PROVO, Utah — Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has long believed that “Latter-day Saint women are incredible.” He even gave a talk on the subject — “LDS Women Are Incredible!” — during April 2011 general conference.
He indicated the title was taken from noted author and historian Wallace Stegner, writing about the Latter-day Saint immigration to the Salt Lake Valley. Elder Cook pointed out that Stegner was not a Latter-day Saint himself but was impressed with the “devotion and heroism” of early Church members, especially the women.
Reflecting on this, Elder Cook said, “Our women are not incredible because they have managed to avoid the difficulties of life — quite the opposite. They are incredible because of the way they face the trials of life and their commitment not only to have faith in Jesus Christ but also to walk with Him.”
Elder Cook expressed his love and appreciation for Latter-day Saint women during his closing keynote address at BYU Women’s Conference on Friday, May 2.
His talk, titled “Walk With Him by Faith,” focused on gospel principles that help individuals stay close to the Savior on life’s paths. He also emphasized the unique faith, strength and capabilities of Latter-day Saint women.
“Despite the challenges and tests life has to offer from marriage issues, lack of marriage, children’s choices, poor health, lack of opportunities and many other problems, they remain remarkably strong and immovable and true to their faith in Jesus Christ and His Church,” Elder Cook said. “Our sisters throughout the Church consistently succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down and strengthen the feeble knees.”
BYU Women’s Conference is one of the largest annual gatherings of Latter-day Saint women in the world and has been bringing women together since 1976.
This year, the conference ran from Wednesday evening, April 30, through Friday, May 2, on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The 2025 theme drew from Moses 6:34, “Behold my Spirit is upon you, ... and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me.”
More than 90 sessions from roughly 180 presenters taught on a variety of topics, including strengthening womanhood and sisterhood, in-depth learning of gospel principles, and gaining insights into communication, relationships, practical issues, parenting, family and marriage.
A baby born in the temple
Elder Cook opened his keynote address by praising the spiritual power and fortitude of Latter-day Saint women, which he’s seen firsthand through his mother, wife, sister and daughter.
He also shared a story from his family history about his great-great-grandmother, Amanda Polly Savage Cook, who once delivered a baby in the Salt Lake Temple.
Amanda walked the plains as an 11-year-old child, Elder Cook recounted. She later married and helped settle the Bear Lake Valley, which straddles the Utah-Idaho border. In the years that followed, she became a skilled midwife, delivering babies in a time and area where few doctors were available.
Amanda attended the Friday night session of the Salt Lake Temple dedication on April 7, 1893. While waiting in line, she met Emma Bennett, a young woman who confided in Amanda that she had taken a chance in attending the dedication because she was nine months pregnant.
Emma indeed went into labor as the dedicatory session was ending, and Amanda hurried the young mother into a side room. Another woman exclaimed, “She can’t have a baby here.” Amanda firmly replied, “She can, and she will, because she can’t be moved.”
Amanda then successfully delivered Emma’s baby, who was blessed a week later as Joseph Temple Bennett by President Joseph F. Smith, then a counselor in the First Presidency.
Elder Cook referred to the hymn “As Sisters in Zion,” which “correctly asserts that the ‘errand of angels is given to women.’”
“We recognize how busy you are,” he said. “We are grateful [to] those of you who courageously serve even when you have so many challenges and responsibilities. You all have our love and appreciation for what you do and especially who you are.”
Covenant paths, spiritual hearts
Elder Cook next spoke of covenant paths. He pointed to President Russell M. Nelson’s career as a pioneering heart surgeon and said that now as the Prophet, President Nelson often talks about spiritual hearts.
President Nelson has also spoken frequently on the “covenant pathway,” Elder Cook said, which starts with the first principles and ordinances of the gospel — faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost — and continues with the sacred saving, exalting ordinances of the temple.
Elder Cook said that the spiritual conditions necessary to proceed on the covenant path all relate to the spiritual heart. The scriptures refer favorably to hearts that are changed, broken, healed, turned and full of love, gratitude, joy or peace, he said; conversely, the scriptures refer unfavorably to hearts that are hardened.
And while both men and women can exemplify the heart’s positive attributes, “in my mind, the positive issues relating to the heart are uniquely and especially evident in faithful women,” Elder Cook said.
He continued: “The reference to ‘hearts’ has been used in the scriptures to convey the deepest feelings that combine the spirit and the intellect. … When we speak of righteous hearts, we are combining feelings that emanate from truth, intelligence, our spirits, the Light of Christ and the Holy Ghost.”
Elder Cook encouraged listeners to have their hearts “in tune with the music of faith.” Some individuals are tone-deaf to the music of faith, he said, as starkly described in Lehi’s prophetic tree of life dream (see 1 Nephi 8).
Lehi also explained some of the conduct that destroys faith, including pride, vanity and foolishness, Elder Cook said. Some are lost in worldly mists of sin and darkness, while others have tasted God’s love but feel ashamed because of those mocking them.
But for individuals in tune with the music of faith: “You know who you are. You love the Lord and His gospel and continuously try to live … in accordance with the Savior’s teachings.” Elder Cook added, “You are in harmony with the promptings of the Spirit, awakened to the power of God’s word and diligently try to live Christlike lives as His disciples.”
Elder Cook also acknowledged there are Church members who are less interested in or less faithful to the Savior’s teachings. To those members, he said he hopes they will “awaken fully” to faith, increase their activity and commitment, and walk with Jesus Christ.
Hearing the music of faith
While Lehi’s dream includes all people, its culminating doctrinal concept is the eternal significance of family, Elder Cook said — as Lehi partook of the fruit, he wanted his family to have it too.
That’s why example-setting within families is particularly important, Elder Cook said.
“What we are speaks so loudly that those around us — and particularly children — may not hear what we say,” Elder Cook said, adding, “Mothers and fathers praying with children may be more important than any other example.”
The message, ministry and Atonement of Jesus Christ are Church members’ “essential curriculum,” Elder Cook continued. No scripture characterizes the Church‘s faith better than 2 Nephi 25:26: “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”
Elder Cook counseled Church members to make the Book of Mormon part of their lifelong study, as it contains the fullness of Jesus Christ’s gospel. The best approach for gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon, he said, is immersing oneself in its pages in order to repeatedly experience the Spirit’s ongoing witness.
“The essential doctrine of agency requires that a testimony of the restored gospel must be based on faith rather than external or scientific proof,” Elder Cook said.
Active scripture study is the “dividing line” between those who hear the music of faith and those who are tone-deaf or off-key, Elder Cook continued. Additionally, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and keeping His commandments will “always” be the defining test of mortality, he said.
“Above all else, each of us must realize that when one is tone-deaf to the music of faith, he or she is out of tune with the Spirit,” he said, adding: “Our doctrine is clear; we are to be positive and of good cheer. We emphasize our faith, not our fears. We rejoice in the Lord’s assurance that He will stand by us and give us guidance and direction. We are safe when we walk with Jesus.”
Elder Cook closed by again expressing his love and appreciation for Latter-day Saint women and by testifying of the Savior.
“The Holy Ghost testifies to our hearts that we have a loving Father in Heaven whose merciful plan for our redemption will be fulfilled in every aspect because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ,” he said.
