LDS quorums and Relief Societies are not merely classes or a place to sit for the third hour of church, but a way of organization to further the Lord’s work.
Dressed in what she said was her best BYU blue, Sister Julie B. Beck clarified for Tuesday’s Devotional audience in the Marriott Center the purpose of being organized into quorums and Relief Societies. She said each individual is responsible to become a faithful, covenant-keeping disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some may argue this can be accomplished alone, but individuals need each other to accomplish this goal.
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Sister Beck outlined five important reasons why we are organized into quorums and Relief Societies.
1. To organize us under the priesthood and after the pattern of the priesthood.
“Our God is a god of order, and all He does to build His kingdom of God he does through priesthood patterns,” Sister Beck said.
2. To focus Heavenly Father’s sons and daughters on the work of salvation and engage them in it.
“We are not in the entertainment business,” Sister Beck said. “We are in the salvation business.”
Sister Beck said the work of salvation includes missionary work, working with less-active members, retaining those who have been converted, temple work, family history work and gospel teaching.
“It [the work of salvation] forces us to a higher path of discipleship and a greater spiritual maturity,” Sister Beck said. “It is often a long-suffering and patient work that can seem thankless because there is usually noticeable absence of public recognition for what we do.”
3. To help bishops wisely manage the Lord’s storehouse.
Sister Beck said the Lord’s storehouse includes the time, talents, compassion, materials and financial means of members of the church. The bishop works with the quorums and Relief Society to meet the needs of individuals within the ward, which may not always be an easy task.
“It is much more challenging to care for those who are difficult to love, who have complicated challenges or those who do not seem to appreciate our help,” Sister Beck said.
4. To provide a defense and a refuge for Heavenly Father’s children and their families in the latter-days.
“President Thomas S. Monson has said, ‘Today, we are encamped against the greatest array of sin, vice and evil ever assembled,’ ” Sister Beck said.
For this reason, Beck said every member of quorums and Relief Societies is needed to protect homes and provide a sisterhood and brotherhood for each other.
5. Strengthen and support individuals in family roles and responsibilities and as sons and daughters of God.
“The quorums and Relief Societies should help us become who our Heavenly Father needs us to become,” Sister Beck said.
Sister Beck said we can use these reasons for the organization of quorums and auxiliaries to better know how to act and contribute to the Lord’s work.
“We are called by the voice of the prophet to do it, and as we do so, the angels cannot be restrained from being our associates,” she said.
