It was my honor a number of years ago to serve in a campus stake presidency where part of my assignment was to work with the young women of the Relief Society. I was able to observe firsthand the extraordinary nobility of these young women who were, as mothers-in-training, preparing for a future of faithful service in God’s kingdom. Their devotion to the cause of truth and charity was reflected in the glow of their countenances and the exemplary rectitude of their lives.
I could almost see the scene unfold before me: of how these future mothers in Zion would infuse the lives of their own sons and daughters with the same principles that took root in the souls of Helaman’s stripling warriors and emerged as character qualities of profound influence: “and they were exceedingly valiant for courage; and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him” (Alma 53:20–21). Furthermore: “they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me [Helaman] the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it” (Alma 56:47–48). Moreover: “Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them” (Alma 57:21). “Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually” (Alma 57:27).
Faith, trust, valor, soberness, obedience, firmness of heart, righteousness—these sterling qualities come to children in great measure through the teachings and example of the mothers in Zion. What a supernal commission attends the motherly mission in life! My wife, as a ward and stake relief society president, has brought back over the years countless tales that demonstrate the efficacy of the organization’s motto: “Charity never faileth.”
And yet, as I observed these outstanding young women at work, I was also aware that many of their sisters had not yet emerged from the shadows. Some within our assigned jurisdiction had yet to realize their divine potential and grasp hold of their task with full devotion to the cause. Some had slipped from the pathway of truth into side roads and byways, away from the mainstream of Zion’s community. Down through the ages there may have been many who struggled to find the doorway to faith and the keys of service in full fellowship with the Saints. Concerning such, I felt the same anxiety that I had found articulated by the sons of Mosiah, who “could not bear that any human soul should perish”(Mosiah 28:3). All of God’s servants, I supposed, sensed a deep yearning to reach out to the inactive and to those unfamiliar with the gospel with the invitation to participate in the blessings of the Lord’s kingdom.
In the intervening years I have come across instances that confirm the need for hope that the wayward will return to the Lord’s pathways. I recall the correspondence of a dear friend, a fine sister in the gospel and mother in Zion, who found her way back. She reported in her letter about her return to the Church a year earlier and her joyful plans to go to the temple once again. She expressed regret at having left the Church for a time and added, “but throughout the years I always knew the Church was true. I continued to study the scriptures and obey the Lord’s commandments.” Such a statement is a reminder to us all to reach out with understanding and compassion to our friends in that kind of situation, leaving all judgment in the hands of God. This noble sister had been a devoted mother over the years, as attested by the gratitude, praise, and service-minded character of her children. She closed her letter with these words, which conveyed her commitment to rise to the highest possible level of valiant motherhood: “With the promptings of the Spirit, I knew I must return to the true church. My family knows I am a much happier person.” Thus the seed of renewed faith had germinated and the unfolding of a new era of joy had commenced. (Richard J. Allen)