Mormon Women Archive
March 17th is the anniversary of the Relief Society, one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the United States. From its beginnings as an organization to assist women in serving others, it has also allowed women to gain a wide range of skills, including leadership skills.
The Relief Society today is headed by Julie B. Beck, born in Utah. She spent much of her childhood, until age nine, in Brazil, where her father served as a mission president. She has a degree from Brigham Young University. Today, she leads the Relief Society for the entire international church, serves on the Church Board of Education and the Boards of Trustees of Church schools and universities; and is on the executive and general councils for Welfare and the Perpetual Education Fund of the Church. Read the rest of this entry »
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People often ask why Mormons don’t have female priesthood leaders. Today, there are still many churches, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that do not have women in the priesthood, having noted from their study of the Bible that this was not the way it was done. Jesus had many women who followed Him, and whom He pointed out as outstanding examples of gospel living, but He didn’t select any of them to be His apostles. It was not that He considered them unable to do the work, or unworthy of the role; it was simply not the role assigned to women by God.
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What is the Relief Society?
Personal Response by Bethany
The Relief Society is an organization including all female Church members ages 18 and older. The Relief Society was founded in Nauvoo, Illinois by the Prophet Joseph Smith on March 17, 1842. At that time, it served for two main purposes which were to provide relief for the poor and needy and to bring people to Christ; these purposes stand the same today.
Joseph Smith personally instructed the women in the same gospel principles he taught the men, with particular emphasis on humility, charity, and unity and also introduced them to sacred doctrines relating to temple worship. This instruction set the pattern for meetings in which women could talk about religious principles and testify of their faith in the restored gospel.
As recorded in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, “An integral part of the Church organization, the Relief Society, functions in close connection with, rather than independent of, the ecclesiastical priesthood... Read the rest of this entry »
Personal Response by Natalie
A Glimpse Into a Mormon Student’s Values & Lifestyle
Attending Brigham Young University, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church), has helped me realize that the key aspects of my religion–repentance, revelation, prayer, and coming closer to Jesus Christ- are applicable to all areas of my life. My religion has become more than a Sunday trip to church, or an occasional reading of scriptures. The gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is my life. As I study the bones in the human skull or the process of embryo development in my anatomy class, I am reminded that God is the creator of all men and women and that He created us in His image, and that the body is a sacred gift from God. As I study American History, I am reminded that the Lord’s hand was in the making of our country and the unfolding of our Constitution so that the gospel could later be restored on this earth. As I study the behavior of atoms... Read the rest of this entry »
Personal Response by Karen R. Merkley
Mormon women are key players and equal partners in the work of the Lord, in families, in communities and in the world. In the words of Brigham Young, early President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
One thing is very true and we believe it, and that is that a woman is the glory of the man. …
When I reflect upon the duties and responsibilities devolving upon our mothers and sisters, and the influence they wield, I look upon them as the mainspring and soul of our being here. Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [1954], 199).
Women serve in the Mormon Church as presidents and counselors of local, area, and worldwide organizations for children, youth, and adults–known as the Primary, Young Women’s Organization, and the Relief Society. They sit in councils with their priesthood brethren and work hand-in-hand to identify issues, solve problems, bring light to ministering needs of those they serve. They pray in Church... Read the rest of this entry »
