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DeAnna Murphy serves as a Stake Relief Society President in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She also runs Strength Strategy where she consults businesses, coaches, and individuals. She was born in Provo, UT, but grew up in Canada. She met her husband at Ricks College and they are the parents of three children.
Highlights
9:14 DeAnna shares a touching spiritual moment she had during General Conference a few months after giving birth to a daughter with spina bifida. She said “It helped her look forward rather than focusing on the challenges that were to come.” 13:30 United in hearts and mind: Looking forward, rather than seeing challenges and obstacles. “If ye are not one then ye are not mine.” How do we get everyone on the same page and get a 360 degree perspective. 16:00 Talk to leaders about where their strengths are, “Where is Zion happening here and now?” 16:55 “Stop looking at what’s wrong and focus on what is right, and how can we get more of it?” 18:15 Differently Imperfect: When we are authentic with others, and ourselves we can progress. 21:45 Don’t judge. The first thing the Savior did is love. 23:15 As a Stake Relief Society President, “Here is why I’m here.” D&C 43:8-9 & 16
- Uplifted and edified together: Monthly One on One visits (24:19) to talk about many things including their personal life, and reviewed the questions “What has the Spirit taught you this month? What is working well and what keeps you up at night?”
29:38 How to not start from a deficit point of view? 31:30 DeAnna’s experience being called as the Stake Relief Society President 36:08 “If I love them, they will find their own way.” 37:25 We need to know who the leaders are 41:27 Finding direction and goal setting 53:24 Mosiah 4:11-12 Always rejoice and be filled with the love of God
Links:
Wendy Ulrich Interview Weakness is Not a Sin, By Wendy Ulrich Strengths Multiplier Assessment Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast
Another superb interview. As a long-time early morning seminary teacher, temple worker, mother, grandmother, wife, sister, visiting teacher, member of the ward council, etc., I have been richly blessed and enlightened by your podcasts. My work in the temple has helped me learn: 1. That this life is not all about me, 2. That we can (and should) live so the Spirit can direct our lives, and 3. That we can help facilitate the work of the the Spirit as we refuse to let negative emotions control us, get out of His way, and let Him do His great work. I am still constantly learning, and your interviews present new ideas, solutions, and pathways for me to follow as I continue figuring this life out.
Many of your interviews have touched on personal, sensitive issues we deal with in our family, helping us to renew our desire to continue loving each member, while not feeling so alone in our struggles. My husband and I discuss your podcasts regularly, and many of the useful ideas presented have helped him in hIs calling as a counselor in the Bishopric. I can’t tell you my favorite interviews – the list would be all-inclusive. Thank you for the work you do. I am always excited to see a new podcast in my feed.
I’m happy to visit personally with anyone who listens to this and is looking to apply any of the principles discussed here! The Savior’s work of love and ministering is the greatest work on earth, and I would happily support anyone who is looking for ideas, resources, or just a listening ear! Please reach out to me at dmurphy@strengthsstrategy.com.
DeAnna, thanks for all the wonderful things you mentioned in this podcast. I am a newly called bishop and tonight while interviewing an less active member, I asked him the question you spoke of, “Tell me about a time when you have felt the spirit in your life?” From there he shared 3 or 4 stories where the Lord’s hand was involved in saving his life or how he was protected from harm’s way. It was an amazing experience, and I plan to use these types of questions in all my interviews. Thank you for the wonderful counsel and advise.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your heart-felt message. There were several times you addressed issues I have been concerned about the past few days, were answers to my prayers. Thank you. Thank you. I feel blessed to have had the blessing of being a part of your podcast.
Thank you! I’ve listened to this several times and I know I still need to study it more.
I want to be a better person and daughter of God. I thank you for sharing your understanding and tools you’ve learned.
Ah Lissa, truly, “sweet is the work!” I trust God will reveal to you what is important for you to see and understand here, and empower you with your own additional wisdom and insight.
Thanks for your kind words!
This interview is a spiritual tour de force. So much to digest and ponder! Sister Murphy’s counsel about interviewing, loving and finding unity was is powerful and challenging. I had to lead stake bishop’s welfare meeting and I stopped after jumping right into business and shared my testimony with the other bishops about focusing on what we are doing right and moving forward. It is so easy to find all of the things that I am not doing as a bishop because it’s like having six callings instead of one!
Thank you Sister Murphy and Kurt for sharing this experience with us.
Bishop Lash, so thrilled to hear your own success story! You are right on!!! Nothing is more powerful than testimony. Nothing touches us more than when we come back to light and truth–be that testimony, pure doctrine, or focusing on strengths. After all, this IS God’s pattern! He is the ultimate maximizer of strengths!!! What a marvelous model we have in Him!!!
I have listened to this twice already and plan to listen many more times over, as well as study the topics, scriptures, and conference talks discussed.
Thank you, Sister Murphy, for being in tune with the Spirit and being willing to share your experience and knowledge with those who seek it.
Thank you for your kindness, Bethany!! Please, share your insights here, as you draw from the well of the Spirit in studying the things mentioned here. We all have things to learn!!!! I’ll be eager to hear what shows up for you…
I am currently serving as a Stake Relief Society President, and I just love this interview. I have listened to it several times. The more I listen it, the more I learned. I determined to change the way I lead. I will have to take one little step at a time, but I know that with the Lord’s help this is possible.
Thank you, Sister Murphy, for your kindness in sharing these insights.
Sister Murphy this podcast was one of my favorites. I have listened to it at least three times and plan to listen to it more. The first time I just listened to it as I drove. I was so impressed with it, I listened to it again while out walking . The third time, I sat down and began to take notes. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and all you have learned about interviewing. I have incorporated just about everything you shared into my interviews with the people in our ward. I’m not nearly as good at it as you are but I’m working on it. Keep up the good work and God bless. You’re an interviewing hero!
Thank you for this. I was recently called as a Stake Relief Society in a brand new ward. I know it is the right call, but I am still in shock as I never even been a Ward Relief Society President. Thank you this wonderful message about loving them and not judging them. I will put much of what you said into practice as I meet “one on one” with Ward RS Presidents.
Wow! Deanna, Thank you for your powerful interview. I am studying these broadcast for preparing a talk about power of leadership in RS and how women are influential in the spiritual and emotional guidance. This interview was rich, so many powerful moments. It brought tears to my eyes. I was thinking about how to have more authentic relationships with the sisters and friends and how to break that “perfect LDS outlook” when we look at each other and interact. And how to integrate that in my talk with love and kindness.
I love the honesty, love and authenticity you share with the listeners.
I hope I have understood your words and share that message in my talk and touch my sisters, some young women, and friends in our ward. It has inspired me in so many ways and how to grow in my testimony, study, and service to my family, friends, and ward. If you are ever in Vancouver, B.C. we would love to meet you and spend some time with you.
Thank you for your time and energy in this interview.
I am really touched and found the interview very powerful and helpful and interesting. Especially on the part of aligning plans from ward, auxilliary and stake. It is very important to observe the necessity of aligning the plans so that all the leadership pulls the same way. Listening to your interview and linking it with the Teaching in the Saviour’s Way has helped me on how to approach my calling.
Thank you
Thank you for your wonderful, spot on message. You put the words and explanations to some of the things I was trying to do in my calling as a VT supervisor. When I was asked by the RS President what I was doing differently from other supervisors, I didn’t have the words or background story to explain what I felt and carried through my actions. Now I have more information on how to do things to achieve a more powerful, Spiritual outcome. Now I have to move Wards, and fear has set in and I was beginning to judge others before others could judge me before they judged. I have realized I’ve begun to let fear shut out the love. I have just listened to the BYU talk on Fear and Love by Gregory Clark which goes along with your message. Big lesson for me on trust, grace and love. Thanks DeAnna for your good work and for helping set me back to the iron rod and the tree of life and let me know I’m not alone.
I’m so glad I started going through podcasts from before I started following Leading Saints, this interview is solid gold. I can’t wait to listen to it again, thank you DeAnna and Kurt!
Thank you DeAnna and Leading Saints for bringing the scriptures and words of our leaders together. The insight to ask “good” questions if very helpful. I already began Ministering Interviews with prayer and now I come better prepared to have the Spirit teach me and the other sister(s).
I hope the love of the Savior will be felt in order to give the sisters the desire to connect with them self, The Lord and each others.
When will you have a conference in Minneapolis/St.Paul area like the one in SLC or the DC area? Although I have family in both those area, I live not too far from the twin cities.
Hi Kimberly – if you are ever in Minneapolis, look me up! I’d love to connect! You can reach me at 218-368-5771. LOVE to meet you!
I absolutely loved this interview! As I have recently been called to serve in a stake Relief Society presidency Deanna’s wisdom and leadership principles are particularly relevant and impactful. Thank you for recording your conversation. It is my great privilege to also know Deanna in professional circles. She brings that same incredible spirit of love to all her coaching. She approaches every single person no matter their role and station in life with the same compassion, charity, insight and gentleness. Entire rooms full of strangers leave transformed. What she speaks of works in individual lives, families, wards and board rooms. I appreciate so much how the scriptures direct our learning and ability to lead and how Deanna so readily models that the Lord is the source of every good thing.
Thank you for your insights. I’ve been a SRP for 18 months and I know the name and faces of the WRP’s and I pray for them daily. However, I don’t know them on a personal level. I’ve been struggling to know how to do things better without overtaxing my counselors. After listening to your podcast I have the courage to make changes for the good. I will be implementing monthly one-on-one visits with each of the presidents so that I can develop a trusting relationship beginning in 2020. So thankful to learn from others because I have a lot of things keeping me up at night. Cheers!