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SALT LAKE CITY — "A powerful voice, LDS women speak out" weaves the history of the Relief Society together with the stories of women today to reveal how all generations of women in the church have served and led in their wards, families and communities.

“When the Savior was here, we were vital participants then and this is part of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Relief Society,” said Relief Society General President Sister Linda K. Burton.

In February 2016, the Church Historian's Press published " The First Fifty Years of Relief Society," an 800-page volume documenting the faith, leadership and accomplishments of the early women of the faith. “This is our history, the history that has never been in any of the traditional history books of the church,” explained LDS Church Historian Carol Cornwall Madsen.

The women were encouraged to speak up and speak out, and the minutes and other key documents from 1842- 1892 reveal how they used their voices and resources for good building up the Kingdom of God, offering relief to those in need and fighting for the right to vote as suffragists.

Carole Mikita produced the special with Candice Madsen and said she was deeply inspired by the women of the past. “I feel a closeness, as the historians have said, to these women and the desire to tell their stories and felt once again how remarkable they were, how full of faith, how courageous, how determined no matter what they were going to overcome the obstacles, they were going to achieve something, they were going to go beyond themselves and despite the difficulties of daily life they were going to help people,” Mikita said.

Mikita and Madsen also asked LDS women around the world to submit videos expressing their thoughts on Relief Society. “I watched those and once again was moved to tears,” Mikita said. “They express themselves so beautifully. They loved the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, they love each other, they love where they live and the opportunity to talk about being a Latter-day Saint.”

"A powerful voice, LDS women speak out" airs Sunday at noon on KSL-TV and KSL.com will also stream the special live.

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