As war rages in different parts of the world, many of us want to help our brothers and sisters who are hungry, tired, and scared. But how can we make a difference?
Ida Smith felt the same way in 1914, during World War I. Her husband, Hyrum M. Smith, was the president of the European Mission. They lived in Liverpool, England. (The picture above is of their family.)
One day, Ida saw a notice asking for help knitting warm clothes for soldiers.
“I have never knit a stitch in my life,” she thought.
Then the Spirit spoke to her heart, “Now is the time for the Relief Societies of the European Mission to step to the front and offer their services.”
So Ida set up a meeting with Winifred Rathbone, the mayor’s wife, who was organizing the knitting efforts. But Ida still had many doubts. Would they be able to do enough to help?
“We will do the best that we can,” Ida told Mrs. Rathbone.
Ida learned how to knit. She recruited other Relief Society sisters to knit, also. Word of the project spread.
After a week, the Relief Society knitters grew from eight sisters to 40! They would listen to musical numbers or Church messages as they knitted together.
Ida was eventually called to be president of the Relief Societies in the European Mission. She traveled throughout England to “organize new Relief Societies, train their members, and recruit them to knit.”
By the end of the project, they had created 2,427 items for soldiers! One observer wrote, “If all the women’s organizations in Great Britain would work like the Latter-day Saint women are doing, our soldiers would want for nothing.”
Your small efforts can make a big difference in this world. As Ida proved, “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass” (Alma 37:6).
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Notes
Adapted from Chapter 11 of Saints, Vol. 3.
See also Notes from the Field, Relief Society Magazine, November 1915.