Women are Important!

 This post is part of the General Conference Odessey. This week covers the General Relief Society session of the October 1997 conference.

Sister Mary Ellen Smoot began her talk with the story of Esther, so it fits right in with this week's Come Follow Me lesson. She talked about the importance of our roles as women in building the kingdom. I met her when she visited her sister who lived in the stake next to ours in Virginia, and they hastily put together a two stake Relief Society conference. Sister Smoot was so gracious and kind, and forgiving of my social faux pas. (I've had some awkward, embarrassing moments throughout my life that I wish I could erase.) I well remember the excitement we felt about the new Presidents of the Church curriculum for Relief Society and Melchizedek Priesthood quorums. I was in a stake RS presidency and got to teach the sisters how to teach the new lessons. Which, by the way, I loved! I still have all the manuals and refer to them when preparing other lessons and talks.

Sister Virginia U. Jensen spoke of our role in creating places of security. ". . . what a great opportunity we as women have to influence the lives of those around us. . . . Sometimes this world is a frightening place to be. I believe, however that women have unique opportunities and special gifts and talents to protect, nurture, and influence others. We can create places of security where marriages, children, and families can thrive and avoid the evil of the world." 

I loved her story about Captain Moroni, my hero. "While his enemies gained power through fraud and deceit, Moroni empowered the Nephites by teaching them to be faithful to God." Isn't that a timely statement. As I read it I felt that it applied directly to our day. President Nelson is doing exactly the same thing with us!

Another important teaching from Sister Jensen is, 

"Adherence to the Lord's commandments is the foundation of her fortress.

To provide safety for those around us, we as sisters need to expand our knowledge of all things spiritual. We need to learn and progress in understanding and teach our children those things that will make them less vulnerable to deceit and to the designs of those who conspire against righteousness. Ignorance is not bliss; it is dangerous."

Oh how we need this reminder today! I teach Primary with nine children in my class. We regularly have three to five children, as someone is always on vacation or home sick, or just not fully active. These nine children represent seven families in our branch. Only two of those families study the Come Follow Me lessons each week or read any scriptures daily. Last week I sent a letter to the parents to remind them of their responsibility to teach their children. The twenty minutes I have with them on Sunday is not enough time to teach them anything; we barely have time to review the story. 

It seems to me that too many families are involved in too many worldly pursuits and activities while neglecting the spiritual education of their children. Sister Jensen's talk would be a good one to share with the parents.

Sister Sheri L. Dew spoke next and charmed us all with her humor, directness and riveting testimony. One of the things she said struck me as something that comes from someone who has been through fiery trials. "As our testimony of Him expands and matures, we begin to care more about life forever than life today, and we have no desire but to do what He needs us to do and to live as He has asked us to live."

It is not only prophets who call us to repentance, Sister Dew did a pretty good job,

He needs us today. He needs us to speak up for what is right, even when doing so is unpopular. He needs us to develop the spiritual maturity to hear the voice of the Lord and detect the deceptions of the adversary. He delights in women who keep their covenants with precision, women who reverence the power of the priesthood, women who are willing to "lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better" (D&C 25:10). He needs us to be everything we can be, to "arise and shine forth, that [our] light may be a standard for the nations" (D&C 115:5).

 

She asked two penetrating questions: 1) How much good might we do if at this very hour we rededicated ourselves to Him who is our Redeemer and our Rescuer? And 2) Might we commit to do just a little better than we have been doing, and in the process marshal our forces to lead the women of the world in all that is Godlike and ennobling?

I get rather frustrated at how little our branch Relief Society does, both with the sisters, and in the community. I wish we could unite and do so much more. Sometimes I think that many of the sisters, who have attended only this branch, don't know that they are part of a larger Society. They don't realize that the sisterhood of the Relief Society numbers in the millions! And together we can make a positive difference in our homes, communities and the world.