Did you hear Women’s Conference last night? We were given strong and loving council to fulfill our innate abilities, as women, to do the work of the Lord and build the kingdom of God.
How grateful I am for prophets and leaders who guide us, remind us, and call us to repentance, so that we might all find joy at the end of our journey.
Where all of the talks were wonderful, I would like to focus my thoughts on Sis. Burton’s talk, “I Was a Stranger.” I feel she has laid out a new (maybe not so new) directive for the Relief Society.
She has invited, urged, and pleaded with us to help those in need whose numbers are growing all around us. She called this work EXTRAORDINARY, just as Emma Smith envisioned when she became the first Relief Society president in this dispensation.
She quoted Brigham Young, who canceled conference and told everyone to “Go and bring in those people now on the plains, and attend strictly to those things which we call temporal, … otherwise
your faith will be in vain.”
Sis. Burton asked us to ask ourselves a question. “What if their story was my story?” How would your feelings change? What would you want someone to do for you? Where would you go for safety? When would you ever feel safe again?
Do you remember when the First Presidency’s letter was read over the pulpit, about helping the refugees? What were your immediate thoughts? What did you do the following week in response?
I appreciated Sis. Burton including the wide range of ways we can all help. None of us need to feel so guilty we become offended and do 
nothing. All of us can do something. The truth is all of us can do more. We have been urged (and I think it’s intentional that this comes off as more than an invitation) to serve those pressing calls from around the world as well as those neighbors who are across the street.
What will you do with this final statement of Sis. Burton’s?
“May we then seek inspiration, act on impressions we receive, and reach out in unity to help those in need as we are able and inspired to do so.”
Sisters, gone are the days of Super Saturdays, craft activities, and getting-to-know-you parties. We have been given a specific work to do.
Service has the potential to solve many of our problems, plus build
Syrian children march in the refugee camp in Jordan. The number of Children in this camp exceeds 60% of the total number of refugees hence the name “Children’s camp”. Some of them lost their relatives, but others lost their parents.
unity better than anything else. I offer some suggestions and ideas that may inspire you to act?
- Go to the new Church site, I Am A Stranger, and see where you can find ways to serve. They also hope you will share some of your experiences there.
- Learn about the International Rescue Committee in your area. They will train you on how best to help the refugees who are coming into your cities. Click on the tab “Where we work” and you will find a list of cities where training is being done.
- Find ways to serve in your own community, and neighborhood, such as providing meals, clothing fairs, tag sale and trading. Create a list of services your neighborhood has expertise in, and is willing to share, and see where those services can be used in your community.
- Make sure your RS activities center around service.
- Donate money. This action should always be met with great thought. Donating to the church, I believe, is the safest way to have your money reach those who truly are in need.
- Look at LDS Charities for additional ideas.
- With the bishop’s approval, team up with a “sister ward or branch” that has a high demand of welfare needs. Offer your time, services, knowledge, training, etc. to help these sisters.
Sisters, our organization leaders have called us to action. Through their leadership, and the inspiration we can receive from Jesus Christ, we can do something extraordinary.