I recently shared a comment about mentoring women who are interested in business. (Others can talk to mentors in other fields, but this is my area of expertise.) I thought I would make a post out of my comments.

I’ve been involved in mentoring students (mostly women in business students) for over a decade, and the topic of Mormon women, motherhood, education and the tension women sometimes feel with LDS teachings of family first + education/preparation is something I’ve been passionate about for a long time.

First, the thoughts and quotes:

I think, also, when women can understand that education helps prepare them to serve in the kingdom however and wherever they may be led/called, it can add more of a ‘whole’ to the whole issue rather than being framed as an either/or scenario.

Mary Cook gave an excellent talk on this subject at BYU a few years ago (summary here:http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/58136/More-fit-for-the-kingdom-more-used-would-I-be.html). Some of the ideas that she shared in that talk also appeared in this New Era article: https://www.lds.org/new-era/2009/04/more-fit-for-the-kingdom?lang=eng

I also think this talk by a female BYU-I professor captures the tension beautifully. http://www.byui.edu/Documents/instructional_development/Perspective/V7n2PDF/v7n2_hurley.pdf

Lastly, this quote from Eliza R. Snow is one of my favorites:

“Don’t you see that our sphere is increasing? Our sphere of action will continually widen, and no woman in Zion need[s] to mourn because her sphere is too narrow.

“God bless you, my sisters, and encourage you, that you may be filled with light, and realize that you have no interests but in the welfare of Zion. Let your first business be to perform your duties at home. But, inasmuch as you are wise stewards, you will find time for social duties because these are incumbent upon us as daughters and mothers in Zion. By seeking to perform every duty you will find that your capacity will increase, and you will be astonished at what you can accomplish.” (quoted in Daughters in My Kingdom)

I think consecration and personal revelation are key to dancing in the tension. I believe God cares about what we have to offer, and yet He offers, first, all that He has to offer if we will seek to follow His plan. I believe firmly that as we do this, and seek His guidance, He will lead us in how, when, and where to use the talents He has given us all along our life’s path. He’s the best mentor there is!

– – – – –

Resources for women who are interested in connecting with female mentors or others interested in business:

– BYU Management Society. There are women in business involved in chapters all over the world. Some chapters have specific women’s groups to help with networking and mentoring. See https://byums.org/women-professionals . If there is not a Women in Business group in your area, consider starting one. See http://byuwomeninbusiness.blogspot.com/2011/12/starting-women-in-business-group.html for ideas.)

– With the internet (see LinkedIn and Facebook, blogs, and more), women can take initiative and connect with LDS professionals in places all over the US and elsewhere.

– For students at BYU, there are robust women in business clubs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. These clubs have regular opportunities to network with professional LDS women.

Undergraduate Women in Business club: http://womeninbusiness.byu.edu/

Graduation Women in Management club: https://sites.google.com/site/wimbyu/)

– As an FYI, the undergraduate club will be holding an event on March 13. Elaine Dalton will be speaking and there will be opportunities to connect with people in various emphases within the business program. http://www.marriottschool.net/womeninbusiness/major-shopping-event-registration/

– The Marriott School has several advisory board where female mentors might be found. http://marriottschool.byu.edu/advisoryboard/

– The BYU Management Society held a Women in Business conference in 2011. There were several dynamic and accomplished women who were invited to speak and participate. http://marriottschool.byu.edu/conferences/wibc/

– Several of the women who participated in the Women in Business conference were featured on the blog for the conference who are excellent mentors to follow on Facebook and elsewhere (e.g., Whitney Johnson’s Harvard Business Review blog posts (http://blogs.hbr.org/whitney-johnson/), personal blog (http://whitneyjohnson.com/), Chrysula Winegar’s blogs (e.g., http://chrysulawinegar.com/, http://whenyouwakeupamother.com/).

See many more Mormon women in business featured at http://byuwomeninbusiness.blogspot.com/

p.s. The non-profit Aspiring Mormon Women also has a list of other resources for women in professions such as law, medicine, science, and more. http://aspiringmormonwomen.org/resources/

The post Thoughts, Resources, Mentoring Options for Mormon Women in Business appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

~by Michelle

There’s nothing quite like the annual BYU Women’s Conference. To gather with thousands of women who are eager to learn, serve, and build their faith is a wonderful experience.

BYU Women’s Conference is co-sponsored by the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is held every spring. This year’s conference will be held today and tomorrow on the Brigham Young University campus.

Preparations for BYU Women’s Conference begin months in advance, including choosing a theme, selecting speakers, preparing for the large-scale service projects. (See a list of this year’s service project and opportunities.)

I love this year’s theme: “By Small and Simple Things Are Great Things Brought to Pass” Alma 37:6–7. (Be sure to read Sandra Rogers’ message on the Women’s Conference home page.)

We invite anyone who is attending to share thoughts and experiences, or to include links to your own blogs, in the comments. See photos from women who attended last year’s BYU Women’s Conference.

To get a taste of BYU Women’s Conference, you can find dozens of archived talks at BYU Broadcasting. Also, see transcripts from talks from previous conferences, as well as handouts from past years’ sharing stations and some speakers’ sessions.

Delayed broadcasts will be held on BYU-TV (or at byutv.org), including the following talks:

May 16, 2011 (8:00 to 11:00 a.m. MDT)
“By Small and Simple Things”
Virginia H. Pearce

“Ideals Are Stars to Steer By: They Are Not a Stick to Beat Ourselves With”
Barbara Thompson
President Cecil O. Samuelson

“The Best Measure of True Greatness Is How Christlike We Are”
Kathy K. Clayton
Elaine S. Dalton

Friday Morning (April 29) Opening Session
Julie B. Beck

May 17, 2011 (8:00 to 11:00 a.m. MDT)
“We Are Going to Do Something Extraordinary”
Elaine L. Jack, Bonnie D. Parkin,
Mary Ellen Smoot, Barbara Winder,
Sharon Eubank (moderator)

“The Legacy of Relief Society”
Susan W. Tanner
John S. Tanner

“Visiting Teaching: Making a Difference by Small and Simple Means”
Bridgette Blackwelder Server
Mary Ellen Edmunds

May 18, 2011 (8:00 to 11:00 a.m. MDT)
Friday Afternoon (April 29) Closing Session
Elder David A. Bednar

“The Plan of Salvation: One of Heaven’s Best Gifts to Mankind”
Rosemary M. Wixom
Jean A. Stevens
Cheryl A. Esplin

“I Did Frankly Forgive Them”
Lolly S. Osguthorpe
Russell T. Osguthorpe

The post 2011 BYU Women’s Conference: Small and Simple Things appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

I wanted to piggyback off of that post and talk a little more about some of the principles she discussed but didn’t have the space to expand upon. Today, I’ll talk about education and self-reliance, and in the future, I want to talk more about the principle of agency that Brenda mentioned. (As is always the case, we share our perspectives and understanding here, but do not speak for the Church officially. We do try to point you to official teachings so you can read and consider more on your own about what Mormons believes.)

For today, I will focus on the statement Brenda made, which is that

Our Mormon faith encourages lifelong learning, self-reliance and an emphasis on hard work….

From the time we are young, we as Mormons talke about the importance of education and self-reliance. Consider, for example, the following examples from Church materials.

For LDS girls and boys ages 8-11, we have a goal-setting program, called Faith in God. One of the requirements to complete the program is to “Read D&C 88:77–80, 118 and D&C 130:19. Discuss with a parent or Primary leader how important a good education is….”

A possible Faith in God goal is to “Learn how to budget and save money. Discuss why it is important to faithfully pay our tithing and how Heavenly Father blesses us when we do (see 3 Nephi 24:10–11). Pay your tithing and begin saving for an education.”

Young women ages 12-18 hear a lot about the importance of education and of hard work, both in lessons and also in talks and articles in the youth magazine, The New Era.

I just skimmed over some of these materials to find some examples. From a Young Women lesson on work, we find several meaningful quotes such as this:

The aim of the Church is to help the people to help themselves. Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling principle of the lives of our Church membership.

The young women are encouraged to consider such questions as: “What steps do we need to take now for our future temporal welfare? What attitudes could prevent us from learning to work to care for our own temporal needs?”

The search on the topic of education in The New Era yielded nearly 600 results!

I think the Church’s view about education can be summed up well in the pamphlet For the Strength of Youth:

The welfare program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also underscores how much education, literacy and other facets of self-reliance matter to Mormons.

I think it’s important to note, however, the Mormons don’t look at education as solely a means to an end of getting a career and making money. Of course, being able to provide for one’s family is important, but it’s not the only reason to get an education.

I loved this story about an  address given by Sister Mary N. Cook about the importance of education. She notes that

My professional education has been the solid foundation that has really helped me in everything that has come since….

Getting an education is a very important part of mortality,” Sister Cook said. “It is one of the ways we become more fit for the kingdom [of the Lord]. We have our agency, we can make many choices that will prepare ourselves to be great teachers, parents and leaders. Rarely do we really know or understand what the Lord has in mind for us.”

When I think about Mormon women and education, I think about the wisdom of what I understood Sister Cook to be saying. I believe we (and actually, I think this applies to men as well), are encouraged to view our education not just for our own fulfillment, nor just about getting a good job (although that is, of course, important). I think we can see it as a means to be better instruments in God’s hands, in our homes and family life, in God’s work, and in our communities — in whatever way He directs us to use our skills and knowledge. And I think that there is key: learning to let God direct us in how we use our time and talents, and how and what we learn.

I love the quotes in this visiting teaching message. (Visiting teaching is a program wherein we visit one another and talk about life and gospel principles and try to serve and care for one another.) This simple material captures so much about Mormon belief and life. We care about spiritual learning. We care about secular learning and preparation. We care about formal education, but we also care about lifelong learning. Education is not simply about schooling, but is more a way of life and includes wise use of our time and setting of priorities. Consider this from President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency:

“We will have to make some hard choices of how we use our time. … But remember, you are interested in education, not just for mortal life but for eternal life. When you see that reality clearly with spiritual sight, you will put spiritual learning first and yet not slight the secular learning. …

… And since what we will need to know is hard to discern, we need the help of heaven to know which of the myriad things we could study we would most wisely learn. It also means that we cannot waste time entertaining ourselves when we have the chance to read or to listen to whatever will help us learn what is true and useful. Insatiable curiosity will be our hallmark” (“Education for Real Life,” Ensign, Oct. 2002, 18, 19).

So much to think about there. I also appreciated his thoughts on the topic of education in this article for youth.

This quote from Elder Robert D. Hales included thoughts specific to women who are raising children about cultivating a desire for lifelong learning:

My dear sisters, don’t ever sell yourself short as a woman or as a mother. … Do not let the world define, denigrate, or limit your feelings of lifelong learning and the values of motherhood in the home—both here mortally and in the eternal learning and benefits you give to your children and to your companion.

Lifelong learning is essential to the vitality of the human mind, body, and soul. It enhances self-worth and self-actuation. Lifelong learning is invigorating mentally and is a great defense against aging, depression, and self-doubt (“The Journey of Lifelong Learning,” in Brigham Young University 2008–2009 Speeches [2009], 2, 8–9).

I think there are points in these quotes that underscore how multi-faceted our views on education and learning are as Mormon women, and how they intertwine with how deeply we feel about the roles of wife and mother in God’s plan. Our beliefs about education, self-reliance, and learning involve more than just degrees and careers. They intersect with all that matters to us both in this life and the next, and, as such, demand a lot of us in terms of the choices we make about how to use our time and talents.

So how do Mormon women navigate these choices and the many responsibilities in our lives? As Brenda noted, that is where the principle of agency comes in. And that is a topic for another day. 🙂

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