Soon after his calling as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, President Russell M. Nelson issued a plea in general conference. That’s what he called it—not a request or an invitation, but a heartfelt plea:
“Today I plead with my sisters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to step forward! Take your rightful and needful place in your home, in your community, and in the kingdom of God—more than you ever have before. . . . And I promise you in the name of Jesus Christ that as you do so, the Holy Ghost will magnify your influence in an unprecedented way!”
As Latter-day Saint Michelle Torsak considered President Nelson’s words, she not only felt inspired to respond to his plea; she also saw a need to fill: “As women of the Church, we have the potential to be a force for good in some pretty big ways, but we don’t always know what that looks like,” she says.
So in association with her role at Deseret Book, Michelle set out to create a space where women could come together and learn how to magnify their influence as President Nelson had asked. The result of her efforts? The Magnify Community—an ever-growing collective online of beloved sisters who cheer and embolden each other.
These women help fill every corner of the world with Christ’s love, and with each new season of the year they rally around a theme that inspires them to learn how to better wield their influence. This summer’s theme was Share Him, which included the use of guided study journals, conversation card prompts, and discussions within the community to help members refine their ability to articulate their faith.
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“We want women to know that they have a powerful role to play in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We want them to feel excited and energized by their contribution and recognize that it doesn’t have to be complicated,” Michelle says. The 2022 fall theme is Love Well—or, in other words, to discover what it means to love as God does—and the Magnify Community wants more women to join them. Find them on Instagram at @magnifycommunity and on their website at magnifythegood.com to learn how to get involved. But, in the meantime, get a taste of what Magnify stands for by turning to the following pages to read two beautiful poems written by a member of the community for the good of the community.
Spring
By Danielle Christensen
She was a flower. The loveliest of kinds.
And she, just like the other flowers, had her seasons.
There were moments when she felt bold, daring—a poppy among the marigolds. There were times when she felt lovely, elegant—the most fragrant of roses. And there were times when she was forgetful and supposed that in the end, she was simply a weed to be plucked.
In the seasons that came, she changed. Sometimes, winter crept up on her, frost cutting her to the quick. The winds blew. The ice froze her leaves. So she hid beneath the cold earth, waiting.
Waiting for . . . she didn’t know what.
For too long it seemed that she was in winter, biding her time. She prayed that somehow, she was stronger than the chill. But as the nights grew long, she grew weary.
Until one day, it happened:
She felt the Sun.
She remembered His touch. The warmth of His goodness. It reached down to her roots and made her believe.
So she tried again. The struggle wasn’t easy. But she broke through the surface, and then suddenly there the world was—brilliant in all its color and glory.
She sighed, basking in the Light. Reveling in the feeling of the breeze between her petals, she looked up at the sky and rejoiced when she saw that He was there.
And she knew something else—that while the seasons may have changed, He never had. And while the clouds may have come and the storms may have frightened her, He had been reaching for her all along. And He had hoped that she would see He was brighter than the darkness. More powerful than the cold.
But even if she couldn’t, He would always look after her.
His loveliest of flowers.
Before
By Danielle Christensen
At the beginning, before there was life on earth,
before the earth was formed and the heavens existed,
somehow, she was—
A remarkable intelligence more celestial
than the moon or the stars or the sun.
You know her. You are her. Do you remember her?
It was a long time ago. A very long time ago. But she, just like you, knew what she wanted: to follow Him who would give His life for her.
So she planned for the journey. Perhaps she didn’t know everything—the joy of receiving a body, the pain of being mortal—but she knew the risk was worth it.
Imagine it. The preparations. The yearning. The waiting.
The unknown.
She knew what might happen when everything changed. That sometimes, she might forget why she was there. Some might make her think that all things were a competition—that there were others who were better or more important than her. Prettier than her. Stronger than her. Smarter than her.
More stable than her.
But they were wrong.
She would need to remember that no matter what they taught, she was eternal with incomparable value. She would lift burdens, share another’s grief. She would serve and love and help others succeed—and in turn, they would help her.
The process would change her. Shape her.
It was the only way.
The way of truth.
The way of light.
The way of Christ.
