I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I’m a Mormon girl.
My faith and religion are deeply important to me. They are at the very foundation of who I am and what I value most in my life. This here blog of mine is about genealogy and so I don’t talk about my personal life – much – which includes my religious beliefs.
But something happened recently that will effect my blogging habits. I’m going to be unpredictable. I’ll have time to write and read and then I won’t and then I will again. It’s going to be spotty. And I wanted you, my blog friends to understand why.
We Mormons are organized folks. We meet in local units called wards that are based on geographical boundaries. Each ward meets at a certain time on Sundays. We have three meetings and spend three hours at church. The first meeting is called Sacrament Meeting and is for everyone in the ward. We sing a hymn, have an opening prayer, sing another hymn, take the sacrament, listen to speakers who are members of our ward, sing and pray again. The last two hours are different. Children have their own meetings called Primary. Teenagers go to Sunday School for one hour and then to classes divided by age and gender for another hour. Adults also have Sunday School and then the men go to Priesthood Meetings and the women go to Relief Society.
Relief Society is the largest women’s organization in the world. It began in 1842. Over the years this organization has been a powerful force for good in the world, caring for the poor and needy, providing relief for suffering, offering love, support, and instruction for it’s members. The motto of Relief Society is “Charity never faileth”. Charity in this statement refers to the pure love of Christ. What a beautiful sentiment.
Relief Society sisters throughout the world meet every Sunday for an hour. They sing, pray, participate in a gospel lesson, sing and pray again. These women also have occasional activities during the week. They learn skills that will help them care for their families, they provide service, and learn from one another. I learned to tie quilts and make homemade bread at Relief Society activities. I’ve helped with service projects and listened to women share their experiences.
Relief Society is a wonderful organization for women throughout the entire world.
I have recently been asked to be the Relief Society President in my ward. I am now responsible to oversee our Sunday meetings, our weekday activities, and all other aspects of Relief Society. I find my days suddenly filled with phone calls, visits, planning, and meetings. I will busy for a while. And my blogging will suffer. But my soul will be joyful as I am blessed to get to know the women in my Relief Society. To really see them and love them.
In fact, it’s already happening. I spent my Saturday morning in the home of an elderly woman who was born and raised in Germany. She is a widow who is lonely and feels like she doesn’t fit into her world. She poured out her heart to me. I listened, offered encouragement and most of all, I saw into her heart. I now have a much deeper understanding and love for her. That is what I am looking forward to with my new responsibility, moments like that. Moments that will help me develop greater compassion and empathy for others.
So, please be patient with my unpredictability. I still love genealogy with my whole heart. I still want to share and learn with you. And I will, when I can.
If you want to learn more about my faith, read here. If you want to learn more about Relief Society, read here or watch this short video.