Dr. Barbara Morgan Gardner's Journey
Profile from a distance
If I had to pick one modern Latter-day Saint woman celebrity (as in I don’t actually know them personally) hero, I couldn’t do it. But if I had to list several, Dr. Barbara Morgan Gardner would definitely be on my list. As I’ve delved into her story as available online, I quickly realized that she’s actually published a lot more than I knew about, so this will be vastly abbreviated from what’s out there. I’ll include lots of links with more information if you’re interested at the bottom.
As a side note, one of the major reasons I am a bit of a fan-girl about Sister Gardner is because I read her book The Priesthood Power of Women a few years ago, which I consider essential reading for anyone with questions on that topic. While I would love to delve more into that topic sometime, as I know that’s an area where a lot of people in the Church (and outside it) have major questions, that’s outside my scope for this post. But I had to give a plug for it anyway just because I think it’s so amazing.
Personal/Family and Career Journey
For a lot of her story in her own words, I cannot recommend her BYU devotional Endowed with His Power, You Are Ready to Lead highly enough. I’ll quote some here and summarize some as well.
Following her mission, Barbara attended BYU, became a full-time seminary teacher, and started graduate studies in education. She received a master’s degree in educational leadership from BYU and a PhD in instructional psychology from Utah State University. After receiving her PhD, she became a religion professor at BYU. At this point, she was still single, despite desiring to be married. At a difficult time in her life, she received an invitation to go to Boston as director for institutes and seminary.
“It seemed the timing couldn’t have been worse. Strangely, I had always wanted to live in Boston. In fact, I always knew I would live there, but not under those circumstances. Striving to align my will with His, I packed up my house; left BYU; said goodbye to my dad, family, and friends; and drove across the country.
A year later I returned from Boston, having fulfilled my assignment for CES. In addition, I had served as a chaplain at both Harvard and MIT and had completed postdoctoral work at Harvard in higher education administration. I had met incredible people, many of whom have since become dear friends. And, most important, I had received a live sealing recommend the night before I left. My husband and I were married shortly after. Three years later—and exactly three years from yesterday—we adopted our two beautiful daughters. One month later we were sealed as a family in the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple. I wrote in my journal, “His ways truly are higher than mine.”
Why do I tell you such personal stories? I want to be both authentic and intentional with you. I want you to see how individuals can uniquely walk the covenant path and be leaders in God’s kingdom” (Endowed with His Power, You Are Ready to Lead, emphasis added).
After returning to BYU, where she continues to teach as a professor, and serve as chaplain-at-large in higher education for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Church Service
Dr. Gardner “served a Spanish-speaking mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Los Angeles Temple Visitors’ Center Mission” (https://speeches.byu.edu/speakers/barbara-morgan-gardner/).
Other Quotes
“Joan of Arc’s life was vastly different than mine and vastly different than my mother’s, yet each of our lives has similar patterns based on true principles. Each of us paid the price to hear and act upon the voice of the Lord. Each of us exercised the courage necessary and put forth the effort required to be endowed with His power. Each of us gained God’s power by making and keeping sacred covenants. Each of us made promises with the Lord and in return were endowed with the power necessary to uniquely lead” (Endowed with His Power, You Are Ready to Lead, emphasis added).
“Just as every piece of stained glass is critical to the whole picture, every individual child of God is needed. You are critical to His work and His glory. He needs you. We need you. And we need you to lead” (Endowed with His Power, You Are Ready to Lead).
“I realized my parents were desperate for the Atonement of Christ, and they were desperate for us to know about the Atonement of Christ. They weren't trying to be self-righteous. I'm not trying to be self-righteous. I need the Atonement of Christ. I need the sacrament. It's that pattern. And you see that with Paul. He's giving his life to this. It's not a matter of judging anyone or being in a position where you're doing more or less than someone. It's just, on a personal note, I have to go to church. I need to take the sacrament. I need to go to the temple. I have to for my salvation, for who I am as a person. I can't live without the Savior” (Follow Him Podcast New Testament episode 44).
Shortly before her mom passed away, “I asked her one as I was working on her obituary before she passed away, what do you want to be known for? She said, "I want to be known for one who was a seeker and liver of truth," which I just thought that was so beautiful” (Follow Him Podcast New Testament episode 44). This stood out to me because I think it’s really easy in the world to always be looking for a title or a position or an accomplishment that makes us stand out. But perhaps there is more to life (and eternity) than that.
“So, as I went out throughout my life, and I became more educated, maybe in the world's terms of education and went through my master's and PhD programs, I put the gospel to the test. I understood what it was like to be single, I understood what it was like to be educated, I understood what it was like to be alone. And the gospel of Jesus Christ kept me from being too lonely. I saw the blessings of living the gospel. And I also saw the reality of understanding that doctrine really is what makes sense, that Satan and the world would love to confuse women. They would love to compare the women of the Church with the women of the world. They would love to in a sense dilute what is most significant and the roles of women in life. But as we study and stay close to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Lord keeps what's important, important in our minds, in our hearts. The temple especially has been an avenue where I have received revelation, and the Lord has confirmed to me in such a way that it would be harder for me not to believe than to believe. I've had too many answers to prayer, I have had too many broken hearts healed, I have had too many confusions clarified, etc, etc, etc. And so, as a woman in these positions, I have recognized that the more questions I ask, the more I've come to know God. The more I've struggled, the more God has shown himself to me. The more I've paid a price, the more he has answered that call” (Follow Him Podcast Doctrine and Covenants episode 31, emphasis added).
As always, I’d love to hear if something from Sister Gardner’s journey stood out to you!
Links for sources
Talk referenced above: https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/barbara-morgan-gardner/endowed-with-his-power-you-are-ready-to-lead/
Bio: https://speeches.byu.edu/speakers/barbara-morgan-gardner/
Personal website:
https://barbaramorgangardner.com/ (She has her own podcast, links for which are on her website.)
Podcast episodes from her that I’ve listened to and loved, one is referenced above:
Transcript: https://followhim.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/followHIM-Episode-31-Dr-Barbara-Gardner-Show-Notes-and-Transcripts.pdf (Side note on this one: has a discussion about what nurturing is that I personally would like to come back to later myself.)
Transcript: https://followhim.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/BM-14-Barbara-Morgan-Gardner-Jacob-1-4-followHIM-Podcast-SHOW-NOTES.pdf
Transcript: https://followhim.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/51-Dr.-Barbara-Morgan-Gardner-Malachi-followHIM-Podcast-SHOW-NOTES-ENGLISH.pdf
Transcript: https://followhim.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/NT-44-Dr.-Barbara-Morgan-Gardner-1-2-Timothy-Titus-Philemon-followHIM-SHOW-NOTES.pdf
If interested in more of her work on women and the priesthood:
https://rsc.byu.edu/media/y-religion/2
https://rsc.byu.edu/media/y-religion/66