Julie Bangerter Beck

Saturday at conference the General Relief Society President, Julie B. Beck, was released. I think women all over the world are sad that we will not be hearing from her regularly any more, but it was especially bittersweet for my family.

Julie is my aunt, we have thoroughly enjoyed our journey with her over the past 15 years. As someone put it so well at our family meeting last night, Julie did all the work, and we had all the fun!

I'm afraid that the praise and memories we've shared since her release have made Julie feel like she's attending her own funeral, ,but we've all wanted to pay tribute to the good that she has done us and our families (and the world). Phrases like, "Mothers who know," "Lioness at the gate,"and "You're doing better than you think you are, but you can do better than you are now doing" will always stick in my mind and in minds around the world when we think of Julies service and evaluate our own progress and work in he gospel.

As a child I remember Julie spending a lot of time in the hospital. She was sick much of the time and I remember having special fasts for her and her family. However, once she was called to the Young Women General Board in the late 1990's, that seemed to come to a halt. She was able to work and serve in all that the Lord asked of her without the suffering she had previously endured.

Disneyland with the Beck family in the mid-1980's

Julie only has three children, but wanted to have more. She and Ramon met with doctors and tried all they could to have a bigger family, but were unable to add to their family. As I look at the path she has taken, I realize that if she had as many children as she wanted, she would have never been able to do all that she has.


When I was in high school Julie was on the YW General Board. She asked the Bangerter cousins to serve as ushers at the General YW Meeting. We loved to the chance to usher in the Tabernacle, and enjoyed the security guards taking us up to see the chairs where the 1st Presidency would sit for the meeting. After we vacated the stage they had to do a security sweep to make sure none of us had booby-trapped the prophet. It made me giggle.

Since then we have attended YW and RS General meetings, sitting in the "spray zone," visited Julie in her office, sat front row at the BYU Women's Conference, and reveled as Julie has told us stories of her world travels.

Julie and Ramon have traveld to world over, but done little to know sight seeing in their years of service. Her agenda has never included trips to the world wonders, but has always been focused on serving and strengthening the women of the church and better understanding their situations.


Several years ago Julie went to Africa on assignment with the Young Women. She was introducing the new Personal Progress program, and helping sister implement it in their area. She told the sisters that when a young women had passed off a goal, they were to sign off the goal. Once sister raised her had and asked, "Where do we get the pencils so that we can mark off these goals?" What a beautiful insight this was to me.

On a trip home from Brazil, Julie sat next to a man whom she engaged in conversation. When she discovered that he had a family whom he loved very much, she was able to share the message of the gospel with him and send missionaries to his home. She never misses an opportunity to serve.

Mckay helping Aunt Julie across the river at Black's Fork 2010.This picture is hanging in my living room, but nobody notices it. 

One of the things I love most about Julie is that we never wonder what she is thinking. I think that is so good for the women of the church, but (as I know from experience) it can occasionally get a person into trouble. Julie was talking with "the brethren" about the temple dresses that women can rent, and how awful they are, and how everyone looks pregnant in them. Someone noted that the dresses are made that way to save money. Julies responded along the lines of, "How can that be cost effective when one of those dresses could double as sheet from my king size bed?" She said the entire room was silent for a moment, and then everyone burst out laughing. I'm glad I'm not the only one to put my foot in my mouth sometimes!

Julie gave 16 talks in the conference center, not counting the innumerable talks given at stake and regional conferences. When she gave the talk , "Mothers Who Know,"  there was a lot of controversy over the talk, but she knows it was a gift from God. A few months before conference, Ramon got up in the morning to find Julie at the computer. "Will you critique this talk for me?" she said, "God gave it to me last night." In traditional Ramon style he balked, "You want me to critique a talk that God gave you?" The product was that beautiful talk, meant to boost and inspire women the world over.

The think that has most amazed me about Julie's service, is that she still makes time for family. When I was first married, and was fairly ill for a few months, Julie called to boost my spirit and help me get a handle on what was making me ill. When Mckay graduated from law school, she brought a gift over to our house. Julie has taken my kids fishing and taught Madelyn some of her Articles of Faith. Whenever we are in SLC she welcomes my  family to her office and shows my children pictures in her office and aoround the building.

Me sitting in Julie's chair. I hope this is never a reality for me!

She visits Grandma several times a week, and is frequently coordinating family efforts to help at the farm. During a Priesthood session last year, after a long day of conference, Julie went straight to my cousin Gerilynn's house to spend a "relaxing" evening helping with her 8 children and the pile of dishes that had accumulated. When her children have new babies, she takes the grandchildren for a few days to make the adjustment easier.

Over the past few years Julie has only slept a few hours each nigh, as her nights and mornings are full of work. She says that being the RS president is like going to school. She goes to meetings all day to get her assignments, and then comes home and has to do her homework. The only way she could do all that has been asked of her is by the blessing and enabling power of God, who has been her constant companion.

A word about Ramon: Uncle Ramon is a hoot. He always makes us laugh, and has made my blush from my hair down to my toes. He's the life of the party wherever he goes. As a man with such a power to touch people, he could be hurt or have wounded pride always playing second fiddle to Julie. Ramon has never once shown resentment or frustration toword Julie, but is hr number one fan and biggest helper. He will do anything for her and sustains her 110%. He is a true example of a supportive and loving spouse.