Get to Know Your Sisters

By Janelle Brown

I found sisters I didn’t know I had in a place I hadn’t looked before.

Recently, the young women in our ward participated in an activity called “Adopt a Sister” to become better acquainted with the Relief Society sisters in our ward. I know my time in Young Women is not going to last forever, so I was looking forward to participating in this activity. Having a few friends in Relief Society would make me feel more welcome.

As the young women were paired with Relief Society sisters, I listened for a familiar name but did not hear any. My assigned sister was Sister Lemler, a total stranger to me.

We were told to get to know our sisters before an upcoming dinner that was to be held in their honor. At first I was really nervous to call Sister Lemler; I wondered if she would like me. I finally summoned the courage to dial her number. Through a few phone conversations, I learned that she was a really nice person, more similar to me than not. When Sister Lemler was a teenager, things were quite different. I learned she had to wear skirts and dresses to school.

When we were given the assignment to become better acquainted with our Relief Society sisters, my sister, Carolyn, and my friend, Stephanie, and I wanted to visit them. At first I was unable to arrange a time to visit Sister Lemler since she has a full-time job, so I decided to go with Carolyn and Stephanie to visit their sisters. We wanted to bring them something to let them know we cared, so we decided to make them each a small refrigerator magnet—a red heart with a meaningful thought written on it.

When we delivered our hearts and visited with these wonderful sisters, we asked questions like “What was your high school like?” and “What jobs have you had?”

Carolyn’s adopted Relief Society sister, Sister Hinkle, was a retired high school teacher. Stephanie’s adopted Relief Society sister, Sister Pusey, has an interesting job writing books, helping others to find their lost family members, and working with adoptions.

A couple of weeks later, all the young women in the ward prepared a nice dinner for our Relief Society sisters. The room was filled with interesting conversations and laughter. Our Relief Society sisters shared their experiences and travels, and we young women shared our hobbies and interests. Now when I see these sisters during church, they are no longer unfamiliar faces. They are my friends. I look forward to knowing all the sisters in Relief Society, who will become my friends.

From Young Women to Relief Society

Young Women general presidency: Sister Susan W. Tanner, Sister Julie B. Beck (left), Sister Elaine S. Dalton (right). (Photograph by John Luke.)

We have been participating in Relief Society since we were 18 years old. In Relief Society we have found friends, and our testimonies have grown. Relief Society is like Young Women in many ways. See if you can identify a few of them.

On Sundays the Relief Society sisters study the gospel together. Once a month all Relief Society sisters meet at home, family, and personal enrichment meeting, where they learn about homemaking and other life skills.

Every woman in Relief Society can be a visiting teacher who watches over and spends time with a few other sisters in the ward. Relief Society sisters also have the opportunity to give compassionate service to ward members and help with humanitarian projects in their community.

Here are a few things young women can do to prepare to enter Relief Society:

• Study the scriptures and share your testimony.

• Learn some homemaking skills.

• Learn how to conduct a meeting or lead music.

• Be a friend to Relief Society sisters now.

• Serve in a class presidency if called.

One of the blessings of Relief Society is that wherever you live in the world, you will find a supportive group of sisters. We look forward to seeing you in Relief Society and hope you will sit by us.

• Janelle Brown is a member of the Mountain Shadows Ward, Scottsdale Arizona Camelback Stake.

Photography by Paul and Susan Jones, except as noted; heart by Karol Jean Miller

Opposite page: Faye Lemler and Janelle Brown got to know each other through an activity in their Arizona ward that linked young women with Relief Society sisters. Left: Sister Lemler and Janelle discovered they had much in common. The other young women and their Relief Society sisters also got to know each other through spending time together and learning from each other.

The sisters in the Mountain Shadows Ward learned to love and appreciate one another. They realized that no matter their age, sisters can be friends.