In organizing the Relief Society in 1842, the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “Until women were organized in this way, the church was never fully organized.”
On March 17, 1842, 20 women gathered on the second floor of a red brick store in Nauvoo, Illinois, with a dual mission: to alleviate suffering and to save souls.
Today, the Relief Society of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is 184 years old and one of the largest women’s organizations in the world. It continues to bring the Savior’s salvation to Heavenly Father’s children around the world.
There is an opportunity to help women strengthen their discipleship in Jesus Christ and prepare them to return to the presence of their Heavenly Father, Relief Society general president Camille N. Johnson explained.
“Jesus Christ gave young children an experience that made them lifelong disciples,” she said in a video on the World Relief Society social media account. “And that is what we strive for in Relief Society: to provide sisters with experiences that will help them in their efforts to become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ and increase their desire to make and keep sacred covenants.”
Leaders can tell women what to believe and what to do, but when women have an experience with the Savior Jesus Christ, that experience sinks into their hearts and changes their lives, she said. The Relief Society general presidency has therefore identified resources and methods to support these efforts.
These experiences can be found in the Gospel Library and the Gospel Library app at ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Go to Library, Adults, Women, and select Relief Society Supported Experiences.
The experiences are as follows.
Prepare sisters to make covenants that include the house of the Lord. Teach sisters about covenant responsibilities and the blessings of God’s power. Worship in the temple and participate in family history. Minister as the Savior did. Attend a ministering interview. Giving and receiving relief. Connect daily righteous efforts to covenants. Counseling at Relief Society Sunday meetings. Plan Relief Society activities that center on Christ. Encourage. Family-centered gospel teaching and learning. Participation in private worship. sharing the gospel. Help young women prepare to join Relief Society. Counseling with adult ward members. Support members to become independent.
Each of these experiences includes scripture, general conference talks, devotional addresses, Liahona articles, general handbook references, and even church news resources listed below.
“Remember, this list of experiences we’re offering you is a menu, not a to-do list,” President Johnson said. “I hope you will prayerfully consider which of these experiences will best support your sisters as they become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ, and please remember that ministering is always on the menu.”
More information about each experience will be posted to World Relief Society’s Facebook and Instagram accounts in the coming weeks.
2026 Relief Society Worldwide Dedication and Other Resources
The Gospel Library has many other resources about and for Relief Society and women under Women.
For example, each of the Relief Society’s worldwide devotions from the past three years has been published in the Gospel Library. This year’s devotional (which wards and stakes were invited to watch together on or around Relief Society Day) also includes a brief discussion video from the Relief Society General Advisory Committee, available at any time throughout the year.
Topics covered in these videos include:
Find strength and comfort in Jesus Christ. Manage competing priorities. Build emotional resilience. Remaining committed in the face of attacks, hurt, and trials. Discover God’s plan for individual families.
The Women’s section of the Gospel Library also includes the resource “Prophets Speak to Women,” as well as books and manuals such as “Daughters of My Kingdom,” “In the Pulpit: 185 Years of Preaching by Latter-day Saint Women,” and “The First 50 Years of Relief Society.”
