General Women's meeting

[Marduk]

It was a tangent to Uffish's comment: " In much the same way as I don't understand why women and men still go on missions at different ages..."

[vorpal blade]

So, last night I was in the kitchen doing my manly and priesthoodly duty of washing the dishes, AND I was watching the General Relief Society Meeting on the Mormon channel. It struck me that Sister Linda Burton, the General Relief Society President, may have given us some clues as to why the Women’s Conference will now include girls age 8 and up. So I looked up the reference this morning.

Oh, sisters, we all have burdens to bear and burdens to share. An invitation to bear one another’s burdens is an invitation to keep our covenants. Lucy Mack Smith’s counsel to the first Relief Society sisters is more relevant today than ever before: “We must cherish one another, watch over one another, comfort one another and gain instruction, that we may all sit down in heaven together.”7 This is covenant keeping and visiting teaching at its finest!
…
We know that the Lord always rejoices “in the soul that repenteth,”9 but we desire above all to have our children follow the counsel of President Henry B. Eyring to “start early and be steady” in making and keeping covenants.10 Not long ago a thought-provoking and sincere question was raised in a council of priesthood and auxiliary leaders: do we really expect eight-year-olds to keep their covenants? As we counseled together, it was suggested that one way to prepare children to make and keep sacred baptismal covenants is to help them learn to make and keep a simple promise.
…
A wise mother I know intentionally includes her children in her efforts to keep her covenants. She joyfully bears the burdens of neighbors, friends, and ward members—and comforts those who stand in need of comfort. It was not surprising when her young daughter recently came asking for help to know how to best comfort her friend whose father had just passed away. That was a perfect setting to teach that her desire to comfort her friend was one way to keep her baptismal covenant. How can we expect children to make and keep temple covenants if we don’t expect them to keep their first covenant—their baptismal covenant?
…
Let us remember the concept of “good, better, and best” as we teach.13 It is good to teach our children about the temple. It is better to prepare and expect them to make and keep covenants. It is best to show them by example that we cheerfully cleave to our own baptismal and temple covenants! Sisters, do we realize our vital role in the work of salvation as we nurture, teach, and prepare children to progress along the covenant path? The power to do so will come as we honor and keep our covenants.

[blpsara]

I'm not in love with the idea of combining the meetings. I don't mind the twice a year, but I just think that separating by ages allows the talks to be geared towards those age groups.

I'm willing to see how it goes, but I feel like it will turn into a Relief Society broadcast that the young women (and primary kids) are invited to.

[Portia]

Or a Primary broadcast that the adults (and men) are invited to.

[Portia]

I'm especially disappointed because the current crop of the RS presidency is especially tough and accomplished and awesome. I'm sorry, but the demeanor that appeals to Primary kids is just too schmaltzy for me, and I really, really appreciated the lack of schmaltz. Maybe Team Linda, Linda, and Carole will subtly smack that down in prep time, who knows?

[Dragon Lady]

I'm guessing they'll have speakers from all three presidencies. So some talks will appeal to kids more than adults and vice versa. So there will be something for everyone, but not necessarily everything for everyone.

[Dragon Lady]

Also, it occurs to me that this is going to add ANOTHER thing to my Stake Primary to do list. Because now I'll take turns being in charge of or at least helping with the gathering typically done at the stake center before or after the broadcasts. Which could be fun, but I'm trying to take things OFF my to do list. At least there are two other auxiliaries involved.

[Tally M.]

8 yr olds ca go to general conference and that isn't "dumbed down"