Faith, Hope, and Charity

Review of Faith, Hope, and Charity

by Laurie Williams Sowby

“Faith, Hope, and Charity” delivers exactly what its subtitle suggests: “Inspiration from the Lives of General Relief Society Presidents.

The 314-page volume by Janet Peterson and LaRene Gaunt is actually an update of their 1990 book, “Elect Ladies: Presidents of the Relief Society.” The new one, published by Covenant, includes additional biographies of Elaine Jack, Mary Ellen Smoot, and Bonnie Parkin. (While Julie Bangerter Beck’s name does appear on the list of 15 women who have served, her contributions will have to wait for a future volume.)

Included in each 20-page biography are not only the focus and influence of each woman’s administration as General Relief Society President, but also personal accounts of her as a wife, mother, daughter, and friend.

The authors did extensive interviews with not only immediate family members but also extended family and coworkers to paint an individual portrait. Brief descriptions of the woman’s heritage, sometimes reaching back to ancestors generations before, show how family and childhood experiences helped shape her testimony.

The first chapter, on Emma Smith, also gives an interesting account of the beginnings of Relief Society in Nauvoo. The names of the first 20 members—the sisters present at the first meeting—appear in an appendix. Each chapter has endnotes documenting sources, and an extensive and detailed index at the back is helpful.

Another unusual feature of this series of biographies is a Relief Society Timeline which helps put Relief Society leaders and changes in the program in the context of world and Church events.

“Faith, Hope, and Charity” is a well-written, inspirational and uplifting read.

From grade school on, Laurie Williams Sowby has been enamored with the writing process. A graduate of BYU, she has taught writing at Utah Valley University and has written for a variety of publications, including LDS Church magazines, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, This People, the Deseret News, Daily Herald, and Utah County Journal. Laurie and her husband, Steve, have 5 children and a growing number of grandchildren. The Sowbys have served several missions together and are currently serving at Church Headquarters, where Laurie edits news for the Liahona and Steve does water engineering projects for the Physical Facilities Department.

Aimee rated it:

07/31/08

Read in July, 2008

So far so good! It has been very entertaining to learn about the lives of these great ladies!

Jeanette rated it:

08/04/08

bookshelves: 2008, lds-nonfiction

Read in August, 2008

I really enjoyed reading about the lives of these women who served as General Relief Society presidents. They all had very different stories but common themes of faith, service and love for others ran through all the stories. I especially enjoyed reading about the women “in the middle” whom I had not previously heard much about. Most of us are familiar with Emma Smith and Eliza R. Snow and with the women who have served in recent years but it was interesting to read about Louise Y. Rob…more I really enjoyed reading about the lives of these women who served as General Relief Society presidents. They all had very different stories but common themes of faith, service and love for others ran through all the stories. I especially enjoyed reading about the women “in the middle” whom I had not previously heard much about. Most of us are familiar with Emma Smith and Eliza R. Snow and with the women who have served in recent years but it was interesting to read about Louise Y. Robison, Amy Brown Lyman and Clarissa Smith Williams, women who served during the 1930s through the 1950s.
I enjoyed reading about Louise Y. Robison because I felt like I could identify with her. She was considered the ugly duckling of her family and was very shy but still a very effective leader. I also felt like I gained a lot from reading about Barbara W. Winder (I did not realize Susan W. Tanner was her daughter). It was interesting to read about why and how she changed the curriculum for Relief Society in the 1980s and I was impressed with her compassion and commitment to the Gospel.
This book really was just full of inspiration and I finished reading it filled with a desire to stand a little taller as a daughter of God and to do more to reach out with compassion towards others