*This week and next, I will be sharing again a two-part conversation with my brother, Tim Willden. These episodes were originally published in 2023 and have become a listener favorite. Enjoy!*

As members of the church, we live in a culture that literally and metaphorically puts men on the stand. On this week's episode, I invite my younger brother, Tim Willden, to share his experiences as a bishop and stake president learning and striving to allow women in his stake to be more equal partners in the work of salvation. Tim shares ways his wife Danai was a more active partner throughout his service as stake president, including in ministering to departing and returning missionaries, as well as ways he encouraged the stake Relief Society, Young Women and Primary leaders to speak up and share revelation they received in more gender-balanced settings. Tim shares the revelation he received repeatedly to simply close his mouth (“shut up!”) and listen to what women were thinking and feeling. I hope this episode gives you encouragement and ideas for what can be done on the local level to help women and young women be heard, recognized and included.

“Quite often we focus too much on the leaders that are sitting on the stand, and not enough on the sacrifice that everyone is making.”

-Tim Willden

Challenge: Think about the types of things bishops, stake presidents or other men in the church have done that have impacted you positively and why. Share them with me at ⁠unleashingsistersaints@gmail.com⁠ or on social media @UnleashingSisterSaints (see links below).

Resources:

March 2019 Ensign Article by Barbara Morgan Gardner: ⁠“Connecting Daughters of God with His Priesthood Power"⁠

Book by Barbara Morgan Gardner: ⁠“The Priesthood Power of Women: In the Temple, Church, and Family”⁠

Spring 2020 BYU Magazine article highlighting research from Chrisopher F. Karpowitz, Jessica R. Preece, and Olga Stoddard: ⁠“When Women Don’t Speak Up”⁠

Learn More:

Learn more about Dr. Susan Madsen at ⁠www.susanrmadsen.com⁠

Sign up to receive monthly emails from Dr. Madsen about updated research, resources, and events at www.utwomen.org. These can be helpful whether you are in Utah or beyond.

Follow Unleashing Sister Saints on social media:

Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/UnleashingSisterSaints⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/unleashingsistersaints/⁠

Contact Me:

I love hearing from listeners! Email me with questions, comments, or suggestions at ⁠⁠unleashingsistersaints@gmail.com.⁠⁠