Relief Society leaders address Spanish-speaking sisters
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OREM, UTAH
More than 1,500 women from 32 of Utah's Spanish-speaking wards and branches gathered on April 26 for a fireside featuring Julie B. Beck and Silvia H. Allred, the president and first counselor, respectively, of the Relief Society general presidency for the Church.
The Orem Utah Hillcrest Stake hosted the event at the institute building by the Utah Valley University campus; Elder Jay L. Sitterud of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy presided.
Prior to the fireside, Sister Beck reflected on what it meant for such a large event in Utah to be specifically tailored to the needs of Spanish-speaking women.
"I think it's a unique opportunity to bring together this many sisters," she said. "I don't think we've done this before, this many Spanish-speaking units together.
"If you meet five sisters, they're probably from five different countries. They have a lot of backgrounds and experiences. They bring a lot of talent to the Church. For me, it's a blessing to see them and meet them."
In addition, Sister Beck attached special significance to the fireside because of the Lamanite lineage shared by almost all of the sisters in attendance.
"I think our purpose (tonight)," she said, "is to express our appreciation and our great love to the sisters for the contribution they're making in the building of the kingdom, and to remind them of the great promises that are theirs through the family of Lehi and what promises he was given regarding his posterity."
Sister Beck and Sister Allred both delivered their talks in Spanish. Attendees effusively expressed delight that the president and first counselor of the Relief Society general presidency had come to speak to them in their native Spanish.
"This is a special moment because it shows they really think about all the sisters, regardless of the language or race," said Ana Ruiz of the Orem Utah Windsor Stake. "To know they love us helps our testimonies grow."
Many women used words like "special" and "important" to describe how the fireside made them feel.
"It's beautiful to know that this fireside is intended for us as Latina women," said Deli Villarreal of the Provo Utah Central Stake. "For me, knowing that we can be guided and receive counsel from a woman like Sister Beck, an inspired person whose teachings I think about all the time, right now I truly feel very important and very proud to be Latino and belong to this Church."
In her comments to the congregation, Sister Beck commended the women for their faith.
She said: "I know, sisters, that this is your time. … I feel in you strength and faith. It's because of your faith that you are here tonight. It's not simple to prepare and arrive at a meeting like this. But all of you prepared with the Spirit and arrived here because you wanted to be strengthened in your faith."
A recurring theme in Sister Beck's remarks was the notion that Latino women can exert an immense amount of positive influence in the Church by sharing the gospel with non-members they know and preparing their children for service as full-time missionaries. To that end, she cited Abish and the mothers of Helaman's 2,070 stripling warriors as examples of faith from the Book of Mormon that modern women would do well to emulate.
Sister Allred's remarks included observations about the growth in the number of Church members in Utah whose first language is Spanish.
"I remember," she said, "when I attended BYU and attended the Spanish-speaking branch there. We were a small group then. But tonight, look how many women have come here! The Church has grown very much.
"But with fast growth, many challenges also come with it. One of the big challenges is unity. Unity is something very difficult to achieve even in normal circumstances. And when we have to take into account the different cultures, customs, and traditions that we bring with us, then it becomes a bit more difficult to achieve."
Sister Beck's Spanish is aided by the fact that she learned as a child to speak Portuguese fluently. Sister Allred, an El Salvadoran, speaks both Spanish and English with native fluency.
Prior to the fireside, a special reception was held at which the Relief Society presidents of the 32 wards and branches in attendance had the chance to meet and speak with Sister Beck and Sister Allred.
