I’m a little slow, but I finally sat down and listened to some of the BYU Women’s Conference talks. They are now available on BYUtv.

I enjoyed listening to the new Young Women Presidency. They were fun and told us a little about themselves.

After reflecting a minute, and going over my notes, I correlated what they said with what the prophet has been saying, and with that famous quote by President Kimball. Here’s what I came up with.

First of all, we know the prophet has been talking a lot about personal revelation and being in tune with the Holy Ghost. We also know that, after that great talk he gave a few years ago, A Plea to My Sisters, he expects us to pick up the broom and start swinging.

And President Kimball’s quote just won’t lay down and be still. We keep hearing it, and talking about it, and thinking around it, wondering what it all means. So, here’s the quote:

“Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world (in whom there is often such an inner sense of spirituality) will be drawn to the Church in large numbers. This will happen to the degree that the women of the Church reflect righteousness and articulateness in their lives and to the degree that the women of the Church are seen as distinct and different—in happy ways—from the women of the world.”

Let’s take this quote apart for a minute:

• Yes, there are many good women around the world who have a spiritual side to them but haven’t found the church yet. What can we do about that, sisters?
• Women of the church need to reflect righteousness.
• Women of the church need to be articulate.
• Women of the church need to live the gospel.
• By truly living the gospel, women of the church will become distinct and different from the world.
• And this is the clincher for me—Women of the church are happy. Does that mean the world will be miserable, in contrast? I believe so.

Now, my notes aren’t complete, from the Young Women leaders’ talks, so be sure to go and listen to them on your own and glean other good stuff. Sister Craven, 2^nd Counselor, spoke first.

The first thing she said was to remind us that we are all Relief Society sisters, including the Young Women. So, as we begin including the Young Women in ministering, and other activities, make sure you see it as training, not entertaining. My own opinion is that the quote, above, has a lot to do with them and they need to be preparing now.

She also spent a little time acknowledging that we aren’t all perfect. Everyone has something they’re dealing with (whether they show it or not), and we all do bonehead things occasionally, but God loves us anyway. This is an important concept we are losing ground on. I think Satan has a lot to do with the insecurities of the world, and as women of God, we CANNOT buy into it! We need to recognize our happiness while we’re in the thick of thin things (what Sister Craig says later, in her talk). We have the gospel of Jesus Christ, for crying out loud! That brings us great happiness in the midst of this fallen world. And won’t that bind Satan up just a little bit!!!

Sister Craven also spoke on the “M” word; that’s right, MODESTY. Oh boy! Women simply have a hard time with this one. Either, they adapt their garments to what they’re wearing (rather than the other way around), or they take them off to exercise, work in the yard, go grocery shopping, wear shorty dresses, take the kids to school, sleep at night, etc., etc., etc.; and stay like that for the rest of the day. That’s a problem.

The modesty issue isn’t about the clothes that you wear. It’s about the covenants you make with God. How committed are you? And do you understand fully your committed covenants? If not, read about them in the scriptures and go to the temple often. You’ll begin to want your clothing to reflect your righteousness.

She concluded with something very profound: We need to live the gospel like we believe it. We have proof that a testimony makes us happy. Why do you think so many people cry when they stand up in Sacrament Meeting? So, living our testimonies, hopefully, will make us not ashamed, but glad to be distinct and different.

Michelle D. Craig, 1^st Counselor, is the one who brought up being calm in the thick of thin things. That is such a revealing statement of our times. How easy is it to fly off the handle, lose it, or stress out? Our lives are busy, there is no doubt. But, if we are living “intentional” lives, planted deep in the gospel, we are more likely to turn over the controls to our Savior, who is much better at handling things.

That word “intentional” stands out from a talk given by President Russell M. Nelson called, “The Sabbath is a Delight,” where he says important things such as,

“No other work transcends that of righteous, intentional parenting!”

“What sign will you give to the Lord to show your love for Him?”

“Wherever we live we are to be examples of the believers.” 

She stated something every one of us struggles with. If we don’t make time for the gospel, our time will be eaten up with other things. Then, we get into a rhythm of acceptance for our situation and realize there simply isn’t any time for the gospel in our lives. We need to work at living the gospel. Or perhaps we should say—Live the gospel with righteous, intentional living!

You might be asking, how in the world do I do that???? She suggests we each find our own Sacred Grove. A quiet place where we can pray, ponder, meditate, study, and let God into our lives allowing Him to lead us to better, happier things. That’s really the only way the Holy Ghost will come, inspire us, and reveal God to us. Pretty soon, we won’t have to GO to our Sacred Grove, we will instead carry our Sacred Grove around with us. Understanding God through the scriptures, and through the Testifier, we will become righteous, articulate, distinct, and different. Everyone recognizes when the spirit shines through the eyes of a person.

Finally, President Bonnie H. Cordon offered an incredible list of ways to minister to one another. They aren’t talents or skills. They are characteristics and attributes. Go through the list carefully and minister by becoming more like Jesus Christ.