Times are constantly changing.  Right now Relief Society is going through another growth spurt where new guidelines are forcing us out of our comfort zone and new ideas are encouraged.  But guess what, once again, there is really nothing new under the sun.

Back in 1913, the church was growing at such a fast rate that they too needed to make some changes.  The first era of the church found enthusiastic members still motivated by the spirit of Joseph Smith.  There was an eagerness and bravery that pushed the early members on to face the infancy and first steps of the church.  But as growth continued, changes were needed to correlate the different auxiliaries.

Previously, individual Relief Societies were on their own to discover needs in their particular areas.  There were no guidelines or lessons to follow, every woman’s group decided what they needed to focus on and new interests, expertise, and talents were being developed regularly.  It was individuals, or small Relief Society groups, that first initiated better health habits, reading and writing groups, sewing clubs, medical training, etc.  A few of these small groups have continued even to our day.

As the church began to correlate their programs, the Relief Society resisted, at first, wanting to maintain their independence.  The individuality, the Relief Society encouraged, was spiritual in nature and some sisters felt something would be lost with a standardized program.

Emmeline Wells, as General President at the time, said, “ In these outlines we are getting too far away from the spiritual side of our great work, and from the thought that inspired the first organization of the Relief Society.  The Society stands first for spirituality, and then for charity and mercy.”

Eventually, the Relief Society gave in and planned lessons were published in the Relief Society Bulletin for the first time in 1914.  The following year, the Relief Society Magazine would begin its long life as the lesson guide for all Relief Society gatherings.

A few years ago, the church changed its correlation a little more, going back to the individuality of ward needs again.  In particular, the Relief Society was encouraged to look carefully at their specific needs and create their own activities that would be more fulfilling to the individuals and families of the ward.  What goes around comes around, because again, Relief Society sisters have resisted this idea.

The church has fulfilled many of our needs over the years.  Changes have forced us to grow, stretch ourselves, and depend more on our Father in Heaven.  But the church has never led us astray.  I do appreciate seeing how the church experiments with ideas and adapts as changes become necessary.  Some changes have worked and become quite successful, others not so much, but all the while, the church is interested in the inspiration each member is entitled to receive.

Taken from Women of Covenant