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Eva Witesman, a BYU Marriott School of Business associate professor, gave the following BYU devotional talk two weeks ago. Typically, these talks get 1,000-2,000 views during the first two weeks after being posted. This talk has received 14,500 views in that same time period. It is the best talk I have heard from any pulpit in my lifetime. It is worth watching.
The actual title is, “Women and Education: ‘A Future Only God Could See for You'”. There is a video at the link below of the entire talk.
I agree it’s worth the half hour or so. There’s a great old quote from SWK about treating women better, and I like how Sr. Witesman points out that for some the “will of God” might not be SAHM and we shouldn’t let anyone tell us otherwise. Her talk was a little too heavy on the “God knows you” theme for me, but those are my personal issues and it wasn’t so heavy that it detracted from the main message (which may not have been as effective without that postulation). I loved at the end when she told the men of the Church to stay out of the way. :clap: I wish a top leader had given that talk. So much to like.
However my feminism chaffs at the fact that this has been the plea of my LDS sisters for years. Even when they don’t realize it. I watch them work to conform with the hope of fulfillment of Joel and other ancients. Every time they step out, they are pulled back two steps. Yes President Kimball saw a light. President Benson called it back.
I have a millennial daughter who yearns to be a full daughter of God. She runs with hope blazing in her. As her mom of nearly 30 years I squint when I watch her, because I fear the skinned knees and hands that she will endure on the way to her desire. Maybe they won’t hurt so bad. Maybe top leadership will listen and open up the flood gates and let women be their own full selves. Right now she is in an illustrious place. She is in a Relief Society Presidency in a family ward. That presidency is as unorthodox as they come. She is exultant in her participation in it. I laud her Bishop for his foresight and faith in these amazing unorthodox women. I plead to my Heavenly Parents that this is beginning. Not just for my daughter. But for all the daughters of the Kingdom.
We as women can do so much in the Kingdom. Let us do it. Let us be it. Give us back the authorities you silently removed from us for no reason. Let the Deborah’s, Hannah’s and Miriam’s flourish. Please.
I hope her voice isn’t silenced or shifted to some other form. Most likely her moment in the sun will be forgotten.
Quote:I loved at the end when she told the men of the Church to stay out of the way.
Me, too. But it’s also where my faith came crashing down.
As a BYU devotional talk, it probably had to be approved. That simple fact alone gives me hope – as does Elder Oaks’ talk in 2014 about women having Priesthood power and authority. I know it feels too slow (and is slow), but it is faster than at any other time I can remember in my lifetime. I just hope it keeps accelerating.
Quote:Ray wrote –
I know it feels too slow (and is slow), but it is faster than at any other time I can remember in my lifetime. I just hope it keeps accelerating.
I link my heart to your hope. It’s too tired now to stand on it’s own.
I really liked this speech. For me the biggest takeaways are: 1) that girls should be encouraged to pursue education regardless of concrete plans to enter the workforce.
2) because to learn is a spiritual pursuit that will make them more like heavenly Parents.
3) that each daughter of God can listen to her internal compass to follow the path that is meant for her.
These seem like great leaps forward.
Roy wrote:
I really liked this speech. For me the biggest takeaways are:1) that girls should be encouraged to pursue education regardless of concrete plans to enter the workforce.
2) because to learn is a spiritual pursuit that will make them more like heavenly Parents.
3) that each daughter of God can listen to her internal compass to follow the path that is meant for her.
These seem like great leaps forward.
I got all that too, Roy. I also got that women should not be discouraged from pursuing education for the workforce if that’s what she believes is the will of God. I think every young woman in the church should hear this talk.
Those are among my top takeaways, as well, Roy and DJ. I suggested to our YW President that they use this talk as a lesson. She said she would look at it.
This talk was mentioned in a current thread, so I am bumping it up for view again. Elder Ballard said something similar to this talk in a BYU Women’s Conference in 2015. He recently shared an edited quote from that talk of his on Facebook. Quote:Once you know the Lord’s will, you can then move forward in faith to fulfill your individual
purpose. One sister may be inspired to continue her education and attend medical school,
allowing her to have significant impact on her patients and to advance medical research. For
another sister, inspiration may lead her to forego a scholarship to a prestigious institution and
instead begin a family much earlier than has become common in this generation.
Is it possible for two similarly faithful women to receive such different responses to the same
basic questions? Absolutely! What’s right for one woman may not be right for another. That’s
why it is so important that we should not question each other’s choices or the inspiration behind
them. And we should refrain from asking hurtful and unsupportive questions. We can all be kinder and more thoughtful of the situations in which
our sisters throughout the world find themselves as they seek to follow the will of our Heavenly
Father in their individual lives.
I am sharing it here as another resource on this important topic of female self determination.
The full talk is found at the link below. It has several moments that seem condescending to me but the part I shared above is gold!
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