Amy Brown Lyman
“No work could be more important and satisfying than that of
helping to raise human life to its highest level,”
She
believed this was done best by providing “relief of existing distress [and] prevention
of new distress.” Called as eighth
general president of the Relief Society three months after the outbreak of
World War II in Europe , she experienced many
opportunities to put that philosophy into practice.
During
her administration, the Relief Society worked tirelessly to achieve this goal.
Functioning in coordination with and under the direction of the priesthood,
sisters from the United States to Holland and from New Zealand to Canada united
in such activities as sending care packages to members and soldiers in war-torn
countries, folding bandages for the Red Cross, and sewing items like
undergarments, clothing, and bedding for those in need.
“[My] testimony has been my anchor and my
stay, my satisfaction in times of joy and gladness, my comfort in times of
sorrow and discouragement. I am grateful
for the opportunity I have had of serving…in the Relief Society where during
most of my mature life I have worked so happily and contentedly with its
thousands of members. I have visited in
their homes, slept in their beds, and eaten at their tables, and have thus
learned of the beauty of their character, their unselfishness, their understanding
hearts, their faithfulness, and their sacrifices. I honor beyond my power of expression this
great sisterhood of service.”
