President Freeman Ministers to Young Women in Missouri and Kansas

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Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visited Church historic sites in Missouri on May 15–17, 2025. Sites she visited included Liberty Jail, Adam-ondi-Ahman, Far West Temple Site and Independence historic sites.

At each location, approximately 100 young women from stakes (a stake is a collection of several congregations) in Kansas and Missouri were invited to join President Freeman to discuss the events that took place there. The lessons and doctrines of sacred Church history sites and the early Saints came alive in the ministry and teaching of President Freeman to the young women in the places described throughout the Doctrine and Covenants.

“One of the opportunities I have is to go all over the world and see young women everywhere,” President Freeman said. “It is my favorite part of this calling. A few months ago, I was in Micronesia on a little island speaking to young women about the gospel. Now I get to come here and see all of these young women and teach the same things that we believe about Jesus Christ. This is one of my most favorite things to do.”

During a visit to Liberty Jail, President Freeman encouraged the young women to reflect on Joseph Smith’s experiences in the jail as he turned to God in prayer. She shared Doctrine and Covenants 122:9: “Fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.”

“I hope every one of us, on that day when Christ returns, will be believers,” President Freeman said. “We will have walked through hard things, even Liberty Jail moments in our life, but instead of making us bitter, I hope those things help us to believe and help us to see that Christ has been in every moment of our story. He is my oldest friend and a friend I trust the most.”

At Adam-ondi-Ahman, President Freeman invited the young women to strive to be constantly ready for the Savior Jesus Christ to return.

Katie Howell, a young woman from Lenexa, Kansas, visited the Far West Temple site with President Freeman. “When she spoke to us, we learned a lot about the history of Far West, including how the name of the Church was revealed there,” Howell said. “She taught us that the shortest testimony we can bear is, ‘I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.’ As I repeat that, I realize who I am.”

Lizzie Salin, a young woman from Olathe, Kansas, was grateful for her opportunity to visit the Independence historic sites with President Freeman. She said President Freeman’s emphasis on gathering others and bringing them unto Christ resonated with her.

“As she was teaching this, I could feel the Spirit so strong, and I know others did too. I could feel Jesus Christ’s love for me through her,” Salin said. “I was able to feel the warmth and see the light of Jesus Christ through not only her words, but presence as well. After the devotional, she made sure to spend time hugging and talking with each young woman. This made the experience so individual.”

A highlight for all the young women in the Kansas City metropolitan area was an evening devotional with President Freeman; Elder Jeremiah Morgan, Area Seventy in the North America Central Area; and his wife, Rebecca Morgan.

President Freeman reminded the young women to look for the Lord in their life story. “Sometimes it will feel like things are turned upside down. Sometimes you might think to yourself, ‘I am not sure if God is in my story right now, because I don’t see Him anywhere.’ One of my favorite quotes I learned from my mother. She taught me to look for the Lord’s fingerprints in my life,” she said.

President Freeman encouraged the young women to keep a journal to capture moments when God has been in their story and promised those moments would become anchor points for them.

“There will be times in your life where you’ll need to hold on to what you know about the Lord, and what you know about the Lord is what you’ll discover if you look for Him in your story,” President Freeman said. “If you look for Him, on days of gladness and also on days when things are upside down, He will be there.”

Additional activities during the three-day ministering visit included a luncheon and service project with young single adult women to beautify a park by mulching, removing tree limbs and collecting trash. There was also a young women’s leadership training session and a devotional for Relief Society women in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

President Freeman reminded the women, “Our prophet has said that we need women who have a bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ and who know how to teach it. We live in that time now.”

Reflecting on President Freeman’s ministering visit, Elder Morgan said, “President Freeman had a seemingly inexhaustible capacity to teach the doctrine and principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ to every age group and in every circumstance. Her ministry touched thousands. It was a weekend that will not soon be forgotten by those throughout the area.”

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