“The men have their priesthood meeting and we have the general women’s meeting,” said Olivia Tufanga, wife of the bishop’s second counselor in the Laie Park Ward, who is originally from Missouri.
She said she likes the general women’s meeting because it is more of a personalized message. She also mentioned how men and women have different needs and she likes the messages addressed specifically to the sisters.
Linda S. Reeves, the 2nd counselor in the General Relief Society Presidency, spoke about staying clean and virtuous among all the temptations that surround people. In her talk, she said all women are susceptible to pornographic material "regardless of our age." She counseled, with emotion filling her voice, that if it portrays negative images just turn it off. We "can't play with Satan's fiery darts and not get burned."
Rosemary M. Wixom, the Primary General President, spoke about our divine nature. She quoted Elaine Cannon, a former Young Women's General President, "there are two important days in a woman's life, the day she is born, and the day she finds out why."
Wixom continued to say that we are all here to help build the kingdom of god for the second coming of our Savior. She said, "The world needs you. The person sitting next to you needs you."
Xiaojun Yang, a senior from China studying peacebuilding, said she enjoys the women’s meeting because “it teaches the women how important their job is to build and protect their family.” She went on to explain that it encouraged her to be strong and defend her religion.
Carol F. McConkie, the first counselor in the General Young Women’s Presidency, said, “Our young women need a cause,” and went on to explain our divine purpose on this earth. “We unite as one in our commitment to the Savior,” she said. She told a story about a lady who, at age 100, was called to serve in Young Women’s to assist the girls in personal progress. Two years later, she received her own medallion at age 102. McConkie said “boundaries of age, organization, and marital status faded away in faithful service.”
The concluding speaker was President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency. He encouraged the sisters to not only embrace the messages they were hearing with their minds, but also with their hearts. Uchtdorf relayed a story about an 11-year-old girl named Aiva, who didn’t want to live with her great-aunt Rose.
When she arrived, she hated it, but as time progressed she learned wisdom and love from her aunt. Her Aunt Rose was the happiest person Aiva had met, but to her, it seemed like she didn’t have anything to be happy about. She was lonely, didn’t have children, and didn’t have friends or neighbors who lived close by.
“God didn’t assign us to be sad. If we trust him, he will help us see the good things in life,” Uchtdorf said in quoting great aunt Rose.
The general women’s session for sisters ages 8 and older will be rebroadcast on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Aloha Center Ballroom. The Priesthood session will be rebroadcast at the stake center at 7 p.m. After the rebroadcast of these meetings, there will be cookies and ice cream for members of the Laie First stake outside the Ballroom.