Established in 1842, The Relief Society is the official adult women's organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is an essential part of the structure of the Church at general, stake, and ward levels. The organization provides opportunities for association, leadership, compassionate service, and education.
The motto "Charity Never Faileth" expresses the commitment ofRelief Society members to love and nurture one another and to minister graciously to the needs of Church members and others. The binding sense of sisterhood that characterizes the Relief Society is founded upon the women's common faith and enhanced by the lessons, activities, and interpersonal involvements that constitute the Relief Society program. Current lesson materials for a weekly Sunday class focus twice a month on spiritual themes; the other two weeks have lessons on compassionate service and on home and family education. Once a month, a midweek homemaking meeting features instructions for visiting teachers, a short home management lesson, and miniclasses emphasizing homemaking arts, Welfare Services projects, and individual and family development. Members especially appointed as "visiting teachers" are expected to make regular contacts with each woman once a month in her home, or more often if needed.
Primaries serve over a million and a half children with lessons taught in many languages. Primary meetings are held each Sunday for approximately an hour and a half. A nursery program is provided for children between eighteen months and three years of age. Children between the ages of three and eleven meet as a group under the direction of the ward Primary presidency. The children offer prayers, read from the scriptures, and give short gospel-related talks. They learn gospel principles through role playing, readers' theaters, choral readings, buzz sessions, panel discussions, and other activities. They also learn and sing music selected from a children's songbook.
The children divide according to age for small group classroom sessions. Age-appropriate lesson materials are selected to help children grow in understanding gospel principles; learn that the Heavenly Father and Jesus love them; and prepare to be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and keep their baptismal covenants. Classroom presentations and discussions help girls prepare to fulfill their roles as righteous young women and to live lives of service. Classes help boys prepare to receive the priesthood and be worthy to use this power to bless the lives of others.
In addition to Sunday Primary meetings, twice-a-month weekday activities are held for ten- and eleven-year-old boys and girls. In some countries, eleven-year-old boys use Scouting activities for their weekday activities. A quarterly activity is held for all Primary children. The weekday and quarterly activities encourage children to interact with each other and have wholesome fun involving them in physical, creative, cultural, and service activities.
Children with disabilities are nurtured in Primary and are given opportunity to participate in the full program. Leaders assess their needs individually and tailor programs to meet specific needs. They are integrated into the regular program whenever possible by giving additional support and training to their teachers, leaders, and peers.
Church leaders call and set apart lay officers and teachers to oversee the Primary; and Primary general officers and Church curriculum committees prepare handbooks, teaching guides, visual aids, lesson manuals, and a variety of training videos for their use. Monthly in-service lessons help teachers improve their teaching skills and relate appropriately to children. Periodically, the Primary general presidency and board members conduct multistake or regional training sessions. Leaders and teachers seek and receive inspiration in their Primary service.
The Primary's mission, the impetus for its historical development, and the purpose for its current structure are summarized in the scripture that has become the Primary's theme: "All thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children" (3 Nephi 22:13).
We believe the Lord has commanded His followers to spread His Gospel message and we are always happy to share His wonderful plan of salvation with those interested. We hope that this web page and associated links help you to learn more about our beliefs and church.
Paul and Julie were not born into LDS families. Paul was raised Catholic and Julie was a Lutheran. We both converted as young adults before we met. We invite you to read our conversion stories by clicking on the link to the left. (still under construction)
After we met, Paul served an 18 month mission for the church. He was called to the Leeds England Mission and served in Leeds as well as many other surrounding cities. We were engaged after he came home and we married in the Salt Lake Temple five months after he returned.
The Gospel has been such a blessing and comfort in our lives! The Church also has been such a support to us individually and as a family. The programs and organizations the Church offers, have been extremely helpful to us and have provided opportunities that help us then to live the kind of lives He would want us to live. We love the many people we have met through the Church as we worship our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ, and as we serve others. Our local ward (congregation) is very much like an extended family and we are so thankful for them. Our church has no professional clergy and is run by everyday people who have families, jobs and other personal responsibilities. We are grateful for leaders and teachers who have been good role models and have taught us and our children over the years.
We have listed several links to the left that we hope you find interesting.
The Young Women program of the Church has an international membership of more than one million young women between the ages of twelve and eighteen. It sponsors weekly meetings and classes with prepared manuals. It extends a full range of activity programs for young women that relate to their intellectual and spiritual growth, physical fitness, speech, drama, music, dance, vocational and homemaking talents, outdoor and camping skills, and leadership development.
Family Home Evening is a weekly observance of Latter-day Saints for spiritual training and social activity, usually held on Monday evenings. In 1915, the First Presidency of the Church wrote: "We advise and urge the inauguration of a "Home Evening' throughout the Church, at which time fathers and mothers may gather their boys and girls about them in the home and teach them the word of the Lord. This "Home Evening' should be devoted to prayer, singing hymns, songs, instrumental music, scripture-reading, family topics and specific instruction on the principles of the Gospel, and on the ethical problems of life, as well as the duties and obligation of children to parents, the home, the Church, society, and the Nation" (IE 18 [June 1915]:733). To assist parents in their stewardship, the first home evening manual was prepared that same year and distributed to members of the Church.
This emphasis on home gospel instruction echoes the call of prophets throughout the ages who have instructed parents to teach their children diligently of love and to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Deut. 6:5-7; Eph. 6:4). The Prophet Joseph Smith received revelations that admonish parents to "bring up your children in light and truth" (D&C 93:40) and to teach them "to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost" (D&C 68:25) and "to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord" (D&C 68:28). President Brigham Young urged parents to take time to "call their families togetherand teach them the principles of the gospel" (MFP 2:288).
Between 1915 and the 1960s, a large proportion of Church membership shifted from a family-centered rural population to an urban one. With that change came renewed emphasis from the First Presidency on the importance of the family. In General Conference, April 1964, President David O. McKay reminded parents that "No other success can compensate for failure in the home" (IE 67 [June 1964]:445). In 1965, the weekly Family Home Evening program was more fully implemented, and a lesson manual was given each family to aid parents in teaching their children. Families were encouraged to participate in a home night once each week, which could consist of scripture reading, singing, and activities suited to the ages of the children. In 1966, stakes were urged to set aside a regular night for Family Home Evening and to avoid scheduling Church activities on that night. In 1970, Monday evening was designated as Family Home Evening, Churchwide, with no competing ecclesiastical functions to be held. Revised home evening manuals, with suggested weekly lessons and activities, were provided from 1965 to 1984.
In 1985, a Family Home Evening Resource Book, designed to be used for a decade, was introduced. It provided broader resource material for gospel instruction and additional ideas for family activities, and was designed to be adapted for use by single adults, couples, single-parent families, and families with children of all ages. In 1987, a Family Home Evening video supplement was made available. Nineteen video vignettes were included, treating important educational and moral topics.
A typical Family Home Evening might proceed as follows: A parent or older child, whose turn it is to plan the lesson, selects a lesson, such as "Heavenly Father Provided Us a Savior," from the Family Home Evening Resource Book. After an opening hymn and prayer, the lesson material, adapted to the needs and interest level of the family members, is presented. After the lesson the family discusses family schedules, family business, and special concerns. A family activity follows that helps strengthen bonds of love among family members. This could be any activity that the family enjoys doing together, such as playing a game, helping the needy, gardening, or attending a cultural event. Following the activity, the family kneels together in family prayer and then often enjoys refreshments. Single adults or others who live alone may join as a group to participate in Family Home Evening activities, or they may observe appropriately modified weekly activities individually. Home evening activities allow for considerable variation in the desires and needs of each family or group. Always, however, the emphasis is spiritual enrichment.
Family Home Evening is intended to be a regular event that helps parents teach, protect, and prepare children for responsible living. Family councils, personal parent interviews, scripture reading, serving or playing together, family prayer, and meaningful family home evenings all help to build quality family relationships. Families who do these things are promised that "love at home and obedience to parents will increase, and faith will develop in the hearts of the youth of Israel, and they will gain power to combat [the] evil influences and temptations" that beset them (Family Home Evening Manual, 1965, p. v).
We encourage you to learn more about this wonderful program. Click on these words "Family Home Evening" and find a variety of ideas for activities you can try in your own family! Back toTop
The Aaronic Priesthood is the basic organization for the young men of the Church ages 12 through 18. The Young Men organization is an auxiliary or help to the priesthood.
At the general level, the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve, and Presiding Bishopric are responsible for the young men of the Church. The Presiding Bishopric is the presidency of the Aaronic Priesthood of the Church (see D&C 107:15). The First Presidency calls three men to serve as the Young Men general presidency.
Members of the stake presidency oversee the Aaronic Priesthood in the stake. Within each ward, the bishopric, as the presidency of the Aaronic Priesthood within the ward (see D&C 107:15), is responsible for each young man. The ward Young Men presidency assists the bishopric in this responsibility.
The Young Men organization promotes the growth and development of each young man through quorum instruction, quorum activities, and combined Aaronic Priesthood-Young Women activities. The Young Men organization strengthens the work of the Aaronic Priesthood in the ward and gives support to the parents and the home. Young Men leaders help young men fulfill the purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood.
Boy Scouting:
In 1913, the Church adopted Scouting as part of the activity program for Aaronic Priesthood quorums. By providing opportunities for young men to put into practice the gospel lessons they learn in the home and at Church, Scouting programs have supported the priesthood. Under priesthood leadership, Scouting can complement the purposes of Aaronic Priesthood quorums and the Aaronic Priesthood Duty to God program in building testimonies in boys and young men. Scouting can help boys and young men love and serve the Savior and honor their parents.
