Let Us Be Self-Correcting

For some reason my quotation button is not working...

I continue to thrill in reading and learning about the early history of the Relief Society.  This month for our book club meeting we discussed, A Centenary of Relief Society 1842-1942.  I enjoyed the opportunity to relook at some interesting events. 

In addition to several readings I also took the time to read from The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith.  On page 201 is a “synopsis of the Prophet’s Remarks to the Female Relief Society.”  It reads,  

“President Joseph arose.  Spoke of the organization of the Female Relief Society; said he was deeply interested, that it might be built up to the Most High in an acceptable manner; that its rules must be observed; that none should be received into it but those who were worthy; proposed a close examination of every candidate…thus have an select society of the virtuous, and those who would walk circumspectly; commended them for their zeal, but said sometimes their zeal was not according to knowledge.  One principal object of the institution was to purge out iniquity; said they must be extremely careful in all their examinations, or the consequences would be serious.” (March 30, 1842) D.H.C. 4:570

In another section (see page 239) the Minutes of a Relief Society Meeting, held June 9, 1842, were given where Joseph Smith spoke.  The notes read,

“Said it is no matter how fast the society increases, if all the members are virtuous; that we must be as particular with regard to the character of members now, as when the society was first started; that sometimes persons wish to crowd themselves into a society of this kind when they do not intend to pursue the ways of purity and righteousness, as if the society would be a shelter to them in their iniquity.

“He said that henceforth no person shall be admitted, but by presenting regular petitions, signed by two or three members in good standing in the society, and whoever comes in must be of good report.”

Today in the church we do not have to apply to participate in Relief Society.  However, I see great value in giving ourselves some self-inspection regarding Joseph Smith’s words.  Elder Christofferson recently spoke of this.  He said,

“Eventually, much of our chastening should come from within-we should become self-correcting.”

Joseph Smith states we must be worthy, virtuous, walk circumspectly be zealous with knowledge, engage in ongoing purging of our iniquity, high character and of good report.  I observe areas from my own life that I need to work on.

The topic of virtue in itself could be discussed indefinitely.  Virtue being, “A pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards” (see Preach My Gospel and For the Strength of Youth). There is more to virtue than simply being chaste.  It would include not gossiping, judging righteously, humility, having charity, being positive, pure & kind thoughts,….I think that virtue covers pretty much all my faults! Grrr!

I recognize these words from the prophet as an opportunity to reflect on my own conduct.  I see I have many areas to improve on; aligning myself more fully to the purposes of Relief Society helps me to be more effective in my work of building Zion through my family and through Relief Society.

The great pronouncement given by Joseph Smith to the Sisters also applies to us as individuals,  “I now turn the key to you in the name of God and this Society shall rejoice and knowledge and intelligence shall flow down from this time.”  I seek the blessings of knowledge and intelligence.  What great promises are ours when we live up to our potential!

What’s My Mission?

One of the great problems I see among the youth (and that I personally experienced) is the phenomena I will call split personality. Growing up I was repeatedly asked, "What did I want to be when I grow up?" I learned by first or second grade that any answer was acceptable except for one, I should not say, "mother." I learned how to answer other questions asked like, "How was the world created?" I also learned I was supposed to give the answer, "mother" at church and home. Thus I had a set of answers for school and a completely different set of answers to the same questions at home and church. This may eventually lead us to become a totally different person in each situation. I see this "split personality"manifested among the youth at a whole new level than even I experienced. Satan is ramping up his game well!

I have talked regularly to my children about being the same person no matter where they are. However, within the Leadership Education circles I am starting to see the split personality creeping in among the "leaders." Recently I listened to several seminars and read a book that all are promoting this. In the TJEd world it is called, "Finding Your Mission." Youth are encouraged to seek out finding what their "mission" is. Often it is not expected to be discovered until the youth are a little older, but an ongoing fascination exists in that it is all the talk while the youth are in scholar phase. One seminar I listed to said, "Nothing will be more satisfying in your life than figuring out what your mission is and then having the courage to fulfill it."

You may be wondering why I see a problem in this. It is simple. We have already had our missions revealed to us. We are to be mothers and fathers. Of course I know in the TJEd world that they encourage motherhood. I appreciate that, it is certainly different than public education, BUT, motherhood is still considered a side note. In the book I recently read the woman (who is a high profiled TJEd leader) cried to her husband that wasn't she created for something more that to change poopy diapers and clean up vomit? When was she going to be able to embrace her mission? Her husband lovingly told her, that he was sure it would be soon.

I fear these statements convey to our youth that there is something more to life than parenthood. It would seem that being a mother is just one of the things you do in this life. Somehow, you must be defined by something else though. This would be a potentially lifelong dedication to a "mission." I believe this is misleading. Consider this:

• Heavenly Father chooses to be called Father.
• His work and His Glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. This means ongoing parenting.
• Keeping our First Estate enabled us to have bodies and procreate.
• Godhood is Eternal Parenthood.
• If we qualify for Exaltation we will be granted the ability to have a "continuation of seed."
• Those not qualifying for Exaltation will be impotent, even those obtaining the lower two degrees of the Celestial Kingdom will be denied the right of continuation of seed.

Simply put eternal lives is about parenting forever. Why not embrace mortality and strive in every way to submit to this high and noble calling? A calling so noble that that is what our Heavenly Father does. When we choose to place lesser value on this holy calling we will lose power in our lives.

The noise of this world is LOUD. It is hard to hear the voice of the Father calling us to this high calling. Satan, the father of lies, is louder than God, telling us we were made for something more or better. It takes great faith to turn off the tantalizing noise of the world and tune into the sweet, still small voice of the Spirit. I have come to personally know for myself that great blessings come from turning off the noise. I am hearkening to the voice of the Lord and I am just beginning to have a glimpse of His wonderful and majestic plan. It is more holy and more awe inspiring than anything that Satan can counterfeit.

Perhaps along the way many of us will do great things. I suspect we will. We are the last laborers in the vineyard. We were saved and reserved because we were the best of the best. I simply say that in all our doing we must make sure that being mother remains our priority AND we teach this to our children.

There are times when we will literally parent 24/7. Then there will come a time that we will have more "time" on our hands. Perhaps at this stage we may ask, "How can I help build the kingdom?" "How can I further work on my parenting skills, which really comes down to bringing souls to Christ?" I would suggest that Relief Society and focusing on the Three Fold Mission of the Church would provide untold service opportunities.

As I have extra time I have sought out my faithful Relief Society Presidents through the years and asked for extra assignments. It is through the Relief Society (which is under the Priesthood) that my surplus of time and talents are dedicated. Through the years I have been given many extra opportunities to serve in this way.  I have learned that "there are chances for good all around." My talents are used to build the kingdom, but it hasn't come in the way I have often wanted. It has come as I have worked under the direction of my husband and within the ward.  There is more than enough to do in my family and ward to fill my time and build the kingdom. I am simply saying I don't need to go "find a mission," I simply need to live my mission already given to me. "There is work enough to do ere the sun goes down," and Zion needs to be built. We further that cause by submitting to our role of mother/nurturer. We further the work of the Father by striving to be mothers who also partake in the Father's work to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

So in a nutshell perhaps we could change the message to our youth to be, "Nothing with be more satisfying in your life than realizing that your mission is to be a mom/dad and then having the courage to reject Babylon's message that there is something more important than fulfilling your family roles."

Sister Beck and Women's Conference

I just had the opportunity to read Sister Beck's wonderful address at BYU Women's Conference last year.  She spoke on many things that have been close to my heart the last little while and she says it so much better than I do!

She spoke on her quote that I love, "When our priorities are out of order we loose power over our life."  She shares many great ways to help us keep our priorities in line while we live on earth.  She asked repeatedly throughout her talk, "Why are we here?" and "What is our mission?"

I read this talk to my husband just now as well.  We were able to discuss some great things.  I stated, "We as women are always so depressed and confused.  The simple answer is to get our priorities in order."  He responded, "Yes, women do, but it sure would help if the men and families also got their priorities in order as well."  I am grateful for a good husband who recognizes that men also must get their priorities in order.  The battle to recognize Satan's lies and deception is a battle that men and women face alike; together though, as a husband and wife unified we will be much more successful in casting Satan out of our hearts and homes.

Here is the link to the post I wrote a couple of weeks ago that goes along with her message.

Please take the time to read Sister Beck's important message.  The transcript of her article is found here.

LDS Resources

Mr. Patriot, Leader (age 8) and I took an unexpected trip back east again this past week.  Mr. Patriot's grandfather died, but he lived to the age of 86 and had a full life.  It was a fast trip and it  involved a lot of driving.  Usually we fly, but this time we drove.  We were gone six nights and three of those nights were spent in the car driving.  Not so fun. 

We were able to enjoy some Church History stops along the way.  Some we could not see due to time restraints and the fact that it was two AM when we were driving by some of them.

Here we are at the Sacred Grove for the second time in six weeks.  I love this place... (Leader apparently was smiling silly).

We were also able to visit Kirtland; what another wonderful place.  I was especially impressed and blessed to stand in the small room above the Newel K. Whitney store where the "School of the Prophets" was held and section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants was revealed (among many other marvelous things).  Below is Thankful Pratt's, wife of Parley P. Pratt, headstone; one of the many courageous women of the Restoration.

I am so very grateful for all the historical sites that the church maintains.  Here is a list of them.  I have been able to see many of them.  I have always been blessed with an out pouring of the Spirit as I've visited these places.  I encourage you to make plans to see them in your lifetime!

I have also been enjoying the Mormon Channel.  There are so many thought-provoking interviews from church leaders.  There are also inspiring stories of many others.  I have also been enjoying the Relief Society History interviews. When I have a chance I'll download a couple that look interesting and then listen do them later during family work time.

As most of you know the church as a new version of a family favorite: Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration.  They have changed 40% of the movie to help reach a non-LDS audience.  You can learn about the changes to the film and other information in this news article.  The movie is available for download on the Mormon Channel and YouTube.  You can access it off of the news article or on this link. We were able to share this as part of a FHE lesson with a part-member family we had over a week and a half a go. They enjoyed it very much.  They had their first missionary discussion at our house last night one hour after we got home! I recommend this to you!

I am grateful for these resources that compliment my scripture study in increasing my faith and personal righteousness.

The Relief Society Magazine-UPDATED

For some reason this did not post correctly a couple of days ago.  Here it is now though...

I mentioned in a previous post that I have been reading the old Relief Society magazines. After thoroughly enjoying the two books about the history of Relief Society I went back through that closet at the church to see what other gems I could find. Find gems I did!

I have just finished reading The Relief Society Magazine vol. 3, 1916. For the last several years I have been pursuing the topic of how to build Zion in my home. Wading through the mindsets of society and deciphering what is truth and what is untruth has been difficult. To this end I have enjoyed hearing the thoughts of our Relief Society women from almost 100 years ago. They were not nearly as entrenched in society and Babylon and so the stories, lessons, and editorials have been eye opening. I have had the keener ability to examine my thought patterns and decide what in my current society I need to reject. I have especially enjoyed their in depth biographies of the "Mothers in Zion."

I have typed below multiple quotes from the book. I present a variety of subjects and columns so that you can get a flavor of the treasures contained in this book. Perhaps one may catch your eye and some with at least make you smile.

"Urge our women to leave all other clubs and movements and join our Relief Society work. All women are eligible and welcome. Do not seek to tear down the house built up by any man, but build your own so spaciously and beautifully that the man will be glad to leave his own poorer house and come and dwell in comfort with you." Page 157

"A chicken thief in Salt Lake City was captured recently after being shot twice by Mrs. Lulu Bradley, and wounded so he could not escape. Mrs. Bradley detected the thief robbing her henroost. She can feel that after this exploit her chicken house will be reasonable safe from marauders, who do not love such receptions." Page 163

"Provoke the brethren to good works, but don't provoke the brethren while doing so." Page 165

"However unsightly a building may appear, or however beautiful the architecture of a home or church or business block may be, its effect may be greatly modified by the landscape. The English ivy, the Boston ivy, a climbing rose, wisteria or honeysuckle vine, or the fruiting grape, may be so successfully placed, that it assists the architecture in creating an atmosphere of sweetness and grace. On the other hand, a badly kept lawn, ugly paths and walks, and sickly, untrimmed tree, poorly placed, can make a poem of architecture look indeed ridiculous. "Page 173

"Latter-day Saint women who have been through the temple know the rules of this Church regarding the wearing of low-necked and short sleeved dresses. When they break those rules, they must suffer the certain consequences of disobedience….There is an alarming number of our Latter-day Saint girls appearing at school and elsewhere in ridiculously low-cut dresses. It seems to me that parents and school authorities are the only one to handle this problem. It is largely a question of "doing as the other fellow does." If a leader in a crowd could be made to see that it were not the right thing and she were converted there would soon be a change." Page 217-218

The subject of the evils and sin of using birth control in any form were outlined with multiple quotes from the leaders of the church from pages 363-368, 433-435.

Crochet Centerpiece Instructions given on pages 382-385.

"This is the month when good housewives will begin to think about fruit drying whether they do it or not. It is a grievous social sin that fruit should be grown and left to rot by the hundreds of bushels on the ground….but the women of the Relief Society can do something towards correcting the evil. We suggest that fruit drying parties be given in every ward…" Page 397

"Stale Bread. Cut your stale bread into finger lengths, dip in milk for a minute, put on buttered tin in the oven until crisp, spread with butter, and serve while hot, with jam or syrup." Page 398

"Down into the pit of our fears, the dear Lord places a ladder of hope. It is there-each round is dully gold in the twilight of our suffering. We set foot there again and again, but we are too weak-too impatient to climb slowly and steadily. And so we thrust it away, and go on suffering, and agonizing. Our darkness is unlit, the pit is too deep, the ladder tumbling about our ears while we are crushed beneath its weight….Think healthful thoughts. Say peaceful words. Say over and over, in your mind, hymns or psalms. Refuse to think of your sorrow or your pain. Tell your will to obey your spirit. Don't be crushed or disheartened by constant defeat…You refuse to allow foul, physical air in your sick room or bed chamber-don't allow disease-breeding thoughts, emotions and whinnings, to taint the spiritual atmosphere. Brace up. Be a good, spiritual sport. Grit your teeth, shut your lips, hold your hands tight, and fight-just plain fight…Suffer if you have to do so, but be a solder about it. Keep your face, your fighting face, to the foe. Not your squirming, cowardly back. The Lord loves a brave soldier-so do all men. God is our help, He can heal and comfort us, if we greatly work and greatly pray." Page 410-411

"Money Wastes. It is extravagant to buy clothing of extreme color or style. Fashion changes so rapidly that one will soon find one's closet filling up with useless clothing. It is more economical to buy staple materials and patterns…The best materials, even though one has to pay more money, are more economical in the end. They wear longer, look better, and can be made better use of after the wearer is through with them. As to buying of furniture, money is wasted by buying an inferior article, with a feeling that it is cheap and need not have special care, consequently it does not last long and soon has to be replaced. It is better to buy a little at a time and buy good furniture. Time Wastes. There is no question but the American housewife is facing a great revolution in the manner of her housekeeping…The modern home needs much less skill and vastly more mental and spiritual qualities….False Economy. One of the most economical things a woman can do is to keep alert to all the new household labor saving devices. They may not all be of use to her and buy all would be foolish, but whenever she sees one that will her time and labor it is false economy to let it go by and save the price. Beware of bargain counters. One is tempted to buy things one does not need, laces, embroideries that are either too little or too much when one come to use them. How many times they are piled into a trunk to be used sometime. This is false economy….The truly economical housewife will plan in her cooking to have left overs, and to make use of these is an art that can only be learned by thought and practice." Page 476-480.

"Immodest Dancing has been condemned by the National Dancing Master' Association. Young men and girls with a claim to respectability should have condemned it long since, from motives of self-protection if nothing more." Page 582

Pages 592-600 discuss how to properly hire and work with a maid or housekeeper. Having a maid to do housework was a common discussion so I believe that many had maids. In fact the suggested cleaning schedule that they presented in one lesson had a maid as part of the schedule.

Pages 622-631 is an essay about the "Cliff Dwellers" by the Four Corners area written by Susa Young Gates.

"Labor-Union leaders in New York counted on having at least 800,000 workingmen out on strike the last week in September, but failed to get one-fourth of that number. Yet even that number shows what great danger threatens should the unions be used as means to get unlawful power and gain." Page 640

"Women's skirts, of ankle length and less flaring, is the promise of fashion leaders; this is at least an extension of the covering factor, for which we are thankful." Page 638

"No true woman enjoys association with cowardly men. She despises white-livered, mealy-mouthed apologizers, who not only turn their third cheek for assaults, but make doormats of themselves for their assailants. " Page 649

"Many mothers think it is necessary to evade truth, or lie to their children concerning such subjects as Santa Claus or The Story of Life-not so…if the clever mother always assumes the "listening attitude" she will know by instinct how to tell just enough and not too much. Always answer a child's questions in a simple, truthful way, not necessarily entering into lengthy detail." Page 703

Suggestive List of Books for Family Library: …Prince and Pauper, Little Women, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Far, Story of My Life (Keller), Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come, Old Fashioned Girl, The Crisis, Ben Hur…." Page 709

Sewing within Relief Society

Quoting directly from the book, "The History of Relief Society: 1844-1944" it says:

"Sewing for the needy has been a function of Relief Society from its beginning. At first, individual members did sewing and knitting in their homes for the Society, working on materials and used clothing which had been contributed and also materials purchased from donated funds. The clothing and bedding provided in this way were issued by the Society for the benefit of the men giving volunteer service in the building of the Nauvoo Temple and their families, as well as for others in need of these supplies. Phebe M. Wheeler, the assistant secretary proposed in the meeting of October 14, 1843, "That a sewing society be appointed that garments and bed coverings may be made and given to such as are suffering cold an nakedness," and a time was appointed for this purpose. This service became a regular feature of Relief Society.

"A sewing service given by Relief Society women in the early days was the lining and covering of caskets. Also a part of Relief Society sewing service in the earlier days in Utah was the making of clothing for the Indians. A nine-month report of the Nineteen Ward Relief Society in Salt Lake, published in the Woman's Exponent, October 1, 1875, showed that "twenty-four yards of linsey and twenty-eight and one-half yards of carpeting have been made by the Society, and two suits of temple clothes and ten pair of garments for the Indians…" The Exponent for April 1, 1876, reported that the Goshen Relief Society had fulfilled an assignment "to make some good strong durable clothing for the Indians."

"Since introduction of the Church Welfare Plan in 1936 and the subsequent establishment of stake and regional bishops' storehouses, Relief Society women have generously and voluntarily assisted at stake and regional sewing centers. In addition, many local Relief Societies haven given sewing service in their regular ward sewing meetings on articles which have been turned into bishops' storehouses for distribution….bundles of cut articles were distributed through the stakes to the various wards for completion in the monthly sewing meeting and were then returned to the Bishops Central Storehouse for distribution to needy families on bishops' orders. Altogether, 4,000 pieces of clothing for men, women, and children were made in the tree regions during 1941-42, and average of 2,000 women at each monthly sewing meeting giving 15,400 hours of sewing service on this special work."

Again, what does this have to do with me and you? Will we go back to a time when we will have to do our own sewing? Are they hinting at this by having us read the history of Relief Society? Perhaps. It's very likely, but I wonder if that's only a partial answer. I think we must look at everything from a spiritual as well as a temporal standpoint.

For me one simple answer is that I (women) need to spend time thinking about and doing things for other people. Joseph Smith told the sisters, "Said Jesus, 'Ye shall do the work, which ye see me do.' These are the grand key-words for the society to act upon." When I am thinking about those in need (and fulfilling my baptismal covenants) it is a whole lot harder to feel depressed, fat, lonely, overwhelmed, and/or worthless. When I think of others the Spirit of the Lord will penetrate my heart and many of the "blah" feelings that I may feel will be evaporated. For you and I shall be about our "Father's business."

Not only was much of this sewing about serving others, but I also think there is an important element of creating involved. Women thrive in creating; we are at our best and happiest when we are creating and shaping. We create children, we create plans for their growth and their lives, we create and do things that add beauty to our homes, we create foods in the kitchen, we create new thoughts when we read and study, we create systems in our home, we create plans in our callings, the list goes on and on. Yes, we sisters love to create. When we are creating things that are worthwhile and that bring a sense of wholeness to our families lives and to others lives we are happy. The sewing projects that these early Relief Society sisters embarked on were about creating something for others who lacked. When we create we find our wholeness and purpose. So, to me, sewing isn't so much about sewing as it is about becoming who we are meant to be; creators who know and believe they have worth.

A third thought that I will let you ponder on yourselves is that after Adam and Eve had partaken of the fruit "they sewed fig-leaves together and made themselves aprons." Later, after the Lord spoke to them and right before He cast them out of the Garden He himself made "coats of skins, and clothed them." (Please see Moses 4:13 & 27 (12-32) and Genesis 3:7 & 21 (6-24)). The first thing Adam and Eve did after they discovered their mortality was sewed and the first physical gift the Lord gave Adam and Eve before He cast them out of His presence was to make them clothes.

Yes, sewing is important on a physical and spiritual level. I pray I can learn to appreciate and develop this skill so that I can find wholeness and purpose in my role as nurturer in Zion. We have much to do sisters.

The Relief Society’s ‘Mother’s Classes’

Thoughts taken from "History of Relief Society: 1842-1966." Published by the General Board of Relief Society in 1966.
 In my reading about Relief Society I learned that from the very beginning the Relief Society Sisters were always learning and seeking to be educated. In fact Joseph Smith said, "I now turn the key in your behalf in the name of the Lord, and this Society shall rejoice, and knowledge and intelligence shall flow down from this time henceforth; this is the beginning of better days to the poor and needy, who shall be made to rejoice and pour forth blessing on your heads….as far as knowledge is concerned, it may extend to all the world." (History of the Church, IV:607)

I have always heard about Joseph Smith "turning the key" in behalf of the sisters. I have understood more clearly that he did use the priesthood and unlock the powers of heaven for these women and for us today. The history says that the women had to learn how to preside, how to present a problem, how to make and put a motion, how to pray and speak in public. It was noted in the book that this was an "all-encompassing event in the history of women's spiritual and intellectual advancement in the last dispensation. The key in very truth opened a door to reveal the radiance and eternal possibilities of woman's place in the gospel plan-in the home, in the Church, in the community and in those 'courts on high,' so eloquently described in later years by Secretary Eliza R. Snow." (page 21)

In the early days of Utah the women were encouraged to take an interest in educational matters. President Zina D. H. Young said, "In all things possible, let us endeavor to cultivate our home talent and stimulate our sisters to read, and to write, that they may be intelligent wives and mothers; read good books especially the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants." (Women's Exponent, Vol. 17, No. 22, April 15, 1889, p. 172).

At the turn of the century formal "Mother Classes" were set in place. The sisters loved to gather and bear testimony, sing together and then listen to a lecture. The sisters would meet together once a week and discuss business and have these classes. The first week was devoted to theology or later named Spiritual Living. The second week was designated homemaking. The third week was literature, later changed to Cultural Refinement, and the fourth week was Social Science later named Social Relations classes. Here is a breakdown of the topics for the year they studied as well as an overview of their general aim.

Spiritual Living
Studying theology and bearing testimonies was of great interest to the sisters. They used this week to increase their religious and spiritual development as well as to understand the doctrines of the church and to strengthen their testimonies. As you will see there was also a heavy emphasis on Family History work. Courses studied through 1966 were:

1914              Genealogy
1915              Gospel Themes and Genealogy
1916              Women in the Bible and Genealogy
1917              How and Where the Women of the Bible Lived and Genealogy
1918-1920     Book of Mormon and Genealogy
1921              Salvation for the Living and Dead
1922-1923     Phases of Practical Religion
192                The Parables of the Savior
1925-1928    Gospel Dispensations: Pearl of Great Price
1929-1931    Book of Mormon
1932-1936    Doctrine and Covenants
1936-1938    The Ministry of the Savior
1938-1940    The Ministry of the Early Apostles
1940-1941    The Restored Gospel Dispensation
1941-1944    Articles of Faith
1944-1947    Church History
1947-1951    The Life and Ministry of the Savior
1951-1957    Characters and Teaching of the Book of Mormon
1957-196?    The Doctrine and Covenants


HomemakingSewing was always the primary purpose of homemaking meeting. (I don't know how many times I read that. Sew. Sew. Sew.) The sewing program consisted of quilt making, hand and machine sewing, dressmaking, remodeling, millinery, darning, etc. There were other types of handwork that were included such as knitting, crocheting, weaving, painting, and flower-making. The purpose of the sewing was to brighten the homes of the women as well as provide useful skills. A good amount of time was spent making sure the sisters all new how to sew and do handwork. Also the ongoing humanitarian projects were always in progress for local needs (needy families, Indians, burial clothing, casket linings, newborn babies, etc.) as well as needs on a national or international scale that the general Relief Society asked them to participate in. Besides giving the sewn items to needy situations the completed sewing projects were used to raise money for a variety of reasons.

This weekly meeting also included a lecture to improve homemaking skills and problem solve with sisters. Here is a sample list of subjects studied:

• 1935-1936    Consumer Problems
• 1939-1940    Selection and Preparation of Food for Proper Nutrition
• 1941-1942    Better Buymanship
• 1942-1943    New-Fashioned Thrift
• 1943-1944    Modern Housekeeping Methods
• 1951-1952    Sewing-The Art of Mending
• 1953-1954    Family Money Management
• 1954-1955    Selection, Care and Use of Household Equipment
• 1958-1959    Managing a Home
• 1961-1962    Attitudes and Manners
• 1965-1967    Development Through homemaking Education 

Social Relations
This class was a focus in home economics but I think there was some cross over with the homemaking classes. Examples of these classes include:

• 1919-1921     Health and Sanitation
• 1926-1927    Child Welfare
• 1930              The Field of Social Work
• 1930-1932    Personality Study
• 1935-1938    A Study of Civic Sociology As a Foundation for Intelligent Living
• 1941-1942    Education for Family Life-Foundations of Successful Marriage
• 1942-1944    What "America" Means
• 1944-1945    Modern Applications of Ethical Principles
• 1950-1953    The Progress of Man
• 1961-1962    The Place of Women in the Gospel Plan
• 1962-1965    Divine Law and Church Government
  

Cultural RefinementThe purpose of this class was to study good literature. The hope was for the Relief Society members to deepen their appreciation for as well as to develop "discriminating reading tastes." Relief Society sisters were to see the enlightenment, spiritual uplift and enjoyment that comes from studying literature. Later the course included studying music and art. Here is another list for you:

• 1914        Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
• 1917        Literature for the Home
• 1920        Studies of Tennyson and Browning
• 1921        Our Latter-day Saint Hymns and Their Authors
• 1922        Latter-day Saint Hymns and Hymns of Christendom
• 1923        American Literature: Colonial, Revolutionary, and New England Periods
• 1924        American Literature: New England Period
• 1925        Later American Poets, Including World War Poets
• 1926-1927    Canadian Poets of World War, and American Novelists and Poets
• 1928        Modern poetry
• 1929        Modern Drama
• 1929-1930    Biography
• 1930-1932    The Short Story
• 1932-1933    The Delight of Great Books
• 1933-1935    Life and Literature
• 1935-1936    Adventures in Reading
• 1936-1938    Biography
• 1938-1940    The Advance of the Novel
• 1940-1941    The Modern Novel
• 1941-1942    Humor in Life and Literature
• 1942-1944    The Bible As Literature
• 1944-1945    New Testament
• 1945-1946    The Bible in Our Literature
• 1946-1947    America As Revealed in Its Literature
• 1947-1948    Literature of the Doctrine and Covenants
• 1948-1949    Literature of the Latter-day Saint
• 1949-1956    The Literature of England
• 1956-1958    Shakespeare in Our Lives
• 1958-1964    America's Literature
• 1964-1966    The Individual and Human Values As Seen Through Literature
• 1966-1967    Ideals of Womanhood in Relation to Home and the Family

Okay, really though. What does this have to do with anything? First it's just plain interesting to me and maybe it is for you also. The second is that this is our Relief Society History that Sister Beck asked us to study up on so here you go.

But what are we going to learn from it? For me I learn that God wants me to educate myself. I see that He wants me to tackle hard subjects and learn and DO hard things. He wants me to THINK and use my brain. It's about always progressing and improving yourself. This is done no matter what stage of life you are in. Whether we have littles or bigs or no kids at home at all these classes were useful to all of the sisters.

From this I see, like I've mentioned before, what I can focus on with my daughter. I see the subjects that are the most important for a woman in God's kingdom. It all comes back to nurturing in our role as wife and mother. All those skills and lessons helped those early sisters to magnify their calling and life's mission.
I believe that when we focus on what God wants us to do we will have confidence in our identity of being a daughter of God, wife, mother…. We will be filled with the Spirit and will happily and cheerfully serve our family and fellow mankind with a willing and joyful heart. We will not have place in our hearts for Satan's evil messages to take root. His message to us of pacification, entitlement and apathy will be easily rejected and we will not be led by his awful chains down to hell.

Sister Beck said, "Relief Society clarifies our work and unifies us as daughters of God in defense of His plan. In this day of mistaken identities, confusion and distraction, Relief Society is meant to be a compass and guide to teach the truth to faithful women. Righteous women today seek an outpouring of revelation to resist distractions, fight evil and spiritual destruction, and rise above personal disasters by increasing their faith, strengthening their families and providing relief to others." (Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society, Oct. 2010).

I pray I can choose God's plan for me each day and each moment. I pray I can reject Satan's lies. I pray I can choose to engage, for the time of passive warfare must end.

The History of Relief Society

"An answer has come that the sisters of the Church should know and learn from the history of Relief Society. Understanding the history of Relief Society strengthens the foundational identity and worth of faithful women."

This answer came to Sister Beck in her plea "to help His daughters be strong in the face of the 'calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth.'" When Sister Beck gave this moving talk in October at the Relief Society General Meeting I wasn't entirely sure how it could help me but I took it in faith. Besides I love history and know there is much we can learn from history. While I took it in faith and believed her I didn't too much about it until this past week.

This past week I was able to get my hands on two histories of Relief Society. The first was the Centennial History of Relief Society, 1842-1944. The second book was called, "The History of Relief Society, 1842-1966. I devoured these books and then I studied again and again Sister Beck's words. I am seeking to learn what personal messages the Lord has for me that I can be "strong in the face of the 'calamity which should come.'" Through this pondering many thoughts have come as well as actual action steps.

The first was to share my find with my mother and sister. My sister immediately latched onto the idea of using the Centennial History for her book at our Relief Society Book Club Meeting. Now the book would be passed among a few more in our ward, success! This led to much discussion and memories among the three of us. We remembered the "old Relief Society scrapbook" that was at the church. A plan was made to redo it digitally and make a hard copy thereby securing the old pictures and histories. Permission was given from the Bishop and a counselor.

This week I have worked on retyping the histories and my mom will scan the pictures when I finish. This has been a wonderful project so far. I am a third generation resident of this town and so I have heard of these wonderful sisters from long ago through stories through the years. They are coming alive to me as I learn about the history of the Relief Society in my little community and see their pictures. They are real people.

From these combined histories I am coming to see who I am and what I need to do as Sister Beck taught. I have learned and have been reminded that Relief Society has always been about serving others. The early sisters did this by sewing for the temple workers, sewing the temple veil, making burial clothing and sewing for the Indians as well as needy families. They were innovative in solving problems and had keen eyesight to recognize potential problems and plan for them. They worked hard to promote home industry for the needy and encourage those able to add their talents to fundraising and bazaars. They were proponents of mother and children's health; working to establish nursing education and creating hospitals. They worked tirelessly during the War Years to support the troops through bond sales and soap donations. They instituted the Visiting Teaching Program to reach out to all sisters. They loved music and organized "Singing Mother Groups" through the Stakes of Zion. Perhaps my favorite was their dedication to mother education through weekly classes.

On my local level in my ward I have read of their tireless fundraising projects to build a large ward building to meet in. They worked hard to provide the weekly classes and provide social events for the sisters in our town. They walked miles to complete visiting teaching appointments and visit the sick. They provided meals to the church farm workers and supported the priesthood brethren in their assignments. They helped prepare bodies for burial as no funeral services were available. They also put in hours and hours of sewing time to make clothing for those in need and to prepare bazaar items for fundraising. They never seemed to stop working hard to bless others.

While studying I noticed some thoughts that currently stand out:

• They sewed A LOT
• Mother Education was extremely important to them and this included Literature such as Shakespeare, biographies, lots of poetry, American Literature, modern drama……
• Developing talents of: sewing, knitting, quilting, weaving, crocheting, flower-making, writing, singing, painting, teaching, event planning, leading, etc.
• Encouraged nurturing and creating
• Sisters needed to gather together often to socialize
• The R.S. goal of helping sisters find joy and testimony in their role of wife and mother was vital

I have pages and pages of notes. So much to think about! One thing that is very clear is that their focus is now my focus on how I live my life and how I raise our daughter. This focus includes serving others, educating self and developing our talents. This is the curriculum. This is what is important to me now. Yes, that includes lots of sewing. Those who know me well are laughing because this is so painful to me. However, I've been repenting and we have been sewing up a storm in this house the last couple of months, really you would be surprised! The amazing thing is that I'm so happy now when I do it. I think that is because I'm focused on nurturing others when I'm sewing and striving to fulfill my role brings the Spirit (which yields peace and happiness).

Learning the history of Relief Society has unified me in heart to the sisters I know now and also to those who worked tirelessly before me and left me a great legacy. I realize that I am not alone in this great work. There are many who have worked, are working and will work in the future to prepare the earth for the Savior to return. There are many more that are side by side me both in Spirit and in body than I had realize. Through this I have come to see that I can change to become even more who the Lord wants me to become. I can fulfill my mission and be a strong wife and mother during this day when Satan tries to beat the door down on me and make me become as "'silly women' who worships a variety of 'strange gods.'"

I add my testimony to Sister Beck that learning our history through the Relief Society will help us to become strong against the "growing climate of entitlement, excuse, apathy, and enticement."

All quotes are from Sister Beck's October 2010 talk.