One of the experiences supported by the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is preparing young women to join the global organization of sisterhood.
A young woman may join the Relief Society when she is 18. By age 19, each young woman should be fully participating in Relief Society (see General Handbook 11.4).
“We love having these young women every year join us in Relief Society,” said Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson in a video on the Relief Society Worldwide social media accounts.
She explained that Relief Society is not just a class for women on Sunday, but as Church President Dallin H. Oaks said, “a divinely established appendage to the priesthood” (“The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood,” April 2014 general conference).
One way to help young women prepare to have a meaningful experience in Relief Society is to get to know them while they are still a part of the Young Women organization, President Johnson said.
Ministering assignments and companions
Young women can have ministering assignments and be ministering companions to Relief Society sisters. In that way they’ll get to know other members of the Relief Society, President Johnson said.
The General Handbook explains more about this, saying leaders help young women understand their covenant responsibilities (see 9.4). When it would be helpful to have a young woman minister to a particular sister, she may be assigned as a ministering sister when she is willing, able and mature, beginning in the year she turns 14 (see 21.2.2).
Sister Andrea McConkie, a member of the Relief Society general advisory council, said young women can bring energy, love and a fresh take on what ministering can look like. This can be a great blessing to a ward. But the assignment is key.
“We want to make sure she’s assigned to a companion who can love and mentor and teach her,” Sister McConkie said in a video on Relief Society Worldwide. “We also want to be very sensitive to who she’s assigned to minister to. … We want to make sure she has a positive experience and the sisters in her ward or branch are taken care of.”
Teaching and sharing strengths
When young women join Relief Society, the Relief Society presidency gives them opportunities to serve and share their strengths. The newest members of Relief Society need meaningful assignments, President Johnson said.
“They have been teaching their Young Women classes for years. Give them an opportunity to teach. I know that they will bring their strength and their wisdom and their energy to Relief Society and bless all of us,” she said.
Sister Scharman Grimmer, a member of the Young Women general advisory council, also spoke about that in a video on the Relief Society Worldwide account. Young women have been practicing how to gather, she said.
“They have been the idea generators for what would be important to teach in a lesson, what would be an activity that would bring people out and bring them together and help them belong,” Sister Grimmer said. “So I would ask that these wise Relief Society leaders would immediately take that momentum and engage them — engage them to use their voices to help teach, to help create beautiful Relief Society activities, because they are unusually gifted.”
The General Handbook also instructs ward Relief Society presidencies to help prepare young women to make and keep sacred temple covenants (see General Handbook 27.1.1). Young women do not have to wait for marriage or a mission call, they can receive their own endowment when they are 18 years old, have completed high school, one year has passed since their confirmation and they feel a desire to receive and honor sacred temple covenants (see 27.2.2).
Young women share experiences joining Relief Society
The Relief Society Worldwide account shared videos with some of the newest members of Relief Society, who spoke about learning to feel belonging in Relief Society as they have given relief, ministered to others, participated in class and listened to others comments.
“I love sitting next to new people and learning their names,” said Anna Kirk.
Abbie Kirk spoke about hearing sisters in Relief Society share their experiences and testimonies of turning to Jesus Christ in their lives.
“I often find that I can relate to what they are going through and it motivates me to turn to my Savior a little more intentionally in my own life,” she said.
Whitney Pryzbyla said being involved helped her feel connected when she joined Relief Society — through attending activities, ministering to those in need and giving insights during lessons on Sunday.
Brooklyn Barlow said the biggest thing that helped her transition into Relief Society from Young Women was “remembering that all of these girls are your sisters in Christ and that they want the best for you and that they’re here to help you and support you and love you.”
