Was Well Received in Southern California
On Sunday, May 15, the African-American Affairs and Southern California Public Affairs Councils of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held another moving fireside. Sister Betty Stevenson from the Oakland 9th Branch, who has served twice as a Relief Society President, was the invited speaker at the Westwood Chapel, located behind the Los Angeles Temple in Santa Monica, California.Sister Anne Marie St. Felix stepped in to conduct for this spirit-filled activity; Bishop Al Coleman presided. Brother Eric Glover—Sister Stevenson's great-nephew—did a wonderful job of sharing a moment in Black history, relaying the story of Elijah Abel, his descendants, and their receiving the priesthood before the blessing to Black males was taken away. Also participating in the event was the Genesis Choir and Brother Marvin Perkins, whose beautiful solo intensified the presence of the spirit.
Sister Betty Stevenson, who joined the Church in 1981, shared her experiences of converting to the LDS Church in her talk, "Transformation from Drug Dealer to Relief Society President." She began her talk by exclaiming "Whazzup!" which evoked a corresponding response. Her conversion process, as she humorously shared, was challenging not only for her, but for her branch presidency, Relief Society presidency, and numerous members in her branch. Sister Stevenson admits that she purposely questioned, annoyed, and at times antagonized members so she could gain an understanding of how she fit in as a Black member. She learned early on that not everyone is on the same level of understanding of the Church, no matter how brief or how long they have been a member or an investigator.
She acknowledges that through her brazen behavior, she forced people to accept her as she was or leave the Church—partly because of her tendency to offend when she shared her testimony, which was unacceptable to some. Her testimony of overcoming many problems—including drug addiction, a same-sex relationship, serving time in prison, and a whole host of other emotional and spiritual challenges—was fulfilled when God spoke to her heart as she searched and waited to be shown where to go.
Her ability to be humble in spite of her rebellious nature did not go unnoticed by Heavenly Father or by her branch presidency when the boundaries of her branch were changed and she was called to be president of the Relief Society. It was in this capacity that her perspective about her fellow members and her relationship with the Savior were tried and strengthened. She admonished the audience to be careful about gossip and back-biting, because they do exist in the Church—and as faithful members, we are called to a higher standard. We need to recognize that none of us is above another, as we are all children of God. In an emotional conclusion, Sister Stevenson shared her confident conviction that the gospel is absolutely true!
The witty and reflective talk about her membership in the Church was enjoyed by the more than one hundred who were in attendance. When the meeting was over, some expressed their appreciation for her straight-forward honesty and truthfulness. Sister Nathleen Albright shared that she was spiritually fed. "Betty is indeed a spiritual giant," she said. "Her clarity on what her purpose in life is gives me courage to continue seeking mine. Her view of people gives me something to aspire to."
Sister Stevenson, who holds a bachelor of arts degree in behavioral development and leadership, is a motivational and spiritual speaker who has traveled extensively to share her experiences. She has made two tapes, "Transformation From Drug Dealer to Relief Society President" and "Heart and Soul." She is currently involved in a nonprofit community-based program called HOPE (Help Open Possibilities Encourage positive change). It was created and inspired to work together to strengthen, support, and build our community and encourage others to do the same. To find out more about this worthy effort, visit www.hopehelps.us.