The Relief Society presidency has a responsibility to watch over each new sister with love and concern and help each one continue in activity and faith (see Handbook 2, 9.7.2).
The history book, Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society, is one of the approved resources you can use to teach new sisters about Relief Society and their roles and responsibilities in it.
Relief Society sisters who would like help in setting worthy personal goals may consider using Pursuit of Excellence as a guide.
Who needs Relief Society orientation?
- Young women entering Relief Society
- New converts
- Relief Society sisters returning to activity
- New sisters in the ward or branch
- Newly married sisters
Why do we need to orient and teach new Relief Society sisters?
The ward Relief Society presidency has the responsibility to welcome, watch over, and care for each Relief Society sister. Becoming a new member of Relief Society is a defining time in the life of a young woman because she becomes an adult member of the Church with responsibilities to build up the kingdom and strengthen others. It is also a critical time for a woman who has recently joined the Church or returned to Church activity.
How do we orient new sisters?
The Relief Society presidency may:
- Visit the Young Women classes and present a preview of Relief Society.
- Gather the new Relief Society sisters together in a meeting (young sisters with their mothers, if possible) to orient new sisters about Relief Society. Give new Relief Society sisters a copy of Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society.
- Encircle, teach, and love each sister one by one as she comes into Relief Society. Strengthen and continually watch over her.
- Give her a faithful visiting teacher to show her by example how to visit, and then give her a visiting teaching assignment (see Daughters in My Kingdom, pages 105–23).
- Engage her in the work of Relief Society by inviting her to serve on a Relief Society committee such as compassionate service, activation, missionary, family history, temple, and so forth.
What should we teach new sisters?
- The purpose of Relief Society: to prepare women for the blessings of eternal life by increasing faith and personal righteousness, strengthening families and homes, and seeking out and helping those in need. The Lord has a work for us to do (see Moses 1:6; Joseph Smith—History 1:33) and He will help us do His work (see D&C 8:2; 9:8; 11:12).
- What it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ (see Daughters in My Kingdom, chapter 1, page 7).
- How visiting teaching is a way to show her discipleship. Invite her to minister as a visiting teacher and give her the information she needs about her companion and those she will visit (see Daughters in My Kingdom, chapter 7, page 123).
- What happens each Sunday—the weekly meeting of Relief Society—and what to bring: scriptures, current curriculum (see Handbook 2, 9.4.1).
- What the purposes are for additional Relief Society meetings and when they are held (see Handbook 2, 9.4.2).
- What compassionate service is (see Handbook 2, 9.6.2; see also Daughters in My Kingdom, pages 176–78).
- What it means to be self-reliant (see Handbook 2, 6.1.1; see also Daughters in My Kingdom, page 51).
Give Relief Society materials to the new sister.
Possibilities could include:
- Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society.
- Contact information for all Relief Society sisters.
- The current curriculum lesson manual and lesson schedule.
- The current general conference issue of the Ensign or Liahona magazine.
- Information on how to access the Relief Society website and the young single adult website.
- Institute class schedule.
Resources
Videos
| Title | Watch |
|---|---|
| "When You Save a Girl, You Save Generations" (President Gordon B. Hinckley) |   |
