What Should I Focus On?

“Leaders encourage members to engage in God’s work by becoming ‘true followers of … Jesus Christ’ (Moroni 7:48)” (General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4.1). Your presidency’s focus is to guide and support ward Relief Society presidencies as they help the women in their wards make and keep sacred covenants.

In President Russell M. Nelson’s first address as President of the Church, he counseled: “Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping those covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women, and children everywhere. … The end for which each of us strives is to be endowed with power in a house of the Lord, sealed as families, faithful to covenants made in a temple that qualify us for the greatest gift of God—that of eternal life” (“As We Go Forward Together,” Ensign, Apr. 2018, 7).

Lead in the Savior’s Way

You are a disciple of Jesus Christ. Discipleship includes loving, teaching, leading, and serving others. President Henry B. Eyring taught: “You are called to represent the Savior. Your voice to testify becomes the same as His voice, your hands to lift the same as His hands” (“Rise to Your Call,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2002, 76).

The following leadership principles will help your presidency as you seek to bless those you serve:

Prepare spiritually.
Minister to all of God’s children.
Teach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Preside in righteousness.
Counsel together and build unity.
Delegate responsibility and ensure accountability.
Prepare others to be leaders and teachers.
Plan meetings, lessons, and activities with clear purposes.

For more information, see General Handbook, 4.2.

Plan and Conduct Presidency Meetings

Hold regular presidency meetings with your counselors and the stake Relief Society secretary. Work with the secretary to prepare an agenda for each meeting. Ask her to record notes and assignments during these meetings. Suggested agenda items for presidency meetings are listed below.

Read and discuss scripture passages and instructions from Church leaders that relate to your responsibilities as stake Relief Society leaders. Relevant sections in the General Handbook may be helpful.
Counsel together about the strengths and needs of each ward Relief Society leader. Discuss how your presidency can teach and strengthen these ward leaders.
Counsel together about how you can help meet the needs of young single adult sisters in your stake (see “Minister to Young Single Adult Sisters” below).
Plan stake Relief Society meetings for the sisters in your stake (see “Minister to Sisters through Stake Events and Activities” below).
Review counsel and assignments from the stake president and from stake council meetings. Plan ways to follow the counsel and fulfill the assignments.
Share and act on the impressions you receive as you counsel together as a presidency (see Doctrine and Covenants 8:2; 121:26).

Know and Minister to Ward Relief Society Presidencies

As a stake Relief Society presidency, you have the opportunity and responsibility to orient newly called ward Relief Society presidencies and then provide ongoing encouragement, support, and instruction as they serve. Communicate regularly with ward Relief Society leaders to learn about their needs, discuss the needs of the sisters they serve, and share information from the stake presidency. Periodically visit ward Relief Society meetings and activities as arranged with ward leaders.

In addition to training and supporting ward Relief Society leaders individually, the stake Relief Society presidency plans and conducts an annual leadership meeting for ward Relief Society presidencies (see General Handbook, 6.7.1). In these meetings you can teach ward leaders their duties, instruct them in teaching and leadership skills, and strengthen their faith.

As you provide training and support to all ward Relief Society leaders:

Pray for each ward Relief Society leader individually.
Help ward presidencies understand the purpose of Relief Society and the value in developing sisterhood among the sisters in their ward.
Help ward presidencies gain a testimony of ministering. Encourage them to rely on the Spirit in overseeing ministering in their ward. Instruct them on how to meet sisters’ needs through ministering efforts, ministering interviews, and counseling with the bishop and elders quorum president (see ministering.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
Teach ward presidencies about principles of self-reliance and about their role in assisting bishops in welfare matters (see General Handbook, 9.2.2.3).
Testify of Sunday meetings as sacred opportunities for sisters to increase in knowledge and testimony of our Savior. Help ward leaders learn how to counsel about local needs, apply doctrine, and work together to further the work of salvation (see General Handbook, 9.2.1.2).
Encourage ward presidencies to prayerfully plan additional activities to meet the needs of sisters (see General Handbook, 9.2.1.3).
Instruct ward Relief Society presidencies in their responsibilities for missionary work and temple and family history work (see General Handbook, 9.5).

Minister to Sisters through Stake Events and Activities

Each year, under the direction of the stake presidency, plan and carry out one or two stake Relief Society meetings for all the sisters in your stake. These meetings provide an opportunity for sisters to increase in sisterhood and love as they learn and serve together.

These meetings may include service, classes, projects, conferences, and workshops. They should not be held in conjunction with the women’s session of general conference. You may form committees as needed to help prepare and carry out these meetings. On occasion, you may include young women and girls ages 8 and older. Counsel with the stake Young Women and Primary presidencies before recommending such activities to the stake presidency (see General Handbook, 6.7.1).

Minister to Single Adult Sisters

With other stake and ward leaders, the stake Relief Society presidency assists in ministering to single adult sisters in the stake. Prayerfully counsel together as a presidency to determine how you can help single adult sisters progress toward lifelong conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. For more information about single adults, see General Handbook, 14.1.

In stakes where a young single adult ward is not established, a member of your presidency serves on the stake young single adult committee. This committee plans activities to provide opportunities for young single adults in the stake to join together to provide service, study the gospel, and meet other young single adults beyond their own ward. For more information about young single adults, see General Handbook, 14.2.

Participate in Stake Council Meetings

“The Church of Jesus Christ is governed by councils at every level” (General Handbook, 4.3). As the stake Relief Society president, you are a member of the stake council. You bring items before the stake council for discussion and offer input on matters presented by other stake leaders. The stake council meets monthly to discuss and plan how to support stake members’ efforts in:

Gospel instruction.
Missionary work.
Temple and family history work.
Self-reliance.

You assist the stake council in understanding and responding to the needs of stake members. Share insights you gain from ward Relief Society leaders to help the stake council accomplish its purpose. (See General Handbook, 6.7.1; 29.3.8.)

If you are unable to attend a stake council meeting, invite one of your counselors to attend in your place.

Support Member Missionary Work and Temple and Family History Work

The stake president is responsible for member missionary work and temple and family history work in the stake. He may assign high councilors to oversee this work. Counsel together as a presidency about how you can best support this work. For example, your presidency may want to assign one counselor to help with member missionary work and the other to help with temple and family history work, under the direction of the stake presidency or the assigned high councilors.

Participate on the Stake Adult Leadership Committee

This committee supports elders quorum and ward Relief Society presidencies in their callings. “Committee members give special emphasis to ward efforts to share the gospel, strengthen new and returning members, and participate in temple and family history work. In addition, this committee coordinates stake efforts related to welfare and self-reliance” (General Handbook, 29.3.9).