Sister Leaders...Sister Ministers

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Hello beloved sisters and brothers,

Family History Work: March 2–4, 2023

RootsTech, the world’s largest family history conference, will be both an in-person event in Salt Lake City, Utah, and on line to allow all who are interested to participate. Elder and Sister Gong will host a worldwide Family Discovery Day broadcast on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at 1:30 pm (MST) on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Families are encouraged to watch the session together.

Weekly Message: Sister leaders...Sister Ministers

Last Saturday morning, I had the privilege of attending the Stake Primary “Appreciation Breakfast” for ward Primary presidencies. Sister Bentley, Sister Page, and Sister Godoy of the Stake Primary Presidency put together a delicious breakfast and a spiritually uplifting time of instruction and sharing.

Sister Bentley set the tone for our discussions with an object lesson that demonstrated how we can help others along the covenant path through expressions and interactions of sincere love. Sister Alina Fisher and her husband Benjamin, from the Taylors Grove Ward, added to the spirit of the meeting with a beautiful musical selection followed by discussions led by Sister Page and Sister Godoy.

I was impressed and uplifted as our excellent ward Primary leaders shared their love for the Savior, their love for each other, and their love for the children in their care as they exchanged inspired and inspiring ideas for more effectively integrating the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ in Primary.

Not surprisingly, this meeting reminded me of the Women’s Conference I attended just a couple of weeks ago, sponsored by the Stake Relief Society. The young women leaders throughout our stake are just as dedicated...and not a whit behind the other sisters in their vision and efforts.

I am so appreciative of the wonderful sisters who lead and minister in the Primary, Young Women, and Relief Society in our stake. They truly are focused on supporting parents and children in our stake in the Savior’s way.

I echo the words of Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson, former General Young Women President,

“Thank you to all the women of the Church who are reaching out across age and cultural lines to bless and serve others. Young women are serving Primary children and the elderly. Single sisters of all ages spend countless hours watching out for the needs of those around them. We recognize the thousands of young women who are giving up 18 months of their lives to share the gospel with the world. All of these things are evidence that, as our beloved hymn states, “The errand of angels is given to women.” (April 2014, General Conference)

Interestingly, as I was writing this message, I received this beautiful photo from one of our ward mission leaders that seemed to fit beautifully with this week’s topic…

On the left is Ekrin Sassa. On the right is Alejandra Rodriguez. Alejandra’s family came to church for the first time on Sunday. They loved it. It must have been so reassuring for Alejandra to have a friend’s hand to hold as she experienced church for the first time.

Isn’t this just the sweetest example of how sisters lift and strengthen by reaching out with love! Whether members or not…whether old or young…all of us need to hold someone’s hand sometimes.

To call our wonderful Sister Leaders and Sister Ministers “amazing”, simply does not adequately describe their many Christ-centered attributes. It doesn’t adequately explain the depth and breadth of their character and willingness to sacrifice. It does not adequately capture their understanding and vision for Zion and how to build it one by one.

In every dispensation, the people of that age have been blessed by women who understood their divine heritage and shared their faith and hope with others. The sisters in Kirtland made tremendous sacrifices to build and beautify the temple. The sisters in Nauvoo did the same. We are so blessed to have women of this caliber in our midst.

May we all find a way to appropriately honor and appreciate the women in our lives.

I love you all,

President Gardner