New Relief Society Curriculum Announced for 2018

I'm not even sure I can put into words how excited I am tonight to read about the Church's announcement of a switch of the Relief Society and Priesthood curriculum to studying General Conference messages in the "Come Follow Me" or "Teaching in the Savior's Way" style.

I don't get overly hyper about too many things, but THIS. MAKES. ME. SO. HAPPY.

If you'll remember, about six years ago, in the spring of 2011, my ward friends and I started a weekly, in-person General Conference Book Club.  (I blogged about our club here and here and often on my blog in general.  Thanks to my blog friend Stephanie whose online conference club inspired me all those years ago!)

This was the start of a beautiful thing: learning from the words of our current prophets, sharing testimonies with my friends/sisters, and coming away feeling strengthened and supported in my resolve to live the gospel.

We did this basically every week for six years.  Six years.

It was a game-changer for me.  

In the eternities, I will look back at this time and say, "These are the years I grew the most."  I grew most in my testimony of living prophets and the truth of their teachings.  I grew the most in my ability to honestly assess myself and how closely I was trying to follow their admonishments.  I grew in my ability to understand the perspectives of other women around me, to empathize and have compassion for their unique situations.

Beyond anything, through trying to put their teachings into practice, I grew to love the Savior and his servants here on the earth today.

This weekly gospel study was one of the biggest things I missed when we moved to Cranberry about 8 months ago.  I missed this spiritual boost and bond that I had with these women...a bond over the teachings of the modern-day prophets.

That's why when my new ward bishopric asked me to serve as the Teachings for Our Time teacher in Relief Society, I recognized it as a tender mercy.  The Lord was allowing me to still have a small piece of that General Conference Book Club experience with my new ward sisters.  This is also why I briefly lamented recently when I was released from this short-lived calling (and called into the YW), but I am now super excited for all of the men and women of the church the world over to move into this new chapter of gospel learning.  

It is truly inspired and WILL change lives.  It is what we need right now.  It will empower all of us.

You can read the full announcement at the church website, but here are a few highlights:

The new course of study includes:

• Learning from general conference messages.
• Studying special topics selected every six months by general leaders of the Church.
• Counseling together as priesthood quorums and groups and Relief Societies.

The new materials for adults, which replace the Teachings of Presidents of the Church series used from 1998 to 2017, do not affect Sunday School classes.

Hopefully you guys are all looking forward to the change as well!

You know, it's funny, but as my time in Lewisburg was winding down, I kept questioning whether I should or needed to keep up the club.  I kept feeling like maybe the club had run its course and served its purpose.  Now I know why I was feeling that way...because for me, it did.  And the Lord knew what was coming in the future for his church. I love how the spirit can direct us as to what is coming next.  Sadly, I won't be in Relief Society to see how this plays out, as I will be in Young Women teaching the Beehives, but I'll rely on my friendly blog readers to keep me posted!