“I’m not sure what made this Relief Society Presidency so dear to me. Maybe it was the easy access to their words. Or maybe I finally grew up enough to pay attention.”

(I think we all grew up more — or perhaps, better said, grew up unto God more (using words from another former general Relief Society leader, Kathleen H. Hughes) — as we listened to these wise women and let their words sink into our souls.)

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I loved Jocelyn’s quote that “If all women “had been, and were and ever would be like” Sister Beck…the very powers of hell would be shaken forever.” She shares a few links to talks that have influenced her as well:

The Beckoning of Sister Beck

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Janelle expresses her gratitude to Sisters Beck, Allred, and Thompson, also linking to several talks that were given over the years, and expressing her gratitude, saying, “Not only am I a better woman because of your words but I have also gained greater insight into how to access the divine guidance and grace from my Lord and Savior.”

Faith Family Relief

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I have tears in my eyes as I read Angie‘s post, reminding of yet another aspect of Sister Beck’s teaching that has been so clear, and is so critical for us as women in our busy lives. “[T]he thing that struck me most [listening to Sister Beck's Women's Conference talk] that night was the pattern: to prioritize our lives by what is essential, what is necessary and what is nice to do.” I echo Angie’s words: “I am always looking for patterns, for lists, for help. This pattern from Sister Beck has been the clearest pattern for me, so essential, so tender, so pointed as to how to get where I need to be, how to get back to where I should never have left.”

Learning to Know

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Kathryn pays tribute to the outgoing Relief Society presidency and expresses her support for the new presidency in her post. I agree with her declaration that”For me personally, she was/is a modern-day prophetess. Her power and spirit are emblazoned upon our hearts, and forever we are knit together as sisters in Christ.” I also echo her testimony that “Sister Burton’s call is to work equally along side of our priesthood leaders, and under their direction, to accomplish the exact same work of Lord — and to accomplsh it with power.”

New Relief Society President: Sad Good-bye and Happy Hello!

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Heather at Women in the Scriptures wrote a beautiful tribute today. She shares that Sister Beck “has helped me better understand what it means to be a woman and what work God has for me to do on this earth. I can’t even begin to count the many times that something she has said has been like a band-aid to my soul, answering hard questions that I have struggled with for years.” Heather had a chance to meet Sister Beck and includes a picture from that day. She concludes her post by saying, “Thank you Sister Beck for a life full of Christ-like service and charity. Thank you for accepting the call to serve your God, even though I am sure it has been hard for you. You have taught me to ask the hard questions and have faith that I will get answers. I have asked. And I have received. You will never know the impact you have had in my life.”

A Tribute to Sister Julie B. Beck

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Emily at The Lioness at the Gate added a post tonight. “I am truly grateful for Sister Beck’s boldness and bravery in doing what she was called to do.  Thank you, Sister Beck.  You truly had an impact on my life.” Emily has listed several blog posts that she has written about Sister Beck’s teachings. Like Emily,

I wasn’t ready for Sister Beck to go!

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Stephanie at Diapers and Divinity will be going on a blog haitus soon, so I was especially grateful that she was willing to compile a list of the blog posts she has written before slipping into lurkerdom. She has a long list of posts inspired by Sister Beck (some serious, some not so much so). Stephanie writes: “There are so many things I could say about the powerful influence that Sister Beck has had on my testimony, but I think the best evidence is this list of posts where I have quoted her or referred to some of her teachings and counsel.” I just skimmed over one of her posts (the Sunday Leftovers one) and found this gem:  ”In response to a question I asked Sister Julie Beck when she visited here in the fall, she stated, ‘We place demands on ourselves that the Lord would never place on us.’” (Reminds me of a recent statement Sister Beck made, in an LDS Living interview: “ “I used to be a very guilt-ridden person, but I’ve learned that the Lord uses many opportunities to teach me. I learn from experience when something didn’t feel good, so next time, I do it another way. Don’t carry it around your whole life.”)

Tribute to Sister Julie B. Beck