Bridges connect us everywhere, even anywhere. It connects gap, it connects the past to the present and the present to the future.
Our pioneers have started the Visiting Teaching program for the benefit of all the members-not only of the sisters and it even [sometimes] extends to the people outside the church; our neighbors, non-member friends/families.There is no easy or hard thing in the Visiting Teaching world--everything could be easy and everything could also be hard depending on how we perceive it and how we act upon it.
In celebration of the Relief Society Anniversary this month. I would like to refresh everyone of how this organization started.(Please find and read attachment) And remember: "We are beloved spirits of God and our lives have meaning, purpose and direction. As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our savior and exemplar."[Relief Society Theme]
I leave this VISITING TEACHING Inspirational message humbly in the sacred name of our master, our redeemer-Jesus Christ, AMEN.
[Attachment]
"Relief Society"- WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Text by Susan Easton Black
"Nauvoo grew, with magic rapidity, from a few rude homes to a magnificent city." ,penned journalist Harvey Cluff. Yet, not every resident of Nauvoo prospered in the 1840s." It is a hard place for poor people that have no money to get a living," wrote Sally Randall. "There are so many poor...they can hardly get enough to get comfortable." One such man was Luman Shurtliff, a laborer in the stone quarries. "We labored ten hours a day, and got something to take to our families for supper and breakfast. Many times we got nothing," wrote Shurtliff.
Sarah Kimball witnessed the struggles of faithful stone cutters like Luman Shurtliff. She wanted to help, as did her seamstress Miss Cook. "I told Miss Cook i would furnish material if she would make some shirts for the workman," wrote Sarah. These two women combined their talents to assist the poor of Nauvoo.
Near neighbors saw their charitable kindness and expressed a desire to also help. Sarah recalled, "We decided to...form a ladies society to help the poor." The neighboring sisters met in my parlor and organized on March 4, 1842. To be organized like other benevolent societies in the midwestern states required a constitution and an election of officers. sarah asked Eliza R. Snow to create the constitution and bylaws of the society before elections were held.
Eliza did her best on the proposed documents and showed the results of her efforts to the Prophet Joseph Smith. He lauded her accomplishments and stated that the constitution and by-laws were the "best he had ever seen". But he wanted to provide something better for the women of Nauvoo than a written constitution. I will organize the women under the priesthood after the pattern of the priesthood.
On Thursday, March 17, 1842, twenty women from the ages of a teenager to a widow in her fifties, crowded into the upper story of the Prophet's store on Water Street in nauvoo. There, thirty eight year-old Emma Smith was elected to be the first president of The Female Relief Society of Nauvoo and as such "to look to the wants of the needy and be a pattern of virtue and possess all the qualifications necessary for her to stand and preside and dignify her office."
The prophet admonished members of the newly constituted society to "not injure the character of anyone,...hold all character sacred." Elize R. Snow concurred by adding, "As daughters of Zion, we should set an example for all the world." Emma then exclaimed, "We are going to do something extraordinary. When a boat is stuck on the rapids, with a multitude of Mormons on board we shall consider that a loud call for relief. We expect extraordinary occasions and pressing calls."
Impressed by the sincerety of their expressions, the prophet arose and declared, "All i shall have to give to the poor, i will give to the society." He then gave a $5 dollar gold piece. His example led others to likewise contribute. John Taylor, noting the abundant generosity, stated, "His prayer was that the blessing of God and of Heaven may rest on this institution henceforth."
The great work of the Relief Society had begun. A vision of women reaching out and helping others soon extended to every neighborhood in Nauvoo. Although a sister Merrick is credited with being the first recipient of the Society's compassion, she soon became one of the many whose burdens were lifted. The joy of receiver and giver seemed unbounded.Those with means gave freely and those without means contributed jewelry and clothing, talents and skills--all gifts were welcome. Most women believed, "Nothing was more laudable than feeding the hungry and clothing the naked."
Witnessing their many unselfish acts in the name of the Relief Society was the prophet's mother, Lucy Mack Smith. She stated, "This institution is a good one. We must cherish one another, comfort one another and gain instruction that we all sit down in heaven together...And then she wept. "Why such charity?" Perhaps Sarah Cleveland explained it best, "We have entered into this work in the name of the Lord. Let us boldly go forward." With boldness Sarah Cleveland mentioned a widow and child needed a friend and a home. One unhesitating woman responded to the immediacy of the situation by taking the widow and child into her own home. Whether the gift of service was a home, a hearth, a quilt cover, gown, or wristlets the gift was extended with love and embraced with gratitude.
As the prophet Joseph Smith observed the outpouring of love, he acknowledged, "It is natural for females to have feelings of charity. You are now placed in a situation where you can act accordnig to those sympathies which God has planted in your bosoms. If you live up to your privileges the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates."
"This society shall have power to command queens in their midst," he continued. "Queens of the earth shall come and pay their respects to this society. They shall come with their millions and shall contribute of their abundance for the relief of the poor. If you will be pure, nohting can hinder."
Joseph admonished the sisters, "Don't be limited in your views with regards to your neighbor's virtues, but be limited towards your own virtues. You must enlarge your soul towards others...Let this society teach how to act towards husbands, to treat them with mildness and affection. When a man is born down with trouble, when he is perplexed, if he an meet a smile, not an argument, if he can meet mildness, it will calm down his soul and soothe his feelings...If one member suffer, all feel it. By union of feeling we obtain power with God.
Joseph Smith then said, "I now turn the key to you in the name of God and this Society shall rejoice and knowledged and intelligence shall flow down from this time. This is the beginning of better days to this society.
And better days did follow. The women of nauvoo poured in "oil and wine to the wounded heart of the distressed; they dry[ed] up the tears of the orphan and made the widow's heart to rejoice." Indeed, generosity and gratitutude were reported in every neighborhood of Nauvoo. One recipient, Ellen Douglas, an immigrant from England, being too ill to mend her children's clothes reported that a Relief Society sister"fetched me such a prsent as I never received before from no place in the world. I suppose the things they sent were as much as 30 schillings." The whispering of the spirit led sisters Mary Fielding Smith and Mercy Thompson to encourage women "to subscribe 1 cent per week for the purpose of buying glass and nails for the temple." In this manner they raised over $1000 for the Nauvoo Temple. And so the kindness extended from one to another became like a tide of rushing waters bursting forth upon the earth in one great continuum.
The Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints continues to extend compassion to the world's down-trodden. From Africa to the Orient and from Europe to South America the less fortunate are made glad by the thoughtful kindness of women in this society. As recipient of their kindness, WE GIVE THANKS.
Text by Susan Easton Black
"Nauvoo grew, with magic rapidity, from a few rude homes to a magnificent city." ,penned journalist Harvey Cluff. Yet, not every resident of Nauvoo prospered in the 1840s." It is a hard place for poor people that have no money to get a living," wrote Sally Randall. "There are so many poor...they can hardly get enough to get comfortable." One such man was Luman Shurtliff, a laborer in the stone quarries. "We labored ten hours a day, and got something to take to our families for supper and breakfast. Many times we got nothing," wrote Shurtliff.
Sarah Kimball witnessed the struggles of faithful stone cutters like Luman Shurtliff. She wanted to help, as did her seamstress Miss Cook. "I told Miss Cook i would furnish material if she would make some shirts for the workman," wrote Sarah. These two women combined their talents to assist the poor of Nauvoo.
Near neighbors saw their charitable kindness and expressed a desire to also help. Sarah recalled, "We decided to...form a ladies society to help the poor." The neighboring sisters met in my parlor and organized on March 4, 1842. To be organized like other benevolent societies in the midwestern states required a constitution and an election of officers. sarah asked Eliza R. Snow to create the constitution and bylaws of the society before elections were held.
Eliza did her best on the proposed documents and showed the results of her efforts to the Prophet Joseph Smith. He lauded her accomplishments and stated that the constitution and by-laws were the "best he had ever seen". But he wanted to provide something better for the women of Nauvoo than a written constitution. I will organize the women under the priesthood after the pattern of the priesthood.
On Thursday, March 17, 1842, twenty women from the ages of a teenager to a widow in her fifties, crowded into the upper story of the Prophet's store on Water Street in nauvoo. There, thirty eight year-old Emma Smith was elected to be the first president of The Female Relief Society of Nauvoo and as such "to look to the wants of the needy and be a pattern of virtue and possess all the qualifications necessary for her to stand and preside and dignify her office."
The prophet admonished members of the newly constituted society to "not injure the character of anyone,...hold all character sacred." Elize R. Snow concurred by adding, "As daughters of Zion, we should set an example for all the world." Emma then exclaimed, "We are going to do something extraordinary. When a boat is stuck on the rapids, with a multitude of Mormons on board we shall consider that a loud call for relief. We expect extraordinary occasions and pressing calls."
Impressed by the sincerety of their expressions, the prophet arose and declared, "All i shall have to give to the poor, i will give to the society." He then gave a $5 dollar gold piece. His example led others to likewise contribute. John Taylor, noting the abundant generosity, stated, "His prayer was that the blessing of God and of Heaven may rest on this institution henceforth."
The great work of the Relief Society had begun. A vision of women reaching out and helping others soon extended to every neighborhood in Nauvoo. Although a sister Merrick is credited with being the first recipient of the Society's compassion, she soon became one of the many whose burdens were lifted. The joy of receiver and giver seemed unbounded.Those with means gave freely and those without means contributed jewelry and clothing, talents and skills--all gifts were welcome. Most women believed, "Nothing was more laudable than feeding the hungry and clothing the naked."
Witnessing their many unselfish acts in the name of the Relief Society was the prophet's mother, Lucy Mack Smith. She stated, "This institution is a good one. We must cherish one another, comfort one another and gain instruction that we all sit down in heaven together...And then she wept. "Why such charity?" Perhaps Sarah Cleveland explained it best, "We have entered into this work in the name of the Lord. Let us boldly go forward." With boldness Sarah Cleveland mentioned a widow and child needed a friend and a home. One unhesitating woman responded to the immediacy of the situation by taking the widow and child into her own home. Whether the gift of service was a home, a hearth, a quilt cover, gown, or wristlets the gift was extended with love and embraced with gratitude.
As the prophet Joseph Smith observed the outpouring of love, he acknowledged, "It is natural for females to have feelings of charity. You are now placed in a situation where you can act accordnig to those sympathies which God has planted in your bosoms. If you live up to your privileges the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates."
"This society shall have power to command queens in their midst," he continued. "Queens of the earth shall come and pay their respects to this society. They shall come with their millions and shall contribute of their abundance for the relief of the poor. If you will be pure, nohting can hinder."
Joseph admonished the sisters, "Don't be limited in your views with regards to your neighbor's virtues, but be limited towards your own virtues. You must enlarge your soul towards others...Let this society teach how to act towards husbands, to treat them with mildness and affection. When a man is born down with trouble, when he is perplexed, if he an meet a smile, not an argument, if he can meet mildness, it will calm down his soul and soothe his feelings...If one member suffer, all feel it. By union of feeling we obtain power with God.
Joseph Smith then said, "I now turn the key to you in the name of God and this Society shall rejoice and knowledged and intelligence shall flow down from this time. This is the beginning of better days to this society.
And better days did follow. The women of nauvoo poured in "oil and wine to the wounded heart of the distressed; they dry[ed] up the tears of the orphan and made the widow's heart to rejoice." Indeed, generosity and gratitutude were reported in every neighborhood of Nauvoo. One recipient, Ellen Douglas, an immigrant from England, being too ill to mend her children's clothes reported that a Relief Society sister"fetched me such a prsent as I never received before from no place in the world. I suppose the things they sent were as much as 30 schillings." The whispering of the spirit led sisters Mary Fielding Smith and Mercy Thompson to encourage women "to subscribe 1 cent per week for the purpose of buying glass and nails for the temple." In this manner they raised over $1000 for the Nauvoo Temple. And so the kindness extended from one to another became like a tide of rushing waters bursting forth upon the earth in one great continuum.
The Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints continues to extend compassion to the world's down-trodden. From Africa to the Orient and from Europe to South America the less fortunate are made glad by the thoughtful kindness of women in this society. As recipient of their kindness, WE GIVE THANKS.
