Watching the Process Unfold: Reflections on the April 2025 Women’s Conference

You may or may not be aware of an upcoming women’s conference taking place on April 12th, 2025, one that is part of the broader Restoration movement many of us have come to associate with the teachings of Denver Snuffer. Like me, you may live outside the Intermountain West—I’m based in California—and find it difficult to attend the April 13th conference in person. You may also be one of those who, like many men in our fellowships, haven’t followed all the details of this particular event or its backstory. It has stirred deep feelings, drawn strong opinions, and raised serious questions about the governance of priesthood and community trust.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been following this matter more closely. Out of genuine interest—and because I’ve participated in many disciplinary councils during my time in various LDS bishoprics and high councils—I’ve been studying the materials and commentaries surrounding this dispute. I wanted to understand how women’s councils are handling what was once an exclusively male domain in the LDS Church: determining a person’s standing within a spiritual community.

To help me digest it all, I asked ChatGPT to summarize and analyze four central documents:

1. An essay from Stephanie Snuffer, posted just yesterday on Denver’s blog

2. A blog post from Jennifer Bowler, a participant in the first women’s council

3. A thoughtful reply by Kimberly Barlow, offering an alternate perspective on tone and language (from a private email list)

4. A comprehensive public statement from the 14 women who participated in the second council, defending their process and appealing to scripture

Finally, I reviewed the official Women’s Conference process posted at april12conference.com, including the scriptural foundation and how the upcoming vote will be structured.

Below is a summary of what I’ve learned. If you’re like me—curious, invested in the movement, but unable to attend the Zoom calls (they’re only for women) or read every email chain—this may help you better understand the stakes and structure of what’s taking place.

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A Quick Overview of What’s Happening

In April 2024, a women’s council unanimously voted (14–0) to revoke a man’s priesthood certificate. The women involved reported that they followed all scriptural procedures, including:

• Gathering witnesses

• Ensuring participants were familiar with the man’s “daily walk”

• Offering the man the chance to defend himself (he declined to attend)

• Holding the council in private

But in the months since, a dispute has arisen over whether the council was fair, valid, and in harmony with the Lord’s instructions. Those questioning the process have pointed to concerns about bias, procedural integrity, and the inability of others to review or challenge the outcome.

As tensions increased, a new revelation, received on June 20, 2024 and published by Denver, offered a path forward:

“Let the women call a conference… reason together… the majority of those who vote decide the voice of the conference of women.”

This April 12th Women’s Conference is a response to that instruction.

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Document-by-Document Summary and Insights

Stephanie Snuffer’s Essay: Experiential Learning and the Fear of Conflict

Stephanie offers a heartfelt reflection on how fear—particularly the fear of conflict—can paralyze spiritual growth. She believes the current dispute, rather than being a threat to Zion-building, may be part of its essential curriculum. In her words, we’re not Zion yet, and perhaps our real error lies in trying to skip the messy, emotional, relational work required to become it.

She reminds us that:

• Conflict isn’t automatically bad—it can be divine pedagogy.

• Avoiding conflict, especially under spiritual pretense, may be driven more by fear than faith.

• Emotional skills like mindfulness, self-awareness, and compassion are Zion-building materials.

I was personally moved by Stephanie’s tone and wisdom. I remember when she first welcomed me at one of Denver’s lectures years ago. Her essay reminded me again of her deep spiritual insight and courage to speak plainly when it matters most.

Jennifer Bowler’s Post: Defending the Council and Warning Against Institutional Decay

Jennifer, a member of the first women’s council, offers a strong defense of the second council. She urges us to avoid falling into the same institutional traps as the LDS Church or other religious organizations that protect the guilty and silence the wounded. Her plea is urgent and clear: don’t undo what has been done without serious, prayerful consideration.

Key points:

• She believes the council was sincere, careful, and faithful to scripture.

• She admits past councils were imperfect but acted in integrity.

• She warns that overturning such decisions without proper cause mirrors institutional corruption.

Her post may come across as forceful to some, but her passion comes from a place of deep commitment to justice and protecting the vulnerable.

Kimberly Barlow’s Reply: Tone, Empathy, and the Danger of Vilification

Kimberly responds gently but firmly to Jennifer’s post, raising concerns about language that may unintentionally alienate or vilify others. She’s especially troubled by:

• Comparisons of the accused to Cain or Lori Vallow

• Phrases like “enabling friends” and “friends in iniquity”

• Framing that casts one side as righteous and the other as deceived

Her central concern is relational: how we talk about one another matters just as much as what we say. She urges us to resist the temptation to vilify others and instead remember that we are all part of one body in Christ.

Her post felt like a balm—an invitation to humility and to “see one another rightly.”

The 14 Unanimous Council Statement: A Structured Defense

The women who conducted the second council have released a meticulous and thorough defense of their process. They assert that:

• They followed all revealed instructions (T&C 157 and Preserving the Restoration)

• The man was invited to defend himself but declined

• Their decision to revoke his certificate was unanimous and based on sincere discernment

They reject efforts to re-litigate the council as if it were a criminal trial and argue that any attempt to invalidate their work lacks scriptural authority. They also affirm the Lord’s only authorized path to restoration: repentance and petition to the same council.

This statement is sobering, clear, and principled. Whether or not one agrees with the outcome, the women demonstrate a deep reverence for their role and the process they followed.

The April 12th Women’s Conference Structure: Revelation-Based Deliberation

The conference is being organized per the June 20, 2024 revelation, and aims to:

• Let women reason together

• Provide equal time for both sides of the dispute

• Allow time for prayerful consideration

• End with a majority vote on whether the disputed women’s council was conducted fairly

Importantly:

• This is not a vote on the man’s worthiness

• If found unfair, the man’s certificate remains intact and a new council may be convened

• The vote sets no binding precedent, but it shapes the community’s understanding of what is acceptable

Zoom calls and documents are part of the deliberative process, but all women who attend on April 12th can vote, regardless of prior participation.

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TL;DR Summary

• In April 2024, a women’s council unanimously revoked a man’s priesthood certificate.

• Disputes over its fairness have grown, leading to a women’s conference to resolve the issue through a majority vote.

• Key perspectives:

  • Stephanie Snuffer urges us to embrace conflict as necessary spiritual learning.

  • Jennifer Bowler defends the integrity of the council and warns against enabling abuse.

  • Kimberly Barlow advocates for relational charity and warns against vilifying language (Sorry, can’t provide private link).

  • The 14 Council Women assert they followed every divine instruction and reject attempts to invalidate the process.

• The April 12th Conference is not about guilt or innocence, but procedural fairness.

• The outcome will shape how future councils are judged and what kinds of spiritual standards we are willing to uphold as a community.

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Final Thoughts

As someone who has sat in many LDS disciplinary councils, I know the burden of evaluating another’s standing before God. It is never easy. What is unfolding in the Remnant movement is something both beautiful and sobering: women taking on that sacred burden with scripture as their guide, conscience as their compass, and a community as their witness.

I’m watching with deep interest and a prayer in my heart that this process will yield growth, healing, and wisdom for all involved. I hope this post helped you better understand its background and significance, or at least brings it to your attention if you were not aware. I encourage you to read all the available documents at the online site. Comments / corrections welcomed.

Update 6 April 2025: A much more thorough analysis can be found here:
https://zion.education/2025/04/05/fountainhead/

Update 9 April 2025: An additional source document for completeness:
https://wcl1defense.com/defense.php