This poem is as old as our Relief Society is and it lovingly explains the heart of our great organization. This would be a great addition to any study of our history, so share it with your sisters. And remember it for your birthday celebration in March.
The Female Relief Society of Nauvoo
(What Is It?)
It is an institution form’d to bless
The poor, the widow, and the fatherless—
To clothe the naked, and the hungry feed,
And in the holy paths of virtue lead.
To seek our sorrow, grief, and mute despair,
And light the lamp of hope eternal there—
To try the strength of consolation’s art,
By breathing comfort to the mourning heart.
To chase the clouds that shade the aspect, where
Distress presides; and wake up pleasures there—
With open heart extend the friendly hand,
To hail the stranger from a distant land.
To stamp a vetoing impress on each move
That virtue’s present dictates disapprove—
To put the tattler’s coinage scandal down,
And make corruption feel its with’ring frown.
To give instruction where instruction’s voice
Will guard the feet and make the heart rejoice—
To turn the wayward from their recklessness,
And lead them in the ways of happiness.
It is an Order, fitted and design’d,
To meet the wants of body and of mind—
To seek the wretched in their lone abode—
Supply their wants, and raise their hearts to God.
Eliza R. Snow
(First published in the “Millennial Star”, October, 1842)
Beautiful. Someone should really turn that into a song. It would be a good RS anthem.
Just a question about a word in the 5th line…To seek our (?) or “out” sorrow, grief and mute despair. My first reaction to the word “our” was that it didn’t seem to fit. Don’t know if it’s a typo or if it is the original word.
It’s not a typo at my end. But I see your point. I copied this from the Relief Society Magazine. It could certainly be a typo from what Eliza originally meant, but I can’t say for sure.
It could be an interesting discussion. As I read it, it makes me feel that we are all part of Relief Society, so indeed, it is “our” sorrow, grief, and mute despair. What my sister feels, I feel. However, as you have pointed out, we are to seek “out” those around us. At this point, I don’t believe there would be a copyright issue if you changed the word to “out”.