I’m happy to share several links to recent addresses from our new Relief Society leaders!

In my opinion, one of the most under-celebrated events of the Relief Society — the worldwide Mormon women’s organization — was just held for two days this past week. BYU Women’s Conference is hosted by Brigham Young University, but is c0-sponsored by the Relief Society. Every year thousands of LDS women swarm the beautiful campus for two full days of general sessions, breakout classes, and significant service opportunities. I’ve attended this conference multiple times in the past, and there is a power at the conference that is amazing. I wish there was a way for more people to physically attend, but there is a way to virtually connect with some of what has happened.

Members of our new Relief Society General Presidency spoke on a couple of occasions during the BYU Women’s Conference. Sister Jean B. Bingham gave inspiring opening remarks to kick off the conference, before Sister Sharon Eubank’s powerful keynote address, and each presidency member spoke in a joint session.

In the coming weeks, other talks by faithful LDS women and men will be made available via the transcripts link at the BYU Women’s Conference site, but I’m thrilled to report that the talks given by our General Relief Society leaders are available for viewing now!

I’ll provide links to the various websites/pages below, but for ease, I’m also including direct links and embedding videos.

• “How Vast Is Our Purpose,” Sister Jean B. Bingham, BYU Women’s Conference, May 5, 2017 (Highlights found in this Deseret News article.) If you have ever felt “just average” Sister Bingham’s talk is for you! She is a perfect example of the power of humility and trust in the Lord in the face of overwhelming situations.
• “Eyes to See, Discipline to Create, Glue to Bind—Converted unto the Lord,” Sister Sharon Eubank BYU Women’s Conference keynote address, May 4, 2017 (again, this video also includes opening remarks by Sister Bingham). Sister Eubank shares personal experiences with the challenge (and faith that can be found) as a single sister in the Church, and has important insights into the power of Mormon women.
• “Relief Society—Divinely Ordained of God,” Sister Sharon Eubank, BYU Women’s Conference, May 5, 2017. Hear more of Sister Eubank’s experiences and insights as she is processing this new calling and what Relief Society means to her.
• “What Has Relief Society Been for Me?”, Sister Reyna I. Aburto, BYU Women’s Conference, May 5, 2017. Sister Aburto talks poignantly of the pain of being married to a drug and alcohol addict and the difficulty of facing divorce, finding the gospel, and discovering what it means to be a Mormon woman in the Relief Society.

Here is information to help you find talks by our Relief Society leaders in the future.

• At LDS.org, on the Relief Society page, under the sidebar section entitled “General Presidency Messages.”
• At LDS.org under the Broadcasts section, within the sidebar tab/section entitled “BYU Women’s Conference.” Right now, Sister Eubank’s keynote address is the only talk available. I’m sure that will change in short order.
• On Mormon Channel’s YouTube channel. I’ve embedded the videos below. Sister Sharon Eubank (new first counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency) was the opening keynote speaker of the BYU Women’s Conference, and Sister Jean B. Bingham (Relief Society General President) gave some opening remarks before the keynote. For whatever reason, the YouTube version right now has a loooong segment of Mormon Tabernacle Choir music (lovely music, but makes the video very looooong). You can find the beginning of the remarks (starting with Sister Bingham) at about the 1:15 mark (that is one hour and 15 minutes).

The Relief Society General Presidency also each spoke at another session of the conference. Again, scrub to about 1:04 (that’s one hour and 4 minutes) to get to the beginning of their talks.

In time, talks from BYU Women’s Conference will also be available at BYUtv.

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It’s St. Patrick’s Day (are you wearing green?) but for Mormon women around the world, March 17 is much more than that.

It’s the day that the Relief Society, the women’s organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was organized. Today marks the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Relief Society.

Here is a message from the worldwide leaders of Mormon women (the general presidency of the Relief Society), encouraging us to remember and study the history and purpose of this worldwide women’s organization.

I love the photos in that article as well, capturing Mormon women around the world.

Here are a few things to celebrate Mormon women and this special day in our history.

The First Fifty Years of Relief Society is a book that is now available online for free. This article explains how there are so many stories about faith of our foremothers, seeds of stories, that if studied can give us glimpses of the heritage early Mormon women left us.

In another article, Mormon women around the world share what Relief Society means to them.

Here is a video with Mormon women sharing their love of Relief Society.

I also love this short, straightforward video of Julie B. Beck explaining what Relief Society is about. Mormon women care about strengthening faith in Jesus Christ, building family, and serving those in need.

The post Mormon Women celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Relief Society appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Many Mormon Women readers will be happy to know that BYU Women’s Conference will be livestreaming the opening and closing sessions today from the Marriott Center. See this message from Elder Renlund, including an invitation to prepare through scripture reading for the messages he and his wife have prepared:

“Ruth and I are looking forward to speaking at the BYU Women’s Conference on Friday afternoon (April 29). The theme for the conference is ‘One in Charity.’ We plan to share our thoughts about what charity is, the relationship between unity and charity, and where charity comes from.

“In preparation for that session, we invite each of you to study Mosiah 4. Pay particular attention to defining ‘this’ in verse 12.

“We look forward to being with you great sisters on Friday.”

—posted Monday on Elder Renlund’s Facebook page

Live streams will be available on the homepage of lds.org, and on the Mormon Channel. The live streaming will be available in both English and Spanish.

•Sister Linda K. Burton, Relief Society general president, will speak during the Friday morning session at 9:00 a.m. MDT.

•Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Sister Ruth L. Renlund will speak at the closing general session on Friday at 3:45 to 5:00 p.m. MDT.

Share your insights and photos with the hashtag #byuwc

The post BYU Women’s Conference Livestream #byuwc appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Who am I to judge another
When I walk imperfectly?
In the quiet heart is hidden
Sorrow that the eye can’t see.
Who am I to judge another?

Lord, I Would Follow Thee

Hymns, #220

I have a friend who has suffered for years with depression, and at certain points along the way of her hard journey, she has been bedridden. A few years ago, as she was starting to find her way out of a serious bout with this depression, she had an unusual impression.

“Go visit the women in your stake.”

She took this prompting seriously, and dedicated a year and a half of her life visiting around 500 women, most of them in their homes. Many of them didn’t know what to make of it at first. Is she trying to sell me something? What is this about?

It was simply about following God’s will for her — and was something that has blessed many women’s lives, including my own.

One of the things that strikes me most about her experience (besides her incredible courage in facing her fears and her trust in God to act with such faith) is this:

“Michelle,” she says, “if there is anything I learned from that experience, it’s that every person, without exception, is dealing with something.” Because she took the time to visit women in their homes, in their own safe space, and because she had no other motive than to reach out and listen, women responded. They opened up. They got real about how hard life can be.

I’m reminded of something President Henry B. Eyring said in a talk years ago:

When I was a young man, I served as counselor to a wise district president in the Church. He tried to teach me. One of the things I remember wondering about was this advice he gave: “When you meet someone, treat them as if they were in serious trouble, and you will be right more than half the time.”

I thought then that he was pessimistic. Now, more than 40 years later, I can see how well he understood the world and life.

All I would add to that wise idea, based on my friend’s decent sample size in Mormonville, Utah, is that you will probably be right almost all of the time.

In the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye can’t see.

The next time you ask someone how they are doing, take a few seconds to look her in the eye and wait and listen. Maybe she won’t feel like opening up. But maybe she will. Or maybe the Spirit will at some time prompt you to do something that she might need, even if they don’t ask.

And watch for how God might be wanting to reach out to you in your own private struggles. He is real. He loves you. Tender mercies don’t always come in the way we want or expect, but they do come. They are real.

One last link I wanted to share is this beautiful talk by President Thomas S. Monson. The story of Tiffany moves me to tears when I read it.

And this quote from the talk is one of my all-time favorites:

“My dear sisters, your Heavenly Father loves you—each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there.”

I pray that you can feel God’s love today. And know that He knows what is in your heart and life, and that He will even consecrate your trials — as He did with my friend’s — for your good and the blessing of others’ lives…in His way and timing.

The post In the Quiet Heart appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

I’ve been out of town for a month, for all practical purposes, and so I didn’t get to posting the rebroadcasts that took place in June. But there is still a chance to see some rebroadcasts of many of the Friday session talks during July and into August. Schedule is below.

2014 Women’s Conference Broadcast Schedule 

You can also view selected talks from past years by going to www.byub.org, clicking on BYUtv, then typing “womensconference” in the Search Site box.

And don’t forget that there are transcripts available as well.

► “The Moral Force That Is Within You” 

Janie Penfield Rasmussen
June 29––11:00 a.m. and June 30––3:00 a.m.

Virginia H. Pearce
June 29––11:30 a.m. and June 30––3:30 p.m.

► The Redeeming and Strengthening
Powers of the Atonement
Elder Bruce C. and Marie K. Hafen
July 6––11:00 a.m. and July 7––3:00 a.m.

SESSIONS HELD
FRIDAY, MAY 2 AT BYU

► The Atonement Heals, Comforts,
Consoles
Linda K. Burton, Bonnie L. Oscarson,
Rosemary M. Wixom
July 13––11:00 a.m. and July 14––3:00 a.m.

► Strength from Grace: Faithful LDS
Women
Primary, Relief Society and Young Women
General Presidencies
July 20––11:00 a.m. and July 21––3:00 a.m.

► Replenishing and Fortifying Our
Spiritual Reserves
Annette Burton
July 27––11:00 a.m. and July 28––3:00 a.m.

Mary Ellen Edmunds
July 27––11:30 a.m., and July 28––3:30 p.m.

► Attaining, Accessing, Using Priesthood
Power
Heidi S. Swinton
August 3––11:00 a.m. and August 4––3:00
a.m.

David Clare
August 3––11:30 a.m. and August 4––3:30
p.m

The post BYU Women’s Conference rebroadcasts #byuwc appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

This is always a favorite post of mine to publish each year. Select transcripts from the 2014 BYU Women’s Conference are available!

[Post has been updated. BYU Women’s Conference had a website upgrade, and I’m happy to say that they also included many more transcripts from 2014. Enjoy!]

New update: Select videos are also available at BYUTV.org. We’ve included links below for talks that had corresponding videos there. https://www.byutv.org/search?q=byu%20women%27s%20conference

• Annette Burton “Replenishing and Fortifying our Spiritual Reserves” VIDEO here: https://www.byutv.org/player/4425548b-2567-4b96-aaf1-4a3fd283d2c1/byu-womens-conference-annette-burton-522014

  Clayton and Ann Christensen “Missionary Opportunities: The Courage to Open Our Mouths” VIDEO here: https://www.byutv.org/player/68e0bdc3-8178-4e3b-a54c-4dcf0a11db31/byu-womens-conference-clayton-and-ann-christensen-512014

  David V. Clare “Attaining, Accessing, Using Priesthood Power” VIDEO here: https://www.byutv.org/player/2210043a-9050-4d23-a898-acfe5f2f15b8/byu-womens-conference-david-clare-2014

  Gaye Strathearn “Let Us Therefore Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace” https://www.byutv.org/player/cfa21ad7-7d9c-43a2-a88e-9fcbd525ff6e/byu-womens-conference-gaye-strathearn-512014

  Elder Bruce C. and Sister Marie K. Hafen “The Redeeming and Strengthening Powers of the Atonement” VIDEO here: https://www.byutv.org/player/5b329d36-bbe0-4a52-a87d-94ea1ec926ee/byu-womens-conference-bruce-c-marie-k-hafen-512014

  Heidi Swinton “The Powerful Privilege of Women” VIDEO here: https://www.byutv.org/player/209c9929-7c69-47c6-b337-051c1cbac31d/byu-womens-conference-heidi-s-swinton-522014

  Janie Penfield Rasmussen “The Moral Force that is Within You” VIDEO here: https://www.byutv.org/player/eee39d64-0d0a-4ae6-8156-0fbde600b9d9/byu-womens-conference-janie-penfield-rasmussen-512014

  Mary Ellen Edmunds “Replenishing and Fortifying our Spiritual Reserves” VIDEO here: https://www.byutv.org/player/00df64fc-bb38-4ada-bf01-0a07f150bbdb/byu-womens-conference-mary-ellen-edmunds-522014

  Nora Nyland Kerr “Come Boldly [with Confidence] find Grace to Help in Time of Need.” VIDEO here: https://www.byutv.org/search?q=byu%20women%27s%20conference%20kerr

  Sheri Dew “Sweet Above All That Is Sweet” VIDEO here: https://www.byutv.org/player/1d4f0f4e-ff51-4e38-b35b-8cdb6b4dd3ce/byu-womens-conference-sheri-l-dew-512014

  Virginia Pearce “Thin Places.” VIDEO here: https://www.byutv.org/player/5adb6abc-04f8-4d10-a036-1dd2000a3db7/byu-womens-conference-virginia-h-pearce-512014

  Julie A. Anderson “Teaching Teens to Understand How the Atonement Can Help Daily”

  Cheryl A. Esplin “Strength from Grace: Faithful LDS Women Rosa—An Example of Grace”

  Neill F. Marriott “Strength from Grace: Faithful LDS Women Grace Under Pressure.”

  Carol F. McConkie “Strength from Grace: Faithful LDS Women.”

  Linda S. Reeves “Strength from Grace: Faithful LDS Women Carrie Ann Rhodes, Dealing with Infertility.”

  Linda S. Reeves “Strength from Grace: Faithful LDS Women.”

  Carole M. Stephens “Strength from Grace: Faithful LDS Women Despair Does Not Look Good on Me, I’m Choosing to Wear the Atonement.”

  Jean A. Stevens “Strength from Grace: Faithful LDS Women.”

  Rosemary M. Wixom “Strength from Grace: Faithful LDS Women.”

  Linda S. Reeves “The Atonement Heals, Comforts, Consoles, and Enables Us to Show Mercy and Grace unto Ourselves.” VIDEO here: https://www.byutv.org/player/ddab432d-9f9c-4189-9464-24961e1dff91/byu-womens-conference-linda-burton-bonnie-oscarson-rosemary-wixom

  Bonnie L. Oscarson “The Atonement Heals, Comforts, Consoles, and Enables Us to Show Mercy and Grace unto Ourselves.” VIDEO here: https://www.byutv.org/player/ddab432d-9f9c-4189-9464-24961e1dff91/byu-womens-conference-linda-burton-bonnie-oscarson-rosemary-wixom

  Rosemary M. Wixom “The Atonement Heals, Comforts, Consoles, and Enables Us to Show Mercy and Grace unto Ourselves.” VIDEO here: https://www.byutv.org/player/ddab432d-9f9c-4189-9464-24961e1dff91/byu-womens-conference-linda-burton-bonnie-oscarson-rosemary-wixom

  Elder Quentin L. and Sister Mary G. Cook “The Reward of Righteousness”

Other transcripts or or videos can be found below, provided by the presenters:

Rachelle Rasband Chase: “What is Grace?”

Stephanie Sorensen: “Come unto Christ and be Perfected in Him”

Please leave a comment if you know of any others!

The post 2014 BYU Women’s Conference Transcripts Available appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

[p.s. I don’t have photos of the instant choir because I can’t get up that early!]

Another unique element of BYU Women’s Conference is the service projects. What’s unique about service projects? The sheer numbers of humanitarian kits, blankets/quilts, cards, and more that are completed in such a short amount of time. Every year on Thursday night, for three hours, sports fields are turned into service project areas, a veritable beehive of activity.

Through the course of the conference, you can also see women doing loom hats, fleece blankets, and other “Take, Make, ‘n’ Return” projects.

There are also service learning rooms scattered throughout campus so that women can listen to talks and participate in service with other women. Lastly, from noon to 3:00 p.m. and from 5:00-8:00 on Thursday, Sharing Stations display a multitude of service ideas via booths. The BYU Women’s Conference website has dozens of links to past Sharing Stations. (Mormon Women had a booth several years ago!)

It used to be that the projects included international needs, but there has been a deliberate shift toward local needs — as a model to show Mormon women how endless those needs are. “Even in Utah” the needs far overwhelm the capacity of what women at BYU Women’s Conference can accomplish. I remember last year looking at a list of organizations in need of blankets and quilts. Many of them say that they have a CONSTANT need for these things.

The hope is that LDS women can leave BYU Women’s Conference inspired and energized to work with their local Relief Societies to build faith, strengthen families, and provide relief in their own lives and communities.

BYU Women’s Conference provides many service ideas at their Pinterest page.

The post Some things that make #byuwc unique appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

This year’s theme is Psalms 84:11: “For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield: the Lord will give Grace and Glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

This year’s general session speakers include:

Sheri Dew

Linda K. Burton, Bonnie L. Oscarson, Rosemary M. Wixom (Young Women General Presidency)

Elder Bruce C. Hafen and his wife, Marie K. Hafen

Elder Quentin L. Cook and his wife, Mary G. Cook

Other speakers include Ann and Clayton Christensen, Stephanie Nielson (NieNie), Virginia H. Pearce, Heidi S. Swinton, Mary Ellen Edmunds, and many others.

The post BYU Women’s Conference is this week! #byuwc appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

This post originally appeared in April of 2011. It’s a post that has gotten a lot of traffic over the past couple of years, and since yesterday was the birthday of the Relief Society (the organization for women in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), we wanted to post it again.

Note: The video format has changed. We can’t embed it here but you can watch it here. If you want to use it in a Relief Society meeting, the creator of the video gives permission to stream it for such use.

~by Natalie

Editor’s note: Natalie kindly consented to share the Relief Society History video she put together for the women in her congregation. But first, we’d like you to get to know her a little better, and hear more about what went into making this video.

I am the “Additional Weekday Meeting Coordinator” (previously Enrichment Leader) in the Relief Society [organization for women] in my ward congregation. Ironically, all but two of my three sisters and two sisters-in-law have the same calling. In my opinion, this is the best calling in the Church. I am the party planner and the person that helps coordinate the activities that allow the women to do both the work of Relief Society and strengthen our bonds as sisters.

I am married with four children. We have lived in Nashville, TN, Northern Utah, and a year ago moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, which we have loved! I enjoy cooking, baking, sewing, reading, traveling, and learning new things, which always ends up adding to my list of things I enjoy doing. My oldest daughter has Celiac Disease and so I also cook gluten free, which has made me a better cook in every possible way. When she was diagnosed our bishop [congregation leader] told us this would stregthen her and us as a family and it has.

When we were planning the Relief Society birthday party in March we decided to focus on Relief Society history. Since history is one of my loves (I have a degree in it), I was in charge of putting the program together. Lucky for me, one of my sisters also had the same theme for their ward’s Relief Society birthday celebration so she was a lot of help and we bounced a lot of ideas off each other. As I started looking for ideas and at information I found this power point presentation on the History of Relief Society that I found interesting. Then I found this Tribute to Relief Society Skit, where there was a narrator and different sisters would read parts of the past Relief Society General Presidents. I loved a lot about both of these resources, and they formed a foundation the video I made.

I did more research and found other quotes from past presidents and information about them. I, of course, couldn’t fit it all into this video so I talked a little about the added info before starting the video. For example Zina Young was asked by President Brigham Young [second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] to be in charge of the silk production and she HATED it and had nightmares about feeding the worms, yet she still did it. Or that Amy Lyman worked in Hull House with Jane Adams (one the the principal people associated with the US Progressive Movement in the early 20th century) which made her perfect for both General Relief Society President and her later role with the church’s Social Services department.

To round out the video, I remembered President Henry B. Eyring’s talk a couple years ago about the history of Relief Society. I found this so uplifting and strengthened my testimony of the power the Relief Society has had and can have for good. The other talk is Sister Julie B. Beck’s from Oct. 2010 General Relief Society Meeting which I also loved. For both I read the talks and found the quotes I liked and then cut the talks accordingly.

I hope you like it. The process of making this has been such a testimony builder of the love of our Heavenly Father towards his daughters and the power of Relief Society to do good in the world. I think sometimes women in the Church can get too caught up with what we can’t do that we miss all the good we can do. There is a quote by Belle Spafford in the video where she talks about power vs. influence, about which is greater. To her it was influence, and I felt the same. While some of these women lived over a hundred years ago, so much of their influence is felt today in the welfare program of the church, in the Primary, in the Young Women program and in the emphasis’s we choose to place on the family. So many of them could have spoken the same words today and they would have been just as relevant. There are not a lot of people, men or women, that we can say that about.

I was also impressed with how they managed families and in many circumstances started what became grand programs just from seeing a simple need. They were women of great faith who did what their Heavenly Father asked of them and knew when to speak out when something was wrong. They were radical women in getting the vote, and radical women in fighting the Equal Rights Amendment. They were quiet women who grew wheat and quiet women that helped others to read. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed making it and your heart is as touched as mine was by the women of Relief Society and feel pride to be a part of such a wonderful organization.

The post Happy Birthday to the Relief Society appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

More transcripts from talks from the 2013 BYU Women’s Conference are now available!

Here’s a full list of all the PDF transcripts you can read. They are organized in alphabetical order by speaker’s name:

2013 BYU Women’s Conference Transcripts

•  Carol F. McConkie “If The Savior Stood Beside Me, Would I Wear the Things I Wear?”
•  Carole M. Stephens Priesthood: “ A Sacred Trust to Be Used for the Benefit of Men, Women, and Children.”
•  Cecil O. and Sharon G. Samuelson “Blessings of the Priesthood for All”
•  Elaine Marshall Continue Your Journey and Let Your Hearts Rejoice…I Am with You Even unto the End
•  Kevin J. Worthen “It Was as If a Blanket of Love Was Flowing over Me”
•  Linda K. Burton Priesthood: “ A Sacred Trust to Be Used for the Benefit of Men, Women, and Children.”
•  Linda S. Reeves Priesthood: “ A Sacred Trust to Be Used for the Benefit of Men, Women, and Children.”
•  Peggy Worthen “It Was as If a Blanket of Love Was Flowing over Me”
•  YW General Presidency “Believe, Obey, and Endure”

The post More 2013 BYU Women’s Conference Transcripts available! #byuwc appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.