1. An Orientation for New Leaders
Welfare Duties of the
Relief Society
© 2010 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. The Relief Society
The purpose of this orientation is to help Relief Society leaders understand their duties regarding:
Teaching self-reliance and provident living.
Caring for those in need.

3. What are some ways the Relief Society can help the poor and needy, foster self-reliance, and provide service opportunities to the sisters?
Relief Society sisters help resolve immediate, temporary, and long-term needs, including those related to education; health; employment; home storage; and social, emotional, and spiritual strength.
The bishop is the agent of the Lord’s storehouse and distributes the Saints’ offerings to the poor and needy. He is assisted by the priesthood quorums and the Relief Society.

4. Welfare Duties of the Relief Society
Teach welfare principles
Assess welfare needs
Help resolve immediate and temporary needs
Help resolve long-term needs
Coordinate efforts

5. Teach Welfare Principles
In presidency meetings, Relief Society leaders should plan ways to teach principles of self-reliance and service and to address welfare needs.
Leaders should counsel together in ways to help ward members understand and follow welfare principles.

6. Teach Welfare Principles
Providing in the Lord’s Way: Summary of a Leader’s Guide to Welfare
Use this booklet as a resource as you teach welfare principles.

7. Assess Welfare Needs Julie B. Beck Relief Society General President
How can a Relief Society president best help the bishop be aware of welfare needs in the ward?
(See “The Welfare Responsibilities of the Relief Society President,” Basic Principles of Welfare and Self-Reliance [2009], 4–6.)

8. Assess Welfare Needs
As visiting teachers visit members, they should identify those with welfare needs and inform the Relief Society presidency of those needs. In coordination with the bishop, the Relief Society president identifies short- and long-term needs.
Side one of the Needs and Resources Analysis form can be used, or the principles on the form can be followed to help in this process.
The next slide reviews the elements of the Needs and Resources Analysis form. Hand out copies of the form if available.

9. A B C

10. A B C
Identify the immediate needs (such as food, clothing, housing, money for medical bills, and other needs).

11. A B C
Identify existing resources of the needy individual, those of his or her extended family, and other resources that could help to meet the individual’s needs.

12. A B C
Click on the highlighted letters for a summary of how to use the Needs and Resources Analysis form.
(Hand out copies of the form if available.)
Determine what is needed for the member to become self-reliant (such as employment, education, job training and so forth).
Determine a plan to obtain needed resources to become self-reliant.
Record the assignments the bishop has given family members to work to the extent of their abilities for the assistance received. 2 1 3

13. Assess Welfare Needs
The Relief Society president can assist the bishop in assessing any temporary food and commodities needs by meeting with the family. Where there is a bishops’ storehouse or Deseret Industries store, bishops provide food and clothing to families by completing the Bishop’s Order for Commodities—Food and Supplies form or the Bishop’s Order for Commodities—Clothing and Household Goods form. Under the direction of the bishop, a Relief Society president can complete these forms, but the bishop must sign them.
The next slide provides a closer look at the two forms.

14. Assess Welfare Needs For Deseret Industries For Bishops’ Storehouses
The Relief Society president can assist the bishop in assessing any temporary food and commodities needs by meeting with the family. Where there is a bishops’ storehouse or Deseret Industries store, bishops provide food and clothing to families by completing the Bishop’s Order for Commodities—Food and Supplies form or the Bishop’s Order for Commodities—Clothing and Household Goods form. Under the direction of the bishop, a Relief Society president can complete these forms, but the bishop must sign them.
Continue for a closer look at the two forms.

15. Bishop’s Order for Commodities—Food and Supplies
Assess Welfare Needs
Bishop’s Order for Commodities—Food and Supplies 1 3 2 4

16. Bishop’s Order for Commodities—Food and Supplies
Assess Welfare Needs
Bishop’s Order for Commodities—Food and Supplies
The Relief Society president should follow these instructions to complete this form with the individual or family. 1 3 2 4

17. Bishop’s Order for Commodities—Food and Supplies
Assess Welfare Needs
Bishop’s Order for Commodities—Food and Supplies
The Relief Society president is encouraged to use the Menu Planner to help determine appropriate quantities for the order. 3 2

18. Bishop’s Order for Commodities—Food and Supplies
Assess Welfare Needs
Bishop’s Order for Commodities—Food and Supplies 1
In this section be careful to order by each item rather than by pounds; for example, if the family needs eight pounds of beef, enter the number “2” and not “8.” Otherwise they will get eight 4-lb. beef roasts. 3 2 4

19. Bishop’s Order for Commodities—Food and Supplies
Assess Welfare Needs
Bishop’s Order for Commodities—Food and Supplies
Prepared by: This is usually the Relief Society president.
Bishop’s signature: The bishop must sign this form before the top two copies go to the storehouse. Bishops should not sign a blank form.
Received by: This is the signature of the family receiving the commodities. 1 3 2 4

20. Assess Welfare Needs
Individuals and families take the white and canary copies of the form to a bishops’ storehouse to receive their commodities. If they are unable to go to the storehouse, quorum and Relief Society leaders may assist them. The storehouse will return the canary copy to the bishop for reconciliation.

21. Help Resolve Immediate and Temporary Needs
Can the bishop use fast offerings to purchase food locally instead of using the bishops’ storehouse?

22. Help Resolve Immediate and Temporary Needs
In areas where storehouses are available, bishops are counseled to provide commodities from the storehouse instead of using fast-offering funds to purchase food.
Bishops are counseled to provide commodities before cash. When possible, the bishop provides members with commodities instead of giving them money or paying their bills. Where bishops’ storehouses are not available, fast offerings may be used to buy needed commodities.

23. Help Resolve Immediate and Temporary Needs
Much immediate assistance can be given by the Relief Society without consulting the bishop, “for the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves” (D&C 58:28).
For example, a sister could look after children while a mother interviews for a job, or sisters can provide meals for an individual who is ill or in immediate need.
It is helpful to keep the bishop informed of those who are being helped and how they are being assisted. Other coordination for those in need can occur in ward council.
Receive regular reports on the temporal and spiritual well-being of sisters and their families.
Call a compassionate service coordinator to assist the Relief Society presidency.
Organize a compassionate service committee.
What can the Relief Society or the ward priesthood executive council (PEC) do to prepare in advance to offer this kind of assistance?

24. Help Resolve Long-term Needs
As Relief Society leaders become aware of long-term needs, they respond compassionately to help individuals and families. They use resources available in their organizations and in the ward. They pray for guidance to know how to provide assistance.
How can the Relief Society assist members in helping them resolve their long-term concerns in ways that lead to lasting change?
Use Relief Society meetings to teach welfare principles.
Hold classes and workshops to help sisters learn and practice welfare principles.
Assign visiting teachers or other sisters to help sisters become self-reliant.

25. Coordinate Welfare Efforts
What specific things can be done in your ward council to better coordinate welfare efforts?

26. A Case Study
Sister Elena Molina’s husband died in an accident two months ago, leaving her with three children: two boys (ages 12 and 5) and a baby girl. He had no life insurance, and Sister Molina receives no government assistance.
Sister Molina finished primary but not secondary schooling and is fairly literate. She sews to support the family, but they are behind in utility payments and are low on food and suitable clothing.
What can the Relief Society do to help Sister Molina help herself?

27. Relief Society Welfare Roles
A Case Study
Relief Society Welfare Roles
Teach welfare principles.
Assess welfare needs.
Help resolve temporary needs.
Help resolve long-term needs.
Coordinate efforts.
Sister Elena Molina’s husband died in an accident two months ago, leaving her with three children: two boys (ages 12 and 5) and a baby girl. He had no life insurance, and Sister Molina receives no government assistance.
Sister Molina finished primary but not secondary schooling and is fairly literate. She sews to support the family, but they are behind in utility payments and are low on food and suitable clothing.
What can the Relief Society do to help Sister Molina help herself?

28. A Case Study Some Suggestions
Visit sister Molina and encourage her to express her feelings and her needs.
Assess temporary needs and talk to the bishop about helping with items such as food and clothing.
Use side two of the Needs and Resource Analysis form to help her on the path to self-reliance by helping her set goals, prioritize, and make plans to achieve those goals.
Identify resources in ward council to help expand her sewing business or gain additional education and skills.
Provide temporary child care while she makes employment or educational arrangements.
Sister Elena Molina’s husband died in an accident two months ago, leaving her with three children: two boys (ages 12 and 5) and a baby girl. He had no life insurance, and Sister Molina receives no government assistance.
Sister Molina finished primary but not secondary schooling and is fairly literate. She sews to support the family, but they are behind in utility payments and are low on food and suitable clothing.

29. Relief Society General President
Julie B. Beck
Relief Society General President
Discuss how sisters help others become self-reliant; then share experiences about helping others in your own ward.
(See “The Welfare Responsibilities of the Relief Society President,” Basic Principles of Welfare and Self-Reliance [2009], 4–6.)

30. “Welfare Duties of the Relief Society”
This concludes this orientation,
“Welfare Duties of the Relief Society”