Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

By Jim Greer

LW contributor

Days before the 179th anniversary of the Relief Society organization, President Jean B. Bingham spoke in a church news podcast about the influence of Latter-day Saint women and their role in bringing others to the savior. “I know that if we can harness the power of the women of Relief Society, no power on Earth can stop this good work,” Bingham declared.

“My message to all of my sisters who may be wondering where their place is in the church is to absolutely affirm that your place is in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, giving your talents and time and abilities to lifting and blessing those around you.”

The Relief Society has become one of the world’s largest, oldest, and most diverse women’s organizations. Originally just a small gathering in Nauvoo, Illinois, it has expanded to 7.5 million women in 220 countries.

Bingham reaffirmed that “one of the main purposes is to relieve suffering, whether it’s physical or spiritual. And that is a power for good that Relief Society sisters all have a responsibility for.”

In its early days, the Relief Society wrote and published the Woman’s Exponent. This newspaper fostered unity, expounded Gospel principles, and influenced the suffragist movement in the United States.

During Utah’s settlement, struggling mothers and babies often died in childbirth. To remedy such problems, the Relief Society sent women to medical schools in the eastern states to become doctors, nurses, and midwives. And soon afterward started the first maternity hospital in Utah.

The Relief Society began growing, harvesting, and storing wheat just before the turn of the 20th Century. Those commodities provided food for survivors of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and helped alleviate shortages after World War I.

In May and June of 2020, 57,500 volunteers sewed nearly 6 million masks to help healthcare workers on the frontlines of COVID-19 in Utah. Additional mask-sewing efforts have been carried out around the world.

Currently, the Relief Society is sponsoring programs to alleviate child malnutrition and enhance literacy for women in various locations. Bingham highlighted that literacy campaign at the 5th Annual International Women-in-Diplomacy Day.

“One of the strengths of the organization is caring one by one for each other, making sure that each woman has a safe place to find support and encouragement as she learns and progresses. Because of their faith in Jesus Christ, they follow his example in loving and lifting those around them. And because of their understanding of heavenly father’s plan of salvation, they reach out to help others understand their divine worth—that we are all children of God,” she said.

“Wherever I go, I know I can count on women of the Relief Society to welcome me as a sister. I have felt that throughout the world.”