Today I share my 90th episode before taking a break for the summer, and perhaps longer. In this episode, I share a few final thoughts, including inspiring quotes from leaders on the potential of women’s impact on the Church and the world, and some personal disappointment in the roadblocks women face in making our full influence felt generally, in the Church. Do you have any thoughts, questions, concerns, or suggestions? I love to hear from you: email me at unleashingsistersaints@gmail.com

“God sent you here to prepare for a future greater than anything you can imagine...God knows of your successes...He knows of the times you have held onto the fading light and believed—even in the midst of growing darkness. He knows of your sufferings. He knows of your remorse for the times you have fallen short or failed. And he still loves you...He loves you not only for who you are...but also for the person of glory and light you have the potential...to become.”

· Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world ... will be drawn to the Church in large numbers. This will happen to the degree that the women of the Churchreflect righteousness and articulateness in their lives and to the degree that the women of the Church are seen as distinct and different—in happy ways—from the women of the world.”

· President Spencer W. Kimball

“I have often thought that if great numbers of women of all nations were to unite and lift up their voices in the cause of peace, there would develop a worldwide will for peace which could save our civilization and avoid untold suffering, misery, plague, starvation, and the death of millions.”

· President Gordon B. Hinckley

“It is not for you to be led by the women of the world; it is for you to lead the … women of the world, in everything that is praise-worthy, everything that is God-like, everything that is uplifting and … purifying to the children of men”

· President Joseph F. Smith

“I believe that the moment we learn to unleash the full influence of converted, covenant-keeping women, the kingdom of God will change overnight.”

· Sheri Dew

Challenge: As always, follow any promptings you feel to lead and make your influence felt at home, at church, and in the world.

Resources:

Book: A Future Only God Can See For You: https://susanrmadsen.com/a-future-only-god-can-see

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.⁠⁠⁠

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

Have you ever thought about how cultivating a more equal partnership in the home can better invite the Holy Ghost to teach, inspire, and uplift a family? Join me for part two of my conversation with Tim Willden, my younger brother, as we discuss ways men and women can work together to create a more equal partnership in the home, resulting in a more Spirit-filled, loving, and safe home and family life.

Tim shares the critical importance of husbands and wives talking together openly and frequently about the roles and responsibilities within the home, including those Church culture or broader society has traditionally assigned to just men or just women. In situations where abuse of any kind is present, we discuss the need for women to seek for safe places where they can feel and receive the guidance of the Holy Ghost. I also share research about the positive effect of equal partnerships in the home on children and future generations.

“The prophet has been teaching us to ‘Hear Him.’ He’s been teaching us that we can’t make it through this if we don’t have the Holy Ghost, if we don’t have that relationship. And as a father, I think it comes upon me and my wife, as the nurturers and caregivers of our children, to help foster an environment where they can hear him better, and teaching them how to “hear him.”

-Tim Willden

Challenge: Think about what equal partnership in the home looks like for you. Talk about that with your spouse, boyfriend, a family member, or whomever might feel appropriate to you. Feel free to share your thoughts with me at ⁠⁠unleashingsistersaints@gmail.com⁠⁠ or on social media @UnleashingSisterSaints (see links below).

Resources:

May 2020 Harvard Business Review article: ⁠“Gender Equity Starts in the Home”⁠

October 2022 General Conference talk by Elder Ulisses S. Soares: ⁠“In Partnership with the Lord”⁠

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.⁠⁠⁠

*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.⁠⁠

Do you tend to feel comfortable and powerful with your sexuality as a Latter-day Saint woman, or somewhat ashamed and embarrassed? Join me today for a fantastic discussion with Dr. Chelom Leavitt, a BYU professor, author, mother of eight, and expert in healthy, meaningful sexuality. Dr. Leavitt shares how women can achieve more meaningful sex and why meaningful sex is critical in a healthy marriage relationship, and how women can achieve greater mindfulness during sex. We also discuss how to teach children of any age about sex, and small things we can do to help prevent sexual abuse. As Dr. Leavitt says, who better to talk about healthy sex than a committed, Latter-day Saint woman devoted to marriage and family?

Challenge: Dr. Leavitt’s website features great information and resources for women on the topic of healthy, meaningful sexuality. Spend a few minutes exploring her website here: https://www.chelomleavitt.com/

Resources:

Dr. Leavitt’s website: https://www.chelomleavitt.com/

Book: A Better Way to Teach Kids About Sex: https://a.co/d/g8kr82B

Book: Sexual Wholeness In Marriage: https://a.co/d/aRztnI7

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.⁠⁠⁠

Rebecca Dutson, President and CEO of The Children’s Center Utah, is passionate about helping children and families thrive, not just survive. As a faithful member of the Church, Rebecca believes children are our most precious resource, and wants everyone to understand that children have mental health, and that even infants, toddlers and preschoolers have mental health needs. Tune in to this week’s episode to learn more about the interrelated nature of mother and caregiver mental health and children’s mental health, and how we can best help children and families thrive.

Challenge: Learn more about children's mental health at the links below.

Resources:

The Children’s Center Utah: https://childrenscenterutah.org/

Kem C. Gardner Early Childhood Mental Health in Utah Report: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://d36oiwf74r1rap.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/Child-Ment-Health-Dec2020.pdf

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.⁠⁠⁠

Today I am joined by the incomparable Robin Ritch, and extraordinary leader with a wealth of experience in tech and innovation. From the get-go, you will be inspired by Robin’s passion and excitement for life and the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this episode, she shares insights gained from interviewing several dozen Latter-day Saint women who came of age in the ‘60s and ‘70s. She shares their wrestles and how the friction these women experienced shaped their lives and testimonies. Robin also invites women to reflect on how they can bring greater light to the world around them through their own unique gifts and talents, a role she sees as divinely female.

Challenge: This week, ask a Latter-day Saint woman, maybe older than you, about her story. Reflect on what you learn from her experiences.

Resources:

Watch for Robin’s book with lessons from her interviews with Latter-day Saint women later in 2024!

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.⁠⁠⁠

Candace Queathem is a mom of three young children who has made time and space in her life to serve the vulnerable in her community. Candace, who lives in London, England, formally serves as the community outreach specialist for the Hyde Park Stake, but her volunteer efforts began with a simple observation of need during the Afghan refugee crisis and a desire to help. Today, I talk with Candace about the value of education, the critical importance of relationship and trust building in volunteer work, and how centering her life in Christlike service has given her a firm foundation when challenges to her faith have come. She shares some great suggestions for ways women can immediately get involved in serving the needy in their communities, and why we must reach out to help. Ultimately, Candace has learned that advocacy work is the Savior’s work, breaking down man-made barriers and bringing about peace.

Challenge: How can you make your influence more felt in your community? How can you serve in ways that align with your skills and values but also move you outside your comfort zone?

Resources:

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.⁠⁠⁠

Laurel Christensen Day believes there are many options, not just one or two, to live out our discipleship and life’s purpose. On this week’s episode, Laurel shares her unexpected journey from part-time marketing and events coordinator at Deseret Book to her current role as company president, how she’s learned from and not been paralyzed by mistakes, and the responsibility she feels to create space for everyone who wants to belong in the Church.

Challenge: Consider the vision you have for your roles, whether that is at home, at work, or at church. How can these opportunities bring you the fulfillment, joy, and meaning that you seek? Be sure to focus on the things you can control!

Resources:

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.⁠⁠⁠