Barbara W. Winder

General Relief Society President (April 7, 1984 – March 31, 1990)

General Conference Addresses

• April 1990 General Conference
  • Instruments to Accomplish His Purposes
    • “Six years ago my husband presided over the California San Diego Mission. We were called home a year early for me to fill this assignment. And now we return to specific missionary work. This time, he will preside over the Czechoslovakia mission, where he labored as a youth.”
    • “It is humbling to look forward with my husband to yet another challenge. I desire to support him as he has supported me so steadfastly for the past six years.”
• April 1984 General Conference
  • I Love the Sisters of the Church
    • “We women are under the direction of the priesthood. I feel that I have been taught by those who have followed that direction to help bring women today through troubled times, to the point of being caring wives and mothers, faithful members of the Lord’s kingdom, and contributing members of the communities in which they live. These are strengths that have been given to our Latter-day Saint women.”

Other Recorded Talks

• October 1988 General Women’s Meeting
  • Becoming a Prepared People
    • “The virtuous woman described in Proverbs was a woman who was prepared. She worked willingly, stretched out her hand to the poor, saw to the physical needs of her household, sought after knowledge. She had profound reverence for the Lord. While many of her tasks may appear to be temporal in nature, her blessings were eternal ones.”
    • “We prepare by developing a strong relationship with our Heavenly Father through prayer, scripture study, and obedience to the commandments; by knowing our own worth; and by sustaining the priesthood.”
    • “Qualities of spirituality do not come without effort. Like any other talent with which we are blessed, they must be constantly practiced.”
    • “Consistently attending sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps. So too will fasting, praying individually and as a family, visiting teaching, controlling our bodily appetites, teaching gospel principles, nourishing and nurturing, watching over one another, studying the scriptures, keeping the commandments. Each act of dedication and obedience is a drop of oil with which we can refuel our lamps. Keeping the commandments and following the words of the prophet may be the greatest preparation we can make for any eventuality to come.”
    • “It is according to our natures, sisters, to have feelings of charity and benevolence. It isn’t always easy to put these feelings into action. But as women, we should pray for charitable desires and opportunities and then work to foster these godlike attributes.”
• October 1987 General Women’s Meeting
  • Finding Joy in Life
    • “We live in a critical time in the world’s history. Satan and his forces are busy. His temptations are relentless, deceiving many, sometimes even the very elect. He would lead us to believe that gospel standards which we know to be good—virtue, honesty, morality, courtesy, industry, cleanliness of mind and body—are no longer important. Let me reaffirm that the Lord’s eternal values are still true. The ways of the world may have changed, but the commandments of our Heavenly Father, given for our welfare, are still in force, and true joy comes only from doing his will.”
    • “When we think of the Lord’s eternal plan for us, do we really want no difficulty, no struggle, no adversity?”
    • “Joy, it seems, is not only happiness, but the resultant feeling of the Holy Ghost manifest within us.”
    • “Being pessimistic and negative about our experiences will not enhance the quality of our lives. A determination to be of good cheer can help us and those around us to enjoy life more fully.”
• October 1986 General Women’s Meeting
  • Hope in Christ
    • “Let us recognize and be grateful for the blessings we have. From the Savior comes hope! Understanding the gospel, doing his works of righteousness, and following the counsel of our prophet are our assurance of the realization of that hope.”
    • “I am ever so grateful for my opportunities as well as my share of challenges. I feel indebted to my Savior for helping me through difficult times. And I hope and desire that each of us will rely on him to ease our pains, to soothe our distresses, to buoy us up, to invigorate us and help us overcome our trials! Draw close to him who extends divine invitation to each one personally.”
• October 1985 General Women’s Meeting
  • Draw Near unto Me through Obedience
    • “From the very beginning, God has taught his children that blessings come to those who are obedient. As He gave those special rules on Mount Sinai for the guidance of Israel, the Lord stated that He would show mercy to them that kept His commandments.”
    • “Each of us can gain a sense of inner confidence and peace when we obey gospel principles.”
    • “As we obey the commandments, we have the evidence of blessings, feelings of accomplishment, and inner peace.”
• October 1984 General Women’s Meeting
  • Striving Together: Transforming Our Beliefs into Action
    • “But my tears are for the respect and admiration I feel for him and for his deep commitment to the Lord, no matter what the call is. When the call came for me to fill this responsibility, he immediately did what was necessary to conclude our mission business and, without hesitation, actively supported me. The ability to do this, I believe, comes from an understanding of gospel principles, knowledge of the covenants we make, determination to live in accordance with that knowledge—and a great love of the Lord.”
    • “Sisters, I encourage you to prepare yourselves and to prepare your families to receive the blessings of the covenant. We do this by keeping the commandments, by seeking the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, and by transforming our beliefs into action.”

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