Time to leave our pioneer, polygamist foremothers behind and move into the modern age. We’ll be discussing the development of the Relief Society through the 20th century and focusing on two influential General Relief Society Presidents: Amy Brown Lyman and Belle Spafford.
READINGS
Amy Brown Lyman expanded the Relief Society’s social service activities with a professional staff of social workers—the predecessors of today’s LDS Social Services. Find out more about the challenge of balancing a Progressive Era approach with the Relief Society’s earlier role as a pioneer service organization in “Anxiously Engaged: Amy Brown Lyman and Relief Society,” David Hall, Dialogue
"The Value of Faith" - Amy Brown Lyman, At the Pulpit, lds.org
Belle Spafford continued Amy Brown Lyman’s legacy and led the Relief Society up until Correlation. Two of her main accomplishments were facilitating and overseeing construction of the Relief Society Building on Temple Square and serving as President of the National Council of Women—a coalition of women’s organizations founded by Susan B. Anthony—from 1968 to 1970.
See “Belle Spafford: Serving the Relief Society for 50 Years,” Janet Peterson, LDSmag.com
"Latter-Day Saint Women in Today's Changing World" - Belle Spafford, At the Pulpit, lds.org. Note that this link also includes an audio recording of Sister Spafford delivering this talk at BYU in 1975.
A Home of Our Own - images and text describing the steps taken to approve and build the Relief Society Building in Salt Lake City.
Also of interest is this little video showing the groundbreaking ceremony for the Relief Society Building. Check out David O. McKay's spats!
Search here to see if you have an ancestor who contributed to the Relief Society Building Fund.
Two chapters in Women of Covenant: The Story of Relief Society (Deseret Book) by Jill Mulvay Derr, Janath Russell Cannon and Maureen Ursenbach Beecher give detailed information about both women. Chapter 9--"Sisterhood and Service In a World at War, 1940-1945" gives insight into Amy Brown Lyman's life and mission and Chapter 10 "A Companion Organization to the Priesthood, 1945-1974 sheds light on Belle Stafford's long term of leadership.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Why do you think it was so important for the women to have a building of their own?
2. In 2016, President Linda K. Burton announced the "I Was a Stranger" effort to assist refugees. This program is very much in keeping with the work that both Lyman and Stafford did during their lifetimes. How can the Relief Society successfully participate in and promote organized charitable work in the community and the world?
3. The Relief Society of Lyman and Stafford’s time was an optional dues-paying organization which provided more autonomy but was not entirely inclusive. How can the Relief Society retain and cultivate its unique identity now that every LDS woman is automatically part of the Relief Society organization?
4. Both the seed of Family Home Evening and its full fruition happened during Belle Stafford's time as Relief Society President. What impact did Family Home Evening have on your life? For those not yet married, do you think you’ll pursue it with your own families? For empty-nesters, how do you hold Family Home Evening?