If the 5-year cycle for Relief Society General Presidencies that has been followed for 20 years holds true, the current Relief Society Presidency is likely to be released at this upcoming general conference.\u00a0 With that in mind, I recently decided to go through and read all of the general conference talks given by members of the current presidency.\u00a0 It was a depressingly short exercise, especially given the quality of materials presented.\u00a0 These talks proved to be very meaningful to me, and after reviewing them, I wish that the full Relief Society General Presidency had been allowed to speak at every general conference.\u00a0 That would have allowed them to each share 10 messages rather than the 3-4 that they have been able to share during their tenure so far.\u00a0 In any case, I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes and stories from each of the members of the presidency.<\/p>\n
Jean B. Bingham<\/strong><\/p>\n President Bingham gave a number of hard-hitting statements in her talks, addressing unity, ministering, finding joy, and family relationships.\u00a0 Her talk on ministering was given in the same meeting as the revamped program was announced and provided, for me, the clearest direction as to what fulfilling that program looked like.\u00a0 For, me, though, the most meaningful quote came her talk that dealt with seeking unity between the sexes in the Church and in the home:<\/p>\n Today, \u201cwe need women who have the courage and vision of our Mother Eve\u201d\u00a0to unite with their brethren in bringing souls unto Christ.\u00a0Men need to become true partners rather than assume they are solely responsible or act as \u201cpretend\u201d partners while women carry out much of the work.\u00a0Women need to be willing to \u201cstep forward [and] take [their] rightful and needful place\u201d\u00a0as partners rather than thinking they need to do it all by themselves or wait to be told what to do.<\/p>\n Seeing women as vital participants is not about creating parity but about understanding doctrinal truth. Rather than establishing a program to bring that about, we can actively work to value women as God does: as essential partners in the work of salvation and exaltation.<\/p>\n Are we ready?\u00a0Will we strive to overcome cultural bias and instead embrace divine patterns and practices based on foundational doctrine?[1]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n For me, the call to men \u201cto become true partners\u201d and the note that to do otherwise is to give in to cultural bias rather than to embrace divine patterns and practices hit home as a reminder of what I should strive for alongside my wife in our marriage.<\/p>\n My favourite story from President Bingham was the following:<\/p>\n Recently, as three-year-old Alyssa watched a movie with her siblings, she remarked with a puzzled expression, \u201cMom, that chicken is weird!\u201d<\/p>\n Her mother looked at the screen and responded with a smile, \u201cHoney, that is a peacock.\u201d<\/p>\n Like that unknowing three-year-old, we sometimes look at others with an incomplete or inaccurate understanding. We may focus on the differences and perceived flaws in those around us whereas our Heavenly Father sees His children, created in His eternal image, with magnificent and glorious potential.[2]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n It was a fun way to make the point that our perspectives about other people are often limited.<\/p>\n Sharon Eubank<\/strong><\/p>\n President Eubank struck me as the most traditional of the members of the current presidency, focusing on topics about unity, turning to Jesus Christ, and service.\u00a0 The highlight of her talks for me, though, was the recent review of Church humanitarian efforts around the world.\u00a0 A couple favourite quotes from that talk:<\/p>\n The Church of Jesus Christ is under divine mandate to care for the poor.\u00a0It is one of the pillars of the work of salvation and exaltation.[3]<\/a><\/p>\n As baptized members of the Church, we are under covenant to care for those in need. Our individual efforts don\u2019t necessarily require money or faraway locations;\u00a0they do require the guidance of the Holy Spirit and a willing heart to say to the Lord, \u201cHere am I; send me.\u201d[4]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Along with that talk came several stories about humanitarian aid and service.\u00a0 I really loved the following:<\/p>\n We have all seen recent images in the news: thousands of evacuees being flown from Afghanistan. Many arrived at air bases or other temporary locations in Qatar, the United States, Germany, and Spain before continuing to their final destinations. Their needs were immediate, and the Church responded with supplies and volunteers. At Ramstein Air Base in Germany, the Church provided large\u00a0donations of diapers, baby formula, food, and shoes.<\/p>\n Some of the Relief Society sisters noticed that many Afghan women were using their husbands\u2019 shirts to cover their heads because their traditional head coverings had been ripped off in the frenzy at the Kabul airport. In an act of friendship that crossed any religious or cultural boundaries, the sisters of the Ramstein First Ward gathered to sew traditional Muslim clothing for Afghan women. Sister Bethani Halls said, \u201cWe heard that women were in need of prayer garments, and we are sewing so that they can be [comfortable] for prayer.\u201d[5]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Reyna I. Aburto<\/strong><\/p>\n Besides being the only woman among the general presidencies of the Church who didn\u2019t graduate from Brigham Young University or University of Utah, President Aburto\u2019s words stood out as taking on some topics that come with a lot of gravity\u2014depression and grief being high on that list.\u00a0 Her talk on depression was meaningful to me, as someone who does suffer from chronic depression and anxiety.\u00a0\u00a0 The following statements both helped give me hope and to push me towards making some changes that have led to some changes in my life that have been beneficial:<\/p>\n In some cases, the cause of depression or anxiety can be identified, while other times it may be harder to discern.\u00a0Our brains may suffer because of stress\u00a0or staggering fatigue,\u00a0which can sometimes be improved through adjustments in diet, sleep, and exercise. Other times, therapy or medication under the direction of trained professionals may also be needed.[6]<\/a><\/p>\n Your struggles do not define you, but they can\u00a0refine<\/em>\u00a0you.\u00a0Because of a \u201cthorn in the flesh,\u201d\u00a0you may have the ability to feel more compassion toward others. As guided by the Holy Ghost, share your story in order to \u201csuccor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.\u201d[7]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Her first talk was a bit lighter in its topic, but stood out to me for its use of butterflies as an analogy for members of the Church:<\/p>\n A group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope.\u00a0Isn\u2019t that a beautiful image? Each butterfly in a kaleidoscope is unique and different, yet these seemingly fragile creatures have been designed by a loving Creator with the ability to survive, travel, multiply, and disseminate life as they go from one flower to the next, spreading pollen. And although each butterfly is different, they work together to make the world a more beautiful and fruitful place.<\/p>\n Like the monarch butterflies, we are on a journey back to our heavenly home, where we will reunite with our Heavenly Parents.\u00a0Like the butterflies, we have been given divine attributes that allow us to navigate through life, in order to \u201c[fill] the measure of [our] creation.\u201d\u00a0Like them, if we knit our hearts together,\u00a0the Lord will protect us \u201cas a hen [gathers] her chickens under her wings\u201d\u00a0and will make us into a beautiful kaleidoscope.[8]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n This imagery of being a group working together on our journey through life and who \u201cdisseminate life as they go from one flower to the next, spreading pollen \u2026 [and] work together to make the world a more beautiful and fruitful place,\u201d is something that I personally find preferable to the martial imagery so frequently evoked for members of the Church.<\/p>\n Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n The bottom line is that I really enjoyed reading through the teachings of the current members of the general Relief Society of the Church and was moved by much of what they shared. I wished I had taken them more seriously up front, but I’m working on repenting now.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Footnotes:<\/strong><\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Jean B. Bingham, \u201cUnited in Accomplishing God\u2019s Work,\u201d CR April 2020, https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/study\/general-conference\/2020\/04\/34bingham.p26?lang=eng<\/a><\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Jean B. Bingham, \u201cI Will Bring the Light of the Gospel into My Home,\u201d CR October 2016, https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/study\/general-conference\/2016\/10\/i-will-bring-the-light-of-the-gospel-into-my-home.p10,p11,p12?lang=eng<\/a><\/p>\n [3]<\/a> Sharon Eubank, \u201cI Pray He\u2019ll Use US,\u201d CR October 2021, https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/study\/general-conference\/2021\/10\/32eubank.p25?lang=eng<\/a><\/p>\n [4]<\/a> Sharon Eubank, \u201cI Pray He\u2019ll Use US,\u201d CR October 2021, https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/study\/general-conference\/2021\/10\/32eubank.p25?lang=eng<\/a><\/p>\n [5]<\/a> Sharon Eubank, \u201cI Pray He\u2019ll Use US,\u201d CR October 2021, https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/study\/general-conference\/2021\/10\/32eubank.p25?lang=eng<\/a><\/p>\n [6]<\/a> Reyna I. Aburto, \u201cThru Cloud and Sunshine, Lord, Abide with Me!\u201d, CR October 2019, https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/study\/general-conference\/2019\/10\/31aburto.p16?lang=eng<\/a><\/p>\n [7]<\/a> Reyna I. Aburto, \u201cThru Cloud and Sunshine, Lord, Abide with Me!\u201d, CR October 2019, https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/study\/general-conference\/2019\/10\/31aburto.p16?lang=eng<\/a><\/p>\n [8]<\/a> Reyna I. Aburto, \u201cWith One Accord,\u201d CR April 2018, https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/study\/general-conference\/2018\/04\/with-one-accord.p22?lang=eng<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If the 5-year cycle for Relief Society General Presidencies that has been followed for 20 years holds true, the current Relief Society Presidency is likely to be released at this upcoming general conference.\u00a0 With that in mind, I recently decided to go through and read all of the general conference talks given by members of the current presidency.\u00a0 It was a depressingly short exercise, especially given the quality of materials presented.\u00a0 These talks proved to be very meaningful to me, and after reviewing them, I wish that the full Relief Society General Presidency had been allowed to speak at every general conference.\u00a0 That would have allowed them to each share 10 messages rather than the 3-4 that they have been able to share during their tenure so far.\u00a0 In any case, I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes and stories from each of the members of the presidency. Jean B. Bingham President Bingham gave a number of hard-hitting statements in her talks, addressing unity, ministering, finding joy, and family relationships.\u00a0 Her talk on ministering was given in the same meeting as the revamped program was announced and provided, for me, the clearest direction as to what fulfilling that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10397,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1284,53,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-conference-features","category-latter-day-saint-thought","category-women-in-the-church"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10397"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42491"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42491\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42520,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42491\/revisions\/42520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}