PROVO, Utah — President Russell M. Nelson has provided prophetic direction on how Latter-day Saints should identify themselves.
First and foremost, they are children of God. Second, they are children of the covenant. Third, they are disciples of Jesus Christ.
And while the first identifier is inherent to all people, the second and third identifiers are individual choices, Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson said.
“We choose to make covenants with God at baptism and in the house of the Lord and become covenant women,” she said. “We choose to be disciples of Jesus Christ in following the Savior’s example. … Sisters, come take your place as covenant women.”
President Johnson taught about the power and importance of covenants during the opening keynote address for the 2024 BYU Women’s Conference on Wednesday, May 1, at the BYU Marriott Center.
She was joined by Sister J. Anette Dennis, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, and Sister Kristin M. Yee, second counselor.
Their keynote address marked the start of this year’s BYU Women’s Conference, the largest annual three-day gathering of Latter-day Saint women in the world that enables women of faith to hear uplifting messages, gain insights and participate in service.
This year’s conference will continue through Thursday, May 2, and Friday, May 3, and is centered around the theme found in 2 Nephi 4:34, “O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever.”
For those that can’t attend in person, President Johnson’s keynote address on Friday morning will be livestreamed on broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org, YouTube, the Gospel Stream app and other Church channels.
Covenant transformation
During Wednesday night’s keynote, President Johnson encouraged sisters to think of covenants not as transactional but as transformational.
For instance, the baptismal covenant might sound transactional — a baptized person promises to take the Savior’s name upon them, serve God and keep His commandments, and in return, God promises that His Spirit will always be with the baptized person.
However, “The promised blessing is not of short duration or limited. It is everlasting,” President Johnson said. “His Spirit will always be with us. It will transform us.”
Again quoting President Nelson, President Johnson explained that everyone who makes and keeps covenants with God has direct access to His power — a gift He generously shares with His children, she said.
But it’s important not to disconnect that power from its source, President Johnson continued.
“It is not about me having power. It is about Him having power,” she said. “I am a redeemed soul whom the Savior is changing and working through. I am ordinary Camille Johnson. But when I keep my covenants, God blesses me. My spiritual gifts and attributes are amplified. …
“Sisters, this is the blessing of God’s covenant power. It sits with us. It transforms us. It strengthens us. It calms us, gives us confidence, brings us peace and increases our capacity to fulfill our divinely appointed responsibilities as women. Being covenant women is liberating, not limiting.”
Covenant belonging
Building off of President Johnson’s remarks, Sister Dennis said that entering into covenants with God not only enhances a person’s relationship with Him but affects their relationships with all His other children.
Inherent in covenants made with God, she said, is the responsibility to love and care for each other.
“Sisters, together we can help build a worldwide sisterhood of all ages that is healthier, more resilient, less lonely, and more connected because of our covenant relationship with God and our responsibility to one another as disciples of Christ,” she said.
Sister Dennis said there is great strength in unity and beauty in diversity. Just as giant redwood trees withstand the forces of nature by interlocking their roots, Latter-day Saint women can strengthen each other through the storms of life by linking arms and standing together.
Additionally, all should feel welcome at church, she said. There are no worthiness requirements to enter Latter-day Saint meetinghouses, and it’s possible to create a safe and welcoming atmosphere without compromising doctrine or beliefs.
“When we take the time to truly get to know those who we feel are different from us, we may realize we have much more in common than we thought,” Sister Dennis said, adding, “Listening to others’ stories and seeking to understand them will change our hearts, and the judgment and fear we may have had towards some can be replaced by feelings of gratitude to have them in our lives.”
Relief Society sisters may not always perfectly understand what those around them are going through; but as women take the time to be with and listen to each other, the One who does truly understand can help them lift, comfort, cry with and strengthen each other, Sister Dennis said.
“My dear sisters, young and old, come and take your place as covenant daughters of God and disciples of Christ,” she said. “Because we all belong with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we all belong together.”
Covenant rest
Continuing the theme of covenants, Sister Yee spoke about the blessing of covenant rest.
Sister Yee said she knows of one woman who recently shared that the term “anxiously engaged” makes her already-anxious soul even more anxious, despite all the good she does.
“Her feelings echo in the hearts of many good sisters, who wonder if they are doing enough and if their offering is acceptable,” Sister Yee said. “I know that the Lord sees you and all the good that you do both seen and unseen. He loves your good hearts and desires you to be at peace.”
With that in mind, Sister Yee shared how the urgency of being “anxiously engaged” in the Lord’s work can coexist with the promise of finding rest in covenant-keeping.
It’s easy to be busy without trying, she said. But Heavenly Father doesn’t intend His children to run faster than they are able.
“I don’t think that ‘anxiously engaged’ means that we add an insurmountable number of good works to our ever-growing to-do list,” Sister Yee said. “Nor do I think it means we frantically go about trying to solve the world’s problems or even all the problems within our own sphere. …
“The Lord invites us to go about His work in His way, which is different from the world’s way. Different from the frenetic pace that often receives the praise of an overstimulated, over-productive and exhaustive world.”
Sister Yee said that for her, “anxiously engaged” means consciously developing her covenant relationship with God, seeking His wisdom to know where to put her time and energy, looking for the “one” whom He’d have her minister to, and filling her life with meaningful relationships and rejuvenating experiences so that she has something to draw from as she strives to do His work.
This fits with how the Savior’s gospel brings peace and calmness to hearts — the covenant rest that comes as people keep Jesus Christ’s higher laws, purposefully partner with Him, trust Him, sincerely repent and worship in the temple, Sister Yee said.
“Rest comes when we know that God knows us and loves us,” Sister Yee said. “His rest comes when we find joy in bringing the Savior’s relief to others and let others bring His relief to us. … Rest comes when we remember and reflect upon the beautiful blessings God mercifully grants us each day.”
