It is so fascinating to me that these conference talks are so applicable to us today. Without fail, I have easily gleaned valuable, and informative help from these talks for my life, calling, and personal inspiration.

So, this session is from the October 1979 Welfare session. Sis. Barbara B. Smith was asked to speak on the Relief Society Role in Priesthood Councils. Is that relevant, or what?

She uses words like “implement,” “perspective,” “personal experience,” “meet human needs as they truly exist,” and “alleviate suffering and fulfill needs.” Do these words cause you to reflect on your own RS council meetings and how you might create additional meetings of value to you and your sisters?

Reading her talk inspired me to go to Handbook 2 to glean information. I believe this is real inspiration on my part because who really studies the handbook, right? We don’t go to the handbook often enough and it’s amazing how much information is in there. Because it’s available online, any of us can, and should, read through the first few chapters occasionally. There is such great information available for everyone.

I simply explored what it said about Ward Councils and so much is relevant to our new Relief Society councils. Because these councils are meant to be somewhat of an open forum, all of us can be inspired with ideas to bring to the table for discussion and solutions.

The number one essential tool for every ward, I discovered, is the Ward Mission Plan. Do you know your ward’s Mission Plan? Find out what it is and offer it up for discussion in Relief Society. The ward council will most likely have worked out a clear vision for the ward. If not, there’s nothing wrong with any president of that council making suggestions to do so. Ward mission plans focus on the ward’s needs and will likely change from year to year with the hope and objective that members are growing better and stronger.

There are four basic missions of the church, each one to be emphasized according to the needs of the ward, and inspiration of the ward council:

1. To Proclaim the Gospel
2. To Perfect the Saints
3. To Redeem the Dead
4. To Care for the Poor and Needy

Likely, your mission plan will focus on one or more of these areas.  

The Handbook states that most work happens outside ward council. So, how does that apply to what we’re trying to accomplish in Relief Society? How do we see if our councils are working? How do we incorporate words such as “report,” “evaluate,” “decisions,” “goals and assignments,” “follow up”?

In the Handbook, under Relief Society, there is a pretty long list of ideas keeping sisters focused on the work of the Lord and becoming better people.

1. Welfare
2. Emergency Preparation
3. Temple and Family History work
4. Missionary Work
5. Retention & Activation
6. Compassionate service/Local Needs
7. Humanitarian Work
8. Marriage and Family
9. Homemaking
10. Self-Reliance/Provident Living
11. Physical Health
12. Career Development
13. Financial Training

Why are these categories important for women to learn about and discuss? Council meetings aren’t the time to learn how to do something, they are a time to plan or strategize when and how best to learn.

How do we make our council meetings “meet human needs as they truly exist”? And how do we allow inspiration to work in our council meetings?

Sister Smith’s talk gave me inspired ideas and I know it can do the same for you. Just remember,

• Council Sundays are not supposed to be lessons, so don’t follow a lesson format.
• Know your Ward Mission Plan.
• Use the Handbook for inspired ideas your sisters may need help in.
• Use council meeting as a time to plan purposeful, practical, additional meetings.
• Ask for volunteers to gather information, fulfill an assignment, or prepare to teach others.
• Take the time to evaluate, share, and report on specific assignments, challenges, or experiences gleaned from additional meetings.

The spirit will come as we see success; as we see one another grow in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It’s so interesting how inspiration works. Presidents are guides and implementers, but with this new format, every sister has the potential to play an active role in inspiring (or could we say ministering to) her sisters to be, and do, better.

Additional posts:

Blessings derived by the givers  Marilyn Nielson

Losing What Your Parents Had  G