Name the 3 Lifelong Responsibilities of RS

Quick! It's a quiz...

Okay, okay, nice try. The answer can be found in a recent talk by Julie B. Beck. She speaks with conviction about how we can fulfill our sacred responsibilities as Relief Society Sisters.

3 Lifelong Responsibilities

As Latter-day Saint women we have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and testimonies of the plan of salvation.

We are responsible for the female half of that plan.

It cannot be delegated to others.

We are accountable before the Lord for the discharge of our duties.

And the first Sunday of the month [and every Sunday] is the Lord’s gift of time to us as Relief Society sisters to learn how to fulfill our responsibilities.

I hope that we will use that gift of time to fulfill our three lifelong responsibilities as members of the Relief Society: (1) increase faith and personal righteousness, (2) strengthen families and homes, and (3) seek out and help those in need. 

The pattern for study and teaching in our homes

I hope we will turn to the scriptures and approved Church resources for the examples, principles, and doctrines that will help us accomplish these responsibilities and learn how to meet the challenges of the latter days.

Emma Hale Smith, our first Relief Society president, was told to “expound scriptures, and to exhort the church, according as it shall be given thee by my Spirit” (D&C 25:7). We can follow her example.

...[I would] prayerfully decide what we should be learning [in my home].

I would then search the scriptures to discover what they have to teach [me] on that topic.

I would learn what prophets and Church leaders have taught.

Then I would pray for the Spirit’s guidance as I wrote down some discussion questions we could use as we study [in our families]...

Use this pattern to study in [your] homes and teach [your] families.

Increase faith and personal righteousness

[Do you] frequently have questions about how to live through the experiences of this mortal life in a faith-filled way? [Turn to] the combined faith that exists in each Relief Society. The wisdom of all present can help answer real questions and provide inspired answers.

My grandmother, Isabelle Bawden Bangerter, was known to be a woman of great faith. She acquired her faith as a child and worked to increase it all her life. She taught Relief Society for many years, and among Relief Society sisters she was known as a theologian, a woman who knew the gospel well and could teach it from the scriptures. She was still studying the scriptures when she died at the age of 97.

Grandma Bangerter was a woman who was confident in her eternal roles and responsibilities. When I was a young mother, I asked her if it was possible to rear a righteous posterity in a world filled with wickedness. She raised herself up, and pointing at me, she emphatically said, “Yes! You must! That is why you are here!” Her teaching inspired me to become more intentional about my responsibilities and to approach life with greater faith.

Strengthen families and homes

When I was a young Relief Society sister, we had a mother-education class once a month. Though I had a wonderful and skilled mother, I still learned from my teachers in Relief Society how to be a better mother and how to improve my home. We learned homemaking principles and skills, we learned how to be better parents, and we learned how to strengthen our marriages.

Young mothers often ask me if we can ever have mother education again in Relief Society. My answer is yes. We can learn how to uphold, nourish, and protect families [in our Relief Society lessons.]

Seek out and help those in need

[Relief Society] lessons are our opportunity to strengthen one another and find answers to life’s difficulties. At any given time many of the sisters in each Relief Society are experiencing trials and disappointments.

President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has called each ward Relief Society a “circle of sisters.”

He said: “Each sister, no matter where in that circle she stands, can look to either side and feel the spirit of inspiration coming back as she extends the gentle hand of charity to those on either side. …

“… You will serve your organization, your cause—the Relief Society—this great circle of sisters. Your every need shall be fulfilled, now, and in the eternities; every neglect will be erased; every abuse will be corrected. All of this can come to you, and come quickly, when you devote yourself to Relief Society.”

It has been my experience that each ward Relief Society has the capacity to give to one another the support that is needed.

If we seek and receive the help of the Holy Ghost, all answers can be found in each circle of sisters.

We have the responsibility to provide relief—relief of poverty, illness, doubt, ignorance, and all that hinders the joy and progress of woman.

Relief Society has always been engaged in providing relief to others.

Purifying, refreshing
At a wonderful Relief Society meeting, Eliza R. Snow recorded in the minutes that ‘nearly all present arose and spoke, and the spirit of the Lord like a purifying stream, refreshed every heart.’

We hope you, our sisters, feel nourished, edified, and uplifted every time you attend a Sunday lesson.

(And if we are not helping you fulfill the 3 lifelong responsibilities as members of the Relief Society, you let us know.)

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Relief Society: Something Extraordinary

You are a mighty force for good... The Lord cannot accomplish His work without the help of his daughters!

(The video content was pieced together from the following sources: Emma Smith: My Story (Candlelight Production), general conference addresses by LDS general authorities, and a video clip entitled "Create" produced by the LDS Church and posted on reliefsociety.lds.org.) Found here on YouTube.

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Lesson Recap: Love Life and Learning

Taught by Ellen King
Living After the Manner of Happiness, by Marlin K. Jensen

Love learning

What do learning to paint, swim, and sew, have in common with taking up birdwatching or trying our Twitter to see what it's all about? They are all things I have learned in the past or recently that have blessed my life and my family's life and that make me happy.

The Relief Society declaration says... We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who...Love life and learning. It’s a beautiful alliteration but do we live it? Do we let our family, friends, coworkers, and neighbor see that we love life?!

It took 3 years for the declaration to be written, so every word was considered carefully.

Why is it part of our declaration that we love life? Why is learning included? Why are love life and learning paired up? Can you love life if you don’t love learning?

Think about it, life is about learning. And if we are not learning and moving forward we aren't going to love life.

The August Visiting Teaching message encouraged us to be lifelong learners...

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said,

A few of the basic attributes needed to become a lifelong learner are courage, faithful desire, humility, patience, curiosity, and a willingness to communicate and share the knowledge that we gain.

Lifelong learning is essential to the vitality of the human mind, body, and soul. It enhances self-worth and self-actuation. Lifelong learning is invigorating mentally and is a great defense against aging, depression, and self-doubt”

Wow, did you see that, it's invigorating and it defends against depression! Lifelong learning and loving life are inseparable. They equate to being happier.

The manner of happiness

Nephi taught us about being happy. In 2 Nephi 4 & 5 he gave us the formula for "living after the manner of happiness" (vs. 27)

Verse 5 - Family (FHE, family prayer, dinner conversation)

Marlin K. Jensen observes...

There is no other organization that can so completely satisfy our need for belonging and happiness like the family. Why do we yearn for home and loved ones? I believe this yearning is a universal, God-given instinct that all people in all cultures are blessed with. I also believe that a loving Heavenly Father gives it to us because within the family we experience most of life’s greatest joys. The sights, sounds, and associations of family and home are among our most treasured memories and provide our fondest anticipations.

Verse 10 - Keep the commandments

Marlin K. Jensen again…

From the depths of my soul I testify that we cannot break God’s laws, we can only break ourselves against them. Satan wants us to believe we are an exception to God’s rules, that somehow our transgressions are more noble, or more justifiable, than anyone’s have ever been, but that is a lie. And not only do we offend God by breaking His laws, we also offend ourselves and others and thereby experience heartache, suffering, and misery—the exact opposites of happiness.

Alma says it most succinctly to his son Helaman: Wickedness never was happiness.

Verse 10-11 - Planting gardens, raising animals

President Kimball said “There is so much to learn and harvest from your garden, far more than just a crop itself”. And Elder Jensen adds his testimony, "I cannot tell you logically why something as simple as planting a garden, however modest, and harvesting and enjoying the fruits of one’s labors is a source of great happiness, but I know it is. There is 'far more than just a crop itself' to be gained, and it can come from a flowerpot, a window box, or a single tomato plant, as well as from an entire garden or field.

"...Animals—be they horses, cats, dogs, hamsters, or turtles—touch us deeply and promote our emotional well-being. Given affection and care, they return affection and care generously and consistently. People whose lives include relationships with animals are usually happier."

Verse 12 - Scriptures

Elder Jensen:

Why would having access to the scriptures be a consideration in a happy lifestyle? Anyone who reads scripture regularly develops a clearer perspective and purer thoughts and has more sincere and thoughtful prayers. Our lives are bound to be happier when we use the scriptures to answer our very personal questions and needs.

There are other uplifting influences the scriptures can have in our lives. They can cleanse us from evil thoughts and fortify our resolve to resist temptation. They can give comfort in times of need such as the death of a loved one or other personal tragedy. Reading them can put us in tune with the Spirit of the Lord so that our depression and self-doubts will flee and our “confidence [will] wax strong in the presence of God” (D&C 121:45).

Verse 14 - Preparedness

If we are prepared we not only do not fear (see D&C 38:30), but we actually enjoy and derive considerable happiness from the events of our daily lives.

Just my skills of painting, sewing, cooking, gardening, reading, playing games, singing can bless my family and make them happy.

Verse 17 - Work

Elder Jensen emphasizes working with our hands.

I realize that work can be mental, spiritual, or physical effort, but Nephi’s emphasis is on “laboring with our hands,” or manual labor. No matter what our life’s work turns out to be, I know we’ll be happier if we regularly labor with our hands. Labor can take many forms: yard work, sewing, quilting, cooking, baking, auto repair, home repair—the list is endless, and so is the happiness and sense of accomplishment such activities produce.

Verse 16 - Temples

Nephi’s temple may have differed in some ways from our latter-day temples, but its central purpose was likely the same: to teach and orient God’s children concerning His plan for their happiness and to provide the ordinances and covenants essential to the attainment of that happiness.

Synonyms for the temple: marriage, family, children, happiness, joy, eternal life, resurrection, redemption, exaltation, inspiration, revelation.

Verse 26 - Church service

"Random acts of personal service motivated by our feelings of charity are necessary for our salvation. But the organized Church as established by the Lord Jesus Christ, in which we look after and serve others and are looked after and served by others, provides a wonderful source of happiness for all of us," says Elder Jensen.

Sisters, studies have shown that your body releases the same feel-good chemical when you serve others as it does when you eat, have sex or exercise.

Serving makes you happy.

Rejoice in Christ

Further in Nephi’s writings he tells of his people rejoicing in Christ because they looked to him for a remission of their sins.

Pattern for happiness

Sisters, these principles are universal, timeless, and can be lived virtually without cost. They are repeated over and over in the scriptures. They are simple and often overlooked.

Elder Jensen: I often wonder why we sometimes wrestle over the meaning of obscure passages of scripture when what is really important for our happiness and salvation is stated by the Lord over and over again in very plain terms.

There is no formula for guaranteeing happiness, but these principles from the scriptures will put you well on your way.

Now, it's okay to not love life every minute of every day.

God did not intend for every day to be entirely happy. There is eternal design and purpose to be seen in suffering, sadness, and adversity.

That is why we do not love life sometimes. But we can be happy even in times of adversity.

There is a way.

The Plan of Happiness

Every week we covenant to remember Him, to remember the Savior. And God promises that we may always have His Spirit to be with us.

That is how we do it.

When we have the Spirit we feel happier, calmer, make better decisions, and are able to retain what we have learned and enjoy learning.

The plan of salvation, God’ plan, is also called the plan of happiness. Knowing why we are here and what we are to do and learn while here, and knowing that through Christ and with the help of the Holy Ghost we will return to God, gives us that unique perspective on happiness and can help us love life.

Sisters, I hope these words will help you love life and learning a little more.

Ellen King

Lesson Recap: Find Nobility in Motherhood and Joy in Womanhood

Taught by Jill Fairchild

Motherhood is more than bearing children. … It is the essence of who we are as women. ~Sheri Dew

As daughters of God we are all of noble birth. Sheri Dew reminds us...

Have you ever wondered why prophets have taught the doctrine of motherhood—and it is doctrine—again and again? I have. I have thought long and hard about the work of women of God. And I have wrestled with what the doctrine of motherhood means for all of us. This issue has driven me to my knees, to the scriptures, and to the temple—all of which teach an ennobling doctrine regarding our most crucial role as women. It is a doctrine about which we must be clear if we hope to stand “steadfast and immovable” regarding the issues that swirl around our gender. For Satan has declared war on motherhood. He knows that those who rock the cradle can rock his earthly empire. And he knows that without righteous mothers loving and leading the next generation, the kingdom of God will fail. Full article >

Mothers nurture, teach, care for, protect, give unconditional love, beget life, create. These are God given gifts to all women, whether or not we have children. Eve was called the mother of all living before she had children.

There are barriers in our world to filling our roles as mothers, such as the attitude that self-sacrifice is not fulfilling, that motherhood is not a valued career, that we must do more, or that we are not "enough".

Beware of the comparisons and judgments we make of each other. We should accept and support one another whether we are working mothers or stay-at-home moms. We each must make choices that are right for us and our families. We need to accept that we are each doing the best we can given our circumstances.

Femininity is part of your inner beauty

President Faust reminds us about the gifts we all have as women...

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. Full article >

Be proud of your womanhood. Enhance it. Use it to serve others.

Sisters, Jill reminded us, we need the atonement and the Lord's divine grace to help us fulfill our mission and roles as women and mothers. We can't do it ourselves, only through faith and hope in Christ.

Lesson Recap: Strengthening Marriages, Families, Homes

Taught by Ellen King

Our lives have meaning, purpose and direction

Ponder the RS Declaration

We have had the guiding influence of the Relief Society Declaration for 10 years now. It is an inspiring document that stands up to the test of good mission statements.

A good mission statement is short, memorable, and contains emotion. Ours is not short but it is easy to hold certain phrases in your mind for a time to ponder them.

Meaning, purpose, and direction...we know who we are, we know why we are here, we know where we are going. Not many women in this world can say that.

Worldwide sisterhood, united in devotion...6 million women, in 170 countries believe this and join with us, women we don’t even know, but share this belief in common.

Our devotion to Jesus Christ...at the center of it all, the very heart. We covenant to keep Him there, to always remember Him.

Faith, virtue, vision and charity...that’s the title of our blog! That faith, virtue, vision, and charity are manifest in 9 ways. They are our faith in action. Beautiful!

Focus on this phrase

We are dedicated to strengthening marriages,
families, and homes.

We - together, as sisterhood. We are not alone, we have each other for support.

Dedicate - give ourselves entirely, give our talent to a good cause, consecrate our time, set apart for sacred use, with whole-hearted fidelity, be devoted to a cause.

Ourselves - in our many roles: daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, student, coworker, or visiting teacher.

Strengthening - to make strong or stronger, reinforce, give added support to, fortify, toughen, bolster, boost, step up, substantiate, confirm.

Sister Julie Beck, the General Relief Society president reminded us,

Our homes need to be strong, secure, and safe havens that protect our families from the storms of life. They must serve as a refuge from the struggles and trials that surround us. We cannot let our homes be weakened or destroyed because of our neglect, indifference, or oversight.

President Monson counseled,

...we should not let [the stress of our lives] get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know.… We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.

Mary Ellen Smoot said in a speech to the World Congress of Families in 1999,

Our homes need to be strong, secure, and safe havens that protect our families from the storms of life. They must serve as a refuge from the struggles and trials that surround us. We cannot let our homes be weakened or destroyed because of our neglect, indifference, or oversight.

The full extent of your influence

President Faust said in 1999 - when the declaration was presented...

You sisters do not know the full extent of your influence. You sisters enrich all of humanity. All human life begins with you. Each woman brings her own separate, unique strengths to the family and the Church. Being a daughter of God means that if you seek it, you can find your true identity. You will know who you are. This will make you free—not free from restraints, but free from doubts, anxieties, or peer pressure. ... It means that you can find strength in the balm of Christ. It will help you meet the heartaches and challenges with faith and serenity.

Sisters, choose one thing to work on this month in this area. Say to yourself every morning, "I am dedicated to strengthening marriages, families, and homes." Hold that thought in your mind and ponder what you can do.

I know you are out there doing your best everyday. And I commend you.

I know that if you turn to Heavenly Father every day he will help you dedicate yourself to strengthening marriages, families, and homes in whatever role and capacity you may have.

I know that the church is true and I'm grateful that our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction.

Sister Ellen King