At the very beginning of ward or branch Relief Society meetings—on the second and fourth Sundays of each month—right after the opening prayer, Relief Society sisters have the opportunity to counsel together about subjects that mean the most to them.
It is a tender time where women have the opportunity to share their most personal feelings about what is happening in their lives, all with a focus on the Savior Jesus Christ, President Johnson said.
“What is in your heart, or what keeps you up at night? All of this is counseling about the work of salvation and exaltation,” she said on social media earlier this year.
General Handbook section 9.2.1.2 says Relief Societies meet on Sundays for the following purposes:
- Strengthen faith.
- Build unity.
- Strengthen families and homes.
- Make plans to assist God in His work of salvation and exaltation.
“The meeting begins with prayer,” the handbook explains. “A presidency member then conducts any business. For example, the sisters may counsel together about aspects of participating in God’s work of salvation and exaltation. Sufficient time should then be given to meaningful gospel instruction and discussion.”
The meeting then focuses on topics in one or more talks from the most recent general conference, with topics prayerfully selected by the ward Relief Society presidency based on sisters’ needs. Hymns may be sung to enhance a lesson, and the meeting should end with a prayer.
You can read more about Relief Society counseling in action President Johnson witnessed in Costa Rica on Church Newsroom here. And find more insights from the General Relief Society Presidency on counseling, ministering, and effective Relief Society meetings on Church News here.
For more inspiration to help strengthen your Relief Society, check out these articles:
► What my Relief Society learned about ministering long before the program started
► What you can do to support your Relief Society president
► 3 hurdles that keep us from ministering—and how to get over them