Girls Camp, Grace, and the Bishop’s Office | An Interview with Emily Belle Freeman

Emily Belle Freeman has written more than a dozen books and spoken at a variety of conferences, workshops, and gatherings. She taught for many years in the Church Educational System and has served in numerous callings in the Church, including in Young Women, Sunday School, Relief Society, and fourteen times as girls camp director. She was called to be the next Young Women General President at the April 2023 general conference. Emily has a deep love of the scriptures, which comes from a desire to find their application in everyday life, and her greatest joy comes from spending time with her family. Highlights 01:15 Introduction to Emily Belle Freeman 03:15 Emily’s calling experience 04:00 What Emily learned as a girls camp director. She has been girls camp director about 14 times. She explains how she let the girls lead girls camp. 10:15 Emily gives tips to structure girls camp. She involves the girls and they brainstorm all the activities, food, etc. together. 12:00 One thing Emily learned as a Relief Society president 14:40 What should a leader do or say going to visit someone in the hospital? Just be there. 20:30 Emily and Kurt discuss grace and how we can give grace as leaders The difference between grace and the Atonement Jesus will meet you where you are as you are with grace You don’t have to qualify for grace. It’s not after all you can do. 24:45 The different types of grace Saving grace helps us overcome sin and death Exalting grace helps you become like Him. It transforms us and lifts us up. 26:30 As leaders we need to begin by meeting people where they are as they are (acceptance stage). It’s then that we invite Jesus in and lift. 28:25 Grace in the context of the bishop’s office. Meet them where they are first and then see how they need to be lifted Love needs boundaries 31:45 Kurt and Emily discuss giving people grace but also having expectations for them. Emily shares a personal story of grace. 37:15 Bishops should acknowledge that people dealing with addictions and other problems are going to mess up and that’s ok. They shouldn’t set high expectations right off the bat. Expect them to mess up for a while as they go through the healing and changing process. 40:20 What is grace? Making space for growth and mistakes 41:50 Repentance: to turn again or turn back to. Repentance and grace work together as we turn to God for enabling strength. 44:45 What should bishops do to help people repent or turn back to God? 47:50 How does grace work when dealing with someone who has experienced a withdrawal of membership? Links emilybellefreeman.comBooks by Emily Belle Freeman Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcastListen on YouTubeGet 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints’ mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Richard Ostler, and many more in over 600 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.