May 2, 2025, 5:55pm MDT
Cook of 12 Apostles, elder L. Cook of Quorum, has long believed that “Latter-day Saint women are incredible.” He also spoke on the subject – “LDS women are incredible!” – General Meeting in April 2011.
He showed that the title was taken from the renowned author and historian Wallace Stegner and wrote about Latter-day Saint immigration to Salt Lake Valley. Elder Cook noted that Stegner was not the Latter-day Saint himself, but was impressed by the “devotion and heroism” of early church members, particularly women.
Looking back on this, Elder Cook said: “Our women are not incredible because they have been able to avoid the difficulties of life. The exact opposite. They are incredible because of the trials of life and their faith in Jesus Christ, as well as the way they face their commitment to walking with him.”
Elder Cook expressed her love and gratitude for Latter-day Saint women during her closing keynote address at the BYU Women’s Conference on Friday, May 2nd.
His lecture, entitled “Walk With Him By Faith,” focuses on gospel principles that help individuals stay near the Savior in the path of life. He also highlighted the unique faith, strength and abilities of Latter-day Holy Women.
“In spite of the challenges and tests that life has to offer due to issues of marriage, lack of marriage, choice of children, poor health, lack of opportunity and many other issues, they will remain very strong, immobilized and faithful to their faith in Jesus Christ and his church,” Elder Cook said. “Our sisters throughout the church consistently take over the weakness, lift hanging hands and strengthen weak knees.”
The BYU Women’s Conference is one of the largest annual meetings of Latter-day Saint women in the world, and has been bringing together women since 1976.
This year, the meeting took place on the Brigham Young University campus in Provo, Utah, from Wednesday evening, April 30th to Friday, May 2nd. The theme for 2025 was drawn from Moses 6:34.
Over 90 sessions from around 180 presenters are taught on a variety of topics, including strengthening women and sisterhood, in-depth learning of gospel principles, communication, relationships, practical issues, parenting, and gain insights into family and marriage.
A baby born in the temple
Elder Cook gave the keynote speech by celebrating the spiritual power and fortitude of Latter-day Saint women, seen directly through their mothers, wives, sisters and daughters.
He also shared a family history story about his great grandmother, Amanda Polly Savage Cook.
Amanda walked the plains as an 11-year-old child, Elder Cook said. She later married and settled the Bear Lake Valley, which spans the Utah-Idaho border. Over the next few years she became a skilled midwife and gave birth to babies in the area and in few doctors.
Amanda participated in a Friday night session of Salt Lake Temple’s dedication on April 7, 1893. While waiting in line, she meets Emma Bennett, a young woman who confessed to Amanda that she had the opportunity to attend devotionally for her nine months of pregnancy.
With the dedication session finished, Emma actually becomes labor and Amanda rushes her young mother to the side room. Another woman cried out, “She cannot have a baby here.” Amanda replied firmly.
Amanda then successfully gave birth to Emma’s baby. Emma’s baby was blessed a week later as Joseph Temple Bennett by President Joseph F. Smith.
Elder Cook mentioned the hymn “as a sister to Zion.” This correctly asserts that “women are given angel errands.” ”
“We realize how busy you are,” he said. “We are grateful to those who have been bravely serving even when you have so many challenges and responsibilities. You all have our love and gratitude for what you are, especially for who you are.”
The path of contract, the spiritual heart
Elder Cook then spoke about the path of the covenant. He pointed to President Russell M. Nelson’s pioneering cardiac surgeon’s career, and said that now as a prophet, President Nelson often talks about the spiritual mind.
President Nelson also spoke frequently about the “covenant route,” Elder Cook said. It starts with the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel, faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, acceptance of the Holy Spirit – and continues to take away sacred salvation and temple ordinances.
Elder Cook said all the spiritual conditions required to go on the path of the covenant are related to the spiritual mind. The Bible, he said, favorably refers to a heart full of change, broken, healed, turned, and filled with love, gratitude, joy, and peace. Conversely, the Bible mentions against a hardened mind.
And while both men and women can illustrate positive attributes of the mind, “In my mind, the positive issues associated with the mind are particularly evident in faithful women,” Elder Cook said.
He continued: “References to the “heart” have been used in the Bible to convey the deepest emotions that combine the Holy Spirit and intelligence. …When we speak of the righteous heart, we combine the emotions that arise from truth, intelligence, our spirit, the light of Christ, and the Holy Spirit. ”
Elder Cook encouraged listeners to have a heart “to match the music of faith.” Some individuals said they were deaf to the music of faith, as explained in Lehi’s Dream of Life’s Prophecy Tree (1 Nephi 8).
Lehi also described some of the faith-destroying acts, including pride, vanity and stupidity, Elder Cook said. Some are lost to the secular mysteries of sin and darkness, while others have tasted God’s love, but feel embarrassed because they are laughing at them.
But for the individual who is in line with the music of faith: “You know who you are. You love the Lord and His Gospel, and you are trying to live according to the teachings of the Savior,” Elder Cook added: “You are in harmony with the spirit’s prompts, awakening to the power of God’s Word, and are eager to live a Christlike life as a disciple.”
Elder Cook also acknowledged that there were church members who were less interested or faithful to the Savior’s teachings. He told those members that he wanted them to “waken completely” to their faith, raise their activities and commitment, and walk with Jesus Christ.
Listen to the music of faith
Lehigh’s dream includes all people, but the doctrinal concept that reaches its peak is the eternal importance of the family, Elder Cook said.
So, setting up examples within the family is especially important, Elder Cook said.
“What we’re talking about is very loud and the people around us, especially the children, may not listen to us,” Elder Cook said, “Mothers and fathers praying with our children may be more important than other examples.”
The message, ministry and sin of Jesus Christ are the “essential curriculum” of church members, Elder Cook continued. The Bible does not characterize the faith of the Church more than 25:26. “And we speak of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, preach Christ, prophes Christ, writes according to our prophecies.
Elder Cook advised church members to make the Book of Mormon a part of his lifelong study, as it includes the fill of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He said the best approach to obtain testimony from the Book of Mormon is to immerse yourself in the page to repeatedly experience the ongoing witnesses of the Spirit.
“The institutional essential doctrine requires that the testimony of the restored gospel must be based on faith rather than external or scientific evidence,” Elder Cook said.
Active Bible study is a “splitting line” between those who listen to music of faith and those who are deaf and out-of-key, Elder Cook continued. Furthermore, he said faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and maintaining his commandments would be a critical test of mortality “always.”
“More than anything, each of us must recognize that when we are deaf to the music of faith, he or she is not in harmony with the spirit,” he says, “Our doctrine is clear: we are positive and cheerful.
Elder Cook once again expressed his love and gratitude for the Latter-day saint woman, and was closed by the Savior’s testimony.
“The Holy Spirit testifies to our hearts that we have a beloved Father in heaven where our merciful plan for redemption is filled in all ways for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ,” he said.
