Three ordinary women - Mary, Joan of Arc, and Sarah Rich - accomplished extraordinary things through exercising their faith in Jesus Christ. They each faced significant challenges but relied on their faith to endure. Similarly, Kathy Huso is an ordinary woman in the local stake who has shown extraordinary faith through patience, optimism, and service. These women demonstrate that ordinary people can do remarkable things when they have faith in the Savior.

2. Women of Faith
“Ordinary Women
Accomplishing
Extraordinary Things.”
What does this mean to you?
What have you thought of
personally as you have
contemplated what you would
be hearing today? I pray you
will find great comfort and
strength for having attended
our 2013 Layton South Stake
2013 Women’s Conference Women’s Conference. I pray
you will put your worries aside
Talk by Renée Packer
and bask in the joy of being
Stake Relief Society President rejuvenated and the joy of
being together.
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3. In the preface of DMK,
Emma Hales Smith states,
―We are going to do
something extraordinary.‖
She was right. The history of
Relief society is filled with
examples of ordinary women
who have accomplished
extraordinary things as they
have exercised faith in
Heavenly Father and Jesus
Christ.
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4. ―Extraordinary‖ means beyond the
ordinary, exceptional in character, noteworthy,
remarkable, etc. ―Extraordinary‖ also means
that by our being faithful—and expressing
whatever level of our faith—we are seeking,
striving, overcoming, loving, and caring for
those around us. We are accomplishing those
things the Lord desires and having the faith to
endure through the struggles or distractions
or temptations that may come our way in the
process.
4

5. The bible dictionary shares some beautiful
characteristics of faith that women have displayed in
distinct and quiet ways. I’d like to just share a few of
them.
―Faith is to hope for things which are not seen,
but which are true and must be centered in Jesus
Christ in order to produce salvation. Faith is having
confidence, attributes of love, knowledge, justice,
mercy, unchangeableness, power, and every other
needful thing. Testimonies are strengthened by
other’s faith, obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ
and righteousness.
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6. Faith is a principle of
action, power, healing,
influence, remission of sins,
and eventually one can stand
in the presence of God.
— Bible Dictionary
6

7. And Christ hath said: If ye
will have faith in me ye shall
have power to do whatsoever
thing is expedient in me.
— Moroni 7:33
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8. After having read the
book Daughters in My
Kingdom, and especially
this particular section
many times, I suddenly felt
a surge inside me,
powerfully testifying to me
that not only have women
of faith been around for
centuries, we also have the
same faithful women right
within our own stake. It
was only the day after our
last Women’s Conference
that the inspiration of our
theme for this year’s
Women’s Conference
came.
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9. The Layton South
Stake is full of
examples of ordinary
women—YOU—who
have accomplished
extraordinary things as
– YOU - have
exercised your faith in
Heavenly Father and
Jesus Christ. Today we
would like to honor
you and your faith.
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10. And it shall come to pass, that
inasmuch as they are faithful,
and exercise faith in me, I will
pour out my Spirit upon them
in the day that they assemble
themselves together.
— D&C 44:2
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11. However, it is still of great importance to
recognize the influence and examples of
faithful women throughout the history of
time. I would like to honor a few women in
our past and present to help us understand
how ordinary women are able to do
extraordinary things as they exercise their
faith in our Savior, and testify through their
words and deeds of their belief in God and
His Son, Jesus Christ.
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12. We learn from the past
to inspire our present
and propel our future in
becoming more faithful
women.
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13. We are stronger, more
resilient women of faith
because of those from the
past as well as those in
our midst.
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14. Mary
A
Woman
of Faith
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15. I have always admired the profound and yet
simple faith of Mary, the mother of our Savior, Jesus
Christ. How daunting it must have felt to have had
an angel pronounce such extraordinary news, to be
highly favored of the Lord, chosen to be the mother
of the Savior, who she knew some day would come.
This news must have been more than she could have
ever imagined. The angel also shared with her the
glorious news that her cousin Elizabeth, who was
aged and barren, was six months with child, after
which he said,
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16. “For with God nothing
shall be impossible.” Her
reply touches me the
most. “And Mary said,
Behold the handmaid of
the Lord; be it unto me
according to thy word.”
Luke 1:37-38. She was
ready, she was humble,
and she was willing.
Sisters, if Mary was
―enough‖ to be the
mother of our Savior, we
are ―enough‖ to do what
the Lord personally
desires for us.
16

17. In an article in the New Era, January 2010, from
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, he states.
―I would like you to go back nearly 600 years
to the New Year of 1412. That week in the small
village of Domrémy, France, a baby girl was born
who, a little later, at roughly the age of [Young
Women], changed the political and religious
landscape of her world. Through military
developments and a variety of personal religious
experiences, Joan of Arc, sometimes called the
Maid of Orléans, was made a captain in the French
army at the tender age of 16.
17

18. Joan of
Arc
A
Woman of
Faith
18

19. In a rather remarkable series of battles and victories, she
brought acclaim to herself and her cause, inspiring not only the men
under her command but also the entire French nation. Later she was
captured, tried, and put to death—burned at the stake—her life
complete at 19 years of age.
19

20. ―As the fires were being ignited around the
stake to which she was tied, Joan was given a
last chance to save her life and regain her
liberty if she would deny her religious—and
thus some of her personally motivated
political—beliefs. She refused to deny
anything she believed or anything she had
said about her faith, and thus chose fire above
freedom, and principle above politics.‖
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21. In the book, ―Joan of Arc, Daughter of
the Restoration,‖ written by Robert D.
Hatch…Joan states,
“There is a flame of faith
within each of us that ignite
when in humility we seek
Him.” — Joan of Arc
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22. Sisters & Laurels, you are of
infinite worth with your own
mission to fulfill. Your divine
mission is just as great of
importance as Joan of Arc’s
was. It’s your personal divine
mission that matters to fulfill,
not someone else’s.
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23. Sarah
Rich
A
Woman of
Faith
23

24. “Like many Relief Society sisters, Sarah
Rich was buoyed by temple blessings as
she faced the challenges of the exodus.
Prior to leaving Nauvoo, she received a
calling from Brigham Young to work in
the temple. She later said:
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25. 25

26. ―Many were the blessings we had received
in the house of the Lord, which has caused us
joy and comfort in the midst of all our sorrows
and enabled us to have faith in God, knowing
He would guide us and sustain us in the
unknown journey that lay before us. For if it
had not been for the faith and knowledge that
was bestowed upon us in that temple by the
influence and help of the Spirit of the Lord,
our journey would have been like one taking a
leap in the dark. To start out …
26

27. …in the winter as it were and in our state of
poverty, it would seem like walking into the jaws
of death. But we had faith in our Heavenly
Father, and we put our trust in Him feeling that
we were His chosen people and had embraced
His gospel, and instead of sorrow, we felt to
rejoice that the day of our deliverance had
come.‖ Sisters, the blessings of the temple will
bless us no differently than it did for Sarah Rich
and however else we are in need. Have faith in
your temple covenants. — Daughters In My Kingdom
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28. Kathy Huso
A
Woman of
Faith
28

29. Last, and certainly not least, is a sister in our
midst today, an ordinary woman in her mind,
but very extraordinary to those who know her.
She has such a love for others and the gospel. I
was privileged to be her visiting teaching partner
for 8 years. This dear sister, Kathy Huso, taught
me so much about faith. In her own way, she
quietly taught me endurance through trial,
optimism in her present circumstances, and
faith for what lies ahead. She has a belief that
all have great worth.
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30. 30

31. She taught me that through much patience and love and
keeping quiet, that eventually her husband would become
active again, which he did after many long years. I watched as
she lovingly took her grandchildren in her home and taught
them the principles of the gospel and to live good lives. She
gave them something to hold onto. I watched her sorrow
through death of her oldest grandchild with dignity and
strength. I watched her do extraordinary things, even though
her body would not allow her to, her mind would not let her
stop. She is an avid reader, and has a great love for gardening.
We have a very special bond that only she and I can really
explain, but I was the greatest benefactor of such an
extraordinary woman of faith. Thank you my dear, dear
friend.
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32. These four women have at least
three things in common.
1. They each are ordinary women.
2. They each possess faith in Jesus Christ.
3. Their faith in Christ has allowed them to
accomplish the extraordinary things in their
lives the Lord desired.
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33. I will forever be grateful for
these and all faithful women
who have shown their devotion
to the Lord as wonderful
examples to me.
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34. As I began a deeper study to
better understand faith with the
topic of ―Women of Faith,‖ in
mind, I became more aware of
the faith that was found within
each sister I met in the
boundaries of our Stake. As I
visited the wards within our stake
throughout the year, conversing
with the women I met, I was
touched, and blessed by each of
you. You radiate faith in your
countenance, even if you have
many days or months, or even
years that are discouraging.
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35. Women in general desire
happiness – joy in the
journey, and optimism for
the future! They use faith
to achieve their desires. I
also was acutely aware of
how much women love to
be loved. That is
something we can all give
to one another.
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36. I often think about young mothers who have their
hands full of dirty diapers, loads of laundry, hair to be
combed, dinners to be fixed, errands to run, carpooling,
maintaining their home and family, keeping their husbands
happy, and somehow still have a smile on their face when
the day is complete. I have been there, done that, and have
more empathy than you can imagine. Some days the smile
wasn’t always bright, or the clothes always folded, but it
seemed the thing that helped me the most, and I hate to say,
wasn’t eating chocolate, or buying a new outfit, or even
incessant praises from my family or husband, though that
always helps.
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37. What really made the
difference overall on a
consistent basis, was
drawing upon the Lord in
prayer, scripture study,
keeping my covenants, and
serving.
37

38. The consequences of putting
the Lord first far outweigh
anything else we can do with our
time. It fills our home with a
sense of love, peace, and
indifference to those things that
didn’t get done or aren’t as
important.
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39. Sisters, I only see faithful women
in front of me. I believe women rise
up each morning with a hope and a
desire for a better day. When I see you
faced with oppositions or trials that
seem so daunting, I also admire your
tenacity to keep strong and move
forward. Your example helps those
who need that extra lift.
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40. 40

41. Sisters, the walls of our stake boundary are
bursting with women and their inspired stories
of faith, of tribulation, of triumph, of
opportunity to serve and be served. You love
the Savior, and we love to hear you testify of
Him. Within these walls are your stories of faith
that need to be realized, that need to be shared
and appreciated. Your experiences are just what
we need to hear, acting also as a great reminder
to yourselves of how the Lord has blessed you.
41

42. Let’s not forget
though, to
always be
inspired by the
lives of faithful
women from
our past.
42

43. As we are helped and buoyed up by the
inspired stories of women found
throughout the history of the world and
the church …may we also begin to
recognize more than ever, the faith found
within ourselves, and also the seemingly
ordinary, yet extraordinary women all
around us.
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44. 44

45. You are each such a strength to me as
individuals, but when I look out to the vast
group of women in front of me, I also see
strength in numbers, strength in your love,
and strength from the compassion and
faith you each possess. Compound
together these unique qualities of faith,
you are a beautiful, prevailing force for
enormous good.
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46. Sisters, I keep imagining each of us on a journey
together. We are not in a race with each other, but
instead, walking side by side, lifting one another when
the path seems too difficult. We should not have to
walk this journey alone. I imagine the path on each
our journeys may seem quite different, but when we
can, we will walk your difficult path alongside you,
with the Savior as our guide. I have seen this displayed
many times in our stake by you.
In the long run we will have been
made stronger.
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47. 47

48. But behold, I, Nephi, will show
unto you that the tender mercies of
the Lord are over all those whom
he hath chosen, because of their
faith, to make them mighty even
unto the power of deliverance.
— 1 Nephi 1:20
48

49. Evaluation with the Lord is so important as to not
lose focus of your devotion to Him. I have found that
it is of great importance to do an assessment of sorts
on a continual basis, a sense of evaluating with our
…―Faith‖ Barometer. It will help us know if we are
progressing on our journey.
For some of us the Sabbath day is one of the
greatest days of the week for such an evaluation. I
would like to offer six questions that you might ask
yourself as you evaluate with your ―Faith‖ barometer
as you strive to increase your faith in Christ.
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50. 50

51. 1. Am I learning of the Savior
and applying the blessings of
the Atonement?
2. Am I following the teachings
of our living prophets and church
leaders?
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52. 3. Am I paying my full tithes
and offerings to the Lord?
4. Am I striving for personal
revelation through prayer?
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53. 5. Am I honoring all of my
covenants?
6. Am I engaging myself and
family in meaningful service?
53

54. One of the sweetest faithful acts I
saw from one of my 5 sons, at the age
of you Laurels, was this image he
created and kept visible to review, to
help him remember who he was and
what he was working on to help keep
him on a continued course, even though
at times it wasn’t always easy.
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55. 55

56. The 11th chapter of Hebrews
found in the New Testament is
entirely on faith. We read how the
lives of prophets of old and other
faithful saints were anchored and
driven by their faith.
56

57. But we also read in this chapter
that an absence of faith is
impossible to please God. .
We must always diligently
seek Him to be in favor with
Him.
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58. Sisters, I want you to know of the love that
I and my Presidency have for you, the love that
our Stake Presidency and your Bishoprics have
for you. Do you know how much your Father in
Heaven and Jesus Christ loves you? It is in their
gospel of which our faith is anchored. I bear
testimony that our lives are rich and empowered
for good when we follow the teachings of our
Savior. Sisters, as you move forward on your
journey of faith, please remember, to….
58

59. Rejoice in and recognize
every faithful prayer you
plead, each step of faith you
take, and all faithful acts
you perform.
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60. You are Women
of Faith!
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