Integration and Mentoring
This entry was posted on 9/23/2006 12:48 PM and is filed under uncategorized.
Almost six months ago I travelled to Salt Lake with my wife and oldest son. He had just turned 12 and our plan was to take those that turn 12 to the next General Conference. I received tickets from my Stake President for 2 general sessions and the priesthood session. I was delighted to attend general conference with my wife and eldest son. And to take him to his first general priesthood session in Salt Lake was quite a blessing. We arrived early and after taking our seats we noticed that our Stake President was motioning to us to come see him. He had saved seats for us, one of his counselors, and two of his counselors sons-in law. My son was sitting between a counselor in our stake presidency and I. He enganged my son for a good half hour. Ask him all sorts of questions and then shared with us art (very good pen drawings) that he had done over the past couple of decades. He said that this is one of the things he would do when he arrived early to meetings. He went to the point of even tutoring my son, who is artistically inclined, in his own first pen art drawing. Then conference started but brotherhood had occurred. In our own ward I see my son interacting with not only his peers but other older priesthood brethren as we meet together each sunday. I look forward to these experiences with and for all my sons.
But what of my daughter? Earlier in the month as I was reviewing the calendar I noticed the General Women's Broadcast scheduled for the 23rd. The question came, why do the young women and the woman have separate general sessions? It seems we have a general problem integrating 18 year old girls into Relief Society and why wouldn't we. When do they ever interact as sisters? We have priesthood meetings and home teaching for integration and mentoring but what do the women have?
A simple thing, a general womens session for those women 12 and older held twice a year. Well, maybe not simple but a start.
