Latter-day Saint Women & Peacemaking
"Each of our communities depends upon ordinary women for human flourishing as they perform their unique roles as leaders, teachers, nurturers, healers, mothers, daughters, sisters and peacemakers."
On March 11th, at an International Women’s Day Diplomacy Event in Los Angeles, CA, Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson shared that:
Each of our communities depends upon ordinary women for human flourishing as they perform their unique roles as leaders, teachers, nurturers, healers, mothers, daughters, sisters and peacemakers. We cannot reach every person in the world no matter how well funded our programs, well penned our policies, or well developed our diplomacy. But through our global sisterhood, we can reach every single soul.
Today, in honor of Women’s history month and the 183rd anniversary of the Relief Society, we highlight some notes on how Latter-day Saint women have contributed to peacemaking, acknowledging that these notes barely scratch the surface.
LDS Women & the International Peace Movement
Latter-day Saint women were early advocates of the international peace movement. From 1902, local Relief Society and Young Women leaders organized annual peace meetings in wards, which included pageantry, talks, poetry and music that spoke against war and emphasized the universal kinship of humanity. These meetings were held in every western state and Canada and Mexico. In 1903, Utah itself held 138 meetings with 15,374 attendees, two-thirds of which were women. “While men often played prominent roles on the programs… the women were the undisputed leaders,” David Pulsipher wrote.
Though these meetings ceased around the start of World War I, they reflected the mission of the Relief Society described by John A. Widtsoe as, “the relief of poverty, relief of illness; relief of doubt, relief of ignorance — relief of all that hinders the joy and progress of woman.” Their legacy continues in other ways, today.
Today’s LDS Women General Leaders: shared service leads to peacemaking
On March 4, 2024, President Johnson spoke to the European Union Parliament in advance of international Women’s Day about the “global sisterhood” of Relief Society:
“I have seen what our women do when they are able to express their fullest selves and connect with others through our joint sisterhood. I have seen women elevate one another in the midst of poverty. I have seen women care for, feed and nurture children who are not their own. I have seen women stand to protect others from the ravages of war.”
In February 2025, Primary General President Susan H. Porter traveled to the Middle East for the International Conference on Dialogue and Peacemaking. She explained that humanitarian work contributes to peacemaking by 1) alleviating suffering, and 2) forging friendships across difference. Thinking beyond Latter-day Saints, she shared an example of sisterhood found in a multi-faith group of women in Lima, Peru.
They formed an inter-religious network to promote interfaith understanding and to organize joint humanitarian efforts forging friendships that transcended their differences. There was a palpable feeling of love and friendship among them. They had created an oasis of peace in a large, diverse city.
Mormon Women for Ethical Government
Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG) builds on this legacy as well. MWEG is a nonpartisan organization founded in 2017 by a small group of women concerned about the lack of civility, compassion, and peace in our politics. Its membership has since grown to over 7,000 members. Peacemaking has been core to MWEG’s mission from the start.
Its impact isn’t limited to Latter-day Saints. Becca Leviss, a Jewish Harvard Divinity School student, recently wrote on how her internship with MWEG helped her translate religious ideals into action in a complicated world.
This Saturday, March 22, MWEG will hold its 8th Annual Spring Conference at Utah Valley University in Orem, UT. The theme is Growing Forward: Sowing Seeds of Compassion, Resilience, and Peace.
Global Initiative to Improve the Well-Being of Women & Children
In Summer 2024, the Relief Society launched a global initiative to improve the well-being of women and children around the world. While focusing on humanitarian aid, the wide ranging partners it has selected and the multiplicity of ways people can participate will lead to peacemaking, along the way. Read about the full project here.
As you read “25 Ways to Participate in the Global Initiative to Improve the Well-Being of Women and Children,” note the multiplicity of talents, vocations, family situations, and spiritual gifts that are named. From mentoring individuals to advocating for community change, from spending quality time with children to public speaking, this list invites women and men in all life situations to contribute to the initiative in a way that suits them. This, too, is peacemaking.
Support the literacy and education of women and children by identifying and combatting barriers in your community.
Help children read aloud. Nothing improves children’s cognitive skills more than reading with adults who care about them.
Find out what challenges in your community might be keeping new mothers from accessing prenatal care. Seek to address those challenges.
Dance, jump, climb, and play on the floor with children. Movement aids in developing children’s brains and strengthening their growing bodies.
Plant a garden and share the produce with your neighbors. Include children in taking care of the garden.
Learn about preserving food, so it can be eaten when out of season. And set aside non-perishable food, when possible, to build an emergency reserve.
Learn what can be done to help families who are dependent upon food distribution in your community and assist in addressing that challenge.
Work with your local government to ensure your community’s access to clean water, air, and food sources are free from contaminants and impurities.
Plan Relief Society activities that provide support and education related to the global initiative efforts, and counsel in your Relief Society about ways to participate.
Mentor a woman on the path to self-reliance.
When possible, exclusively breastfeed your baby for the first six months. Begin introducing your baby to nutritious foods at six months and keep breastfeeding to supplement your baby with all the nutrients they need for at least a year.
Ensure a private and supportive environment at church and work for mothers who breastfeed or pump.
Encourage regular physical check-ups to get needed care including preventative care, pre and postnatal care for pregnant women, and routine vaccines for children.
Eat healthy foods with children. Let them help you choose and prepare the meal or snack. Talk about the benefits of nutritious foods while preparing together.
Find other refreshments besides sugary treats for church activities, sports practice, and after-school snacks.
Interact with babies and toddlers early and often. Making eye contact, talking, and playing with babies builds strong connections in their brains.
Help a child with homework after school.
Give books as gifts and share the reason you specifically chose it for that person. Having books in the home provides the opportunity to learn and develop.
Support local lending libraries and other free resources with books.
Speak to your local schools about their goals for nutritious meals and snacks. Consider what parents and the community can do to help.
Talk with children early and often. Tell them stories and let them share their stories with you.
Reinforce a child’s self-worth by helping them identify their gifts and talents. Help children use their gifts and talents to bless others.
Give children responsibility in the home to help them value work, learn the importance of teamwork and self-reliance, and build their self-worth.
Fast and donate a monetary offering. Refraining from meals so someone else can eat is one simple way you can help.
Join or post a project on JustServe that helps the women and children in your community.