My Response to the October 2018 Women's Session

Letter to my Sisters After the 2018 Women’s Conference

Like many of you here I've felt something pour over the globe calling up women to step into the next chapter of our influence and abilities leading up to this General Conference. A few weeks ago I received spiritual confirmation that we would be weaned off Relief Society as we know it in order to create a society free to act in its own sphere. My impressions leading up to this session had to do with the gathering of the literal descendants of Israel, that the keys to ministering belong to women, and I felt an assurance that if we created an >>order of prayer<< we would be able to see as seers and thus identify whom God would have us serve.

The women's session *for me* confirmed that the male leadership of the Church can catch a glimpse of woman's grand role, but as others have pointed out the grand vision and steps forward will be under female direction.

In speech pathology there's an unfortunate term called "groping for words" in those who cannot find exactly the right thing to say, though conceptually they have an understanding. Pres. Eyring's use of "nurture" came across as groping to me. This actually pleased me because I recently wrote a letter to my daughter in which I explained that "nurturing" is the church's best estimation of what female seership is in action.

The Oaks' talk re-established what men know to be the strengths of women. We create life and take care of it. It is important to mother those around us. These are all true statements, but cannot be taken as the full summation of our purposes on earth. This brings me back to a somewhat irreverent quote from myself: "But if we as women are waiting for acknowledgement and further light about [Divine Womanhood] from The Brethren, that makes about as much sense as asking Boyd K. Packer how to insert a tampon."

When it comes to the Seer of the Church, I had higher expectations for insight into womanhood, and for me Pres. Nelson delivered. As hoped, he said that the changes to the church meetings and establishment of ministering were rooted in his observations of women. A few years ago I wrote about ministering and how this needed to take over our religion with women leading the way, so at this point in the session I was figuratively at the edge of my seat waiting for him to say something like "and now I turn the keys over to you, dear sisters..." but that didn't happen. It seems he got close, though. He also reemphasized the need for women to study the scriptures, and I have a firm testimony that women are to expound them.

So that's my long-winded take on Women's Session. I understand that for many the thought of being asked to do more is overwhelming, maybe even insulting. I appreciate that, I really do, but perhaps once we fast from social media (see what a great job I'm doing?) we'll find time we didn't know we had.

What were your takeaways?