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PROVO — President Camille N. Johnson, general president of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke Friday about how she has "let God prevail" in her life during a message to women around the world.
"Jesus Christ is the ultimate source of my optimism," she said.
President Johnson spoke at BYU Women's Conference and told members of the Relief Society, a women's organization in the church, "It is a glorious time to be a woman."
President Johnson encouraged women to focus on motherhood.
"My primary identities are daughter of God, covenant woman and disciple of Jesus Christ. And my primary orientation — that is, my focus, passion and calling as a woman — is toward motherhood," she said.
She said the focus on motherhood is "consistent" with the pursuit of an education, adding that learning comes both from education and from learning to be God-like through motherhood. President Johnson said she is "eternally grateful" she acted on promptings to invite children into her family while starting her career.
She said church leaders are concerned about decreasing trends in marriage and childbirth. In the U.S. there are now more single adults with children than married adults with children between the ages 18 and 55.
"If women cease to bear and nurture children, this mortal experience ends. It is vitally important, then, that women and men neither neglect nor dismiss the sacred responsibility of parenthood. ... (Children) are vital to the glorious plan of happiness. The commandment for us to multiply and replenish the earth 'remains in force,'" she said.
President Johnson said her heart aches for women who are struggling with being single and wanting a family, parenting alone because of death or divorce, or suffering with infertility. She said letting God prevail includes inviting him to be involved in the timing.
"Remember, when we ask in faith to let Jesus Christ be the author and finisher of our story, we must be prepared to play out an uncomfortable narrative, in the hope of one that is, while painful, ultimately grander and more celestial than we can imagine," she said.
Priorities
President Johnson said she listens to a talk from President Russell M. Nelson, the church's leader, every morning, and always finds something new.
When searching online, answers come quickly, she said, adding people can scroll until they find an answer they like. She encouraged members, however, to look for answers from President Nelson, the scriptures and the Holy Ghost.
"Maintaining the presence of the Spirit requires effort, energy, prayer, scripture study, study of the words of living prophets, preparation for partaking of the sacrament, repentance and personal acts of daily devotion. That, sisters, is how we will get our answers," she said.
She said her professional life was never a top priority — work was a means to bless her family.
"Establishing priorities is critical to success and happiness," she said.
President Johnson suggested prioritizing love of God and love of neighbors and family. She found she was "far more efficient and effective" when scripture study was part of her routine each day.
"I get more done when I do the things that matter most first," she said.
President Johnson spoke about the "joyful juggle" of pregnancy, nurturing children, church responsibilities, supporting her husband and starting her professional life.
Letting God prevail, she said, does not eliminate times that stretch them or lead to a life of ease — it isn't about comfort, but about growth and change.
"Trials, those times that stretch us, are the elements of the plot that make our stories compelling, timeless, faith promoting and worthy of telling," she said.
Building faith
President Johnson invited women to "stay at the trunk of the tree" by spending time understanding foundational doctrines like their relationship with God, the Atonement and faith; and then consider how their "leaf questions" relate to the gospel's fundamental truths.
"We need to pay the price to know that God's prophets are his mouthpiece, that Jesus Christ is actively leading his church and that we can trust him with complete certainty — even when we don't understand completely. Then the leaves draw context and spiritual insight from the trunk of the tree," she said.
She said as the seed of faith grows, the reward is "delicious fruit," which, for her, is optimism in uncertainty, confidence, joy and grief at once, and trust in Jesus Christ.
President Johnson said the scriptures show women who let God prevail are "essential" to God's plan, and women who have their courage and vision are needed. She told members of the Relief Society they are vital in preparing the world for Christ to return.
"Jesus Christ stands ready to use us as divine instruments, sharpened pencils in his hand, to write a masterpiece," she said.
President Johnson spoke about returning from leading a mission in Peru with her husband in 2019 when they had two new granddaughters, and no longer had children in their home. She returned to her law practice and was looking forward to time as a grandma, but was shortly called to serve as the Primary general president.
She had written a "comfortable narrative" of spending time with family and building financial security — but she learned to let Christ write her story with her. If she had continued with her own narrative, President Johnson said she would have missed faith building experiences that were "worth it."
"I offer my witness that because the Savior knows our potential perfectly, he will take us to places we never imagined ourselves. ... When we let God prevail, he will take us just where he needs us," she said.
Other members of the Relief Society General Presidency are also speaking at the three-day conference, along with members of the church's Primary, Young Women and Young Men general presidencies. All of the talks from church leaders will be available on the Gospel Library app in the "Women" collection within a few weeks.
