The teachings, examples, and patterns of faith in the book Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society can strengthen you as a leader and inspire the sisters you lead, as well as their families. You and the Relief Society teachers who assist you may use the scriptures, words of the prophets, and other approved Church resources, including this history book, to teach gospel principles in Relief Society meetings. For specific instructions about Sunday meetings and additional meetings, see Handbook 2: Administering the Church, 9.4.1 and 9.4.2.
Seek the Spirit as you study the handbook and as you consider drawing from the principles in Daughters in My Kingdom. Your spiritual preparation will help you serve as an instrument in the hands of God to help His daughters learn what He wants them to learn.
To help you and the sisters you lead make the best use of the new history book, study and refer to:
Using Daughters in My Kingdom
to Teach and Inspire Sisters
Sunday Relief Society Meetings
Handbook 2 states that in the Relief Society meeting on the first Sunday of the month, a member of the ward Relief Society presidency teaches. She “uses the scriptures, the teachings of latter-day prophets, and approved Church materials. … The Relief Society president may … counsel with the bishop about subjects he would like the sisters to discuss. Subjects may include women's roles and responsibilities in the gospel, strengthening marriages and families, visiting teaching, service, missionary work, convert retention, activation, spiritual and temporal welfare, temple and family history work, and the history and purposes of Relief Society” (Handbook 2, 9.4.1). Daughters in My Kingdom is one of the approved resources for Relief Society meetings.
Additional Relief Society Meetings
In planning these meetings, Relief Society leaders give special attention to topics that the bishop has asked them to address to help meet local needs. Leaders also give priority to the following topics: Marriage and family, homemaking, self-reliance and provident living, compassionate service, temple and family history work, and sharing the gospel.
Daughters in My Kingdom is one of the approved resources to help you as you plan additional Relief Society meetings. Use the history book as you consider and counsel together about how to teach the approved topics listed in Handbook 2, 9.4.2.
Other Uses for Daughters in My Kingdom
You can use the index in Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society as one of the approved resources to find other examples to support the subjects and topics listed in Handbook 2 for Sunday and additional Relief Society meetings.
“The Relief Society is an auxiliary to the priesthood. All auxiliary organizations exist to help Church members grow in their testimonies of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the restored gospel. Through the work of the auxiliaries, members receive instruction, encouragement, and support as they strive to live according to gospel principles” (Handbook 2, page 64).
As leaders you can encourage those you serve to apply gospel principles found in the scriptures, words of the prophets, and other approved Church resources, including Daughters in My Kingdom. The influence of the history book is meant to extend beyond Relief Society meetings.
As you discuss ways to use Daughters in My Kingdom as one of the approved Church resources, consider the following approaches:
- Teach from chapters as they are needed, not following a particular order. For example, you may use principles and stories in chapter 7 to encourage sisters to serve as inspired, compassionate, faithful visiting teachers.
- Focus on one principle, such as faith or charity, or one aspect of the Lord's work, such as provident living, home and family, or temple work. Teach one or more lessons on the topic, using multiple chapters. For example, leaders and teachers may use chapters 8 and 9 to strengthen sisters' understanding of priesthood power and priesthood principles.
- Use a story or quotation from the book as the basis for a lesson or to enhance a lesson. Combine material from the book with teachings from recent general conferences and general Relief Society meetings.
