[MUSIC PLAYING] During His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ invited women to be His disciples. In His ancient Church, sisters served others, increased in holiness, and participated in the great work of saving souls. In the latter days, the Lord established the Relief Society to help women in His Church continue in this pattern of discipleship and to prepare them to receive the blessings of eternal life. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the Relief Society was not only to relieve the poor but to save souls.

Relief Society leaders today help sisters progress spiritually as they invite and encourage them to fulfill the purposes of the Relief Society, which are to increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek out and help those in need.

In Guatemala City, Relief Society leaders sought revelation in assigning two visiting teachers to meet regularly with Sister Sermeno, an older sister facing difficult challenges.

The assigned sisters not only look after and report on welfare and service needs in the Sermeno family, but they concern themselves with strengthening Sister Sermeno spiritually.

They study and seek revelation to know how to build her faith and strengthen her in her trials. In their visits, they study the gospel, pray, and bear testimony of the truth. Their efforts strengthen Sister Sermeno's faith and help her remember that the Lord is watching over her and her family. [SPEAKING SPANISH]

In Seoul, Korea, on assignment from the Relief Society presidency, two sisters are working to strengthen recent convert Faith Lee and her family as they prepare to enter the temple. Every time they visit here, I just always inform them I really want to go in the temple because everything they teach me gives me a really good feeling. Sometimes--I don't know--I just feel goosebumps every time we talk about the temple. The sisters visit Sister Lee regularly to read and study the gospel with her and to answer her questions. They help her understand the steps that will prepare her family to enter the temple to make sacred covenants together. They counsel with her about how to teach her children the gospel. Through their diligent efforts, the sisters strengthen a family and a home.

In Jundiai, Brazil, Sister Elena, the Relief Society president, constantly seeks to assist those with spiritual and temporal needs. Recently, she visited Sister [INAUDIBLE], a single sister recovering from a difficult surgery.

Sister Elena helped the lonely sister prepare a meal. She visited with her, expressed the love of ward members, and arranged for priesthood brethren to administer to her.

Many are blessed each week through the efforts of Relief Society sisters like Elena. As they watch over others, they fulfill their divinely appointed purpose to seek out and help those in need.

The purposes of Relief Society give sisters divine direction in their efforts to build the Lord's kingdom. As sisters fulfill these purposes, they prepare themselves, their families, and others for eternal life. Relief Society leaders labor to help sisters learn and fulfill their duties. Through their teaching and example, Relief Society sisters become true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

To review, the purposes of the Relief Society are to increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek out and help those in need. As they plan and carry out the programs of the Relief Society, leaders focus their efforts on helping sisters fulfill these purposes. In your service as a Relief Society leader, you may want to consider these questions regularly: How are our meetings, activities, and ministering efforts helping sisters to increase in faith and personal righteousness?

What are we doing to help them strengthen their families and homes? What opportunities are we providing for sisters to help those in need? [MUSIC PLAYING]