President Oaks’ address splits into two main parts:

• one part addressed to the adult women
• one part addressed to the Young Women and Primary girls.

To the adult women

President Oaks noted some trends:

• many women wish to have no part in the bearing and nurturing of children
• many young adults delay marriage until temporal needs are satisfied
• the average age of our Church members’ marriages has increased by more than two years
• the number of births to Church members is falling
• Over 40 percent of births in the United States are to unwed mothers

Why would these trends concern the Lord and his prophets?

President Oaks then quotes a 2015 address by President Nelson:

“The kingdom of God is not and cannot be complete without women who make sacred covenants and then keep them, women who can speak with the power and authority of God!

“Today, … we need women who know how to make important things happen by their faith and who are courageous defenders of morality and families in a sin-sick world. We need women who are devoted to shepherding God’s children along the covenant path toward exaltation; women who know how to receive personal revelation, who understand the power and peace of the temple endowment; women who know how to call upon the powers of heaven to protect and strengthen children and families; women who teach fearlessly.”

Why are women with these qualities needed even more today than ever?

I thought back to President Nelson’s address on Revelation for the Church, Revelation for our Lives at the April Conference this year when he asked:

‘Brothers and sisters, how can we become the men and women—the Christlike servants—the Lord needs us to be? ‘

He then challenged us:

‘I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation, for the Lord has promised that “if thou shalt [seek], thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.’

How are we doing with this challenge?

How do the ‘adjustments’ announced at this Conference link to this challenge?

To youth and Primary children:

President Oaks quoted some research that shows that our teenagers cope better with the difficulties of growing up.

Why would this be?

President Oak makes the following suggestions as to why it might be:

• an understanding of the plan of happiness
• an understanding that they are children of a Heavenly Father who loves them

He then gives some counsel:

• ‘it will bless your lives if you limit your use of and dependence on cell phones.’

Why would a prophet of the Lord counsel this?

How does it relate to the two points above? (ie understanding the plan of happiness and understanding they are children of a Heavenly Father)

• Be kind to others

Why would a prophet of the Lord counsel this?

How does it relate to the two points above? (ie understanding the plan of happiness and understanding they are children of a Heavenly Father)

Whether we are male or female, young or old, what should we change in our lives in response President Oaks’ counsel?