During the 147th anniversary year of Relief Society, women throughout the Church are being challenged to accept President Ezra Taft Benson's plea to flood the earth with the Book of Mormon.

At a luncheon held at the organization's headquarters in Salt Lake City, past and present Relief Society board members gathered to celebrate the anniversary of what has become one of the world's largest women's organizations.During the anniversary program, Relief Society General Pres. Barbara W. Winder encouraged all sisters to accept President Benson's challenge, which was issued during the October 1988 general conference.

In accordance with President Benson's challenge, each woman attending the anniversary celebration received a copy of the Book of Mormon, tied with pastel pink, blue, yellow, or purple ribbons. Sister Winder urged the sisters in attendance to become personally involved by giving away copies of the book.

"With nearly two and one-half million members of the Relief Society worldwide, this effort will have far-reaching impact as the sisters of the Church accept President Benson's challenge and become personally involved in using the Book of Mormon as a missionary tool," Sister Winder said.

According to Sister Winder, the focus of the Relief Society during 1989 will be on strengthening and sharing testimonies of the gospel.

"In four years, we will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Relief Society," Sister Winder noted in a Church News interview. "In the four years between now and then, we will be focusing on each one of the four Relief Society goals. This does not mean that we neglect the other areas, since each is related to and dependent on the other. But we will be concentrating on specific goals."

The four goals to which Sister Winder referred are found in the Relief Society handbook:

- "Help women have faith in God and build individual testimonies of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sisters are encouraged to live and to share their knowledge and testimonies of the restored gospel.

- "Encourage women to offer compassionate service. Through giving compassionate service to those in need, Relief Society sisters provide a support system for individuals and families.

- "Strengthen the families of the Church and focus on living the gospel in the home. Sisters are taught the eternal nature of the family and are encouraged to participate in family history and temple work.

- "Sustain the priesthood in a united effort to help all to receive the ordinances of the gospel and enter into the covenants of the temple. Sisters are taught the purposes and functions of the priesthood and how they can be full participants in the blessings of the priesthood."

According to Sister Winder, these goals are all focused on accomplishing the purpose of the worldwide women's organization, which is "to help women and their families come unto Christ."

Sister Winder and her counselors, Joy F. Evans and Joanne B. Doxey, believe the Relief Society program can help women all over the world find the peace, happiness, and strength to live each day fully.

"The new personal study guides, which we started using in 1987, have a spiritual focus," Sister Winder noted. The lessons, which are organized under Spiritual Living, Home and Family Education, Compassionate Service/Social Relations, and Home Management headings, help women in today's world establish priorities, set worthwhile goals, and strengthen themselves and those around them.

In the lessons, women are counseled on subjects that include diverse topics, such as following Christ, achieving physical fitness, holding family councils, and maintaining a food storage.

"Relief Society should make a big difference in the lives of our sisters," said Sister Doxey. "The needs of the sisters are our priority, and we are trying to focus our energies on preparing women to enter the temple and make those covenants there. We aren't expecting everyone to do everything, but we do hope everyone will do something."

According to the organization's leaders, the purpose and goals of the Relief Society have changed little since it was founded in Nauvoo, Ill., by the Prophet Joseph Smith almost a century and a half ago. As reported in the minutes of that first meeting, held on March 17, 1842, the Prophet told the sisters in Nauvoo to "help in looking to the wants of the poor - searching after objects of charity, and in administering to their wants."

In another meeting several weeks later, he instructed the women to not just relieve the poor, but to save souls as well.

"The earth was awakening from the dark of winter and the promise of new life was in the air at those initial meetings," explained Sister Doxey. "The flowering of the work of women was about to burst forth. It was a time of planting, a time of sowing the seeds that would one day yield a fruitful field of members in a worldwide sisterhood."