With Power and Authority: Teachings of Latter-day Saint Women

by Compilation

With Power and Authority gathers in one place many of the bold and powerful teachings from Latter-day Saint women in the twenty-first century. With teachings from over forty individuals, organized in over fifty doctrinal topics, this book is a testament that righteous women can and do speak with power and authority from God. Their words offer encouragement, guidance, and a witness that faithful women have the capacity to lead and influence the world.

345 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 13, 2026

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet compilation of quotes about the gospel, arranged by topic, by a number of faithful women. Here are some of my favorites:

"Attaining intelligence... is much more than merely mastering facts and their applications, however useful they may be. It is a process of the heart as well as of the mind. It is striving to understand the spirit, even the character, of Jesus Christ. The character of Christ has been defined as 'the sum total of his characteristics, his moral traits, the features of his mind and heart and soul... his quality, his temper, his disposition, the stamp of his genius, the notes of his spirit, and the form of his conduct' (Charles Edward Jefferson quoted by Ardeth G. Kapp, p. 48)."

"Ultimately, the strength of our families will come from our individual, firsthand, unique personal relationships with Jesus Christ. Whatever he lays his hand on will live. As he raised the daughter of Jairus from death and interrupted the funeral process to restore the son of the widow of Nain to his mother, eh can heal and restore and nurture anything in your family that is marred and scarred. He can mend broken marriages and broken hearts. He can purify addictions and soak the stains of sin out of your soul. He can teach you how to replace harshness with kindness and silence with sharing. He can help your family have life and have it more abundantly (Chieko N. Okazaki, p. 59)."

"Never let a day go by without saying thank you to someone for something--and especially to your Heavenly Father (Marjorie Pay Hinckley, p. 73)."

"Take the hope of which the Savior spoke and carry it like a torch to those who feel the world is a very dark and a very difficult place. Is there any way I can encourage you to see that the bearing of this light is to be your latter-day ministry? You must bear this light in such a way that all the darkness in the world will never extinguish it (Patricia T. Holland, p. 81)."

"Hope is reflected in our attitude about life, our vision of possibilities. Hope is future-oriented. It allows us to live in anticipation, to get up in the morning expecting a good day, and, if it isn't, to realize there is a tomorrow. We must not lose hope. Hope is a gift from God that comes to us by and through the Spirit (Ardeth G. Kapp, p. 81)."

"We need to know Jesus, not just know about Jesus. We need knowledge of the Savior, we need a clear intellectual understanding of the principles of his gospel, and we need to spend time with other good Christians, both to serve them and to be served by them. But we also need to spend time with Christ. He needs to be a face in our minds and a feeling in our hearts, not just a picture on the wall and a list of scriptures hanging on the refrigerator (Chieko N. Okazaki, p. 94)."

"God is not interested in the possibility of your defeat. His plan for you is victory. This requires that He deny us none of the experiences that will prepare us to return to Him in happiness and wholeness (p. 97)."

"What brings us joy and how we pursue it expresses what we love and value for its own sake. Hope and trust in Christ are sufficient to bring us peace and joy in our redemption even when earthly happiness eludes us. Happiness that is grounded in righteous living deepens into joy (Wendy Ulrich, p. 99)."

"We can sit down next to the first sister that we come to, greet her with love and acceptance, help her if we see a need, and enjoy the spirit of sisterhood during the lesson with her. We never know enough to judge anyone. Only God does. We just need to accept them, love them, share our faith with them, and serve them as best we can (p. 102)."

"What that person needs is to receive healing from our Savior Jesus Christ and to understand that they do not have to suffer through it alone... Remember that our Savior, Jesus Christ, 'hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows'... 'taken upon him our infirmities'... 'bind up the brokenhearted' (Reyna I. Aburto, p. 115)."

"As we cherish one another's gifts as well as our differences, as we watch over one another with genuine care, as we comfort each other in our challenges, and as we are willing to learn from one another while gaining instruction from the Holy Ghost, we will be prepared to sit down in heaven together. May that heavenly experience begin for us in this mortal life (Sharon Eubank, p. 122)."

"The Lord's invitation to let our light so shine is not just about randomly waving a beam of light and making the world generally brighter. It is about focusing our light so others may see the way to Christ... helping others see the next step forward in making and keeping sacred covenants with God (Bonnie H. Cordon, p. 125)."

"We sometimes desire to live a dream life now, forgetting that earth life is about having an experience that prepares us for the promised dream of eternal life (Julie B. Beck, p. 127)."

"Who needs your healing, nurturing touch? Who needs someone to understand them and to believe in them? Who needs to hear you say, 'Everything will be all right,' or 'I just know you can do it,' or 'I love you'? If we really want to make a difference, it will happen as we mother our own children and those others who need us (Elaine S. Dalton, p. 131)."

"God does not compel us to obey Him. We keep His commandments because we love Him. Our worthy behavior is a freely given gift to Him. We want to please Him because we love Him, not because we feel coerced or manipulated into obedience... We recognize that His commandments are given as an expression of His love for us. And we keep His commandments as an expression of our acceptance of and gratitude for His love (Virginia H. Pearce Cowley, p. 134)."

"I invite each of us to seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost to know what adjustments we need to make in our lives to be more carefully aligned with our covenants (Rebecca L. Craven, p. 135)."

"We cannot wait for conversion to simply happen to our children. Accidental conversion is not a principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Becoming like our Savior will not happen randomly. Being intentional in loving, teaching, and testifying can help children begin at a young age to feel the influence of the Holy Ghost (Joy D. Jones, p. 137)."

"'Seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life' (D&C 101:38). What does it mean to seek the face of the Savior? Surely it means more than just recognizing His picture. Christ's invitation to seek Him is an invitation to know who He is, what He has done for us, and what He has asked us to do. Coming to Christ, and eventually seeing His face, comes only as we draw close to Him through our faith and our actions. It comes through a lifetime of effort (Cheryl C. Lant, p. 138)."

"Are we teaching our children to know, feel, and rejoice in the beauty, power, and miracles of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Children need to know that having faith in the Savior and following Him will help them receive peace in this troubled world (Colleen K. Menlove, p. 142)."

"The Lord is mightier than our fears, our disappointments, our weakness, and even our deep wounds of the heart! He is the great healer and guide through our deep waters; He waits for us to come to Him (Neill F. Marriott, p. 147)."

"Each of us has the responsibility and privilege to learn to recognize the voice of the Lord... As we learn to recognize the Lord's voice, we make better choices, prioritize our lives, take care of responsibilities, and develop ourselves more fully... For instance, if we have not studied the scriptures, we should not expect the Lord to bring those words to our remembrance. If we have not carefully learned about the nature of the problems we are trying to solve, we should not expect the Lord to provide support or enlightenment to make up for our lack of effort... I have learned that the Lord is kind, interested, attentive, responsive, and patient. Sometimes He gives us answers speedily, in urgent moments of need. Sometimes He blesses us with feelings of caution and a sense that we should be deliberate and careful. He often waits to give us answers until we are ready for them (Julie B. Beck, p. 151)."

"I have always been struck with how generous the Lord is with His knowledge--if we seek it (Wendy W. Nelson, p. 158)."

"We are all in this together to work out our salvation, to reach our potential, and to be our brother's keep--to help each other. How simple it is, really, to extend a kindness when we see the need. Jesus set the example on many occasions (Marjorie Pay Hinckley, p. 161)."

"Some of us are married. Some of us are not (yet). Some of us have children and grandchildren. Some have none. Some are widowed, some divorced. But we can all do what it is our responsibility to do. We can all bless lives (Marjorie Pay Hinckley, p. 161)."

"Like the 'noble and great' women who came before us, we cannot be ordinary women. We cannot be women who seem too much like women of the world. We must speak up for righteousness without apology (Virginia U. Jensen, p. 162)."

"When prayer becomes a craving in our lives, when we breathe prayer, when we dream prayer, when we sign prayer and cry prayer and love praying, then we begin to know some things about Heavenly Father and His Son and what They know about us and how much They love and trust us and how patient They are with us while we learn. Through that kind of prayer, we repent and feel the Lord's love around us (Julie B. Beck, p. 164)."

"Spend time quietly on your knees and just bask in His love and luxuriate in His light. Just let go and fall into restful spiritual repose. Reach out and cling to faith as if that is all you have to hang on to--because it is. I promise you that as you sequester yourselves day by day, God will unveil to you the beauty of your nature, the divinity of your soul, and true happiness that comes with true holiness (Patricia T. Holland, p. 167)."

"The answers we receive in prayer may not be what we would desire. But in times of trouble, our prayers become a lifeline of love and tender mercy. In our pleading, we may be strengthened to go forward and fulfill all that we have been ordained to do... Whether we pray privately, with our families, at church, in the temple, or wherever we are; whether we pray with broken hearts and contrite spirits seeking forgiveness, heavenly wisdom, or simply the strength to endure, we pray always with full hearts, drawn out unto God continually for our welfare and the welfare of those around us... Prayer is a gift from God. We need never feel lost or alone (Carol McConkie, p. 168)."

"Women wear many hats, but it is impossible, and unnecessary, to wear them all at once. The Spirit helps us determine which work to focus on today. The Lord's loving influence through the Holy Ghost helps us know His priority for our progression (Joy D. Jones, p. 180)."

"Time and perseverance are necessary companions to faith, prayer, scripture reading, hearkening to the words of living prophets, temple worship, pondering, remembering, speaking truth out loud, and listening and responding to truth (Virginia H. Pearce Cowley, p. 183)."

"The Lord loves efforts, and effort brings rewards. We keep practicing (Joy D. Jones, p. 186)."

"Prophets seem to understand a fundamental principle: that true leaders are more interested in lifting others than in elevating themselves (Sheri Dew, p. 191)."

"Our assignments are varied and they change from time to time. Don't take them lightly. Give them your full heart and energy. Do them with enthusiasm. Do whatever you have to do this week with your whole heart and soul (Marjorie Pay Hinckley, p. 196)."

"Turn outward instead of inward. Turn to others so you can know them with their weaknesses and strengths and realize that you and they are not alone in your pains, in your struggles, and in your desires and efforts to get closer to God... cultivating relationships is a decision (Reyna I. Aburto, p. 199)."

"Our neighbors, colleagues, acquaintances, and slightly dysfunctional families are all part of God's plan for us. You and I have much to do to build up the places where we live, and the Lord is surely guiding us (Sharon Eubank, p. 201)."

"We are not in the entertainment business; we are in the salvation business (Julie B. Beck, p. 204)."

"Christ's ministry was, is, and always will be to raise us up from a death we cannot escape physically or spiritually, and it is all made possible through His atoning sacrifice (Bonnie H. Cordon, p. 212)."

"The very core of our church experience is meant to center on the Atonement of our Savior and on our partaking of the sacrament (Kristen M. Oaks, p. 217)."

"The words of the scriptures have become like the air I breathe. It seems as if it would be impossible to live without (Julie B. Beck, p. 219)."

"2 Nephi 4:15 reads, 'For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children.' This scripture teaches us how to read the Book of Mormon. It mentions three important ideas. First, 'my soul delighteth.'... Life looks brighter... Second, 'My heart pondereth them.' How I love to carry the scriptures with me in my heart!... I, of course, do not write scriptures as did Nephi, but when I read the scriptures and live the principles I learn, those scriptures become written in my life. They govern my actions and are written there for my children to see and follow (Cheryl C. Lant, p. 219)."

"'Who needs my help today?' (Julie B. Beck, p. 223)"

"To help us better love one another, I would like to suggest four words to remember: 'First observe, then serve.'... 'Could you please help me?' How could she ever have known that those words were exactly what I needed to hear? She didn't know, but Heavenly Father knew. He had observed my greatest need. I needed to serve. He prompted this humble young sister to serve me by inviting me to serve her. I assure you that I was the one who benefited most (Linda K. Burton, p. 224)."

"As we become less concerned about our service magnifying us, we realize instead that the focus of our service will be on putting God first... When serving our God becomes our main priority in life, we lose ourselves, and in due course, we find ourselves (Joy D. Jones, p. 229)."

"Asking to be an answer to someone's prayer has a powerful impact. There are sacred, quiet experiences for those who participate with the Lord in answering prayers. As we go about listening, watching, and feeling for the answer to those prayers--even in the midst of our busy schedules--I testify that our earthly ministry unfolds by revelation and divine empowerment (Bonnie D. Parkin, p. 231)."

"Our testimonies have to be renewed every day. Sometimes they are renewed simply because of a little experience, or maybe reading a verse of scripture that touches a tender spot, or turning a corner and coming upon a field of wildflowers, or seeing a newborn babe--perfect in every way. But renewal mostly comes from living the gospel and serving in the Church (Majorie Pay Hinckley, p. 239)."

"I marveled at the refining influence of the Spirit and what those women have become--not in spite of, but because of their challenges (Michelle D. Craig, p. 242)."

"I am learning that Heavenly Father is more interested in my growth as a disciple of Jesus Christ than He is with my comfort (Michelle D. Craig, p. 243)."

"Jesus promises us rest from the things that encumber us... But Jesus also calls us to work alongside Him, doing chores like feeling His lambs and tending His sheep (Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye, p. 249)."

"I bear testimony that Jesus is with us in the daily-ness of our lives... Please reach out to the Savior He is not a marble statue standing aloof at the end of a stony path, waiting to see if you will make it. He is walking on the path beside you. If you listen, you can hear his voice, whispering encouragement to you, telling you that he has walked this path himself, calling his legions of angels to lift you up lest you dash your foot against a stone. We cannot be alone when he is with us (Chieko N. Okazaki, p. 252)."

"I have learned that when you trust in the Lord, you can do anything--even if it is really hard--because He does direct your path (Elaine S. Dalton, p. 258)."

"You are God's child. He loves you--and He will never stop loving you (Patricia T. Holland, p. 259)."

"Miracles happen when the children of God work together guided by the Spirit to reach out to others in need (Reyna I. Aburto, p. 262)."

"It takes effort and time to really counsel together--to listen to one another, understand others' viewpoints, and share experiences--but the process results in more inspired decisions (Jean B. Bingham, p. 263)."

"'Sometimes I wonder if the sisters in the early history of the Church didn't, like us, put their heads on their pillows at night and pray, 'Whatever tomorrow brings, will Thou help me through it?'' (Carol McConkie, p. 265)"

"In our church the terms sister and brother are meant to truly signify that we are one church family. All of us--different in background, culture, marital status, and age--are meant to come together as one body in Christ (Kristen M. Oaks, p. 266)."

"It is through this kingdom-building process that we become more perfected and better able to face these situations. We are strengthened, others are blessed, and we show Heavenly Father that we understand what it means to serve Him (Kristen M. Oaks, p. 267)."

"Jesus did not overlook people. He looked into eyes and into hearts. He valued, taught, and healed each person who came to him (Chieko N. Okazaki, p. 269)."

"The Lord sees you. You're not invisible to Him. He loves your efforts that no one else may see. You're valuable, and He treasures you in all your quirks and individuality (Sharon Eubank, p. 279)."

"As the Savior lifts us to higher ground, we can see more clearly not only who we are but also that we are closer to Him than we ever imagined (Joy D. Jones, p. 280)."

"The source of all righteous love is centered in God. A feeling of self-worth comes from an understanding of who we were, who we are, and who we will always be. We did not come to this earth to gain our worth; we brought it with us... When we experience a feeling of God's view of our worth, we are better able to feel His unconditional love for us, to remember who we really are, and to believe we are who God says we are--a son or daughter of God with a divine inheritance (Ardeth G. Kapp, p. 282)."

[Marissa Watson]

I thought it was good. I didn’t like the format. I wish it said who each persons blurb was first because I would have liked to know who was talking first.
Also some of the quotes ran on WAY too long. If I wanted to go read the whole talk I could easily go find it. I wanted more quotes to quickly read.

[Paul Black · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

21st century teachings of Latter-day Saint women organized in over 60 doctrinal topics. The vast majority are applicable to anyone. Some are particularly relevant to women. Some quotes are a short paragraph, while a few cover three pages. The excerpts come from General Conference addresses, BYU Women's Conference talks, books, Church magazine articles, and other sources.

I found insight, inspiration, and encouragement in these pages.

[Marj · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the essential guide to gospel topics according to a number of influential women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I have used quotes from the book for talks, Relief Society lessons and newsletter articles.

I highly recommend this read. I have learned a lot about many gospel topics.