A QUEENLY QUEST: Queens: The Lord's Secret Weapon

Me in 1984 with my baby Lindsey, and my toddler Sarah.

Sheri Dew is one of my favorite all-time inspirational speakers (and you may find me saying that over and over!) In a talk in 2002 she said, "As Mothers in Israel, we are the Lord's secret weapon." (Ensign Nov. 2001, 96)
She said we don't necessarily have to have born children in mortality to be endowed with motherhood, and that our "mothering" can be limitless. I have been attending BYU Women's Conference since 1998, only missing one year, so this year, 2008 marked my 10th Women's Conference. It was one of the best ones for me. I gain so much spiritually. I went very prepared to be taught and fed as I had prayed for a couple weeks prior for the Lord to bless me with the messages He had for me at this time. I was very excited because Sheri Dew was the opening session speaker on Thursday morning and she did not disappoint me in any way! Her talk was as uplifting as ever. She has written 3 or 4 books which I own and have read---I am currently reading the most recent, "God Wants A Powerful People." The thread of her messages are intricately woven. Jesus Christ needs us to help build His Kingdom. He needs us now. There is no time to waste. No one can stand in our place and no one else can fulfill the divine mission the Lord has assigned us. We have a powerful influence for good, especially as the women of the Church. Life isn't meant to be easy. Trials and challenges will make us stronger. Sheri is also the biggest advocate against Satan. She said that someone once told her that Satan must groan every time her alarm clock goes off and she starts her day. In her talk at WC this year she said we should all be doing what we can to be a disturber of Satan's kingdom (or something to that effect).

I think the greatest message for me from this WC was when Sheri said, "Our influence is more powerful than we think." I had an experience even before I came home from WC that showed me the truth of this message. I realized I had been an influence where I had not even thought of it that way. Sheri quoted President Monson saying, "We cannot escape the influence we have on others." She said we need to walk away from the world and rally for the cause of Jesus Christ. We need to be an influence on the world, rather than letting the world influence us.
Let's hope our influence is for good, because if we are not careful our influence can also lead someone in the wrong direction. I think we know the things we need to be doing as LDS women, but it would be wise to take a careful evaluation of what we are saying and doing, even wearing. We just don't realize who is watching us. I've been blessed all these years in being able to go to WC because of my dear friend Susie. What I didn't realize was that her daughters were carefully watching everything we did and listening to everything we said. Our love of conference and going to the temple each year the day or so before WC has had an effect on them that had never occurred to me before. Friday night, after WC was all over, these 2 daughters (who had also attended WC) sat up with my other friend (Cindy) and I til midnight having a gospel discussion. They asked so many questions, and I was amazed at how thirsty they were to learn. When our leaders tell us that our youth want to be spiritual fed, this is truth. These are some pretty valiant spirits that we have among us, and we are the ones teaching and leading and influencing them. It really hit me hard when I went to bed and kneeled to say my prayers, that Sheri's message was so true---Our influence is more powerful than we think. I will never forget that experience. It was SO profound!

In another talk, in the Best of Women's Conference book on page 139, Sheri Dew said, "The impact of righteous, determined, pure-hearted women today is immeasurable."

"To be a righteous woman is a glorious thing in any age. To be a righteous woman during the winding up scenes on this earth, before the second coming of our Savior, is an especially noble calling. The righteous woman’s strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times. She has been placed here to help to enrich, to protect, and to guard the home—which is society’s basic and most noble institution. Other institutions in society may falter and even fail, but the righteous woman can help to save the home, which may be the last and only sanctuary some mortals know in the midst of storm and strife."
Spencer W. Kimball (Ensign Nov. 1978, 101)

Gordon B. Hinckley said, "Marvelous is the power of women of faith...I think that is part of the divinity within you...rise to the stature of that divinity...make the world in which you live a better place." (One Bright Shining Hope, page 34)

I wrote down a scripture that Sheri read in Romans 13:11-12. I love it! "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."

In echoing the WC 2008 theme--
Queens, awake, arise and come unto Christ! Or in other words, be aware of what the Lord expects of us, then get moving and follow Christ. He needs us. He needs our influence. We truly are a powerful weapon in this battle of good over evil.