LDS Church Combines General Young Women Meeting And General Relief Society Meeting Into A Single Session

On November 4th, 2013, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that the General Young Women Meeting held during the April General Conferences and the General Relief Society Meeting held during the October General Conferences will no longer be separate. They will be combined into a "general women's meeting", as it was from 1984-1993. The meeting will still take place on the Saturday one week before General Conference. From the LDS website:

"The general women’s meeting will be held the Saturday before each general conference and will be conducted by the general presidencies of the Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary organizations. All women, young women, and girls age eight years old and older will be invited to attend".

This is a positive step because it now places the women's meetings on more of a similar plane with the General Priesthood Meeting, which has been open to all males of Priesthood age. What will be interesting is to find out which auxiliary presidency will conduct the combined women's meeting. Will it be the Relief Society Presidency, the Young Women Presidency, or the Primary Presidency? My guess is the Relief Society Presidency would take precedence.

Another positive step the Church could consider would be to bring the new women's meeting directly into the General Conference weekend itself. The best time would be on Saturday afternoon. Of course, this would supersede the Saturday Afternoon General Session of the conference, but we already have three other general sessions, so nothing of substance would be lost. The idea is for the women's meeting to be treated as the direct female equivalent of the men's meeting on Saturday evening. While men and women aren't identical, they should be treated as equally as LDS doctrine permits.

Unofficial LDS Reaction: Posted on Millennial Star and Mormon Momma; there's also an open discussion thread on the feminist-oriented Segullah blog. Most commenters are supportive of the idea, although a significant number question including girls as young as eight years old (the earliest age for baptism). Some suggest the age limit should be 12, just as it is for the General Priesthood Meeting. Ordain Women organizer Kate Kelly also reacted, writing on Facebook, "I see this as a really positive sign that our leaders are hearing our pleas and our prayers are being answered. While this meeting does nothing to address the question of the priesthood and all clerical, fiscal, ritual and other decision-making authority in the church, I see it as an attempt to acknowledge women and men are currently treated unequally in the church..."

Emi Edgley, Daughter Of LDS Young Women President Elaine Dalton, Speaks Out On Her Mother's "Guardians Of Virtue" Address

The speech delivered by Young Women President Elaine Dalton during the March 26th, 2011 General Young Women Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has attracted some criticism from unofficial LDS sources. The address, now referred to as the "Guardians Of Virtue" speech, has been roundly criticized by some on Feminist Mormon Housewives. The gist of the criticism surrounds the "guardians of virtue" reference.

-- Video and audio archives of the whole session or individual talks now available HERE. Written transcripts are now available.

President Dalton said that as guardians of virtue, young women are not to send flirtatious, sexually explicit text messages. However, she followed up by saying that if a young woman sends a sexually explicit text message to a young man, that this text message may cause him to lose the Spirit, his Priesthood power and his virtue. The concern expressed by some on FMH is that this sends the message that if young men cannot control themselves, young women are responsible for any consequences that result from sending these sexually explicit text messages to young men. But an review of the transcript of the speech indicates this concern was unwarranted; President Dalton had preceded that remark with a story about how men had helped women accomplish their goals during a 22-mile walk from the Draper Temple to the Salt Lake Temple. President Dalton's point was that men and women must be guardians of each other and look out for each other as well.

One person has weighed in vigorously in support of Elaine Dalton's speech. Emi Edgley, who identifies herself as a daughter of Elaine Dalton, publishes her assessment on her family blog. In a post entitled "Mothers as Guardians of Virtue", she noted that President Dalton defined virtue as "a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards which includes chastity and moral purity.” She also defined a guardian as "someone who protects, shields, and defends". And President Dalton eloquently connected the dots by telling the young women that "as a guardian of virtue, you will protect, shield, and defend moral purity because the power to create mortal life is a sacred and exalted power and must be safeguarded until you are married."

Emi Edgley cited the following excerpt as her favorite quote from the speech:

"For the mothers listening tonight, you are your daughters’ most important example of modesty and virtue — thank you. Never hesitate to teach them that they are royal daughters of God and that their value is not based on their sensual appeal. And let them see your belief modeled correctly and consistently in your own personal attitude and appearance. You are also guardians of virtue."

This is the ultimate message of female empowerment -- to promote the idea that women should be judged by ALL of their talents, and not strictly by their ability to attract men. Note that the syntax does not necessarily imply that women are the only guardians of virtue. But the reason women were highlighted was because it was a Young Women's conference; perhaps during the Saturday evening priesthood session of the General Conference, we will hear a message directed towards the young men counseling them to be guardians of virtue as well, and telling them that their obligation to obey the law of chastity remains constant no matter how women behave.

The idea that men have a lesser responsibility than women in this area is not supported by LDS doctrine; in fact, we men may actually have a greater responsibility in this area since we hold the Priesthood and the women don't. Doctrine & Covenants 121:36-37 states, "...the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness...That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man".

Emi Edgley also promotes a group called American Mothers, which is an interfaith, non-political, non-profit organization for women and men who recognize the important role of motherhood through educational programs and community outreach. It is also the organization responsible for annually selecting the National Mother of the Year® and Young Mother from candidates across the United States, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

LDS 2011 General Young Women Meeting Focuses On Virtue; Attendees Urged To Resist Unrighteous Worldly Values

The 2011 General Young Women Meeting of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took place on March 26th, 2011, and those in attendance were treated to a round of inspiration and pertinent talks by the Young Women General Presidency as well as a representative of the First Presidency of the Church. It's an excellent lead-in to the 181st Annual General Conference which will take place on April 2-3. The theme of the meeting was the 13th Article of Faith; the predominant focus was on virtue.

First out of the box with a media story is the Salt Lake Tribune; in addition, the Beginnings New blog live-Twittered the meeting. The Deseret News and KSL Channel 5 have now posted stories; KSL video embedded below:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Video and audio archives of the whole session or individual talks now available HERE. Written transcripts are also available.

Sister Anne M. Dibb, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, spoke on the 13th Article of Faith, with special attention on being honest and true even when it isn't easy, popular, or fun.

Sister Mary N. Cook, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, spoke about the importance of making Jesus Christ the center of one's life. She focused on "benevolence," and urged the young ladies to be good Samaritans in their YW programs, wards, communities, and, sometimes most difficult of all, in their families.

Young Women General President Elaine Dalton urged people to make two lists: Things you will always do, and things you will never do. Then "live your lists." She also told the young ladies to be a guardian of virtue, which she described as being “modest not only in your dress, but in your speech, your actions, and your use of social media.” President Dalton also counseled the young ladies to understand the importance of chastity, because the body is a temple and that sacred powers of procreation are not to be tampered with before marriage.

The final speaker was President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the LDS Church First Presidency. President Eyring said the formation of the YW organization was an act of prophetic foresight by Brigham Young. At the time, Brigham Young saw that worldly influences were drawing the Saints away from the Lord’s pathway to happiness, and so founded YW as a counterbalance. President Eyring also warned of the danger in rejecting prayer and in casual scripture study, emphasizing that feasting on the word is nourishment to tree of one's personal testimony.

Unofficial LDS Reaction: Feminist Mormon Housewives has expressed some concern about President Elaine Dalton's talk about "Guardians of Virtue". President Dalton said that as guardians of virtue, young women are not to send flirtatious, sexually explicit text messages. However, she followed up by saying that if a young woman sends a sexually explicit text message to a young man, that this text message may cause him to lose the Spirit, his Priesthood power and his virtue. FMH's concern is that this sends the message that if young men cannot control themselves, young women are responsible for any consequences that result from sending these sexually explicit text messages to young men. But an review of the transcript of the speech indicates this concern was unwarranted; President Dalton had preceded that remark with a story about how men had helped women accomplish their goals during a 22-mile walk from the Draper Temple to the Salt Lake Temple. President Dalton's point was that men and women must be guardians of each other and look out for each other as well.