In the first visit by a general Relief Society president to California's central coast in at least 50 years, Sister Julie B. Beck counseled sisters on how best to serve their families and help less-active loved ones return to the Church.

Sister Beck made her comments during a two-day visit Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 to Camarillo and Santa Barbara, Calif., where she trained Relief Society leaders and addressed women from eight stakes that hug the coastline from central California to just north of Los Angeles.

In comments prompted by questions from the audience, she spoke to nearly 2,000 sisters and priesthood leaders in a series of meetings, including a message she delivered in Spanish to members of two wards in the Camarillo California Stake.

Sister Beck said she learned how to prioritize her time as a wife and mother while observing her father-in-law, a steel worker who at various times in his career worked the day, evening or night shift. She said she realized she was working all three shifts simultaneously, and she had to prioritize the demands on her so she could provide the service her family most needed.

The most valuable time of the day for a family, Sister Beck said, is the afternoon/evening shift.

"Be at the top of your game on swing shift," she said. "People are hungry, people are teachable. You feed them; that's when you serve them the most. Plan for swing shift, and then work the rest of your day around that."

On the topic of reactivation, Sister Beck counseled the sisters to remember they are missionaries and to consider their loved ones as investigators. A study of the Church's Preach My Gospel manual contains many ideas on how to share the gospel with the Spirit, she said, and it doesn't have to be in a formal lesson.

Many times, those who have left the Church have lost hope they can return, Sister Beck said.

"They see you and they see your example, but they don't see themselves going where you are," she said. "They need to have hope that they can change, that mistakes are forgivable. … They need to have hope they can start where they are and make their way back."

Speaking to the Spanish wards in Oxnard, which is part of the Camarillo Stake, Sister Beck told those attending a joint Relief Society-priesthood meeting that she has confidence in their ability to let the Holy Ghost show them how to protect their families.

Sister Beck based her counsel on Alma 48:7-9 in the Book of Mormon, which describes how Captain Moroni strengthened the Nephites to defend themselves against their enemies. In those verses, Moroni prepared the Nephites' minds to be faithful to the Lord, helped them build a fort for protection and fortified their weak areas first. Those same techniques will help anyone defend themselves against those who would destroy their families, she said.

"If we can establish in our homes a culture of the gospel, we will little by little prepare our children, and that will be a defense," she said.

In a special meeting with young-adult sisters and Laurels, Sister Beck said Relief Society is exactly what those sisters need right now or will need by the time they turn 18. After several young adults told Sister Beck what they must know to succeed in school — skills such as time management and setting priorities — the general president smiled and told the sisters Relief Society is designed to help them with just such subjects.

"This is what we do in Relief Society," she said. "We help you do what you need to do better."

She also called the single sisters "the Lord's secret weapon" and encouraged them to step forward and get involved in His work.

"The Lord can't do what He needs to do if His daughters are sitting on the sidelines cheering," Sister Beck said. "He wants you in the game, building His Church."