Relief Society Web Pages on Church Website Updated
Contributed By Isabel Toa, Church News staff writer
The Relief Society General Presidency has implemented a number of improvements to the Relief Society section of ChurchofJesusChrist.org in a continuing effort to provide help and instruction for all Relief Society sisters.
Article Highlights
- In an effort to organize the many resources already available, the revised web pages have gathered resources especially relevant to women together in one place.
- The presidency and board hope that the small changes will be the beginning stages of creating a global sisterhood among Relief Society sisters.
“These updates to the website are simple steps forward to connect a global sisterhood.” —Rebecca Mehr, Relief Society general board member
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The Relief Society General Presidency has implemented a number of improvements to the Relief Society section of ChurchofJesusChrist.org in a continuing effort to provide help and instruction for all Relief Society sisters. The improvements include inspiration from prophets, Apostles, and General Officers. The updates are organized in an easy-to-read, tiled template—allowing for easier access and navigation that will help women find the content they need.
Jean B. Bingham, Relief Society General President, spoke of the website’s new look when it launched. “I like to organize things so I can easily find what I need; that helps me function better. We’ve done the same thing with our Relief Society website,” she said in a Facebook post on October 8.
The top section of the new home page, Prophetic Promises, reflects the Relief Society General Presidency’s aim to amplify messages from prophets and apostles. Rebecca Mehr, Susan Porter, and Mindy Booth Baxter, members of the Relief Society General Board Communications Committee, said the presidency’s objective is to help women recognize the critical part they play in the work of salvation by highlighting current prophetic invitations and the real promises being extended to them.
“President Nelson is continuing to extend numerous powerful invitations to women to join in the work of salvation and to gather Israel side by side with the brethren,” Porter said. “We want to draw our sisters’ attention to these prophetic invitations and show them that the Lord needs every sister.”
The section Sister to Sister reflects the presidency’s desire to connect more personally with each Relief Society sister around the world, by providing inspiration and direction specifically for sisters.
The Women of Covenant, Relief Society in Action, and Ministering Matters sections, located in the middle of the page, were created to show how Relief Society sisters contribute to building the kingdom of God, individually and collectively. These sections give sisters a chance to explore what other Relief Societies and sisters in different communities are doing to further the work of the Lord.
Jennifer Davis, the product manager who worked closely with other team members to create and design the website changes, said she was humbled to see how much love the General Relief Society Presidency and board has for each other and other sisters.
“These women who are called to serve in the Church sit in council together and influence decisions that are made to further the work of the Lord,” she said.
The Relief Society General Presidency has implemented a number of improvements to the Relief Society section of ChurchofJesusChrist.org in a continuing effort to provide help and instruction for all Relief Society sisters. Photo courtesy of ReliefSociety.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
The Instruction for My Calling section provides resources for Relief Society leaders and teachers. Similar resources are available in Gospel Library and are intended to support local leaders in their training needs, Porter said.
Sister Sharon Eubank, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency and adviser for the communications committee, said in a Facebook post on October 8: “It’s here! All the resources for Relief Society in one place. The Relief Society Website has been updated with regular messages from the general presidency, ministering ideas, updates from Relief Society sisters in action around the world, articles about women in the Church making history, and much more.”
The Prophetic Promises section reflects the Relief Society General Presidency’s aim to amplify messages from prophets and apostles. Photo courtesy of ReliefSociety.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Much of the content is not new, Mehr added. In an effort to organize and draw attention to the many rich resources already available, the revised web pages have simply gathered resources especially relevant to women together in one place.
The Life Helps, Women Making History, and Inspiration for Women sections are located at the bottom of the page and were created for sisters who are seeking guidance or extra help in their calling and other areas of life. From teaching manuals to blog posts to finding emotional support, this section offers materials, advice, and more that the presidency thought were essential to support women wherever they are in the world. Many of the teaching materials included in these sections are also available in Gospel Library.
The section Sister to Sister reflects the presidency’s desire to connect more personally with each Relief Society sister around the world. Photo courtesy of ReliefSociety.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Sister Reyna I. Aburto, Second Counselor of the Relief Society General Presidency, said in a Facebook post on October 8, “I particularly like the [Life Helps] section—when you’re down, stressed, or overwhelmed you can take a look at the resources available to you.”
The web page improvements additionally emphasize the presidency’s desire to put Christ at the center of Relief Society and at the center of women’s lives, Booth Baxter said.
“Our desire is to always focus on Jesus Christ,” Booth Baxter said. “He should be evident in all of our communication and ministering so sisters know that when He is at the center of our lives, they will find peace, hope, and healing.”
A Work in Progress
Mehr said that the website is a work in progress and that various communications channels will continue to be explored and improved to meet the needs of women. Tracy Browning, Lori Draper, Memnet Lopez, and Susie Mullen, who also serve on the board, are involved in the effort to make the website meet the needs of a global sisterhood.
“These updates to the website are simple steps forward to connect a global sisterhood,” Mehr said. “We know that sisters would like additional platforms, features, and content, and we want to learn through these initial efforts how to best meet their needs.”
The Instruction for My Calling section provides resources for Relief Society leaders and teachers. Photo courtesy of ReliefSociety.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
The board and presidency are hopeful that the current updates will spur candid conversation and invite honest feedback from sisters to influence future changes. They invite sisters to explore the website and comment on social media about what they like and what they want to see more of.
The Relief Society website will also be available in Spanish and Portuguese and can be found here or under the “Serve and Teach” tab on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
The Women of Covenant, Relief Society in Action, and Ministering Matters sections were created to show how Relief Society sisters contribute to building the kingdom of God. Photo courtesy of ReliefSociety.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
The Life Helps, Women Making History, and Inspiration for Women sections were created for sisters who are seeking guidance or extra help in their calling and other areas of life. Photo courtesy of ReliefSociety.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
