"WELCOME SACRED SISTERS"
CINDY QUINNEY

Hello, my sisters.  Welcome to a devotional especially for Indigenous Latter-day Saint Women. 

My name is Cindy Quinney, and I’m the executive director of Gathering of Tribes.  I’m joined by my executive team – Director of Operations Shane Manning, and Creative Director Amber Irwin –  and some of the most incredible women I have ever had the pleasure to meet, who will bless us with messages of hope, empowerment, strength, and comfort. 

We would like to express our gratitude to all who have made this possible. To my wonderful team for their devoted efforts and many hours in organizing this event, please know how much we appreciate you. We’d also like to thank all the presenters for taking the time to share their messages with us tonight.  We’re grateful for the incredible artists for creating such beautiful artwork and for the touching music we will hear during this event.  Thank you.

As a team, we’ve felt a deep need to gather as sisters. In these uncertain times, we have heard how many of you are struggling – physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually, and that’s why we are here today. We know that at this time we can’t gather physically, but we thought that this would be important to use whatever tools that we can to keep us connected.  We know that some of you are facing darkness, feeling lost or alone, and we want to remind you that you are not alone. We are here to walk this journey with you. You belong to a sacred sisterhood and because of that, you will always be supported, loved, and never forgotten.

The symbol we have chosen for the Sacred Sisters devotional is the purple rose. We chose this because for centuries, across many cultures, the rose has represented the divine essence of feminine beauty, wisdom, strength, and sisterhood. Roses are known to flourish in close-knit clusters and with a nurturing gardener tending to them, they transform from buds into magnificent blossoms. We found this imagery to reflect our purpose in gathering tonight. There is a special power that comes when women gather, especially when they come together to be shaped by the master Gardener, Jesus Christ. 

The rose seemed to be a natural fit.

In addition, the color purple also contains significant meaning due to its ancient ties to spiritual growth and enlightenment. The Tabernacle uses the colors blue, purple, and red. It has been said that the color red represents the earth and the atonement of Jesus Christ. The blue represents the heavens, and the purple that lay in between was a combination of both colors, creating a place where the earth and the heavens meet.  We wanted to create a space like that for you, a place where you can touch the heavens. 

In the scriptures, purple was also regarded as a color reserved for royalty – a color perfectly suited for the divine daughters of Heavenly Parents. 

We pray that as you listen to the messages from your sacred sisters you will know that:

You are a beloved daughter of Heavenly Parents.

You have been blessed with many spiritual gifts.

You have a purpose.

You have an eternal destiny.

You are needed.

And that you are heaven-sent.

We love you, our sacred sisters.  We are so grateful for this opportunity to gather virtually across time zones and locations to share the messages of love with you. You and your families are in our hearts and prayers always. It is our sincerest hope that you will leave this devotional feeling cherished, honored, uplifted, and inspired. 

It is our prayer that you hear the voices of our sisters here today and of your ancestors from across the veil cheering you on. May you feel blessed to feel the sweet comfort of Heavenly Mother’s arms around you and feel the immense love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for you.

If you find a message in this devotional that speaks to your heart directly, please share the video link with your friends and family.  And don’t miss out on more uplifting content, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel @LDSGatheringOfTribes. 

Thank you for joining us. Please enjoy the playlist.

Thank you for being here.  Enjoy your evening.  

We love you.