding settlements, formal meetings for women gradually emerged. A Female Council of Health was established in 1851. On January 24, 1854, in response to Brigham Young’s call to Saints to assist neighboring Native Americans, women from several Salt Lake City wards decided to organize "a socity of females for the purpose of makeing clothing for Indian women and children." Two weeks later, February 9, 1854, they formally organized an association remembered as the "Indian Relief Society." Matilda Dudley was elected president and treasurer, Mary Hawkins and Mary Bird as counselors, Louisa R. Taylor as secretary, and Amanda Barnes Smith as assistant secretary. Twelve other women were listed as charter members. Though these Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
women were poor in material goods, they felt the need of Native Americans exceeded their own. Over the next four months their efforts to clothe Indian women and children continued in earnest. In June 1854 Brigham Young encouraged women to form societies in their individual wards. Members of the first Indian Relief Society disbanded to help establish organizations in their own wards, many of them becoming leaders. Matilda Dudley, for example, became president of the Thirteenth Ward Relief Society with Augusta Cobb and Sarah A. Cook as her counselors and Martha Jane Coray as secretary. Records are limited but show that by 1858 over two dozen organizations had formed in some twelve Salt Lake City wards and in other outlaying settlements such as Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
, Provo
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
, Spanish Fork
Spanish Fork, Utah
Spanish Fork is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 31,497 as of the 2008 census estimate.-History:Spanish Fork was settled by LDS pioneers in 1851...
, and Manti, Utah
Manti, Utah
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,040 people, 930 households, and 742 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,560.2 people per square mile . There were 1,010 housing units at an average density of 518.3 per square mile...
. Each Relief Society operated independently within its ward in cooperation with the local bishop. Ward societies apparently were not interconnected by central women’s leadership, though many of them engaged in similar activities such as sewing clothing for Indians, caring for the poor, especially emigrants, and weaving carpets for local meetinghouses.
In 2004, historian Carol Holindrake Nielson documented the organization, activities and membership of the Salt Lake City Fourteenth Ward Relief Society. The Fourteenth Ward included Temple Square
Temple Square
Temple Square is a ten acre complex located in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . In recent years, the usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities immediately adjacent to Temple Square...
and eleven residential squares to the south and west. This section contained the homes of many church leaders. Among others, the ward Relief Society roll included the names of Leonora Taylor and Jane B. Taylor, wives of John Taylor
John Taylor (1808-1887)
John Taylor was the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1880 to 1887. He is the only president of the LDS Church to have been born outside of the United States....
; Elizabeth B. Pratt, Kezia D. Pratt and Phoebe Soper Pratt, wives of Parley P. Pratt
Parley P. Pratt
Parley Parker Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 until his murder in 1857. He served in the Quorum with his younger brother, Orson Pratt...
; and Phebe W. Woodruff, Emma Woodruff, Sarah Woodruff, Sarah Delight Woodruff, Phebe A. Woodruff, Susan C. Woodruff, Bulah Woodruff, wives and daughters of Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
.
Interrupted by the 1858 Utah War
Utah War
The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between LDS settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857 until July 1858...
, no more than three or four of these independent ward organizations survived the temporary move of much of the Mormon population south of Salt Lake County.
Expansion
In December 1867 Church President Brigham YoungBrigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
publicly called for the reorganization of Relief Society in every ward. Eliza R. Snow provided a historical account of the society and described its purpose to seek "not only for the relief of the poor, but the accomplishment of every good and noble work." Young again addressed the need to establish local Relief Society units at the church's 1868 April conference, stating: Now, Bishops, you have smart women for wives, many of you. Let them organize Female Relief Societies in the various wards. We have many talented women among us . . . . You will find that the sisters will be the mainspring of the movement. Snow was then assigned to assist local bishops in organizing permanent branches of the Relief Society. Using the minutes recorded in the early Nauvoo meetings as a Constitution, Snow created a standard model for all local wards that united women in purpose and provided a permanent name and structure to their organization. She and nine other sisters began visiting wards and settlements in 1868, and at the end of the year, organizations existed in all twenty Salt Lake City congregations and in congregations in nearly every county in Utah.
Ward branches of the Relief Society performed a variety of functions. Women helped the bishop of the ward assist the poor by collecting and disbursing funds and commodities. They nursed the sick, cleaned homes, sewed carpet rags for local meeting houses, planted and tended gardens, promoted home industry, and shared doctrinal instruction and testimony.
Snow provided central leadership both before and after her call as General President in 1880. She emphasized spirituality and self-sufficiency. The Relief Society sent women to medical school, trained nurses, opened the Deseret Hospital, operated cooperative stores, promoted silk manufacture, saved wheat, and built granaries. In 1872 Snow provided assistance and advice to Louisa Lula Greene (Richards) in the creation of a woman's publication, the Woman's Exponent
Woman's Exponent
Woman's Exponent was a newspaper published from 1872 until 1914 in Salt Lake City. Its purposes were to uplift and strengthen women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to educate those not of the Mormon faith about the women of Mormonism...
, which was loosely affiliated with the Relief Society. Emmeline B. Wells
Emmeline B. Wells
Emmeline Blanche Woodward Harris Whitney Wells was an American journalist, editor, poet, women's rights advocate and diarist...
succeeded her and continued as editor until its final issue in 1914.
Under Snow's direction, Relief Society sisters nurtured young women and children. Heeding Brigham Young's 1869 call to reform, Snow, Mary Isabella Horne, and others established the Ladies' Cooperative Retrenchment Association from which the Young Ladies' Department of the Ladies' Cooperative Retrenchment was formed (later called the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association and now the Young Women). Snow also worked with Aurelia Spencer Rogers to establish the first ward Primary Association
Primary Association
The Primary is a children's organization and an official auxiliary within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
in 1878. By 1888, the Relief Society had more than 22,000 members in 400 local wards and branches.
Early Relief Society meetings were generally held semi-monthly. One meeting per month was devoted to sewing and caring for the needs of the poor. At meetings members might receive instruction, discuss elevating and educational topics, and bear testimony. The women were also encouraged to explore and develop cultural opportunities for their community. Stakes began circulating outlines for lessons in 1902. The first standardized lessons were published by the General Board in 1914 in the Relief Society Bulletin, later renamed the Relief Society Magazine
Relief Society Magazine
Relief Society Magazine was the official publication of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1915 to 1970. It succeeded the earlier Woman's Exponent, which was begun in 1872. The magazine was an important publishing outlet for Utah women, and was run by women...
in 1915.
Relief Society in the 20th century
By 1942, membership in the organization was approximately 115,000 women, growing to 300,000 members in 1966. In 2009, the Relief Society had approximately 6 million members in over 170 countries and territories.Relief Society in the 21st century
In the LDS Church today, every Latter-day Saint woman who is aged 18 or older, married, or a 17-year-old single mother is a member of the organization. There are no fees or membership dues for joining the Relief Society.In each local congregation of the church, a member of the Relief Society serves as the local President of the organization. The president is permitted to ask two other women from the congregation to assist her as counselors; together the three women make up the local Relief Society Presidency. The Relief Society Presidency acts under the direction of the bishop or branch president
Branch President
A branch president is a leader of a "branch" congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The calling of branch president is very similar to the calling of bishop, except that instead of presiding over a ward, the branch president presides over a branch...
in presiding over and serving the women in the congregation. Additionally, stake
Stake (Mormonism)
A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. A stake is approximately comparable to a diocese in the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations...
or district
District (LDS Church)
A district of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative unit composed of a number of congregations called branches. A district is a subdivision of a mission of the church and in many ways is analogous to a stake of the church. The leader of a district is the...
Relief Society presidencies exist to supervise five or more local Relief Society Presidencies.
Relief Society holds weekly meetings every Sunday that last approximately fifty minutes. During these meetings, an educational lesson is presented by a member of the Relief Society Presidency or another woman who has been asked to serve as the Relief Society instructor. Since the 1990s, the curriculum has been composed of Teachings of Presidents of the Church
Teachings of Presidents of the Church
Teachings of Presidents of the Church is a series of books published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Each book of the series briefly compiles the teachings and sermons of one of the men who has served as President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
and other materials. The Relief Society also leads the LDS Church's efforts to teach basic literacy skills to those members and non-members that lack them.
Three women are called to serve as the General Relief Society Presidency of the entire LDS Church. Although these women are not considered general authorities, they are considered to be general officers of the church and are among the highest ranking women in the LDS Church's hierarchy. Since April 2007, the General Relief Society Presidency has been composed of Julie Bangerter Beck, President; Silvia Henriquez Allred, First Counselor; and Barbara Thompson
Barbara Thompson (Mormon)
Barbara Thompson has been a member of the general presidency of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since March 2007.-Early life:...
, Second Counselor. They are assisted and advised by a Relief Society General Board drawn from women in the church.
Annually in late September, the Relief Society holds a General Relief Society meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, which is broadcast around the world via television, radio, satellite and the Internet. This meeting is an opportunity for the General Relief Society Presidency to address the entire body of the Relief Society. Typically a member of the church's First Presidency
First Presidency (LDS Church)
The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...
also speaks to the women of the church.
Relief Society Building
In Salt Lake City, the Relief Society occupies its own headquarters building known as the Relief Society Building, which is separate from the other administrative offices of the LDS Church. While the Quorum of the Seventy had a building in NauvooNauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
in the 1840s, the Relief Society is the only auxiliary organization in the LDS Church today which has a completely separate facility. This building is also the closest of any building to the door of the Salt Lake Temple
Salt Lake Temple
The Salt Lake Temple is the largest and best-known of more than 130 temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the sixth temple built by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth operating temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo,...
.
Visiting teaching
In every LDS congregation, each member of the Relief Society is paired with another member; this couple is then assigned by the Relief Society Presidency to be the visiting teachers of one or more other members of the Relief Society. Visiting teachers strive to make a monthly contact with the women assigned to them; ideally, this contact is a personal visit in the member's home. If this is not possible, the member may be contacted by telephone, letter, e-mail, or a visit in a location other than the member's home. Visiting teachers are encouraged to look for opportunities to serve the individuals that they "visit teach".Compassionate service
Along with the bishop or branch presidentBranch President
A branch president is a leader of a "branch" congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The calling of branch president is very similar to the calling of bishop, except that instead of presiding over a ward, the branch president presides over a branch...
, the Relief Society President is the key person in the ward in ensuring that the temporal and emotional needs of the members of the congregation are met. The Relief Society Presidency is responsible for helping the women of the congregation learn welfare principles such as work, self-reliance, provident living, personal and family preparedness, and compassionate service of others. In many congregations, the Relief Society will ask a woman to serve as the Compassionate Service Leader, who is responsible for organizing service activities and responses to members' needs in times of emergency or hardship.
Extra Relief Society Meetings
An extra Relief Society meeting is usually held quarterly on a week-night in each congregation of the church. At this meeting women learn a variety of skills, with special emphasis on parenting and home-making skills. Local congregations may also choose to hold monthly or weekly meetings for women with similar needs and interests. These extra meetings are less formal than the weekly Sunday meetings and local congregations have a wide discretion in determining what activities will be part of these extra meetings. These meetings were originally called "Homemaking", and on January 1, 2000 the name changed to "Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment", or "Enrichment" for short. In September 2009, due to the complexity of the name and different interpretations of the meeting's purpose, the separate name for the extra weekday meetings was discontinued and all meetings of the Relief Society began to be referred to simply as "Relief Society meetings".Recognition
In April 2005, the RS received the American Red CrossAmerican Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
"Heroes 2004 Award" for its service in the Greater Salt Lake area.
See also
- LDS Family ServicesLDS Family ServicesLDS Family Services is a private nonprofit corporation owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It offers members of the church and others adoption services, marital and family counseling, addiction and drug dependency counseling, general psychotherapy, and counseling...
- Relief Society MagazineRelief Society MagazineRelief Society Magazine was the official publication of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1915 to 1970. It succeeded the earlier Woman's Exponent, which was begun in 1872. The magazine was an important publishing outlet for Utah women, and was run by women...
- Worship services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsWorship services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsIn Mormonism, worship services include weekly services, held on Sundays , in neighborhood based religious units...
Additional reading
- Derr, Jill MulvayJill Mulvay DerrJill Mulvay Derr was an American history professor at Brigham Young University and the director of the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History, as well as the president of the Mormon History Association....
, Maureen Ursenbach BeecherMaureen Ursenbach BeecherMaureen Ursenbach Beecher was an English professor at Brigham Young University who has also been in the past associated with the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History at that university. Although she has written at times broadly on the history of Latter-day Saint women her main focus...
, and Janath Cannon, Women of Covenant: The Story of Relief Society. Salt Lake City: Deseret BookDeseret BookDeseret Book is the largest Latter-day Saint book publisher and also owns a chain of LDS bookstores in the western United States. Over 150 people work in its Salt Lake City headquarters...
, 1992. - Nielson, Carol Holindrake. The Salt Lake City 14th Ward Album Quilt, 1857: Stories of the Relief Society Women and Their Quilt. University of Utah PressUniversity of Utah PressThe University of Utah Press is the independent publishing branch of the University of Utah and is a division of the J. Willard Marriott Library. Founded in 1949 by A. Ray Olpin, it is also the oldest university press in Utah...
, Salt Lake City, UT, 2004. ISBN 0-87480-792-1. - Relief Society, Charity Never Faileth: History of Relief Society, 1842-1966, Deseret BookDeseret BookDeseret Book is the largest Latter-day Saint book publisher and also owns a chain of LDS bookstores in the western United States. Over 150 people work in its Salt Lake City headquarters...
: Salt Lake City, 1966. - Scott, Patricia Lyn and Linda Thatcher, editors. Women in Utah History: Paradigm or Paradox? Utah State University Press, Logan, Utah, 2005. ISBN 0-87421-625-7.