Historic Times

Let’s talk a little bit about general conference. In the last couple of years, there have been a variety of procedural changes in the church. By now, we should all know that when Pres. Nelson uses the word “adjustment,” we should all brace ourselves for more changes. There were more changes this weekend, changes to the organization of the young men and young women programs. Nathan has been struggling with the way our priests’ quorum has been running of late, and the feeling I have is that these newest changes will be good. There may be some growing pains as everyone tries to put the changes in place, but I honestly think it will be good. The “Come Follow Me” program has been so good for my family. We’ve had to try a variety of different approaches to find what works for us, but overall, I feel like it has been beneficial for us. We’re talking about the gospel more frequently. We’re studying and learning together more frequently. We’re letting the gospel be a part of our day to day lives and conversations more frequently. And I think the new youth programs will do the same thing.

There have been a variety of changes for women as well. Last year, the general women’s meeting became a part of general conference weekend for the first time. Earlier this week, the church announced changes to who can be a witness for saving ordinances and women and girls will now be able to stand as witnesses. And last night, for the first time, new temples were announced during the women’s session. I was sitting in a stake center in Taylorsville when it was announced that a temple would be built in Taylorsville. Let me tell you, it was powerful to sit there amongst that group of women who were so filled with gratitude and joy that the room felt electric. I don’t even live in that city, but it was powerful for me as well. And I’m so enormously pleased for my folks and Kevin’s folks who do live in Taylorsville.

This was Malia’s very first women’s session and besides dinner and doughnuts with the cousins, aunties and both of her grandmothers, I hope she’ll remember the Spirit, the prophet telling us how important women are in the gospel, and the excitement and gratitude associated with temples. I know a lot of the doctrinal talk went over her head, but she was enormously excited to be able to attend the meeting (she wanted to sit on the very front row!) and I hope that her excitement and zeal for the gospel will continue. And as her mother, I hope that I can feed her spirit and her mind as she continues to learn and grow.

I came away from Saturday’s meetings with two general impressions. First, the youth are the future of the church. They will be the ones ushering in a millennial age and they need to be prepared. They need to be strengthened to meet the great challenges that stand before them. The Lord knows this and is helping us prepare them by providing us with programs in the church and in the home that will help them learn to receive personal revelation and lead to their continuing conversion.

My second impression concerns the women of the church. I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again, but I’ve never felt marginalized, belittled or lesser being a woman in the church. But I know there are women that do, and I think the Lord is trying to help all of us realize that we are not secondary to the men in the gospel. I think he’s trying to help the women of the church more fully understand their place and importance in the church, their role in the last days, how the power of the priesthood is available to us and applicable in our lives and to encourage us to rise up and become the great force for good that the Lord needs us to be. I’m currently serving in the relief society presidency and I think it has made me more aware of the needs of the sisters around me and I feel strongly that as women, we need to “do better and be better.” (quoting Pres. Nelson here) We have a great work to do and much to contribute to the progression of the gospel.

All this makes me feel like we are living in historic times, times that future saints will look back on as a changing point in the church, the age that helped prepare the church and the saints to usher in the prophesied days of the second coming. So what does this mean for me? For my family? We need to make our own personal adjustments, adjustments that will lead us to embrace these changes wholeheartedly. I know that if we do, we will be blessed.