Challenges are indeed a universal human experience. Yet how one faces adversity is an indication of depth of faith and strength of testimony.
“Life brings some hard lessons. The sturdiest plants are not grown under glass, and strength of character is not derived from the avoidance of problems,” said Ruth May Fox, who, at age 75, became president of the YWMIA (forerunner of Young Women.) 1
“Happiness comes from within; it is a state of mind,” said Lucy Grant Cannon, Ruth's successor. “One has to have experience with sorrow and pain in order to feel happiness in joy and health. To gain experience is one of the great objects of life, and the way in which one accepts the various situations of life shows progress or retrogression.” 2
Learning of the ways others have approached their particular difficulties can teach us and give us courage. Included here are experiences of several former auxiliary presidents.
Janette Callister Hales and her husband, Bob, were thoroughly enjoying their life in Provo, Utah, where he had a medical practice, the youngest of their five children was preparing to serve a mission, and the Hales served in various capacities in the Church and community.
Suddenly Janette's world changed when Bob was diagnosed with a malignant tumor that had spread throughout his body. “At that point, my world fell apart,” she said. “Yet I felt I had some experiences that helped prepare me for Bob's death.” 3 He died just four weeks later in March, 1988.
Shortly, after her husband's death, Janette put her arms around her daughters and told them, “I just know we have a good life ahead. I know we will be happy. I know there will be compensations.” 4
Her son, Thomas C. Hales, said, “It was when my dad died that I first really saw the strengths of my mom. Until then, they were so much of a team that I never really thought to assess the strengths of my mom versus the strengths of my dad. A number of people who were grieving the loss of a spouse talked to my mother. She saw that many had stopped growing, and she was determined not to let that happen to her.” 5
Janette found herself doing a lot of walking at that time and thinking a lot about youth. One day she told a neighbor, “If I ever have a chance to work with young people again, I will be so much more patient, so much more gentle, and so much more loving ... I will do all in my power to encourage young people to prepare for the future.” 6
Janette was called to the Primary general board that year, and then in 1990 was sustained as a counselor in the Young Women general presidency to Ardeth G. Kapp. In April 1992, she received a call to serve as Young Women general president, serving for five and a half years. During this time, she married Raymond E. Beckham.
As the newly called president, Janette urged adults throughout the Church to “turn their hearts” (Malachi 4:6) to the young people in their wards or branches by learning the names of the youth, and encouraging and supporting them. She counseled those over whom she presided to “become righteous, problem-solving young women of faith.” The presidency introduced a new camp manual with a focus on service, spirituality, and the Young Women values. In 1994, the Young Women organization celebrated its 125 th anniversary, with membership exceeding a half million.
LaVern W. Parmley oversaw the Primary Association for twenty-three years (1951-1974). She claimed “boys as her specialty,” because she had worked with boys since her calling to a stake board years earlier. Challenges arose when the Boy Scouts lowered the age of entrance for boys into the Scouting program from twelve to eleven. Initially, boys attended Scouts as part of the MIA program but were expected to also attend Primary. This proved to be difficult, especially in developing areas of the Church, particularly with transportation for youth.
In May 1952, Scouting for eleven-year-old boys became part of the Primary program. In addition, Cub Scouting, which had been solely a community program, was also given to the Primary to oversee. LaVern felt overwhelmed by these new responsibilities in addition to supervising the Children's Friend, the Primary Children's Hospital, and all the other Primary programs.
She remarked to Church President David O. McKay, “That's just like going up against a stone wall.” He responded, “The wall may seem insurmountable but we cannot stand back and say there is no use trying. We can walk the distance to the wall. We are not discharging out duty until we go up to it, and when we do that there may be a hidden ladder which we have not seen, or over here there may be a door through which we can pass. Now if you come up against a wall, let me know. But we must hold to our ideals and teaching of the gospel. We cannot compromise on that.” 7
Since Primary was a weekday program, men were generally not available to serve as Scout Leaders in Primary. When the Primary petitioned the national Scout committee to allow women to serve, the response was negative — that women could not wear the Scout uniform and be registered. With LaVern's optimism and perseverance, not only were those hurdles cleared, but she also became the first woman to serve on a national Scout committee and in 1976 was the first woman to receive the Silver Buffalo.
Although many years of Lucy Grant Cannon 's service as YWMIA president (1937-1948) spanned the hard years of the Depression and World War II, there were, nevertheless, many joyous experiences for the young women of the Church. Roadshows, music, dancing, and talent shows filled the weekly MIA meetings, the “Big Sister” program was instituted, and more than a hundred thousand YWMIA members celebrated the centennial of the pioneers' 1847 entry into the Salt Lake Valley with square dancing, parades, and reenactments of the trek.
Lucy Stringham Grant, the mother of Lucy Grant Cannon, died at the age of thirty-eight in 1893.Young Lucy knew that her mother had been ill for several years. When her father, Elder Heber J. Grant (later seventh President of the Church), gathered his children together to tell them that their mother was dying, Lucy (known as Lutie) refused to believe him. She hurried to find a bottle of consecrated oil and begged her father to give her mother a blessing of healing. In the blessing, Heber dedicated his wife to the Lord.
Distraught, Lutie ran outside. Her father then prayed that his daughter would be comforted. Not knowing of her father's plea to the Lord, Lutie also prayed. “Instantly a voice, not an audible one, but one that seemed to speak to my whole being, said, ‘In the death of your mother the will of the Lord will be done,'” Lutie wrote later in her life. “Immediately I was a changed child. I felt reconciled and almost happy.” 8
That same year, Lutie became so ill with diphtheria while traveling with her father and two sisters in Washington, D.C., that doctors thought she would die. Elder Grant prayed that his daughter's life would be spared. He called upon President George Q. Cannon and Bishop Hiram B. Clawson, who were also in the nation's capital, to bless her. President Cannon pronounced that, “Lutie would live to be a mother.” 9
The Grant family faced another challenge that year — the Panic of 1893, which caused Elder Grant, along with many others, tremendous financial difficulties. Rachel and Lutie, the two oldest daughters, worked in their father's office and shouldered more household responsibilities. Lutie said, “It was the greatest satisfaction of our young lives to feel that we were helping him by caring for ourselves and in that way sharing his heavy burden of debt.” 10
Through these experiences and many others in her life, Lucy Grant Cannon developed an unshakeable faith in God, approached life's vicissitudes with calmness, and cheerfully served the young women of the Church.
Seventh general Relief Society president, Louise Yates Robison, was sustained on the eve of the Great Depression — 1928 — and served until 1939. Acutely aware of her own lack of formal education and of material wealth, she focused her concern on those in similar circumstances. She organized Mormon Handicraft, which provided an outlet for women to market their home crafts. This shop continued until 1986, when it no longer fit the needs of a worldwide Church and was turned over to Deseret Book.
One of Louise's favorite quotations was that “a singing mother makes a happy home.” Thus came the name for the Relief Society chorus, with its hallmark uniform of white blouses and dark skirts, which Louise felt most women would already own and would not have to purchase new clothing to participate in the choruses that sang on both the general and local levels.
Some years earlier, when Louise and her family were living in Provo, she noticed a large sore growing on her face, which her doctor diagnosed as cancer. Louise's bishop sent the stake patriarch, who asked if he could Louise a patriarchal blessing before administering to her. In this blessing, he told her that her voice would be heard in many parts of the world. It was an extraordinary blessing under the circumstances, for until she moved to Provo, Louise had not held a church position, and at the time of her blessing she was secretary of the Mutual in her ward.
Her face healed without a scar and without surgery and through her forthcoming service the patriarchal blessing would be literally fulfilled — despite the fact that she was by nature, according to her daughter Gladys R. Winter:
1Ruth May Fox, “My Store,” privately published, December 1973.
2Lucy Grant Cannon, “Experience,” Young Woman's Journal 40 (August 1929): 410.
3Interview with Janette C. Hales, April 8, 1992.
4Ibid.
5Telephone interview with Thomas C. Hales, May 6, 1992.
6Interview with Janette C. Hales, April 8, 1992.
7LaVern W. Parmley, Oral History, 1974, James Moyle Oral History Program, Church Archives, p. 21.
8Marba C. Josephson, “Careers of Service to Young Womanhood,” Improvement Era 40 (December 1937): 790.
9Copy of a letter from Heber J. Grant to Mr. and Mrs. O. L. Winters, dated March 21, 1912. Original in possession of Jean Cannon Willis.
10Ronald J. Walker, “Heber J. Grant,” in Presidents of the Church, ed. Leonard J. Arrington (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1986), p. 235.
11Gladys R. Winters, Family Scrapbook, Church Archives.
