Relief Society: Compassionate Service

by Miriam Caldwell | More from this Blogger

31 Oct 2006 09:39 PM

One of the central purposes of Relief Society is to provide compassionate service to ward members and others who are need. The sisters in the ward are the ones who make sure that meals are brought in, children are cared for and other day to day needs are met when there is a crisis in the ward. In fact visiting teaching is designed to make sure that each family's needs are being met.

It is important to help when and where you can. At the same time it is important to not feel guilty if you need to say no because you can not help for some reason. Ideally the service for the different families in the ward should be spread among all of the members of Relief Society. This way the different families take turns helping others. It should prevent the service from becoming overwhelming or tiresome.

It is just as important to allow others to serve you. This involves letting others know what your needs are. This can be difficult for some people. It is for me, but it is important to realize that by allowing others to serve you, you are giving them the opportunity to receive blessings.

It is also important to realize the service that you can give someone by simply being her friend. Many people don't realize how saying hello to someone on Sunday or calling her during the week will make a big difference in her day. The little acts of friendship are just as important as the meals that need to be brought in or the babysitting that might need to be done.

It is through compassionate service to others that we truly draw closer to our Savior. As we take the opportunity to serve others, and put their needs before others it teaches us about charity, which is the pure love of Christ. Charity is one of the most important qualities that we can strive to develop while we are here on earth. Relief Society gives us excellent opportunities to develop this characteristic.

Related Articles:

The Blessings of Relief Society

The Positive Effects of Service

Learn more about Miriam Caldwell

Miriam is a SAHM mom of three children. She has a daughter who is seven, and two sons, four and two. She loves being a parent and spending time with her children.

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