Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman was sustained as a general officer of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 1, 2023, and officially began her service on Aug. 1, 2023.
Over the past year and a half, she has taught and ministered to youth, missionaries and Latter-day Saints around the world. The Young Women leader was born on Dec. 31, 1969, in Boston, Massachusetts — the oldest of six children.
She attended the University of Utah and Brigham Young University, where she became reacquainted with Gregory Garth Freeman, one of the full-time missionaries who had served under her parents when they were mission leaders.
The two celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary earlier this month and are the parents of five children.
Prior to her call, President Freeman was an author, speaker, podcaster and teacher and has served as a seminary teacher, Gospel Doctrine teacher, ward Young Women president, ward Relief Society president and in other callings.
In honor of her birthday today, here are nine quotes from her in the past year.
1. ‘Jesus is there’
In speaking to missionaries spending Christmas away from family, President Freeman assured that it will be a special Christmas, one they will likely never forget.
“In the unexpected moments, [Christ] shows up. Just like He did in a stable. In quiet moments, often when life isn’t going the way we thought it might, in places that feel unfamiliar, Jesus is there.”
— Devotional at the Provo Missionary Training Center, Dec. 24, 2024
2. Sharing light with the world
“Sometimes our light is the most powerful thing that you bring to a situation.”
President Freeman said she has the “opportunity to work with the young women primarily, but [also] the youth at large and the rising generation of the Church. I believe in them. I trust them. As we equip and empower them to rely on their testimony of Jesus Christ, they will share that testimony, that light, with the entire world as disciples of Jesus Christ.”
— Seminary graduation in Dublin, Ireland, Nov. 2, 2024
3. ‘Live up to your privileges’
“When our granddaughter Isabelle was given a name and a blessing, her father blessed her with an understanding of the priesthood, that she would continue to grow in and learn about the blessing it would provide in her life, and that her faith in the priesthood would grow as she continued to grow in understanding. …
“This is something I want each girl in the kingdom to understand. ‘Live up to your privileges.’
“Learn how priesthood ordinances and covenant promises will allow God’s power to flow into your life with greater efficacy, working in and through you, empowering and equipping you to reach your full purpose and potential.”
— “Live Up to Your Privileges,” October 2024 general conference
4. Spiritual road trips
“If you are in the middle of a long or difficult journey, if you are tired and in need of rest, if you just want to laugh a little and cry a little, if you are yearning for something more, if you are in deep trouble and looking for courage, or if your heart is weary and you are looking for strength to go on, here is one thing that I know: You do not journey alone. Jesus Christ promised to walk with you, to make sure you lack nothing.”
— 2024 Utah Area Young Single Adult Conference, Aug. 2, 2024
5. Lifelong disciples of Christ
“If we can lead [youth] to know who He is, He can heal them, He can strengthen them, He can increase their capacity for good. He can help them to live up to their greatest purpose and potential — that which they came to earth to perform,” she said. “That is what happens when we become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.”
— BYU Education Week, Aug. 21, 2024
6. An amazing heritage
“What an amazing heritage is ours. That’s what I hope we will remember as we enter this week of celebrating that pioneer ancestry, our heritage, our roots. We come from a people who were acquainted with God. May that be what motivates us in our journey.”
— SUPer DUPer Day at This Is the Place Heritage Park, July 22, 2024
7. ‘Keep nothing back’
At the end of his mission in Croatia, President Freeman’s son Caleb asked if he should dispose of his worn-out shoes. President Freeman said no, she wanted to see them in person. Today she keeps her son’s mission shoes in her office.
“They remind me that I want to waste and wear out my life in the cause of the Lord,” she said. “I want to keep back nothing.”
— 2024 Seminar for New Mission Leaders, June 22, 2024
8. God’s interactions with women
“The stories of women in scripture are not filled with passive bystanders. Instead, these stories define difference makers who were courageous, empowered and crucial to moving God’s plan forward. In the most critical of situations, their role was often to lead out with testimony, instill belief and build up the kingdom of God.”
— BYU Women’s Conference, May 3, 2024
9. Trust the youth
“The one thing that I have learned about the youth of this generation is they can be trusted. They can be relied upon. They are strong. And they are receiving revelation and ideas. And they have a vision that is going to help this Church move to a higher and holier way of living, and I trust that they are the ones who will get us there.”
— Church News podcast, Jan. 16, 2024
