Relief Society, the Church’s official organization for women, is an auxiliary of the priesthood, which means that it does not technically belong to the women it is intended to serve. If it becomes preoccupied with the patriarchal nature of the Church, it can fail to do its most necessary work: to meet the spiritual, emotional, and social needs of LDS women. This session explores how patriarchy operates in male-dominated organizations in general and in the Church in particular, especially since the advent of Correlation; examines problems this creates for Relief Society members; and offers suggestions for how Relief Society can better meet the needs of LDS women.

TAMARA TAYSOM, ELLEN DECOO