Relief Society is made up of two different types of sisters: Active sisters who come to Church regularly, and Inactive sisters who feel displaced, weak, and insecure. Each individual sister ranges somewhere within these two groups. Active sisters make up THE CORE of the ward. They are dependable, responsible, willing to serve, support, and help the presidency.

An effective Relief Society president will gather THE CORE by delegating activities that bring this group together. This group should be the president’s main focus. The strong sisters simply need to feel needed in order to perform well in a ward setting. An effective president will know the strengths of THE CORE. This team of women can draw strength from one another, working in tandem, functioning in similar ways to the Stripling Warriors, where all were wounded, but none were lost.

An effective Relief Society president will then direct her Warriors toward the second group of sisters. A president will understand the weaknesses of these women and use THE CORE to strengthen those weaknesses in an inspired way. The weak cannot be strengthened unless THE CORE is secure. And the president cannot do it by herself.

An effective Relief Society president will ORGANIZE THE CORE and TEACH them, so they are INSPIRED to reach out to the second group. With the help of THE CORE, she will ORGANIZE her second group of sisters, TEACH truth, and INSPIRE all in the strength that love and service brings.

We all understand there are no easy answers. A sister cannot offer advice to “fix” another sister. But she can offer a listening ear and an open heart. Too many sisters attempt to rule the conversation when they should be paying attention to a sister in need. Often, taking the time to listen is the magic necessary to touch a wounded heart, and strengthen it enough to heal, hope, and trust. THE CORE needs to understand this. THE CORE needs to be confident enough in her own testimony to sit back and listen, not judge, and extend her love.

When THE CORE is not utilized, it weakens. An effective Relief Society president will delegate. By organizing goals and objectives, and inviting THE CORE to participate, they will become stronger. Teaching them how, and where, service is needed makes them as effective as the president. By allowing sisters to be inspired, and watching them inspire one another with their service, love will resonate through the ward.

It breaks my heart to hear about a sister who has been forgotten, but every ward has some. With little effort, this sister can be rescued and brought into the fold where she can feel valued and cherished. Strong, and weak sisters alike need to feel the energy of an organized, teaching environment that inspires everyone to reach beyond themselves.

Here are some thoughts in considering the needs in your ward:

• Everyone needs a responsibility.
• Presidents must be accountable to their calling.
• Presidencies must make members accountable.
• Evaluate and improve.
• Practice consistency—finish what you start.
• No more tending to “the fires”—carefully incorporate emergencies into your goals, without upsetting your momentum.
• Love, and opportunities to unify, go a long way.
• Follow the inspired handbook with its instructions of procedure and accountability. Then act on the inspiration that will come.
• Individual recognition needs to be generously, and swiftly, offered. Not so much praise, as value and appreciation.

*THE CORE of the ward is made up of active people who attend Church regularly. These are the people who should get the most attention in any given ward no matter what unique situation occurs in that ward. These are the people who will always be there to make things happen. The leadership of the ward should always monitor the strength of THE CORE, keep it strong by using its strengths, talents, and testimony; seeing that each person feels needed and useful. (Note: Leaders cannot assume a CORE member is strong, just because they come to Church every Sunday. It’s nice to be checked up on, visited, and asked to participate.) Use THE CORE to train weaker members. As directed by the ward leadership, THE CORE’s main responsibility is to make sure weaker members experience feelings of love and belonging in the ward. THE CORE must be strong in order to rescue and envelop the weak, and turn them into CORE members of the Church.