Womanhood
Daily Gems - 19 November 2009
Virtuous Life
“Why is our being virtuous so important not just to our earthly parents but to our Heavenly Father as well? Virtue brings peace, strength of character, and happiness in this life. Our Heavenly Father knew that we would be faced with many choices and challenges, and virtuous living would prepare us to succeed.”
Topics: Womanhood
Daily Gems - 3 September 2009
Commitment to Be Virtuous
“As I hear the young women of the Church quote the Young Women theme, my desire and commitment to be virtuous and to be holy are strengthened. As bearers of the holy priesthood, we should see that the sisters are not the only examples of virtue.
“The Lord has commanded each of us, in section 38 of the Doctrine and Covenants, to be virtuous: ‘And let every man esteem his brother as himself, and practise virtue and holiness before me’ (D&C 38:24).”
Family Gems - 22 May 2009
Priesthood Holders Should Honor the Women in Their Lives
"Of our wives, mothers, grandmothers, and sisters and other important women in our lives, President Hinckley declared: 'Of all the creations of the Almighty, there is none more beautiful, none more inspiring than a lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue with an understanding of why she should do so, who honors and respects her body as a thing sacred and divine, who cultivates her mind and constantly enlarges the horizon of her understanding, who nurtures her spirit with everlasting truth' (Gordon B. Hinckley, "Our Responsibility to Our Young Women," Ensign, Sept. 1988, 11). . . .
"I know the immense joy and happiness that come from loving, cherishing, and respecting my precious wife with all my heart and soul. May your use of the priesthood and treatment of the important women in your life bring you the same satisfaction."
Topics: Womanhood
Church History Gems - 18 May 2009
Terrible Wounds
"Performance of duty, regardless of the sacrifice involved, is a part of dealing justly with oneself and others. Early in the history of this valley Joseph W. McMurrin was placed in charge of guarding some of the leaders of the Church. At a meeting in Social Hall in Salt Lake City, an intruder under a claim of authority tried to enter the hall; and Joseph W. McMurrin, being true to his trust to guard the servants of the Lord, restrained him from going through the door. President Heber J. Grant relates that the intruder 'finally got his hand loose and took his pistol and, pressing it against Brother McMurrin's body, fired two bullets . . . through his vitals. Those bullets lodged just under the skin in his back. He was attended by Dr. Joseph Benedict who told Joseph W. McMurrin that no man could live after two bullets had passed through his vitals, and then added: "If you wish to make a dying statement you should do so immediately."
" 'I went with John Henry Smith to Brother McMurrin's home and saw where the flesh was burned away around those terrible gaping wounds. I saw where the bullets had gone clear through him. I heard John Henry Smith say, "By the authority of the Priesthood of the living God which we hold, and in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, we say that you shall be made absolutely whole, and that there shall be no physical weakness left upon your body because of these terrible wounds that you have received while guarding the servants of the living God." '
"On November 21, 1931, President Grant concluded, 'Joseph W. McMurrin is alive and well, and has never had any physical weakness because of those terrible wounds.' (Gospel Standards, Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1969, pp. 310–11.)"
Topics: Womanhood
Daily Gems - 13 May 2009
Strengthening Families and Homes
"[Women are] to strengthen families and homes. Families worldwide are being assaulted and weakened by corrupt practices and false teachings. . . .
"The First Presidency has counseled, 'However worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely-appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform' (First Presidency letter, Feb. 11, 1999). . . .
"Relief Society should be organized, aligned, and mobilized to strengthen families and help our homes to be sacred sanctuaries from the world."
Topics: Relief Society, Family, Womanhood
Family Gems - 8 May 2009
Women Have a Great Influence for Good
"Too frequently, women underestimate their influence for good. Well could you follow the formula given by the Lord: 'Establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God' (D&C 88:119).
"In such a house will be found happy, smiling children who have been taught, by precept and example, the truth. In a Latter-day Saint home, children are not simply tolerated, but welcomed; not commanded, but encouraged; not driven, but guided; not neglected, but loved."
Topics: Womanhood
Church History Gems - 17 April 2009
Not Only Relieve Poor, but Save Souls
"From its beginning, the Relief Society has led out in charitable work. At the first meeting, President Emma Smith said, 'Each member should be ambitious to do good.' (Minutes of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo, 17 Mar. 1842, p. 13.) The minutes of those initial meetings are filled with accounts of how the sisters obtained work opportunities for the needy, took in the homeless, and made donations to help those in need of food, shelter, and schooling.
"A decade after the departure from Nauvoo, sisters trained in the principles of the Relief Society were still leading in efforts to provide for those in need. In a session of conference, President Brigham Young announced that the Saints in two handcart companies were stranded by early snows and suffering in the mountains of Wyoming. He called for immediate help to rescue them, and before they left the Tabernacle many sisters had begun to gather clothing to send to the Saints in the mountains. (See Kenneth W. Godfrey et al., Women's Voices: An Untold History of the Latter-day Saints, 1830-1900, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982, p. 269.)
"In the initial meetings of Relief Society the Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the society 'is not only to relieve the poor, but to save souls.' (Minutes, 9 June 1842, p. 63; History of the Church, 5:25.) A later First Presidency explained: 'One of the purposes of the organization of the Relief Society was that a system might be inaugurated by which study of religious subjects, or Church doctrine and government, might be pursued by women. The administration of charity under the direction of the Bishopric . . . was to be part of their active work. But this was not intended to absorb their activities to the exclusion of the development of faith, and the advancement of women in literary, social and domestic activities of life.' (James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-75, 5:217.)
" 'To save souls opens the whole field of human activity and development,' Elder John A. Widtsoe later declared. 'Relief of poverty, relief of illness; relief of doubt, relief of ignorance—relief of all that hinders the joy and progress of woman. What a magnificent commission!' (John A. Widtsoe, Evidences and Reconciliations, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1987, p. 308.)
"That commission included teaching. In a revelation given in 1830, the Lord told Emma Smith that the Prophet would authorize her 'to expound scriptures, and to exhort the church, according as it shall be given thee by my Spirit.' (D&C 25:7.) When she was later selected to lead the Relief Society, her prophet husband referred to this revelation that she would 'expound the scriptures to all' and 'teach the female part of the community.' He declared 'that not she alone, but others, may attain to the same blessings.' (Minutes, 17 Mar. 1842, p. 8.)"
Topics: Womanhood
Daily Gems - 24 March 2009
Women's Specific Assignments
"Just as the Savior invited Mary and Martha of New Testament times to participate in His work, women of this dispensation have an official commission to participate in the Lord's work. . . . The organization of Relief Society in 1842 mobilized the collective power of the women and their specific assignments to build the Lord's kingdom, just as the organization of priesthood quorums gave men specific responsibilities. . . .
"Through Relief Society, women have an official role in the Church with great responsibilities, 'including working in the temple and teaching the gospel' (Dallin H. Oaks, 'The Priesthood and the Auxiliaries,' Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, Jan. 10, 2004, 17). Further, Relief Society is to help women 'plant and make grow . . . a testimony of [Jesus] Christ and of the Gospel' (The First Presidency, 'Memorandum of Suggestions,' Mar. 29, 1940, 2), 'strengthen the family and the home' (Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, Jan. 10, 2004, 17), and 'attend to all family duties' (D&C 20:47)."
Topics: Duty, Womanhood, Relief Society
Family Gems - 23 March 2009
Families Should Strive for Exaltation
“With your companion, make it a family objective to all be together in the celestial kingdom. Strive to make your home a little bit of heaven on earth so that after this life is over, you may be able to say:
We are all here!
Father, mother, sister, brother,
All who hold each other dear.
Each chair is filled—
We’re all at home. . . .
We’re all—all here.
(Charles Sprague, The Writings of Charles Sprague, New York: Charles S. Francis, 1841, p. 73.)”
Topics: Womanhood
Young Single Adult Gems - 14 January 2009
To the Women of the Church
"I want to express my appreciation for the wonderful women of the Church. We love the women of our Church. We love them as deeply as our own wives, our mothers, our grandmothers, our sisters, and our friends. Someday, when the whole story of this and previous dispensations is told, it will be filled with courageous stories of our women, of their wisdom and their devotion, their courage."
Topics: Womanhood
Family Gems - 3 October 2008
Husbands Should Honor Their Wives
"As fathers we should have love unbounded for the mothers of our children. We should accord to them the gratitude, respect, and praise that they deserve. Husbands, to keep alive the spirit of romance in your marriage, be considerate and kind in the tender intimacies of your married life. Let your thoughts and actions inspire confidence and trust. Let your words be wholesome and your time together be uplifting. Let nothing in life take priority over your wife--neither work, recreation, nor hobby."
Topics: Womanhood
Family Gems - 15 September 2008
Women Have a Great Influence for Good
"Too frequently, women underestimate their influence for good. Well could you follow the formula given by the Lord: 'Establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God' (D&C 88:119).
"In such a house will be found happy, smiling children who have been taught, by precept and example, the truth. In a Latter-day Saint home, children are not simply tolerated, but welcomed; not commanded, but encouraged; not driven, but guided; not neglected, but loved."
Family Gems - 12 September 2008
Our Sisters Should be Honored
"We who bear the holy priesthood have a sacred duty to honor our sisters. We are old enough and wise enough to know that teasing is wrong. We respect sisters--not only in our immediate families but all the wonderful sisters in our lives. As daughters of God, their potential is divine. Without them, eternal life would be impossible. Our high regard for them should spring from our love of God and from an awareness of their lofty purpose in His great eternal plan."
Topics: Melchizedek Priesthood, Womanhood
Young Single Adult Gems - 16 July 2008
Women of God
"Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity."
Topics: Womanhood
Young Single Adult Gems - 14 July 2008
What Young Women Want Young Men to Know
"You young men must cultivate a considerate attitude toward women of all ages. The young women asked me to tell you that they want you to respect them and show them common, sincere courtesy. Do not hesitate to show your good manners by opening a door for them, taking the initiative in inviting them on a date, and standing as they enter a room. Believe it or not, in this age of equal rights, the young women want you to extend these simple courtesies."
Topics: Womanhood
Family Gems - 24 March 2008
Women Have a Great Influence for Good
"Too frequently, women underestimate their influence for good. Well could you follow the formula given by the Lord: 'Establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God' (D&C 88:119).
"In such a house will be found happy, smiling children who have been taught, by precept and example, the truth. In a Latter-day Saint home, children are not simply tolerated, but welcomed; not commanded, but encouraged; not driven, but guided; not neglected, but loved."
Family Gems - 21 March 2008
Good Women Are a Vital Influence to Young Men
"You young men need to know that you can hardly achieve your highest potential without the influence of good women, particularly your mother and, in a few years, a good wife. Learn now to show respect and gratitude. Remember that your mother is your mother. She should not need to issue orders. Her wish, her hope, her hint should provide direction that you would honor."
Topics: Womanhood
Daily Gems - 18 March 2008
Having a "Mother Heart"
"A woman with a mother heart has a testimony of the restored gospel, and she teaches the principles of the gospel without equivocation. She is keeping sacred covenants made in holy temples. Her talents and skills are shared unselfishly. She gains as much education as her circumstances will allow, improving her mind and spirit with the desire to teach what she learns to the generations who follow her."
Topics: Motherhood, Womanhood
Family Gems - 29 October 2007
The Influence of Righteous Women
“Do the best you can to help all of us reach higher and do better. Use your innate spiritual gifts to bless. Help us push back the pernicious influences of the world in our lives, our homes, and in the Church.”
Topics: Womanhood
Family Gems - 26 October 2007
The Divinity of Womanhood
"I wonder if you sisters fully understand the greatness of your gifts and talents and how all of you can achieve the 'highest place of honor' in the Church and in the world. One of your unique, precious, and sublime gifts is your femininity, with its natural grace, goodness, and divinity. Femininity is not just lipstick, stylish hairdos, and trendy clothes. It is the divine adornment of humanity. It finds expression in your qualities of your capacity to love, your spirituality, delicacy, radiance, sensitivity, creativity, charm, graciousness, gentleness, dignity, and quiet strength. It is manifest differently in each girl or woman, but each of you possesses it. Femininity is part of your inner beauty.
"One of your particular gifts is your feminine intuition. Do not limit yourselves. As you seek to know the will of our Heavenly Father in your life and become more spiritual, you will be far more attractive, even irresistible. You can use your smiling loveliness to bless those you love and all you meet, and spread great joy. Femininity is part of the God-given divinity within each of you. It is your incomparable power and influence to do good. You can, through your supernal gifts, bless the lives of children, women, and men. Be proud of your womanhood. Enhance it. Use it to serve others."
Topics: Womanhood
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