President Oaks teaches about the role of the Relief Society from its early beginnings to the current day. He begins by talking about the purpose of the Relief Society organized by Emma Smith.

• From its beginning, the Relief Society has led out in charitable work. At the first meeting, President Emma Smith said, “Each member should be ambitious to do good.”

Church leaders have clarified the purpose of the Relief Society.

• “To save souls opens the whole field of human activity and development,” Elder John A. Widtsoe later declared. “Relief of poverty, relief of illness; relief of doubt, relief of ignorance—relief of all that hinders the joy and progress of woman. What a magnificent commission!”

In the early days of the church, the women of the church desired to form a sisterhood, an organization to build themselves into something greater than they currently were. The Prophet Joseph Smith saw their desire and promised to seek the Lord's guidance on organizing the women of the church under the direction of the Priesthood.

• The Relief Society was organized upon the initiative of the women of Nauvoo. Desiring to organize a society to promote sisterhood and to accomplish benevolent works, a group of women asked Eliza R. Snow to draft a constitution and bylaws. When Joseph Smith learned of this, he asked that the sisters be called together so that he could provide “something better for them than a written Constitution.” One sister recalled his saying, “I will organize the women under the priesthood after the pattern of the priesthood.”
• In his first formal instruction to the newly founded organization, the Prophet said he was “deeply interested that [the Relief Society] might be built up to the Most High in an acceptable manner.” He taught that “when instructed we must obey that voice … that the blessings of heaven may rest down upon us—all must act in concert or nothing can be done—that the Society should move according to the ancient Priesthood.”

The Relief Society was not organized so that the men could tell them what to do. It was organized as a separate organization, a organization that is part of the church with its leaders working with the priesthood to do greater things.

• The Prophet declared that the Relief Society was to receive instruction and direction from the priesthood leaders who presided over their activities. Like the quorums of priesthood holders in the Church, the Relief Society was to be self-governing, but it was not to be an independent organization. It was an integral part of the Church, not a separate church for women.
• The Prophet Joseph Smith made the Relief Society an official part of the Church and kingdom of God. This opened to women new opportunities for receiving knowledge and intelligence from on high, such as through the temple ordinances that were soon to be instituted. Similarly, as the Prophet promised them in connection with their charitable service, “If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates.”

President Oaks emphasized the authority that the Relief Society has been given and how it is organized just like a priesthood quorum in the church.

• President Joseph Fielding Smith explained: “While the sisters have not been given the Priesthood, … that does not mean that the Lord has not given unto them authority. Authority and Priesthood are two different things. A person may have authority given to him, or a sister to her, to do certain things in the Church that are binding and absolutely necessary for our salvation, such as the work that our sisters do in the House of the Lord.”

Finally, President Oaks talks about the importance of women and mothers in society today. They have such an important role in helping our sons and daughters becoming what the Lord expects of them.

• We cannot overstate the supreme importance of the task our Father in Heaven has assigned to the mothers, who are the teachers and workers and standard-setters in the homes of the Latter-day Saints. The mothers in those homes give the impressionable sons and daughters of God their earliest and most formative orientation for their mortal journey toward eternal life.
• The common objective of brotherhood in our priesthood quorums and sisterhood in our Relief Societies is to bring men and women together in the sacred marriage and family relationships that lead toward eternal life, “the greatest of all the gifts of God.”

I have been blessed in my life by so many women in the church. Their love and devotion to God's work has made it possible for me to become the man I am today. From my mother to my wife, to my daughters, I have been blessed to see these amazing women lead and guide their homes and families towards eternity. I will forever be grateful for those women in my life that have been taught how to be a great women in Zion and how to care of the nurture the spirits that they are responsible for. The women I love and respect are amazing examples of the great women this world needs today.

Elder Ballard discusses the principle of sacrifice and the blessings we have in our lives from people that have gone before us.  He speaks specifically about the sacrifices our ancestors made crossing the plains and how they had so little in worldly possessions but so much in faith.

• Many of us are descendants of hardy pioneers, and we feel grateful and inspired by their faithpromoting examples of sacrifice.
• Their material means, such as food, clothing, and shelter, were meager, but their love for one another and their devotion to their Lord and to the gospel were boundless.
• Our commitment to the kingdom should match that of our faithful ancestors even though our sacrifices are different.

He shares some examples of how our lives are different from those that the pioneers lived.

• Instead of physical deprivation and hardship, we face the challenge of remaining true and faithful to gospel principles amidst such evil and destructive forces as dishonesty, corruption, drug and alcohol misuse, and disease often caused by sexual promiscuity. Also, we find ourselves in combat daily with immorality in all of its many forms. Pornography and violence, often portrayed in insidious television shows, movies, and videos, are running rampant. Hate and envy, greed and selfishness are all about us, and families are disintegrating at an ever-increasing pace. In the midst of all of this, my brothers and sisters, we must never forget the source of our abundant blessings.

Elder Ballard discusses the Savior and the perfect example of sacrifice.  We should be looking to the Savior as our ultimate example and seek to follow His guidance.

• Sacrifice is a demonstration of pure love. The degree of our love for the Lord, for the gospel, and for our fellowman can be measured by what we are willing to sacrifice for them. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ manifested the supreme example of this love. His life and ministry established a pattern for us to follow. His divine mission was culminated in a supreme act of love as He allowed His life to be sacrificed for us. Having power over life and death, He chose to submit himself to pain, ridicule, and suffering, and offered His life as a ransom for our sins. Because of His love, He suffered both body and spirit to a degree beyond our comprehension and took upon Himself our sins if we repent. Through His personal sacrifice, He provided a way for us to have our sins forgiven and, through Him, to find our way back into the presence of our Heavenly Father.
• The sacrifice he requires of us is “a broken heart and a contrite spirit” that can lead us to repentance. When we consider His example, the demands made upon our time or means are slight in comparison. We should, therefore, give gladly and count it as a blessing and an opportunity.

Elder Ballard concludes with examples of what we are called upon to do today and how we need to have a desire to serve God in all our actions.

• My brothers and sisters, we must not lose the spirit of sacrifice demonstrated by the handcart pioneers. Some of the Lord’s choicest blessings await those who practice this eternal principle through extending themselves in service to God and to their fellowmen. The sacrificing spirit and the happiness that come through service to others can bring peace and joy even amid trials.
• The principle of sacrifice should be taught in every Latter-day Saint home and should be practiced in many simple yet important ways. We can do this by setting an example of reverence that will bring the true spirit of worship into our meetings and by guarding against murmuring and complaining about the challenges of the Sunday worship schedule. We can contribute a generous fast offering, find joy in supporting missionaries, and pay an honest tithing. We can accept Church callings and serve with a happy and grateful heart, do temple work regularly, offer family and personal daily prayers, and teach one another each week in well-planned family home evenings. Both younger members and those who are older can prepare early and make themselves worthy to accept calls to serve as missionaries. We all can be good neighbors and can take care of widows, the poor, and the less fortunate. We can reach out to others in our service as home and visiting teachers. Brethren, we must be clean and worthy to bless others with the priesthood we hold.
• Today we are not called to pull handcarts through the snow-swept plains of Wyoming. However, we are called to live, foster, and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is our privilege to invest our means and our time to bless others. Each one of us must do all we can to preserve our Latter-day Saint way of life. A vital part of this preservation is a willingness to set aside personal desires and replace them with unselfish sacrifice for others.

I am not called upon to walk across the United States, or to give my life as a sacrifice for the cause of Zion and many have in the past.  What I am called upon to do is give of my time, energy, and talents to the building up on for kingdom of God on the earth.  I am asked to visit the sick and weary and try to bring the comfort of the Savior and a small portion of the Savior's spirit into the homes that I visit.  I pray that my small sacrifice of time will provide amazing benefits to those that I attempt to reach out to.

Elder Hales teaches us about gratitude.  He provides multiple examples from the life of the Savior where great things occurred and the Savior immediately expressed his appreciation to the Father for those experiences.  He encourages us to have a similar appreciation for the blessings in our lives.  He starts by telling us that he recently suffered a heart attack and the lesson he learned from that experience.

• Throughout that experience, there is one particular feeling that began inside of me, almost immediately, that intensified as time went on and became overpowering during my illness, during my recovery, and remains with me still. I became overwhelmed with a feeling of deep gratitude for the goodness of God.
• My deepest gratitude is for the atoning sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Atonement is the foundation upon which all gospel truths reside.

He says that our actions, specifically our obedience to the commandments is an expression of love and gratitude towards the Savior.

• Our obedience to the laws, ordinances, and commandments is the greatest expression of love and gratitude that we can bestow upon him.
• Gratitude is also the foundation upon which repentance is built. The Atonement brought mercy through repentance to balance justice. How thankful I am for the doctrine of repentance. Repentance is essential to salvation. We are mortal—we are not perfect—we will make mistakes. When we make mistakes and do not repent, we suffer.

He says that gratitude to the Father and the Son lead us to repentance and an acceptance that They forgive us and are good to us.

• The point I would like to make is that when we express thankfulness to God and to his Son, Jesus Christ, we base our faith and repentance upon their forgiveness and their goodness.

Elder Hales shares that the sacrament is a great time for us to express our thanks to God.

• Like the Savior, it is important for each of us to prepare ourselves to give thanks for the atoning sacrifice each week as we partake of the sacrament.

Prayer is a vital part of gratitude.  Communication with God brings us humility and shows our dependence upon the Father and Son in our everyday lives.

• Prayer is an essential part of conveying appreciation to our Heavenly Father. He awaits our expressions of gratefulness each morning and night in sincere, simple prayer from our hearts for our many blessings, gifts, and talents.
• Through expression of prayerful gratitude and thanksgiving, we show our dependence upon a higher source of wisdom and knowledge—God the Father and his Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are taught to “live in thanksgiving daily.”

He ends with several statements about gratitude.  These statements clearly detail how we should view gratitude and our relationship with God.

• Gratitude is a state of appreciation, an act of thanksgiving, which causes us to be humble because we recognize an act of kindness, service, or caring from someone else which lifts us and strengthens us.
• Ingratitude is the attitude of being unaware or not recognizing when someone has assisted us or helped us or, even worse, when we know we have been helped and have not given thanks privately or publicly.
• In some quiet way, the expression and feelings of gratitude have a wonderful cleansing or healing nature. Gratitude brings warmth to the giver and the receiver alike.
• Gratitude expressed to our Heavenly Father in prayer for what we have brings a calming peace—a peace which allows us to not canker our souls for what we don’t have. Gratitude brings a peace that helps us overcome the pain of adversity and failure. Gratitude on a daily basis means we express appreciation for what we have now without qualification for what we had in the past or desire in the future. A recognition of and appreciation for our gifts and talents which have been given also allows us to acknowledge the need for help and assistance from the gifts and talents possessed by others.

I believe that gratitude is what is missing in the world today.  When we fail to express appreciation for the blessings we have in our lives, or we fail to recognize the course of our blessings, we miss out on building a strong relationship with God.  Gratitude builds a stronger relationship with God as we recognize that He is the source of true happiness in our lives.  How grateful I am that we are taught how to give thanks through prayer since I was a young child.  That simple teaching has helped me to keep in mind throughout my life, where my happiness originates from and who I owe my thanks to for the great blessings in my life.