Barbara Bradshaw Smith
1974-1984
“As sisters in Relief Society, women have a noble heritage,
a present challenge, and a vision of greatness to be.”
“With the
organization of Relief Society came the Lord’s program for His daughters. The
cornerstone of that work was to become deeply engaged in relieving suffering
among His children. The prophet also instructed the sisters that their society
is not only to relieve the poor but to save souls. That challenge is much with
us today.”
Barbara B. Smith, 10th general president of the Relief
Society, led the women of the Church during a critical time in history. The
proposed Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution was making women
question their rights, roles, and value as mothers and wives. But Sister Smith
defended the essential calling of womanhood and faithfully led women around the
world in embracing their divine purpose as women.
Sister Smith felt so strongly about the importance of
women’s divine roles that she invited the women of the Church to donate funds
to erect the Nauvoo Monument to Women in Nauvoo , Illinois
During Sister Smith’s administration,
membership in the Relief Society grew from less than a million members who
spoke 17 different languages to 1.6 million members speaking 80 languages. After her release, her Church service
continued as her husband was called to serve as a member of the First Quorum of
the Seventy and was named Area President in Asia .
Barbara worked extensively on family history and authored four books.
