6 What in the world

Hurricane Irene

The most recent natural disaster to hit the United States, in a year of many natural disasters, Irene moved in from the Atlantic Ocean and strengthened into a Category 3 major hurricane as it passed over the Bahamas. Curving toward the north, the storm made landfall on North Carolina's Outer Banks as a Category 1 hurricane. Although the storm weakened into a mere tropical storm, it resulted in extensive flooding and damage as far north as Vermont. In anticipation of the storm, New York closed down its subway system for the first time ever for weather-related causes. Millions of people across the 12 affected states were without power. Vermont suffered its worst flooding in centuries. The Catskill Mountains in New York received between 10 and 12 inches of rain. That's a whole lot of rain. At least 48 deaths occurred as a result of the storm.

New book published for women

A new book, Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society, has recently been published under the direction of the First Presidency and is currently being distributed to all Mormon women over the age of 18 to help them in their efforts to follow the Savior, increase their personal faith, strengthen their families, and serve others. The book is intended as a resource for personal study and teaching in the Church and in the home.

Daughters in My Kingdom is unique in the Church in that it was written by an individual woman rather than a committee. It was written by Susan W. Tanner, a former general Young Women president who now serves a mission with her husband John in Brazil. (Incidentally, John grew up in the same ward in southern California that Claudia grew up in. John and I served missions in Brazil at the same time in the late 1960s, I in the north and he in the south. After our missions, he served as my vice-president when I was president of English Circle at Brigham Young University. For many recent years John was academic vice-president at BYU.)

General women's meeting

The annual general Relief Society meeting will be held in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday evening, September 24, beginning at 6:00 p.m. MDT. It will be broadcast widely to stake centers throughout the world, over the Internet, and on local television stations in Utah. It is anticipated that members of the Relief Society general presidency and a member of the First Presidency will address the sisters.