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What does this mean to you? What have you

thought of personally as you have contemplated

what you would be hearing today? I pray

you will find great comfort and strength

for having attended our 2013 Layton South

Stake Women’s Conference. I pray you will put your worries aside and bask in the

joy of being rejuvenated and the joy of being

together.

Women of Faith “Ordinary

Women Accomplishing Extraordinary

Things.”

2013 Women’s Conference Talk by Renée PackerStake Relief Society

President

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In the preface of DMK, Emma Hales

Smith states, “We are going to do something

extraordinary.”

She was right. The history of Relief

society is filled with examples of ordinary

women who have accomplished

extraordinary things as they have

exercised faith in Heavenly Father and

Jesus Christ.

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“Extraordinary” means beyond the ordinary, exceptional in character, noteworthy, remarkable, etc. “Extraordinary” also means that by our being faithful—and expressing whatever level of our faith—we are seeking, striving, overcoming, loving, and caring for those around us. We are accomplishing those things the Lord desires and having the faith to endure through the struggles or distractions or temptations that may come our way in the process.

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The bible dictionary shares some beautiful characteristics of faith that women have displayed in distinct and quiet ways. I’d like to just share a few of them.

“Faith is to hope for things which are not seen, but which are true and must be centered in Jesus Christ in order to produce salvation. Faith is having confidence, attributes of love, knowledge, justice, mercy, unchangeableness, power, and every other needful thing. Testimonies are strengthened by other’s faith, obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ and righteousness.

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Faith is a principle of action, power,

healing, influence, remission of sins,

and eventually one can stand in the presence of God.

— Bible Dictionary

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And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do

whatsoever thing is expedient in me.

— Moroni 7:33

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After having read the book Daughters in My Kingdom, and especially this particular section many times, I suddenly felt a surge inside me, powerfully testifying to me that not only have women of faith been around for centuries, we also have the same faithful women right within our own stake. It was only the day after our last Women’s Conference that the inspiration of our theme for this year’s Women’s Conference came.

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The Layton South Stake is full of examples of ordinary women—YOU—who have accomplished extraordinary things as – YOU - have exercised your faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Today we would like to honor you and your faith.

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And it shall come to pass, that inasmuch as they are faithful, and exercise faith in me, I will pour out

my Spirit upon them in the day that they

assemble themselves together.

— D&C 44:2

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However, it is still of great importance to recognize the influence and examples of faithful women throughout the history of time. I would like to honor a few women in our past and present to help us understand how ordinary women are able to do extraordinary things as they exercise their faith in our Savior, and testify through their words and deeds of their belief in God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

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We learn from the past to inspire our present and propel our future in

becoming more faithful women.

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We are stronger, more

resilient women of faith because

of those from the past as well as those in our

midst.

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Mary

A Woman of Faith

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I have always admired the profound and yet simple faith of Mary, the mother of our Savior, Jesus Christ. How daunting it must have felt to have had an angel pronounce such extraordinary news, to be highly favored of the Lord, chosen to be the mother of the Savior, who she knew some day would come. This news must have been more than she could have ever imagined. The angel also shared with her the glorious news that her cousin Elizabeth, who was aged and barren, was six months with child, after which he said,

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“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Her reply touches me

the most. “And Mary said, Behold the

handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” Luke

1:37-38. She was ready, she

was humble, and she was willing.

Sisters, if Mary was “enough” to be the mother of our Savior, we are “enough” to do what the Lord personally desires for us.

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In an article in the New Era, January 2010, from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, he states.

“I would like you to go back nearly 600 years to the New Year of 1412. That week in the small village of Domrémy, France, a baby girl was born who, a little later, at roughly the age of [Young Women], changed the political and religious landscape of her world. Through military developments and a variety of personal religious experiences, Joan of Arc, sometimes called the Maid of Orléans, was made a captain in the French army at the tender age of 16.

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Joan of Arc

A Woman of Faith

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In a rather remarkable series of battles and victories, she brought acclaim to herself and her cause, inspiring not only the men under her command but also the entire French nation. Later she was captured, tried, and put to death—burned at the stake—her life complete at 19 years of age.

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“As the fires were being ignited around the stake to which she was tied, Joan was given a last chance to save her life and regain her liberty if she would deny her religious—and thus some of her personally motivated political—beliefs. She refused to deny anything she believed or anything she had said about her faith, and thus chose fire above freedom, and principle above politics.”

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“There is a flame of faith within each of us that ignite when in humility we seek Him.” — Joan of Arc

In the book, “Joan of Arc, Daughter of the Restoration,” written by Robert D. Hatch…Joan states,

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Sisters & Laurels, you are of infinite worth

with your own mission to fulfill. Your divine

mission is just as great of importance as Joan of

Arc’s was. It’s your personal divine mission that matters to fulfill, not someone else’s.

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Sarah Rich

A Woman of Faith

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“Like many Relief Society sisters, Sarah Rich was

buoyed by temple blessings as she faced the challenges of the exodus. Prior to leaving Nauvoo,

she received a calling from Brigham Young to work in the temple. She later said:

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“Many were the blessings we had received in the house of the Lord, which has caused us joy and comfort in the midst of all our sorrows and enabled us to have faith in God, knowing He would guide us and sustain us in the unknown journey that lay before us. For if it had not been for the faith and knowledge that was bestowed upon us in that temple by the influence and help of the Spirit of the Lord, our journey would have been like one taking a leap in the dark. To start out …

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…in the winter as it were and in our state of poverty, it would seem like walking into the jaws of death. But we had faith in our Heavenly Father, and we put our trust in Him feeling that we were His chosen people and had embraced His gospel, and instead of sorrow, we felt to rejoice that the day of our deliverance had come.” Sisters, the blessings of the temple will bless us no differently than it did for Sarah Rich and however else we are in need. Have faith in your temple covenants. — Daughters In My Kingdom

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Kathy Huso

A

Woman of Faith

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Last, and certainly not least, is a sister in our midst today, an ordinary woman in her mind, but very extraordinary to those who know her. She has such a love for others and the gospel. I was privileged to be her visiting teaching partner for 8 years. This dear sister, Kathy Huso, taught me so much about faith. In her own way, she quietly taught me endurance through trial, optimism in her present circumstances, and faith for what lies ahead. She has a belief that all have great worth.

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She taught me that through much patience and love and keeping quiet, that eventually her husband would become active again, which he did after many long years. I watched as she lovingly took her grandchildren in her home and taught them the principles of the gospel and to live good lives. She gave them something to hold onto. I watched her sorrow through death of her oldest grandchild with dignity and strength. I watched her do extraordinary things, even though her body would not allow her to, her mind would not let her stop. She is an avid reader, and has a great love for gardening. We have a very special bond that only she and I can really explain, but I was the greatest benefactor of such an extraordinary woman of faith. Thank you my dear, dear friend.

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1. They each are ordinary women.

2. They each possess faith in Jesus Christ.

3. Their faith in Christ has allowed them to accomplish the extraordinary things in their lives the Lord desired.

These four women have at least three things in common.

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I will forever be grateful for these and all faithful women who have shown their devotion to the Lord as wonderful examples to me.

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As I began a

deeper study to better understand faith with the topic of “Women of Faith,” in mind, I became more aware of the faith that was found within each sister I met in the boundaries of our Stake. As I visited the wards within our stake throughout the year, conversing with the women I met, I was touched, and blessed by each of you. You radiate faith in your countenance, even if you have many days or months, or even years that are discouraging.

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Women in general desire happiness – joy in the journey, and optimism

for the future! They use faith to

achieve their desires. I also was acutely

aware of how much women

love to be loved. That is

something we can all give to one another.

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I often think about young mothers who have their hands full of dirty diapers, loads of laundry, hair to be combed, dinners to be fixed, errands to run, carpooling, maintaining their home and family, keeping their husbands happy, and somehow still have a smile on their face when the day is complete. I have been there, done that, and have more empathy than you can imagine. Some days the smile wasn’t always bright, or the clothes always folded, but it seemed the thing that helped me the most, and I hate to say, wasn’t eating chocolate, or buying a new outfit, or even incessant praises from my family or husband, though that always helps.

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What really made the difference overall on a

consistent basis, was drawing upon the Lord in prayer,

scripture study, keeping my

covenants, and serving.

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The consequences of putting the Lord first far outweigh anything else we can do with our time. It fills our home with a sense of love, peace, and indifference to those things that didn’t get done or aren’t as important.

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Sisters, I only see faithful women in front of me. I believe women rise up each morning with a hope and a desire for a better day. When I see you faced with oppositions or trials that seem so daunting, I also admire your tenacity to keep strong and move forward. Your example helps those who need that extra lift.

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Sisters, the walls of our stake boundary are bursting with women and their inspired stories of faith, of tribulation, of triumph, of opportunity to serve and be served. You love the Savior, and we love to hear you testify of Him. Within these walls are your stories of faith that need to be realized, that need to be shared and appreciated. Your experiences are just what we need to hear, acting also as a great reminder to yourselves of how the Lord has blessed you.

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Let’s not forget

though, to always be

inspired by the lives of

faithful women from

our past.

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As we are helped and buoyed up by the inspired stories of women found throughout the history of the world and the church …may we also begin to recognize more than ever, the faith found within ourselves, and also the seemingly ordinary, yet extraordinary women all around us.  

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You are each such a strength to me as individuals, but when I look out to the vast group of women in front of me, I also see strength in numbers, strength in your love, and strength from the compassion and faith you each possess. Compound together these unique qualities of faith, you are a beautiful, prevailing force for enormous good.

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Sisters, I keep imagining each of us on a journey together. We are not in a race with each other, but instead, walking side by side, lifting one another when the path seems too difficult. We should not have to walk this journey alone. I imagine the path on each our journeys may seem quite different, but when we can, we will walk your difficult path alongside you, with the Savior as our guide. I have seen this displayed many times in our stake by you. In the long run we will have been made stronger.

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But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you

that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those

whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty

even unto the power of deliverance.

— 1 Nephi 1:20

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Evaluation with the Lord is so important as to not lose focus of your devotion to Him. I have found that it is of great importance to do an assessment of sorts on a continual basis, a sense of evaluating with our …“Faith” Barometer. It will help us know if we are progressing on our journey.

For some of us the Sabbath day is one of the greatest days of the week for such an evaluation. I would like to offer six questions that you might ask yourself as you evaluate with your “Faith” barometer as you strive to increase your faith in Christ.

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1. Am I learning of the Savior and applying the blessings of the Atonement?

2. Am I following the teachings of our living prophets and church leaders?

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3. Am I paying my full tithes and offerings to the Lord?

4. Am I striving for personal revelation through prayer?

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5. Am I honoring all of my covenants?

6. Am I engaging myself and family in meaningful service?

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One of the sweetest faithful acts I saw from one of my 5 sons, at the age of you Laurels, was this image he created and kept visible to review, to help him remember who he was and what he was working on to help keep him on a continued course, even though at times it wasn’t always easy.

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The 11th chapter of Hebrews found in the New Testament is entirely on faith. We read how the lives of prophets of old and other faithful saints were anchored and driven by their faith.

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But we also read in this chapter that an absence of faith is

impossible to please God. .

We must always

diligently seek Him to be in favor with

Him.

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Sisters, I want you to know of the love that I and my Presidency have for you, the love that our Stake Presidency and your Bishoprics have for you. Do you know how much your Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ loves you? It is in their gospel of which our faith is anchored. I bear testimony that our lives are rich and empowered for good when we follow the teachings of our Savior. Sisters, as you move forward on your journey of faith, please remember, to….

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Rejoice in and recognize every faithful prayer you plead, each step of faith you

take, and all faithful acts you

perform.

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You are Women of

Faith!