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Julie Rowe is Not Spurious
ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2015 BY EMMA DAYBELL
Julie Rowe is my friend and she is an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who fully sustains the prophet.
I want you to know that the message Julie shares is not spurious. It does not contradict the doctrines and teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For me it took what I already knew and focused my attention on what really matters: our Savior, even Jesus Christ.
Elder David A. Bednar challenged the members of the Church to “share goodness” in our online interactions. In the past day or so I’ve noticed that Julie has been very unfairly treated online. There are many people lurking who take any opportunity they can to tear others down; I don’t want their opinions to be the only thing reflecting my friend. So I want to share a little bit about her.
I met Julie through my father, Chad Daybell. My dad is the owner of Spring Creek Book Company, Julie’s publisher. In early 2014 I had just returned to Utah after serving a full-time mission. My dad was planning on writing the third installment in his latest series. However, he was suddenly working tirelessly on a new book collaborating with someone we didn’t know. I was fascinated with my dad’s latest project. (My dad has his own blog and tells more about his experiences working with Julie here.)
Shortly after A Greater Tomorrow was published our family met Julie and her children at the Bean Museum at Brigham Young University. I can’t believe that was only a year ago. This whole project has happened so quickly that my missionary brother has missed the entire thing.
Julie and I hit it off and became quick friends. I was honored when she asked me to be her voice on the audio recording.
Reading these books out loud was a very spiritual experience for me. I recorded during a short span of time between college semesters. The Spirit was there as I read. I felt Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s great love for me. I went into that project feeling a little hopeless due to ordinary young adult matters (Was I studying the right major? I had been home from a mission for a year, why wasn’t I married?) but Julie’s books helped me to realign my thoughts with heaven again. God loved me. He was watching out for me in every aspect of my life. I was excited that these books could help other people grow closer to God as well.
I’ve tagged along to several events with Julie Rowe. I never fail to be impressed. Julie is not a snake oil salesman who can talk you into believing anything. She is a humble servant of the Lord who is doing what He has called her to do. He asked her to share her testimony in the form of a book and a few speaking engagements, and she has obeyed even though she knew that everything she held dear would be attacked at every angle.
There have been some who claim to be close to Julie who have treated her very cruelly. This unfortunately is not anything new. I think each of us can think of a time when we’ve been treated poorly for doing what God wanted us to do. Joseph Smith writes of similar experiences in his history: he was “…persecuted by those who ought to have been my friends and to have treated me kindly, and if they supposed me to be deluded to have endeavored in a proper and affectionate manner to have reclaimed me.”
One thing that fascinates me is how the Lord uses ordinary people to complete extraordinary tasks. Julie is by every definition an “ordinary” Mormon woman. She and her husband and children serve quietly in the Church. They are very active and love God.
Julie is not mentally ill or delusional. Julie is not in this in an attempt to make money. She is sharing her testimony of the Savior.
Julie has helped me to recognize my spiritual gifts. Julie follows the Spirit in every aspect of her life and is a living example of President Monson’s counsel “Never postpone a prompting”. For instance, she has this uncanny ability of calling me right when I need someone. Julie has helped me grow closer to our Savior, which is what the best of friends do.
It’s been a bit of a slow news week, and some are taking an internal memo to seminary and institute teachers out of context. It’s true: when teaching the gospel we should not be using materials that are not in the Gospel Library. I think that we could all benefit from spending more time in these great works.
Remember what the 13th Article of Faith teaches us, however: “if there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.” Julie Rowe’s account has helped me to grow closer to God. I know that it has helped many others as well.
