In 1842, Joseph Smith offered six sermons to the Relief Society of Nauvoo. His words of counsel and instruction offer deep insights into what themes were most relevant to the women of the Church. Take a quick peek at what he said with our list of five things Joseph Smith wanted women to know.
1. Our kindness can have a great influence in the world.
“Nothing is so much calculated to lead people to forsake sin as to take them by the hand and watch over them with tenderness. When persons manifest the least kindness and love to me, O what pow’r it has over my mind.”
2. We should not let our natural gift of sensitivity and emotion overrule our ability to be merciful.
“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.”
3. Relief Society is in the business of saving souls.
“It is the object of this society to reform persons, not to take those that are corrupt, but if they repent we are bound to take them and by kindness sanctify and cleanse from all unrighteousness, by our influence in watching over them—nothing will have such influence over people, as the fear of being disfellowship’d by so goodly a Society as this.”
4. We need to quit fighting with each other and do away with self-righteousness.
“Sisters of this Society, shall there be strife among you? I will not have it—you must repent and get the love of God. Away with selfrighteousness.”
5. Powerful blessings are available to women who act in charity.
“It is natural for females to have feelings of charity—you are now plac’d in a situation where you can act according to those sympathies which God has planted in your bosoms. If you live up to these principles how great and glorious—if you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrain’d from being your associates.”
To read more about Joseph Smith's counsel to women, check out The Beginning of Better Days: Divine Instruction to Women from the Prophet Joseph Smith.
