Something Extraordinary: The Relief Society in Atlantic Canada

An army of women out doing good in the community — that is the power of the Relief Society. It has been more than 100 years since the women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organized a Relief Society in Atlantic Canada, first in the seaport city of Saint John, New Brunswick, in 1920. In the years that followed, Relief Societies formed in nearby Fredericton and Moncton, New Brunswick; Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; and Prince Edward Island. With “Charity Never Faileth” as their motto, Relief Society members seek to lift, bless and provide relief to people in their communities.

The Relief Society was organized on March 17, 1842, in Nauvoo, Illinois. On that day, its first president, Emma Smith, stated, “We are going to do something extraordinary” (“Minutes of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo,” March 17, 1842).

From the beginning, its members have sought opportunities to relieve the poor, and the members of the early Atlantic Canada Relief Societies were no exception. Their legacy of service and love live on in today’s organizations.

Michelle Cosman, Relief Society president of the Saint John Ward, has seen Relief Society members show kindness towards one another and the community. “Several women have endured serious illness, even hospitalization, over the past few years,” said Cosman. “Relief Society women provide meals, transportation to and from medical appointments, groceries, post-surgical care, washing and folding laundry, and delivery of messages and cards.”

The women of the Saint John New Brunswick Ward Relief Society have also cleaned apartments, painted walls, and packed and moved friends in and out of the community. Additionally, they spread hope and joy through their annual tradition of decorating the oncology department of Saint John Regional Hospital and by donating to local food banks and soup kitchens. Their latest project is collecting personal care items for women trying to restore dignity in their lives after family breakups or health crises. Wherever the Relief Society members see a need, they fill it.

“I am so grateful to witness countless acts of charity — the true love of Jesus Christ — from these Relief Society members,” said Cosman. For more than 100 years, the Relief Society in New Brunswick has been lifting the community in this way.

Prince Edward Island shares a similar Relief Society story. Linda Watson, president of the Charlottetown Ward Relief Society, shares examples of women in action doing something extraordinary. “When an elderly sister broke both her wrists, the Relief Society jumped into action,” said Watson. “They vacuumed her home and cared for her laundry needs, assisted her with daily personal care, cooked meals, weeded her gardens, and prayed with and for her. They literally nursed her back to health. It was amazing. This is the love of Jesus Christ in action.”

Sister Reyna I. Aburto, second counsellor in the Relief Society general presidency, said, “We are not alone in this quest to love at a higher level. We are all striving to develop such love, and to acquire it is a lifelong process. We are all learning to love; we are all learning to love better; we are all learning to love our Heavenly Father and our Savior with all our heart, soul and might; and we are all learning to love others in a holier way” (“Love Thy God and Thy Neighbor,” BYU–Idaho devotional, June 4, 2019).

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Atlantic Canada celebrate more than 100 years of the Relief Society. Their stories are those of lifting and loving in a higher way. This is the Relief Society way — doing something extraordinary.