The Relief Society general presidency taught thousands of women in attendance at the Keynote Session of the 2023 BYU Women’s Conference that Christ is the ultimate healer.
Sisters J. Anette Dennis and Kristin M. Yee, counselors in the Relief Society general presidency, were the keynote speakers for the event, with Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson sharing opening and closing remarks.
Sister Yee spoke on finding relief through one’s covenant relationship with God. She said that God has supported her throughout her trials in life, including the difficulty of being a single woman in the Church.
“As I trusted His loving care and tried my best to consecrate my life to Him, He has provided me relief through His priesthood power, and has been my provider in spiritual and temporal needs,” she said.
As part of her calling, Sister Yee served in Chuuk, Micronesia. It was there she learned how God can be a constant companion. Sister Yee went on to discuss how despite poverty, violence and sorrow, the women in the Church in Chuuk have faith.
“I shared with them President Nelson’s message to the sisters of the Church, which is that you sisters are loved, necessary and precious,” she said.
Sister Yee compared her travel to how God can carry His children’s burdens.
“The Lord sent me roughly 8,500 miles by plane, train, car and boat to bring relief to the one on the islands of the sea. And so he will find you and I on personal islands where we might feel alone in the concerns and burdens we carry in our hearts. He is present and is prepared to bless, guide and comfort us,” Sister Yee said.
She continued, discussing how God will support His daughters though all of life’s trials.
“Jesus Christ is relief,” she said.
Sister Dennis then addressed those in attendance on Christ’s healing power.
She shared how Christ was instrumental in her daughter Sarah’s journey in learning to manage Borderline Personality Disorder.
“We have watched in amazement over these past five years as we have witnessed the Lord’s healing power in Sarah’s life,” she said.
She continued, saying how Christ often heals through other people and how members of the Church can act as the Savior’s hands in service.
“Let us commit to benign the conduit through which he provides relief. I know that through doing so, we will find his relief. I know that in doing so, you will find his relief personally and be blessed by the peaceful reassurance that we are never alone,” she said.
She challenged the audience to look to their immediate surroundings for opportunities to serve.
“Sometimes I think it is easier to send temporal relief to those we do not know,” she said. “Perhaps the best humanitarian outreach is to reach across the fence or across the street.”
President Johnson concluded by speaking about the purpose of the Relief Society. She echoed Emma Smith, the founder of the Relief Society, that the institution is meant to prepare women for the temple, support women through trials and prepare the world for the Second Coming of Christ.
President Johnson quoted Smith, and said, “We are going to do something extraordinary.”
