The following is taken right out of The Woman’s Exponent, after a Women’s Conference held in 1913. We haven’t changed that much over the years. Clearly, Relief Society sisters still have the same conviction and devotion to our prophet, our leaders, and our Church.

 

Passed at Officers’ meeting held October 7, 1913.

Inasmuch as the sisters of the Relief Society have received special instructions from our Prophet Seer and Revelator during the Conference which has just closed we desire to voice our acceptance of his teachings both in our own Conference and in the General Conference on the following points viz.

Be it resolved that we do declare it our purpose to keep intact the original name and initial spirit and purpose of this great organization holding fast to the inspired teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith when he revealed the plan by which women were to be empowered through the calling of the priesthood to be grouped into suitable organizations for the purpose of ministering to the sick, assisting the needy, comforting the aged, warning the unwary, and succoring the orphans.

We as General Officers Stake Officers and Ward Officers of this Relief Society will endeavor to set an example in the modesty of our clothing, the restraint of our speech, and in the observance of the laws and commandments of God which shall fit us to be exemplars in the midst of the daughters of Zion.

We will study the principles of the Gospel with all diligence to enable us to impart of our knowledge to those who are under our charge both to our families, to the members of our Society, and to the ones who may be ignorant or unwary concerning the principles of life and truth. We will seek first to live the Gospel ourselves and then be ready to go out and teach it.

We will seek to restrain our conversation avoiding light chatter idle gossip and above all, we will refrain from criticizing our associates the chosen authorities of this Church from the least to the greatest. We will sustain our civic authorities while such men are honest and doing their duty to the full extent. Our loyalty is engaged not only to support our Church officials but our city, state, and national representatives. We seek to prove our claim to the title of Latter-day Saint by our devotion to these principles of loyalty and righteousness. We shall cultivate the spirit of broad-mindedness setting aside our own personal desires and ambitions that we may the more fully enter into the true spirit of this great charitable organization.

We will clothe ourselves modestly and in a way that shall merit approval from our brethren, ourselves, and the angels of God moreover we shall teach this principle of modesty to our children and our grandchildren after us.

We again commit ourselves to the observance of the Word of Wisdom. The things that are forbidden in that Revelation shall find no place in our homes nor on our tables. Nor shall they be offered in our public gatherings.

These are the principles for which this Society has stood for nearly seventy years but we give them public expression in this manner in order to emphasize the teachings of President Joseph F. Smith and we call upon all members of this organization to join with us in a renewal of effort to the more strict observance of these and other principles of the Gospel until we shall more nearly approach the perfect conditions expressed by our beloved President when he said “The sisters must go into the homes of the people setting such an example as an angel might if one came to them. To this end, we pray.

Signed

CLARISSA S. WILLIAMS

JULIA P. M. FARNSWORTH

CARRIE S. THOMAS

SARAH J. MCLELLAND

ALICE M HORNE

Relief Society General Presidency and Secretaries

(Woman’s Exponent, Vol 41, no. 11, Nov 1, 1913)

 

What if each of our Relief Societies listed several RESOLVES, or goals, to accomplish together for ourselves, our families, and our associations? What would our list include?