THE
RELIEF SOCIETY
The
following are excerpts from the recorded minutes of the Relief Society in
Nauvoo. These are highly valuable
because they provide an unedited, unaltered view into the teachings of Joseph
Smith as he addressed the women of the church in 1842. You can view the original documents on the
Joseph Smith Papers. This is a website
project which provides original source material for the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. You will
be pleasantly surprised at the some of the concepts taught here.
Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book
Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book, page
35
A
church organization for women; created in Nauvoo, Illinois, under JS’s
direction on 17 March 1842. At the same meeting, Emma Smith was elected
president, and she selected two counselors; a secretary and a treasurer were
also chosen. The minutes of the society...
Committee retir’d—
and Prest. J. Smith arose and call’d the attention of the meeting to the 12th
Chap. of 1st Cor. “Now concerning spiritual gifts” &c.— Said that the
passage which reads “no man can say that Jesus is the the Christ< Lord>
but by the holy ghost,” should be translated, no man can know &c
He continued to read
the Chap. and give instructions respecting the different offices, and the
necessity of every individual acting in the sphere allotted him or her; and
filling the several offices to which they were appointed— Spoke of the disposition of man, to consider the lower offices in the church dishonorable and to look with
jealous eyes upon the standing of others— that it was the nonsense of the human
heart, for a person to be aspiring to other stations than appointed of God—
that it was better for individuals to magnify
their respective callings, and wait patiently till God shall say to them come
up higher. He said the reason of these remarks being made, was, that some
little thing was circulating in the Society.
NOTE:
God is the
one who says to the individual to come up higher. The higher calling comes from God, but it isn’t
to a position in the church. We have a tendency to think that the individuals
in higher positions in the church are those with more authority or purity or
knowledge. What we find from Joseph’s
address to the Relief Society is that the offices of the church are unrelated
to these qualities. The church positions
were elected by men in Joseph’s day and in this day they are appointed by
men as well. But from within any one of those
offices, the capacity to receive from the Lord is available. Unrelated to the specific office, but
completely dependent upon your humble service!
It is not saying that God will call you to a “higher” position in the
church. It is saying that as you magnify
that given calling, God will say to you “come up higher”. Come up higher to Him. Receive from Him the purity, the authority,
the knowledge that so freely he offers to all.
Don’t envy the higher positions.
Don’t stand in awe of the higher positions. All are alike unto the Lord. (And did I mention he was speaking to the
women?)
Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book, page
36
who
believeth; these signs, such as healing the sick,
casting out devils &c. should follow all that
believe whether male or female. He
ask’d the Society If they could not see by this
sweeping stroke, that wherein they are ordaind The conferral of
power and authority; to appoint, decree, or set apart. Church members,
primarily adults, were ordained to ecclesiastical offices and other
responsibilities by the laying on of hands by those with the proper authority.
Ordinations to priesthood..., it is the privilege of those set apart to
administer in that authority which is confer’d on them— and if the sisters should have faith to heal the sick, let all hold
their tongues, and let every thing roll on.
He said, if
God has appointed him, and chosen him as an instrument to lead the church, why not let him lead it through?
Why stand in the way, when he is appointed to do a thing? Who knows the mind of
God? Does he not reveal things
differently from what we expect?—He remark’d that he was continually
rising— altho’ he had every thing bearing him down—standing in his way and
opposing— after all he always comes out right in the end.
Respecting the female laying on
hands, he further remark’d, there could be no
devil in it if God gave his sanction by healing— that there could be no more sin in any female laying hands on the sick
than in wetting the face with water— that it is
no sin for any body to do it that has faith, or if the sick has faith to be
heal’d by the administration.
He reprov’d
those that were dispos’d to find fault with the management of concerns— saying
if he undertook to lead the church he would lead it right— that he calculates
to organize the church in proper order &c. [p. [36]]
NOTE:
Joseph is
relating his position as the leader of the church which position was given by
direct intervention from God. He relates
this to the faith of the sisters, telling them that if God appoints them to
heal through the laying on of hands by faith (which Faith is defined as Working
in Harmony with the Will of God) then “let all [the men] hold their tongues and
let every [good] thing [given by Christ] roll on.
Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book, page
51
Prest. J.
Smith rose, read the 14th Chap. of Ezekiel— said the Lord had declar’d by the
prophet that the people should each one stand for himself and depend on no man or men in that state of corruption of the Jewish church— that righteous
persons could only deliver their own souls—
app[l]ied it to the present state of the church
of Latter-Day Saints— said if the people departed from the Lord,
they must fall— that they were depending on the prophet hence were darkened in their minds from neglect of themselves— envious toward the innocent,
while they afflict the virtuous with their
shafts of envy.
NOTE:
As Joseph
addressed the Relief Society, he informed them that the idea taught that the
prophet can never lead you astray is false. Notice how he told the sisters that the people of the church had been darkened in their minds for depending on the prophet.
You must stand for yourself, meaning stand in the strength of the Lord
for yourself. Rather than depend upon
another person to speak to the Lord for you.
Joseph stated that this applied to the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints.
Nauvoo Relief Society
Minute Book, page 51
There is
another error which opens a door for the adversary to enter. As females possess
refin’d feelings and sensitivenes[s], they
are also subject to an overmuch zeal which
must ever prove dangerous, and cause them
to be rigid in a religious capacity— should be
arm’d with mercy notwithstanding the iniquity among
us. Said he had been instrumental in bringing it
to light— melancholy and awful that so many are under
the condemnation of the devil & going to perdition.
With deep
feeling said that they are our fellows— we lov’d
them once. Shall we not encourage them to reformation?
We have not
forgivn them seventy times— perhaps we have
not forgiven them once. There is now a day of salvation to
such as repent and reform— they should be cast out from
this Society,
yet we should woo them to return to God
lest they escape not the damnation of hell!
When there
is a mountain top there also is a vally — we
should act in all things an a proper medium— to every
immortal spirit. Notwithstanding the unworthy are
among us, the virtuous should not from self-importance grieve
and oppress needlessly those unfortunate ones, even
NOTE:
If we think
we are in the right, our tendency is to condemn others who may not live up to
the same standard. We think too highly
of ourselves. We should not cast others
out. Not even if we think they are
wrong. Not even if we know they are
wrong. We should not be tricked into the
false belief of our own self-importance.
Most certainly this would apply to those who may believe differently but
in the sincerity of their hearts are seeking the Lord. Who is to judge whether our sincerity is more
sincere than their sincerity? Is it
right to avoid speaking to someone who views the gospel differently? Is it right to excommunicate someone for
their beliefs? Doesn’t God forbid it
according to the words of Joseph Smith?
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