Members of the general presidencies of the Relief Society, Young Women and Primary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were in the southeastern section of the United States 11-14 September to meet with local leaders.
Photos courtesy of David Winters
Sister Linda K. Burton, Relief Society general president, Sister Rosemary M. Wixom, Primary general president, and Sister Carol F. McConkie, first counselor in the Young Women general presidency, visited congregations in South Carolina and Georgia, where they attended meetings with five different congregations and held a couple of evening devotionals in Atlanta.
Sister Burton encouraged the local leaders to minister in small and simple ways. "Can you think of a time when your life has been touched by someone who did a small and simple thing?" she asked.
Sister Wixom told the men and women that Primary (the Church's organization for children between the ages of 18 months and 12 years) is where children should feel secure and included and urged them to teach the messages of the Primary songs. “It's the songs that will stick with us,” she added.
Sister McConkie encouraged the leaders to use the online tools to teach the youth, and she invited the men and women to participate in the Church’s social media efforts by using the #sharegoodness hashtag made popular by Elder David A. Bednar’s recent talk.
Sister Carol F. McConkie, first counselor in the Church’s Young Women general presidency, poses for a selfie with youth in Atlanta, Georgia, on 13 September.
Church leaders frequently travel to various parts of the globe to visit with members and provide instruction to local leaders. Some of those participants traveled several hours to attend the training sessions and meet the sisters.
These same sisters are involved in planning the general women’s meeting that will be held in a couple of weeks, a semiannual meeting for all women and girls age eight years old and older. Representatives from the women's organizations will be speaking at the event at the Conference Center.
Sister Wixom said there was an “excitement” about the first general women’s meeting which was held last March. “I think it surpassed every one of our expectations,” she said.
They encouraged the women and girls to attend the meeting that will be broadcast to local stake centers on 27 September. “Women love to gather,” explained Sister Burton. “We build each other when we’re together.”
“It truly is edifying to just be together and to feel the Spirit of the Lord together,” concluded Sister McConkie.