General Conference Prayers

I'm a month late writing about women praying in General Conference. Let me give you some background. Back on 29 September 1978 then Prophet, Spencer W. Kimball, authorized women to give prayers in every meeting they attended. FYI, blacks got the priesthood in June 1978. I was little so I don't remember all this happening, but I've read/heard about how in some wards and stakes back then women were not allow to pray in any church meetings, that is why President Kimball issued the new directive. I have read on some blogs that before April in some wards and stakes women were not allowed to say a closing prayer in Sacrament Meeting.
Back in January a new movement was started to allow women to pray in General Conference (see their facebook page). They did a letter writing campaign to the current Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, and other church leaders. It was rumored in March that a woman was giving a prayer in GC, but I was hesitant to believe it until I saw it for myself. And then on Saturday April 6th Sister Jean A. Stevens of the General Primary Presidency got up and prayed.

Then on Sunday April 7th Sister Carole M. Stephens of the General Relief Society Presidency said the second prayer. It even made the Daily Mail, a mediocre newspaper here in the UK. I was a little excited, but honestly it didn't change my life. I don't remember being in a ward where women were prevented from praying in meetings and I've lived in a good number of wards. So it must be the rare wards/stakes where this occurred. I can see this was a big win for the feminists, some things do need to be changed in church culture, which is a difference to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.