Women's Issues

As women of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), we are dedicated to "strengthening marriages, families, and homes." We live in a day when more than 50% of marriages in our country fail, dividing families, and wrecking homes. Latter-day Saint women are not left to their own devices, or the offerings of a crumbling culture, to fortify the marriage, family, and home. We have a prophet and God uses him to help us strengthen our marriages, families, and homes. We also have the Holy Ghost to help us apply this general counsel to our specific family's needs.

I have been working on my Master's Degree in Education. A few days ago, a friend asked about my thesis/project. I shared that as a society, parents have pushed their children into education, with little thought of teaching them how to build a happy marriage, manage family, and home. Education is important, but not to the exclusion of home and family. The result has been high divorce rates, broken homes, and dysfunctional families. Many fathers do not seem to know how to be fathers, many mothers do not seem to know how to be mothers, most struggle with debt, and few know how to maintain a home. I became LDS when I was a senior in high school, and had been raised in a home broken by divorce. The woman I was talking to is a divorcee. She said that her son needed a man in his life to help teach him how to be a man. Then she asked, "Donna, what is the solution?" Though my thesis deals primarily with the lost arts and relationships that were once nurtured in the home, I feel the best solution is found in gospel living.

Where can a person learn what they need to be a better spouse and parent, especially if they were never taught? Some of the resources the Lord has blessed us with are:

The Scriptures teach about healthy family relationships and standards of gospel living, and when the counsel found in scriptures are heeded, bring happiness into our lives.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World teaches us principles of happy families.

General, Stake, and Ward Conferences are where we are taught standards of gospel living and we receive counsel for families, marriages, and relationships.

Relief Society and Young Women’s organizations help women strengthen testimonies through gospel teaching and teach women how to be good daughters, sisters, wives, mothers, and neighbors, as well as, skills that can help us with home, family, personal enrichment, and with provident living.

Visiting Teaching is a way to strengthen each other as women and give encouragement to women in their roles as sisters, daughters, wives, mothers, and neighbors.

The Priesthood and Young Men's organizations teach men how to administer the temporal affairs of the God’s Kingdom on earth, and how to be good sons, brothers, husbands, fathers, and neighbors.

Home Teachers can be a great blessing to single mothers, widows, families, and individual women. They teach, assist, and bless.

The Primary organization reinforces the teachings of the home and helps children be better, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, and neighbors.

The home is the schoolroom and laboratory where these core values and skills are learned and refined. The Lord has provided families with additional helps:

The Family Guidebook teaches parents principles of establishing a happy home.

A Parent’s Guide helps parents understand good parenting practices.

The Family Home Evening Resource Manual is an excellent resource for families to use to teach gospel principles in the home, in weekly family home evenings.

With all of these wonderful examples and resources, I feel God’s love and guidance in my life and I feel strengthened and guided to be a better mother.

Women of the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can "seek spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost." That is right. I do not have to wait for another person to tell me what to do. Nor am I left up to my own devices. I can gain spiritual strength by following the promptings I receive from the Holy Ghost. What are promptings from the Holy Ghost? Promptings are clues, information, or knowledge that comes to my mind and heart, as to what I should do. I have also learned that as I follow those promptings, I am never sorry that I did. I am strengthened that I know I did the right thing and good things happen. There are times that I did not follow promptings and that was always accompanied with regret.

I get gentle promptings on small things as well as big things. Learning to listen on the small things helps familiarity with promptings, and makes it easier to identify promptings when they come. Small things may be inconsequential, on the surface, but they are very important. The other day I felt prompted to check my calendar about an upcoming appointment. I did not heed the promptings of the Holy Ghost. About an hour after the missed appointment I received a call asking if I wanted to reschedule. Now, the situation involved an appointment for a hair cut, nothing earth shattering. I felt sad for my stylist because she relies on paying customers. When the seat remains empty, she is still there at work but earning nothing. Immediately, I recognized that I had a prompting I did not heed. By heeding, I could have avoided the remorse I was feeling for a working mother's loss. I could have been spiritually strengthened by heeding, knowing that like the "sparrow that falls," God is mindful of me. Heeding in this small thing would have strengthened me in the future by helping grow more familiar with the promptings of the spirit.

Another word for promptings of the Holy Ghost is revelation. We can invite revelation, but it comes when the Lord is ready to give it. We cannot force it.

It is not wise to wrestle with the revelations with such insistence as to demand immediate answers or blessings to your liking. You cannot force spiritual things. You can no more force the Spirit to respond than you can force a bean to sprout, or an egg to hatch before it’s time. You can create a climate to foster growth, nourish, and protect; but you cannot force or compel: you must await the growth. (Boyd K. Packer, “The Candle of the Lord,” Ensign, Jan 1983, 51)

Our “ability to hear the voice of the Spirit is dependent upon our willingness to keep the commandments." (Mary Ellen Smoot, “We Are Instruments in the Hands of God,” Ensign, Nov 2000, 89–92) I also increase my ability to hear the voice of the Spirit by doing as the Holy Ghost prompts me. I am humbled and strengthened that God cares enough about me,as an individual that He will send me messages, via promptings from the Holy Host, to help me live and do His work. "Those promptings are a personal message from the Lord to you." Richard G. Scott, “Promptings of the Spirit,” Friend, Feb 1994, inside front cover)

Promptings can protect us.

The promptings that come to us to flee evil reflect our Heavenly Father’s understanding of our particular strengths and weaknesses and His awareness of the unforeseen circumstances of our lives. When these promptings come, they will not generally stop us in our tracks, for the Spirit of God does not speak with a voice of thunder. The voice will be as soft as a whisper, coming as a thought to our minds or a feeling in our hearts. By heeding its gentle promptings, we will be protected from the destructive consequences of sin.

But if we ignore those promptings, the light of the Spirit will fade. (Robert D. Hales, “To Act for Ourselves: The Gift and Blessings of Agency,” Ensign, May 2006, 4–8)

I am grateful for promptings of the Holy Ghost and strengthened when I heed them.

As daughters of God, “our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction". (Relief Society Declaration) God loves all of us, His spirit daughters, and has a plan for our lives, a plan of happiness, also known as the plan of salvation.

“Questions like, Where did we come from? Why are we here? and Where are we going? are answered in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Prophets have called it the plan of salvation and “the great plan of happiness” (Alma 42:8). Through inspiration we can understand this road map of eternity and use it to guide our path in mortality.” Dallin H. Oaks, “‘The Great Plan of Happiness’,” Ensign, Nov 1993, 72

Though this Plan of Happiness is a road map for eternity, there is plenty of room for the individual variety of talents, gifts, and strengths of each of God’s children. Why? Though there are certain signposts which are elements that the road map provides for God’s children, these things do not make us cookie cutter Saints. Each of us is different, just like vehicles on any road will be.

Women are essential to God’s plan of happiness and have a sacred and unique role in this plan of salvation, to bear and nurture the souls of men. Only women have been given the capacity to bear children. This is a sacred trust. I marvel that God trusts us with such vital tasks. The children that women bear are spirit sons and daughters of God.

“Motherhood thus becomes a holy calling, a sacred dedication for carrying out the Lord’s plans, a consecration of devotion to the uprearing and fostering, the nurturing in body, mind, and spirit, of those who kept their first estate and who come to this earth for their second estate ‘to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.’ (Abr. 3:25) To lead them to keep their second estate is the work of motherhood, and ‘they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.’ ” (read by J. Reuben Clark, Jr. "General Epistle of the First Presidency to the Saints in Every Land, October 3, 1942)

So, we see that motherhood helps fulfill God’s purposes in bringing to past the immortality of man. God blessed women with special gifts to bear and nurture children. I find it interesting that we refer to the marriage ceremony as holy matrimony. The word matrimony comes from the Latin “mater” meaning mother, and -monium which is a Latin suffix, meaning or signifying “the state or condition.” So, Holy Matrimony quite literally means sacred, or set apart for motherhood, which is a holy calling.

“President Gordon B. Hinckley stated that “God planted within women something divine.” That something is the gift and the gifts of motherhood. Elder Matthew Cowley taught that “men have to have something given to them [in mortality] to make them saviors of men, but not mothers, not women. [They] are born with an inherent right, an inherent authority, to be the saviors of human souls … and the regenerating force in the lives of God’s children.” (Sheri L. Dew, “Are We Not All Mothers?,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 96)

As a mother of seven children and a grandmother to five grandsons, I have felt the weight of my holy calling to teach and guide my children. Yet, the knowledge that I am not alone in this task has been a boon to me. These are God’s children and I go to Him often in prayer and search the scriptures and words of the living prophets for guidance in this awesome task. I have found answers and received impressions as to what I should do. These have guided me to do the things I need to do to rear His children. I am not perfect in this. When I am not, He does not let me alone, the circumstances soon draw me to my knees, where I find peace, encouragement, and direction.

Though some women may never bear children in mortality, it is important that they understand that motherhood is not limited to bearing of children.

“Motherhood is more than bearing children… It is the essence of who we are as women... Few of us will reach our potential without the nurturing of both the mother who bore us and the mothers who bear with us.” (Sheri L. Dew, “Are We Not All Mothers?,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 96)

I have a daughter. She is single and approaching 26-years-old. She is not a mother, in the sense of having given birth. She does mother many though. She has a gift of being able to reach out to and inspire children and adults alike, by sharing stories of those who have influenced her.

One of the great sacred blessings of Church membership is to receive a Patriarchal Blessing. Often, within that blessing are further indications of the purposes that God has for you, in your life, and the unique gifts He has given you to carry out that purpose.

I watch as individual women turn to their Heavenly Father, He does help them to see and understand the meaning, purpose, and direction for a life and eternity that will lead them to everlasting joy.

Within the Relief Society Declaration is the statement: “As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar.” Yes, as established in a previous post, we are a world wide sisterhood, spirit daughters of our Heavenly Father. We unite in our devotion to Jesus Christ, with our brothers, to follow Christ’s example. We are most definitely Christian. Our sisterhood is not demeaned or made less valuable because we work beside God’s spirit sons in building our families and building up the kingdom of God upon the earth.

Jesus is our Savior, not any man, nor any institution, not even the arm of our own flesh can save us from the effects of the Fall. We are equal with our brothers before God, in having access to the Atonement of Christ in our lives. We are disciples of Christ.

“The following has been written about discipleship: ‘The word disciple comes from the Latin [meaning] a learner. A disciple of Christ is one who is learning to be like Christ—learning to think, to feel, and to act [like] he does. To be a true disciple, to fulfill that learning task, is the most demanding regimen known to man. No other discipline compares … in either requirements or rewards. It involves the total transformation of a person from the state of the natural man to that of [a] saint, one who loves the Lord and serves with all of his heart, might, mind, and strength’ (Chauncey C. Riddle, “Becoming a Disciple,” Ensign, Sept. 1974, 81)” as quoted by L. Tom Perry, “Discipleship,” Ensign, Nov 2000, 60–62)

Sister Virginia U. Jensen, who previously served in the General Relief Society presidency, applies discipleship directly to women:

“...the actions of righteous women ripple on and on through time and space and even generations. These righteous actions come from our understanding of the divine mission of Jesus Christ, our knowledge of the gospel plan, our obedience to eternal commandments, and our work in this, the kingdom of God on earth.” (Virginia U. Jensen, “Ripples,” Ensign, Nov 2000, 92–94)

In truth, the actions of each of us ripple on and on. Our actions and attitudes impact all around us, and the generations that follow them. This being the case, I feel it is important to consider what ripples we are sending out. I am now 53 and thankful for the righteous women I have associated with through Relief Society over the last 35 years. Their devotion to the Savior has let His life and teachings shine through them. As He is the light, they hold up. Their faith in trials has given me hope, strengthened me and reminded me where to turn when I have challenges to face.

Jesus Christ is our exemplar and shows us the way to our Heavenly Home.

“Let us follow the Son of God in all ways and in all walks of life. Let us make him our exemplar and our guide. We should at every opportunity ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do?” and then be more courageous to act upon the answer. We must follow Christ, in the best sense of that word. We must be about his work as he was about his Father’s.” (Howard W. Hunter, “‘What Manner of Men Ought Ye to Be?’,” Ensign, May 1994, 64)

I know I am a better person for the service that has been rendered me, just as much as by the times I was able to serve others. It is often easier to serve than to be served. In the economy of Heaven, we all get to have our turn to serve, and to be served. Sometimes, one of the hardest things we have to do is to let someone serve us. Yet, letting someone serve us, in our time of need, is a service to them. It serves them by helping them be able to follow the Savior's example. When I was bedfast for two weeks after a miscarriage, a dear sister in the ward came to cheer me, bring books to read, play Scrabble with me, and talk with me. Her cheerfulness uplifted me and diverted my mind past something I could do nothing about. Others brought in meals to help my family during this challenge. I know there were prayers offered, as well. They were doing what Jesus would have done.

Jesus invited people to follow Him.

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8: 12)

I am strengthened and invited to be devoted to Christ and follow His example when I go to Relief Society classes each Sunday. I feel the unity that comes by meeting together often to learn of His ways. I feel the unity and devotion of the sisters in Relief Society when my visiting teachers come each month and discuss with me the message from the General Relief Society Presidency of the Church. As these sisters do, they share experiences that have strengthened them. These sisters share insights they have gained from experience in doing what Jesus would do, and doing as He would have them do. They are united in caring for His flock and teaching by following His example.

There is a strengthening influence in this worldwide sisterhood as they are united in devotion to Jesus Christ and to follow His example, as these sisters rely on the Lord to guide them to do things in wisdom and order, as they serve and let themselves be served by their sisters in Relief Society.

This is not all. I watch as their hands and hearts are extended beyond their homes and sisterhood. I see this as they gather together to make quilts, loom hats, make leper bandages, host a blood drive, assist with a neighborhood cleanup, and more. They live busy lives and yet they find time to think beyond themselves, do as Jesus would do, love and serve one another. I feel this is because they are united in their devotion to Christ and strengthened through the living example of His love working through this worldwide sisterhood.

The influence of the Relief Society in my life is unmistakable. The Relief Society is the women’s organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or the Mormon faith as it is sometimes known. Today, I’d like to share a few things that the women of the Relief Society have taught me. These lessons continue to bless my life and that of my husband and children.

Lessons on Faith.
Women of the Relief Society are extraordinary women of faith. I’ve heard the women of the Relief Society described as extraordinary women. Not perfect, but extraordinary! I like that description. Let me rephrase that – I love that description. The history of the Relief Society is a testament to the incredible faith of the women of the Church.

Last year, our family got to spend a couple of days in Nauvoo. There is a special feeling of peace and tranquility about Nauvoo. There is something about Nauvoo that touches the heart and soul.

During our last evening there, all five of us, my husband and I and our three sons, walked the Trail of Tears or the Trail of Hope as it has been renamed. We followed it all the way down to the banks of the Mississippi River. This was the same path that the Saints of Nauvoo walked during those last days when they had to leave Nauvoo to make yet another start somewhere else. We know that eventually some of them arrived in Salt Lake City. We also know that many that left Nauvoo perished along the way.

As we walked, I saw in my mind’s eye the hundreds of mothers that walked down that road in those days. I could almost feel the fear they must have felt. I imagined the many concerns they must have known as they loaded those wagons with the few belongings that they were able to take with them. Their minds must have been swirling with so many unanswered questions; “What if my child gets sick, what will we eat when the small supply we have runs out, where will we live?”

In my mother heart, I know these mothers must have been frightened and scared for their families. I’m sure they shed tears, buckets and buckets of tears. Yet, even with all their fears and weaknesses, their faith in the Lord was stronger. Even with the regret they must have felt at leaving yet another home, they walked, step by agonizing step, because that was what their Lord required of them. These were ordinary women with very real concerns and weaknesses. Yet, their faith and obedience to the Lord makes them extraordinary women in my eyes. My faith is strengthened when I remember these sisters of the Relief Society.

Lessons on Motherhood
Sis. Sheri Dew, former counselor in the Relief Society general presidency asked, “Are we not all mothers?’’ Sis. Dew reminded all of us, whether we’ve conceived and borne children or not, that we are all mothers. She said,

As daughters of our Heavenly Father, and as daughters of Eve, we are all mothers and we have always been mothers. And we each have the responsibility to love and help lead the rising generation. How will our young women learn to live as women of God unless they see what women of God look like, meaning what we wear, watch, and read; how we fill our time and our minds; how we face temptation and uncertainty; where we find true joy; and why modesty and femininity are hallmarks of righteous women? How will our young men learn to value women of God if we don't show them the virtue of our virtues?

My mother is my greatest role model when it comes to motherhood. But there were many other mother figures in my life, women of the Relief Society who also taught me through their examples and love.

Much of my young life was spent in the small village of Vaiola on the island of Savaii in Samoa. This village, Vaiola, is one of three places that were settled by members of the Church in Samoa. Growing up in a small village on a tropical island was ideal in many respects. As children, the whole village was our playground. We could go anywhere in the village and know that we were safe. We were watched over and fed by other village families as if we were one of their own. Meals usually weren’t much and they were never fancy but we were always welcomed to whatever was available. As ideal as this life sounds, it also had many hardships. People lived pretty much off the land which meant they raised and grew everything they needed. Roads were unpaved, and electricity had yet to come to that part of the island. Washing machines, dryers, and electric irons were luxuries that many villagers had heard about, but had never seen. At least, not then.

As a young girl, I observed the women of Vaiola on Saturdays, hand-washing piles and piles of clothes. Next, the clothes would be hung up to dry. Finally, those that would be worn to Church the next day were separated and ironed. Now when I say ironed, most of us think about the electric iron we have sitting in the closet. This was not the iron the women of Vaiola used in those days. Instead, they used the precursor to the electric iron – the coal iron. First, the charcoal had to be lit until it was red hot, then the charcoal was carefully loaded into the iron and finally, the ironing could begin. One had to work quickly before the charcoal burnt out completely.

So what lessons about motherhood did I learn from these mothers? Other than being grateful for electric irons, what else did these women teach me about motherhood? They taught me that the care that we take in our dress and appearance is an outward expression of the respect and love for the Lord. Their preparations for the Sabbath left a lasting impression on me. I’m sure they’d rather have taken it easy on Saturdays. Instead, they washed, ironed, and made sure our clothing was not only modest but neat. Their preparations on Saturday left no doubt in my mind that Sunday was special. Their examples taught me at an early age that the Savior that we worship and remember was worthy of our highest respect and devotion.

Motherhood comes with many blessings and responsibilities. One of the greatest responsibilities that we have is to be an example to all of God’s children. The women of my youth taught me that as women, we really are mothers to all. These women of Vaiola helped to teach and lead a rising generation.

Lessons about Sisterhood.
This one word represents the very best of Relief Society. To me, a sisterhood evokes a group of sisters that stand for common ideals and beliefs. A sisterhood cares, values, and needs the contribution of each individual. The term sisterhood evokes love and charity. It evokes acceptance not judgment. It evokes patience and unselfishness. In a true sisterhood, each sister is important and a necessary part of the whole. Each sister is both a giver and a receiver. A sisterhood shares commonalities but each sister is also recognized for her own unique talent, personality, and challenges. A sisterhood is one that values both our similarities and our differences.

As sisters in the Relief Society, we have many common goals. The Relief Society declaration and Relief Society objectives lists some of the goals. If I were to combine all those goals in one statement, I’d say that our common goal in Relief Society is to empower each sister, no matter where she is in her own individual journey, so that she can become the woman God meant for her to be.

During this last General Conference, a number of talks touched on diversity and differences. One of my favorite quotes on this subject comes from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He said;

The Lord did not people the earth with a vibrant orchestra of personalities only to value the piccolos of the world. Every instrument is precious and adds to the complex beauty of the symphony. All of Heavenly Father’s children are different in some degree, yet each has his own beautiful sound that adds depth and richness to the whole.
This variety of creation itself is a testament of how the Lord values all His children.

Isn’t that a beautiful quote? We are all a little different, yet each of us is special and adds to the richness and the beauty of the whole. We are all different but we are united in our love of the Savior, our love for the individual, and our love for families. The fact that the Relief Society can bring together so many women of such diverse backgrounds, talents, and personalities speaks to the wonderful spirit of sisterhood that exists in this wonderful organization.

There are three different meetings that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participate in during regular Sabbath observance. Sacrament Meeting is the most important meeting of all and is where we partake of the emblems of the body and blood of Christ and renew our covenants with Him. Sacrament Meeting usually lasts for 70 minutes. But there are other meetings that happen before or after Sacrament Meeting (depending on the ward and building scheduling times). Relief Society is one of these meetings. Relief Society is specifically designed for Mormon women, ages 18 and older. Today it is the largest women’s organization in the world.

What exactly is Relief Society ?

The Relief Society was founded by the Prophet Joseph Smith on March 17, 1842, in Nauvoo, Illinois. In the days of its founding, it had two main purposes: to provide relief for the poor and needy and to bring people to Christ. The organization continues today, staying true to those original guiding principles as women in the Relief Society meet together on Sunday and in other settings as needed.

James E. Faust said:

Over the years, this great society for women has evolved under inspiration, but the basic work of the Relief Society has not changed. The Prophet Joseph stated very succinctly that your work is “not only to relieve the poor, but to save souls.”

I believe the four great enduring concepts of this society are:

First, it is a divinely established sisterhood.

Second, it is a place of learning.

Third, it is an organization whose basic charter is to serve others. Its motto is “Charity never faileth.”

Fourth, it is a place where women can socialize and establish eternal friendships

What happens in a Relief Society meeting? Typically, when you walk into a Relief Society meeting, you will find that the Relief Society presidency (the president, her two counselors and a secretary) is setting up the room while a pianist plays soft prelude music. As you find a seat, you may strike up a quiet conversation with the woman next to you as you ask her how her week was. Or you might listen as the sister in front of you describes the reception at her daughter’s wedding. Or you might watch the baby roll on the floor across the aisle from you. Or it might be a time of quiet meditation where you ponder the atonement of Christ or pray for the desires of your heart.

When it is time for the meeting to begin, one member of the presidency will conduct while the remainder of the presidency sit near the front of the room. The woman conducting will welcome the sisters and may ask for people she doesn’t recognize to introduce themselves. Then the meeting will begin with an opening hymn. This song is usually played on the piano and the congregation is expected to sing from the hymnbook while the chorister leads the music at the front of the room. After the hymn, a sister, who was previously asked, will stand to give the opening prayer.

When she is through praying, the sister conducting the meeting will stand again and tell the sisters of any announcements. Perhaps Sister Johnson is in the hospital undergoing surgery. There is a ward party that Friday. Don’t forget the book club meeting Wednesday night. Sometimes there may be a “musical spotlight”—a brief moment when the chorister discusses how we came to have a favorite hymn, or to sing another song, or to hear a soloist. Some wards have other fun tidbits, like a “good news minute” where the sisters have an opportunity to share their good news from that week. Sister Ruiz just found out she is pregnant. Sister Murray’s husband got a new job. Sister Lee’s son made the honor roll for the first time. Sister Anton’s daughter finally moved out of the house! Or they might recognize those women who have a birthday coming up this next week.

During this time, roll is taken. I have been in wards where the secretary just marks the person there. But usually, it has been a folder or clipboard passed around at the beginning of the meeting where the sisters mark or sign their name. There may also be other sign-ups. Because Sister Johnson is in the hospital, her family will need meals brought in for the next few days—can you help?

When the announcements are done, it’s time for the lesson. There are usually a few different women who have been called to teach Relief Society. They switch off every few weeks. So the woman who is teaching today may not be teaching again for a month. On the first Sunday of the month, the lesson is given by a member of the Relief Society presidency and is a topic that she picks as being especially pertinent to the sisters in this ward, at this time. On the fourth Sunday of the month, the lesson is a “Teachings for Our Times” lesson. These lessons are picked by the Stake President from the addresses given in the last General Conference. But this is a second Sunday, so the teacher’s lesson is based on the world-wide church curriculum. This year, we are studying the teachings of the prophet Spencer W. Kimball. In 2008, we will study teachings of the prophet Joseph Smith.

The teacher will have prepared and prayed about her presentation. She has read the manual and additional scriptural resources. She has points that she wants to make that she feels are important but she will also want to involve the sisters in the room because they also have a wealth of experiences and insights. So questions are asked and discussions are encouraged, too. The teacher usually stands at the front of the room and may use a chalkboard, a dry-erase board, or other visual aids to help with her lesson.

When she is finished with the lesson, the sister conducting the meeting will stand again and close the meeting*. There will be a closing hymn in the same manner as the opening hymn and a different sister will give the closing prayer. There may be a little more socializing and talking, but usually there is another ward’s Relief Society who will need to use the room next and so the sisters leave the next Relief Society presidency to set up the room.

*The first Sunday of the month is Fast Sunday. If this Relief Society meeting had taken place on the first Sunday of the month, the lesson would be shorter and there would be time left at the end of the lesson for the sisters to bear their testimonies to each other before the closing