Relief Society

The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, and has approximately 6 million members in over 170 countries and territories. The Relief Society is often referred to by the church and others as "one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the world."

My memory. In the spring of 1983, I was called by the Bishop of the Woodland Ward to be the new Relief Society President. This was an overwhelming thought. Me, Relief Society President, are you sure you have the right person, really? I grew up in this ward; many of the sisters in this ward had been my Primary and Sunday School teachers or Young Women Leaders. Now you wanted me to be their leader?  Wasn’t I too young for the job? It was such a daunting responsibility. But despite my age (29) and despite the fact we had three young children and I was due with our fourth in a month or so I accepted the responsibility and have been so much the better for it. I learned the Lord doesn’t choose the qualified but qualifies those He has chosen.

Side Note:  Although the Bishop called me in the Spring of 1983. He told me he wouldn’t make the calling formal until after the baby was born and I was ready to come back to church. So it went down like this. Baby was born June 18th, the following Sunday, June 26th, although I was not exactly up and running I wanted to be at church because one of the young women I had taught years earlier was speaking in church prior to leaving on her mission. Well, the minute I stepped into the church the Bishop took that as my cue as my return. Men! The rest is history but those memories and times are remembered fondly.