The role of women in the LDS Church

Surprisingly, many non-Mormons seem to think that women in our Church are downtrodden, undervalued and exploited. I’m not altogether sure where this came from.

Either way, it’s certainly not the case. The Church needs all members to stand up and be counted, men, women, youth, everyone. Women in the Church cannot hold the Priesthood, but this is not due to worthiness or responsibility issues. Women have their own organisation called Relief Society.

Relief Society is the biggest and oldest organised group in the world, and the work undertaken by the ladies in Relief Society never fails to astound me. First off, anyone who needs it, is able to have meals made and delivered to them. Those who are unwell and struggle to cook for themselves, those who have just given birth and may need an extra helping hand, those who have regular care, but need a stop-gap to cover now and again. The Relief Society provides meals as one of its first service commitments.

They also arrange for transportation help. Whether people need help moving house, need help getting to/from Church and Church activities, need help getting to Hospital to see loved ones, or who simply need some help getting around from A to B, the Relief Society arrange all these things. I know in my Ward, that one of our members is disabled and is wheelchair-bound. The Relief Society arrange for someone to drop round his home 30minutes before Church, and help transport him to Church. Not only is this good for the member who gets to Church each week, but it’s good to socialise before and after, as the care home he lives in are always stretched for staff, and it’s a pleasure to help someone so grateful.

One of the commitments of the Relief Society that is most prominent, is Visiting Teaching. Members visit other members and they share a spiritual message, socialise, and assist in any way they can. This simple monthly contact is sometimes the lifeline for members who live alone, and may not have seen anyone for some considerable time. This provides both physical and emotional support to other women in the Ward, and in a more homely setting, may feel more comfortable sharing some issues they may be having, rather than speaking up at Church or such.

I am grateful for the service of the Relief Society in my Ward, Stake and throughout the world. I am also immensely impressed with the speed and efficiency of the organisation to react to the needs of the people of our Church.

Women are deemed to be just as important to the Ward as men, and I certainly know that without the Relief Society, a great many people would be suffering more hardship than they are right now.