As Relief Society general president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Camille N. Johnson, travels the world, she sees firsthand the efforts of the Church’s global initiative for women and children — which is led by the Relief Society and which has blessed the lives of millions of women and children around the world.
“Our name tells you just exactly what we do,” she said at a luncheon in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 30. “We are the Relief Society, and it has been our objective since 1842 to bring relief, both temporal and spiritual, to all of God’s children.”
President Johnson made the remarks at the 2025 Sundance Institute Women’s Leadership Celebration, presented by Zions Bank, as she accepted the Global Service Leadership award.
“I am pleased to be with you here today and especially feel blessed to represent the nearly 8 million members of the Relief Society,” she said.
This year is the 12th Women’s Leadership Celebration, which honors several women each year for their leadership in fields such as journalism, philanthropy, business, the environment and the arts.
Before the luncheon, President Johnson said the award is not about her, rather, “It is every bit about the good members of the Relief Society and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who volunteer their time and their talents and their resources to bless the lives of our brothers and sisters all over the world.”
Rob Brough, the executive vice president of marketing and communications for Zions Bank, said it was an honor and a privilege to recognize President Johnson for the work that she is doing.
“I think for many, they don’t fully recognize the work that is done by the Relief Society and by the Church around the world, and for us to be able to shine a little bit of spotlight on that, we are thrilled to do that,” he said.
The global initiative for women and children
The Church’s First Presidency asked the Relief Society to take the lead in the global initiative to improve the well-being of women and children.
“We believe that global progress starts with women and children, and so we have prioritized their needs,” President Johnson said. “We are convinced that when we bless a woman, we bless a family, a community and a nation, and when we make an investment in a child, we have invested in the future.”
The initiative seeks the greatest possible impact by putting money into efforts to particularly bless the lives of women and children under 5 years of age — through the areas of maternal and newborn care, child nutrition efforts, immunizations and education worldwide.
The Church works with nongovernmental organizations around the world to meet these needs, and also seeks to help improve nutrition among member children through local Relief Societies and stakes.
President Johnson has been to many continents and worked with women, engaging with them and empowering them on how they can go out and do good — teaching them how they can address the lives of their children and people in their communities.
But she told the crowd in the Salt Lake Hilton Grand Ballroom that these issues and efforts are not just in other countries or far away places — they are “right here.” Each neighborhood could have malnourished children or women who do not know how to read or families who face barriers to receiving appropriate medical care.
She invited those listening to look around them. “You need not travel to faraway continents in order to raise the sights of women and children and bless their lives.” In these ways, anyone can join the global initiative.
Leadership, volunteers and making a difference
Brough said Zions Bank has been a longtime supporter of the Sundance Film Festival and 12 years ago recognized an opportunity to honor women and “to acknowledge the great leadership that these women are providing in our community and around the world.”
Eight other women were honored during the luncheon, including Roma Downey, an actress, producer and author known for her work on the long-running show “Touched by an Angel” and other religious productions. She was honored for her philanthropic leadership.
“Given the challenges our world faces today, one might expect a decline in volunteerism across the country. However, the opposite seems to be true,” Downey said in her remarks. “When Margaret Mead said, ‘Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world,’ she could have been describing the way volunteers come together to make a difference.”
President Johnson said Latter-day Saints are motivated by the two great commandments — to love God and love their neighbors.
“We first connect with and love God, and we want to extend that love to His children,” she said. ”The relationship is vertical for us with Him, and then it becomes horizontal as we go out."