Relief Society (LDS)

Relief Society (LDS)
Name	Relief Society
Formation	March 17, 1842
Founder	Joseph Smith
Type	Women's organization
Headquarters	Salt Lake City
Parent organization	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Relief Society (LDS)

The Relief Society is a women's organization within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, organized to provide service, education, and spiritual development for women. It was founded in the early 1840s in Nauvoo, Illinois and has since developed into a global network with auxiliaries in congregations across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. The organization has intersected with events and figures such as Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Emma Smith, Eliza R. Snow, and movements like the Pioneer Day commemorations and humanitarian responses to natural disasters.

History

The Relief Society traces its origins to a meeting in Nauvoo, Illinois in 1842 where leaders including Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, William Law, and Emma Smith gathered with women such as Eliza R. Snow, Sarah Granger Kimball, and Emma Smith Hyde. Early activities connected to the organization involved charitable relief after events like the Mortimer family crises and public health concerns in the 1840s. After the 1844 deaths of Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith, the society's development continued under Brigham Young during the migration to Great Salt Lake. During the Utah territorial period, figures like Emmeline B. Wells and Zina D. H. Young influenced Relief Society publication and advocacy, including engagement with national issues such as the Woman Suffrage movement, interactions with leaders like Susan B. Anthony, and responses to federal actions including the Edmunds-Tucker Act.

In the 20th century, Relief Society leaders including Belle S. Spafford, M. Catherine Thomas, and Elaine Dalton expanded welfare, community, and international efforts, coordinating with institutions like Welfare Square and humanitarian projects in partnership with entities such as United Nations bodies and non-governmental organizations. The society adapted through eras marked by World War I, World War II, and the postwar period, emphasizing home economics, public health, and global missionary support. Recent decades have seen restructuring and emphasis on worldwide curriculum, aligning Relief Society programs with global directives from Salt Lake Temple leadership and general authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Organization and Structure

Relief Society operates at multiple levels: local units in wards and branches, regional stakes, and under a general presidency at Church Headquarters in Salt Lake City. Each local auxiliary is presided over by a Relief Society president and counselors who coordinate with bishoprics and stake presidents. The general leadership historically included presidents such as Emma Smith (historical), Eliza R. Snow, Emmeline B. Wells, Belle S. Spafford, and more recently leaders who have worked with councils composed of women and men from levels of the church hierarchy.

Administrative functions include recordkeeping tied to registries maintained by Church Historian offices, curriculum oversight coordinated with Sunday School and Priesthood leadership, and interaction with other organizations like Primary and Young Women. Structural adaptations have responded to demographic shifts in regions such as Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia, including language translations, local leadership training, and cross-cultural program adjustments.

Mission and Activities

The mission emphasizes spiritual development, relief, and charitable service, aligning with directives from the church's general leadership. Relief Society activities historically ranged from community nursing and midwifery in the 19th century to modern humanitarian response after disasters such as Haiti earthquake (2010), 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and regional floods. The society sponsors projects in family history collaboration with FamilySearch, welfare distribution coordinated with Deseret Industries, and support for missionary efforts tied to Missionary Program infrastructure.

Educational activities include doctrinal study, scripture classes linked to Doctrine and Covenants study, and practical workshops on skills historically taught in meetings such as sewing, cooking, and financial planning—echoing earlier involvement with institutes of domestic science and organizations like Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association. Relief Society also engages in public-facing humanitarian outreach, disaster relief logistics, and partnerships with interfaith groups in locales including Salt Lake City, Washington, D.C., and international capitals.

Membership and Leadership

Membership is typically composed of adult women belonging to local church units, with eligibility influenced by membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and assignment by local priesthood leaders. Leadership at the ward and stake level is organized by selection and sustaining procedures involving councils and common consent practices rooted in the church's governance. Notable historical presidents include Eliza R. Snow, Emmeline B. Wells, Belle S. Spafford, Janet Peterson, and other general presidencies whose tenure corresponded with initiatives such as publication launches, welfare expansion, and international outreach.

Leaders participate in governance alongside male priesthood holders including bishops and stake presidents, while the general Relief Society presidency receives guidance from the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Training for leaders draws on manuals, worldwide training meetings, and resources produced at Church Educational System venues and regional training centers.

Programs and Publications

Relief Society has produced periodicals, manuals, and lesson material. Historic publications include the "Relief Society Magazine", edited by figures such as Emmeline B. Wells, which later consolidated into church-wide publications alongside Ensign and other official magazines. Current lesson materials integrate with the church's home-centered, church-supported curriculum and use resources developed by departments at Church Headquarters including manuals tied to doctrinal texts like The Book of Mormon.

Programs include humanitarian aid distribution, welfare initiatives coordinated with facilities such as Welfare Square and thrift operations like Deseret Industries, family history assistance linked to FamilySearch, and global teaching programs for women. Relief Society also issues talks and lesson outlines used in Relief Society meetings and contributes to cultural events such as Pioneer Day commemorations and local service days.

Category:Organizations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints