Perhaps a recent experience will give you a glimpse

into how I feel about you.

Your supernal abilities separate you from the rest of the world.

You are endowed with such extraordinary capacity.

Well, by way of confession, I'll say that one day while I was

speaking to a congregation in South America,

I became exceedingly excited about my topic,

and at a pivotal moment I said, "As the mother of 10 children,

I can tell you that ..."

[LAUGHTER]

And then I went on to complete my message.

I did not realize I had said the word mother.

My translator, assuming I had misspoken,

changed the word mother to father,

so the congregation never knew that I had

referred to myself as mother.

But my wife Wendy heard it, and she

was delighted with my Freudian slip.

[LAUGHTER]

In that moment, the deep longing of my heart to make

a difference in the world--like only a mother does--bubbled up

from my heart.

Through the years, whenever I have

been asked why I chose to become a medical doctor,

my answer was always the same: "Because I could not

choose to be a mother."

[LAUGHTER]

Please note that any time I use the word mother,

I am not only talking about women

who have given birth or adopted children in this life.

I am speaking about all of our Heavenly Parents' adult

daughters.

Every woman is a mother by virtue of her eternal divine

destiny.

So tonight, as the father of 10 children--nine daughters

and one son--and as President of the Church,

I pray that you will sense how deeply I feel about you--about

who you are and all the good you can do.

No one else can do what a righteous woman can do.

No one can duplicate the influence of a mother.

Men can and often do communicate the love of Heavenly Father

and the Savior to others.

But women have a special gift for it--a divine endowment.

You have the capacity to sense what someone needs--and when

they need it.

You can reach out, comfort, teach, and strengthen someone

in his or her very moment of need.

Women see things differently than men do, and oh,

how we need your perspective!

Your nature leads you to think of others first,

to consider the effect that any course of action

will have on others.

As President Eyring pointed out, it was our glorious Mother

Eve--with her far-reaching vision of our Heavenly

Father's plan--who initiated what we call "the Fall."

Her wise and courageous choice and Adam's supporting decision

moved God's plan of happiness forward.

They made it possible for each of us to come to earth,

to receive a body and prove that we

would choose to stand up for Jesus Christ now,

just as we did premortally.

My dear sisters, you have special spiritual gifts

and propensities.

Tonight I urge you, with all the hope of my heart,

to pray to understand your spiritual gifts--to cultivate,

use, and expand them even more than you ever have.

You will change the world as you do so.

As women, you inspire others and set

a standard worthy of emulation.

Let me give you a little background

on two of the major announcements made

at our last general conference.

You, my dear sisters, were key to each.

First, ministering.

The supreme standard for ministering

is that of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Generally women are, and always have

been, closer to that standard than men.

When you are truly ministering, you follow your feelings

to help someone else experience more of the Savior's love.

The inclination to minister is inherent in righteous women.

I know women who pray every day, "Whom wouldst Thou have

me help today?"

Before the April 2018 announcement

about the higher and holier way of caring for others,

the tendency of some men was to check off their home teaching

assignment as "done" and move on to the next task.

But when you sensed that a sister you were visiting

teaching needed help, you responded immediately and then

throughout the month.

Thus, it was how you visit taught

that inspired our upward shift to ministering.

Second, in the last general conference

we also restructured Melchizedek Priesthood quorums.

When we wrestled with how to help the men of the Church

be more effective in their responsibilities,

we carefully considered the example of the Relief Society.

In Relief Society, women in various ages and stages of life

meet together.

Each decade of life brings unique challenges,

and yet there you were, week after week,

mingling together, growing and teaching the gospel together,

and making a real difference in the world.

Now, following your example, Melchizedek Priesthood bearers

are members of the elders quorum.

These men range in age from 18 to 98--maybe more--with equally

wide-ranging priesthood and Church experiences.

These brethren can now create stronger fraternal linkages,

learn together, and bless others more effectively.

Remember last June, Sister Nelson and I

spoke to the youth of the Church.

We invited them to enlist in the Lord's youth battalion

to help gather Israel on both sides of the veil.

This gathering is the greatest challenge and the greatest

cause and the greatest work on earth today!

It is a cause that desperately needs women

because women shape the future.

So tonight I'm extending a prophetic plea

to you, the women of the Church, to shape the future by helping

to gather scattered Israel.

Where can you start?

May I offer four invitations:

First, I invite you to participate

in a 10-day fast from social media

and from any other media that bring

negative and impure thoughts to your mind.

Pray to know which influences to remove during your fast.

The effect of your 10-day fast may surprise you.

What do you notice after taking a break

from perspectives of the world that

have been wounding your spirit?

Is there a change in where you now want

to spend your time and energy?

Have any of your priorities shifted--just a little?

I urge you to record and follow through with each impression.

Second, I invite you to read the Book of Mormon between now

and the end of the year.

As impossible as that may seem with all

you are trying to manage in your life,

if you will accept this invitation

with full purpose of heart, the Lord

will help you find a way to achieve it.

And as you prayerfully study, I promise that the heavens

will open for you.

The Lord will bless you with increased inspiration

and revelation.

As you read, I would encourage you

to mark each verse that speaks of or refers to the Savior.

Then be intentional about talking of Christ,

rejoicing in Christ, and preaching of Christ

with your families and friends.

You and they will be drawn closer to the Savior

through this process.

And changes, even miracles, will begin to happen.

This morning the announcement was

made regarding the new Sunday schedule

and home-centered, Church-supported curriculum.

As has been taught here tonight, you, my dear sisters,

are a key to the success of this new, balanced, and coordinated

gospel-teaching effort.

Please teach those whom you love what you are

learning from the scriptures.

Teach them how to turn to the Savior for His healing

and cleansing power when they sin.

And teach them how to draw upon His strengthening

power every day of their lives.

Third, establish a pattern of regular temple attendance.

This may require a little more sacrifice in your life.

More regular time in the temple will

allow the Lord to teach you how to draw

upon His priesthood power with which you have

been endowed in His temple.

For those of you who don't live near a temple,

I invite you to study prayerfully

about temples in the scriptures and in the words of living

prophets.

Seek to know more, to understand more,

to feel more about temples than you ever have before.

In our worldwide youth devotional

last June, I spoke about a young man

whose life changed when his parents exchanged

his smartphone for a flip phone.

This young man's mother is a fearless woman of faith.

[LAUGHTER]

She saw her son drifting toward choices that could prevent him

from serving a mission.

She took her pleadings to the temple

to know how best to help her son.

Then she followed through with every impression.

She said: "I felt the Spirit guiding

me to check my son's phone at specific times

to catch specific things.

I don't know how to navigate these smartphones,

but the Spirit guided me through all the social media

that I don't even use!

I know the Spirit helps parents who

are seeking guidance to protect their children.

[At first] my son was furious with me. ...

But after only three days, he thanked me!

He could feel the difference."

Her son's behavior and attitudes changed dramatically.

He became more helpful at home, smiled more,

and was more attentive at church.

He loved serving for a time in a temple baptistry

and preparing for his mission.

My fourth invitation, for you who are of age,

is to participate fully in Relief Society.

I urge you to study the current Relief Society purpose

statement.

It is inspiring.

It may guide you in developing your own purpose

statement for your own life.

I also entreat you to savor the truths

in the Relief Society declaration published almost 20

years ago.

A framed copy of this declaration

hangs on the wall in the office of the First Presidency.

I am thrilled every time I read it.

It describes who you are and who the Lord needs

you to be at this precise time as you do your part to help

gather scattered Israel.

My dear sisters, we need you!

We "need your strength, your conversion, your conviction,

your ability to lead, your wisdom, and your voices."

We simply cannot gather Israel without you.

I love you and thank you and now bless you

with the ability to leave the world behind

as you assist in this crucial and urgent work.

Together we can do all that our Heavenly Father needs

us to do to prepare the world for the Second

Coming of His Beloved Son.

Jesus is the Christ.

This is His Church.

Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.