Join me for a conversation with special guest Dr. Valerie Hudson to learn about her work on international security and gender and why she chooses to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Valerie shares how she was initially drawn to the sensible and practical nature of the gospel as a young teenage convert, and why she believes that sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ is “the most feminist act one can commit.” Valerie believes the hallmark of the true church of Jesus Christ is the doctrine of equal partnership between men and women, and she offers insights into how she has grounded herself in true and pure principals regarding the divinity of females as a member of the Church, a scholar, and a wife and mother.  

“When I consider what’s happening here on earth, I can cling to the heavenly vision and know there is a place where women are fully equal before God; where women’s talents and skills are viewed as a contribution not as a distraction, and where men and women jointly and unanimously make all decisions concerning the human family; where there is no violence at all or coercion between men and women. I think that vision helps me do the work I do as a scholar.” -Dr. Valerie Hudson  

Challenge: Read Dr. Valerie Hudson’s fantastic 2013 Ensign (now Liahona) article, “Equal Partnership in Marriage.” 

Resources: 

Dr. Valerie Hudson full bio 

Square Two Online Journal 

April 2013 Ensign Article: “Equal Partnership in Marriage” 

Book: Women in Eternity, Women in Zion 

Sign up to receive monthly emails from Dr. Madsen about updated research, resources, and events at www.utwomen.org. These can be helpful whether you are in Utah or beyond. 

Learn more about Dr. Susan Madsen at www.susanrmadsen.com 

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Does giving clear and direct feedback at home, church, or work make you feel uncomfortable or nervous? Girls and women are often socialized to be less direct in giving feedback, and I have found that women in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can sometimes be ineffective in giving feedback in an effort to be more warm, kind, or compassionate. However, feedback is critical in helping others begin, stop, or continue certain behaviors, and learning to give effective feedback is an important skill. On this week’s episode, I share common mistakes made when giving feedback and explain the research on how to give more effective feedback in your personal relationships, in the workplace, at church, and beyond.  

Challenge:

Practice the SBI Feedback Model! Give specific, situational feedback about behaviors, indicating how the behavior impacts you. Practice this skill by giving using this model to give positive feedback to your loved ones.  

Resources: 

Center for Creative Leadership Article: Use Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI)™ to Understand Intent 

Sign up to receive monthly emails from Dr. Madsen about updated research, resources, and events at www.utwomen.org. These can be helpful whether you are in Utah or beyond. 

Learn more about Dr. Susan Madsen at www.susanrmadsen.com

Follow Unleashing Sister Saints on social media: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnleashingSisterSaints 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unleashingsistersaints/ 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us with questions, comments, or suggestions at [email protected].  

Getting a better job or making more money are good reasons for women to pursue higher education, but are they the only reasons? Join me this week as I discuss the vast benefits and uses of higher education, from living a longer and healthier life to improving your self-understanding and critical thinking. I share inspiring stories of women who are “showing up” to complete or advance their education, and offer a challenge to consider where you are in your lifelong educational journey.

Quotes: 
“[P]repare to do work of real worth for your fellowmen... The critical difference between your just hoping for good things for mankind and your being able to do good things for mankind is education.” ~ President Russell M. Nelson, 1990 BYU Devotional 

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason but no morals. . . . We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” ~Martin Luther King Jr., 1947 Morehouse College  

Challenge: 

Consider and reflect on where you are in your educational journey. What higher degree will prepare you for a future only God can see for you? 

Resources: 

A Future Only God Can See For You (Book):https://www.amazon.com/Future-Only-God-Can-See/dp/1462140521/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=eIsMW&content-id=amzn1.sym.dba1a2d0-88dc-4504-a5d7-10259373e587&pf_rd_p=dba1a2d0-88dc-4504-a5d7-10259373e587&pf_rd_r=CM8NRC54QX9DVW3YNZ2P&pd_rd_wg=WjwlE&pd_rd_r=bd79c311-201e-4c6a-8a6f-0fecca394434&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_atf_m 

More information on the benefits of college degrees for women: https://www.usu.edu/uwlp/files/whywomenshouldgraduatefromcollege.pdf 

Sign up to receive monthly emails from Dr. Madsen to see updated research, resources, and events at www.utwomen.org. These can be helpful whether you are in Utah or beyond. 

Learn more about Dr. Susan Madsen at www.susanrmadsen.com 

Young women today are struggling, and the research is discouraging. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report discussed some disturbing findings that teen girls are experiencing record high levels of violence, sadness, and suicide risk. On this week's episode I discuss the serious mental health and safety challenges today’s young women face, and how as parents, sisters, aunts, friends, and Church leaders we each have the opportunity to profoundly influence the lives of girls and young women. I share three important tips for lifting the young women in your life, and issue a challenge to educate yourself on these important issues.   

 
Resources: 

CDC Report: U.S. Teen Girls Experiencing Increased Sadness and Violence: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/p0213-yrbs.html  

“Girls On The Brink” Book: https://www.amazon.com/Girls-Brink-Daughters-Increased-Depression/dp/0593233077/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1TIIVCYNLSATW&keywords=on+the+brink+girls&qid=1686489962&sprefix=on+the+brink+girls%2Caps%2C132&sr=8-1  

Panel Discussion: Teen Girls Experiencing Increased Sadness and Violence: A Discussion with Utah Experts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Qq3Lvdsz0&feature=youtu.be  

Sign up to receive monthly emails from Dr. Madsen to see updated research, resources and events at www.utwomen.org. These can be helpful whether you are in Utah or beyond.  

Learn more about Dr. Susan Madsen at https://susanrmadsen.com/.  

Join me for Episode 43 as I talk about a movement that is taking much of my time these days. I’ve felt very moved this week to discuss “A Bolder Way Forward” that was formally launched the past Friday. Although it is focused on Utah, I feel inspired to tell you about it as an example of how one person can follow personal revelation, including when it is big, bold, uncertain, and scary! I truly believe that these are the kinds of things—whether you are in Utah, another US state, or in any country around the world—that we can help with or lead (in big or small ways). Each of us may engage in different efforts, in different ways, and in different settings—but if our efforts are lifting and helping others (including our own families)—they are important! Please share.

Resources:

A Bolder Way Forward: www.abolderwayforward.org

Utah Women & Leadership Project: www.utwomen.org

Receive monthly emails from Dr. Madsen to see updated research, resources, and events: www.utwomen.org. These can be helpful whether you are in Utah or beyond.

Join me as re-release an episode that I really liked from the beginning of this podcast. I discuss what I call “The Box.” Within the Church, we can hear messages from Church leaders, local leaders, or from members in our wards and stakes that can influence us in positive ways—but occasionally there are messages than can influence girls and women in negative ways. Many of these are engrained in what I call “The Box.” I believe that each of us has an

Join me in this episode for a quick review of who I am, the purpose of this podcast, and why I named it “Unleashing Sister Saints.” I then close the loop on the last few episodes (39 and 40) where I shared research related to sexist comments at Church. In this episode I want to share a few ideas or tips on how we might respond in ways that could be helpful in both giving ourselves a few minutes to think and also to help others understand how their comments might be perceived. I don’t have all of the answers, but this could give you a few ideas at least!  

Join me in this episode as I continue my discussion around sexist comments at church. I will share the results of some research we did on this topic and focus specifically on defining benevolent sexism and provide examples of comments made related to undervaluing women’s contributions, sexualization/objectification, and priesthood. I’ll share some of my own insights as well. Overall, the goal of this study was to educate the public on the many forms of conscious and unconscious sexist comments made by individuals (both men and women), and to equip women with effective responses that could reduce sexism in all settings. I know that some comments may seem harmless, but I truly believe that some of the struggles we as women have in the Church are from seemly harmless comments. Enjoy!

Join me in this episode as I share some of the research my team and I at the Utah Women & Leadership Project did in the state of Utah when we gathered sexist comments from nearly 1000 women. Robbyn Scribner, Allie Barnes, and I analyzed the specific comments focused on Latter-day Saint settings and published a piece on it last year in the Square Two Journal. It was titled “Sexist Comments in Latter-day Saint Settings.” Sexism takes many forms, from blatant and aggressive to unintentional and subtle. Gender-related societal attitudes, social norms, unconscious biases, and microaggressions all contribute to the sexist behaviors and attitudes that are partially responsible for much of the inequity women face every day in a variety of settings—including in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Join me in this episode of the “Unleashing Sister Saints” podcast as I talked about some of the content of the 25-minute speech I gave at BYU Women’s Conference yesterday. I recorded the episode when I had just finished preparing and had a lot of thoughts in my mind. I was asked to speak about the essential role of women in ward and stake councils. Of course I discuss why women need to “lean in” and use their voices, but also how our male leaders need to understand and value women’s voices too!