The Talk

Here is the talk that I have made nemerous references too. It was seriously hard to write - in that gut renching, character stretchnig testimony building kind of way. I have had a lot of people ask for copies and it seems like it was really needed by more than just myself so enjoy. References for the talks used are in a blog from a couple of weeks ago. If your curious.

In the premortal world the Lord came forth with a plan for the happiness and exaltation of his children. The proclamation on the family states “In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted his plan by which His Children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life.” The lord explained that “this was his work and his glory.” (Moses 1:39) Obviously Jesus Christ was the key and is the focal point of the plan for without him it would all be for nothing. However there are two pivotal aspects of the plan – 1) “that marriage between a man and a women is ordained of god and 2) that the family is central to the creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of his children.” Spencer W Kimball explained “The Lord organized the whole program in the beginning with a father who procreates, provides, and loves and directs, and a mother who conceives and bears and nurtures and feeds and trains. The Lord could have organized it otherwise but chose to have a unit with responsibility and purposeful associations where children train and discipline each other and come to love, honor, and appreciate each other. The family is the great plan of life as conceived and organized by our Father in heaven.” Richard G Scott warned “Beware of the subtle ways Satan employs to take you from the plan of God and true happiness. One of Satan’s most effective approaches is to demean the role of wife and mother in the home. This is an attack at the very heart of God’s plan…” In God’s perfect plan- and it is perfect- he gave different roles to men and women. Neither is of greater importance than the other they are equal, complimentary and necessary for the fulfillment of his plan. Julie B Beck stated “I have a testimony gained from pondering and studying the scriptures of a plan of happiness given to us by our father in heaven. That plan has a part for his daughters. We have the female half to take care of, and if we don’t do our part, no one else is going to do it for us. The half of our father’s plan that creates life, that nurtures souls, that promotes growth, that influences everything else was given to us.” How do we accomplish these tasks – through our divine roles as wives and mothers. “The first presidency has said: ‘Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind.” There are numerous aspects of motherhood. The world would have us focus on the mundane tasks that coincide with nurturing and promoting growth – the changing of diapers, cleaning house, and so forth but that is not what motherhood is. Patricia Holland explained that “Eve was given the identity of ‘the mother of all living’… before she ever bore a child. It would appear that her motherhood preceded her maternity, just as surely as the perfection of the garden preceded the struggles of mortality. I believe mother is one of those very carefully chosen words, one of those rich words- with meaning after meaning after meaning… I believe with all my heart that it is first and foremost a statement about our nature, not a head count of our children. Some women give birth and raise children but never ‘mother’ them. Others, whom I love with all my heart, ‘mother’ all their lives but have never given birth.” Sheri Dew taught further that “motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. It is the essence of who we are as women. It defines our very identity, our divine stature and nature, and the unique traits our father gave us.” As a mother we do more than any other person save Christ in bringing them unto salvation. It is with mother that a child learns about the world, the scriptures, the values, and gospel principles. The mother holds a bond with her child that is second to none that allows her far more influence that any other figure in their life – if she fulfills her duty! Every prophet has declared that where possible the mothers place is in the home not the workforce. It is the mother that should be with the child all day, present for the many teaching opportunities that come and ready to teach the principles that go with the questions and observations made daily. It is in these early years when children are like sponges soaking up not just your words but your example that the foundation of their eternal lives is foraged. You are vital in bringing our Fathers children back to his presence, in arming them against the adversary in this life and preparing them for fulfilling their divine roles as a man or women. “Elder Matthew Cowley taught that men have to have something given to them [in mortality] to make them saviors of men, but not mothers, not women. [They] are born with an inherent right, an inherent authority, to be the saviors of human souls… and the regenerating force in the lives of god’s children.” Mothering is simply doing as our Savior did on the earth teaching, comforting, loving, guiding, directing, healing, and helping brings souls unto to him. This isn’t just to actual mothers – we have all been mothered or have mothered many within our circle of influence. Sheri Dew stated “Every time we build the faith or reinforce the nobility of a young woman or man, every time we love or lead anyone even one small step along the path, we are true to our endowment and calling as mothers and in the process we build the kingdom of god.” Mothering is an extensive responsibly. Sister dew continues “As daughters of our heavenly father and as daughters of eve, we are all mothers and we have always been mothers. And we each have the responsibility to love and help lead the rising generation. How will our young women learn to live as women of god unless they see what women of god look like, meaning what we wear, watch, and read; how we fill our time and our minds; how we face temptation and uncertainty; where we find true joy; and why modesty and femininity are hallmarks of righteous women? How will our young men learn to value women of god if we don’t show them the virtue of our virtues?” Satan truly is staging a war on the roles of women – for being a wife and mother are our eternal roles. Why us? Sheri L Dew proclaimed “we are the lord’s secret weapon. Our influence comes from a divine endowment that has been in place from the beginning. In the premortal world, when our father described our role, I wonder if we didn’t stand in wide-eyed wonder that he would bless us with a scared trust so central to his plan and that he would endow us with gifts so vital to the loving and leading of his children. I wonder if we shouted for joy at least in part because of the ennobling stature he gave us in his kingdom. The world won’t tell you that but the spirit will.” The adversary would demean, discourage, and distract us in these roles, and to say that he isn’t making headway would be lying. I personally feel his influence daily as I fight to keep the eternal perspective necessary to do the will and work of the lord in order to fulfill my eternal role as a wife and mother. I am sure that every women has had those days when you feel like a tiny speck in the eternal scheme of things and more so in this overbearing world. I value the encouragement given by Richard G. Scott when he said “I humbly thank our father in heaven for his daughters, you who were willing to come to earth to live under such uncertain circumstances. Most men could not handle the uncertainties you are asked to live with. Social customs require that you wait to be asked for marriage. You are expected to go with your husband wherever his employment or call takes him. Your environment and neighborhood are determined by his ability to provide, meager or not. You place your life in the lord’s hands each time you bear a child. Men make no such sacrifice. The blessing of nurturing children and caring for a husband often is intermingled with many routine tasks. But you do all of these things willingly because you are a women. Generally you have no idea of how truly wonderful and capable you are , how very much appreciated and loved you are, or how desperately you are needed, for most men don’t tell you as completely and as often as needed.” Sheri dew explained “I have wrestled with what the doctrine of motherhood means for all of us. This issue has driven me to my knees, to the scriptures, and to the temple- all of which teach an ennobling doctrine regarding our most crucial role as women. It is a doctrine about which we must be clear if we hope to stand “steadfast and immovable” regarding the issues that swirl around our gender. For Satan has declared war on motherhood. He knows that those who rock the cradle can rock his earthly empire. And he knows that without righteous mothers loving and leading the next generation, the kingdom of god will fail.” An understanding of the divine nature and roles of women impact every aspect of our lives and eternal progression. I would like to highlight a few areas that are of great import in relation to this role. ► For years the leaders of the church have warned repeatedly of immodesty and pornography. They may seem unrelated but they are not. A man who indulges in pornography and a woman that wears immodest clothing both profane the sacred vessels of the lord. Both are difficult habits to break. A man who participates in pornography injuries his wife or future wife. This damages the relationship that has been ordained of god, the ability of his daughters, the women that you love with all your hearts, to see themselves as god sees them, it inhibits them from being able to function properly in their divine roles. You put a ceiling are the influence for good they can be your life and undermine all they do with a pervasive fear and lack of confidence. It is not just a canker to the man but also his wife or future wife. Your actions tell her you do not value her as a wife and mother, and that in essence what Satan tries to tell her about herself everyday is correct – she’s not good enough as a wife, a mother, a person. Would you tell her that or your daughters? ► Women modesty isn’t just about covering the gift of our mortal bodies or temples, but about caring for the sacred vessels of the lord, that do his greatest work here on the earth. How do we expect men to treat us with the dignity and respect god would have them if we dress in a manner that commands neither? How can we look at ourselves as beloved daughters of god that have a vital role to perform in the plan of happiness when our clothing displays ever roll, imperfection and fuels the adversary’s mission to distort our view of ourselves? A distorted view is extremely damaging to our ability to perform his work. Obviously eating disorders came from this but disordered eating, low self-esteem and an obsession that draws us from the work of the lord all distract us from the heavenly role bestowed upon us. A wife and mother is not a good one that spends her time on the treadmill, teaches her daughters that a size smaller is of great worth, and is undermined by her own ability to see the potential within her by her misplaced sense of worth. Girls you are a of worth and your body is a sacred temple not just because it is a gift from the father, or because you are created in his image, but because you are his greatest tool in bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of his children and he trusts them to us. There is no greater calling!► In this recent general conference numerous references were made to the general lacking dating among young singles. This is not in accordance with the will of the Lord, for marriage is ordained of god as the means for establishing families that are central to his plan. In refusing to date you deny women the opportunity to progress in their divine roles. I have heard many complain of the strong desire to marry among the women of the church; it is born of the spirit. That is how the lord would have. A woman with a desire to marry is one who like Eve understands her role and should be sought after for a righteous woman is one who seeks to fulfill and magnify her role of bringing souls unto the Father. Young women seek after this desire for it is only in fulfilling these roles that you will find joy. A career is great and being prepared for one is vital for women. But it is far greater to prepare to fulfill our roles as wife and mother and this should begin in the home now. Women this is your responsibility, with your own children and those whose mothers can’t or won’t teach them. We are to nurture the next generation for their eternal calling.I would encourage you all as President Spencer W Kimball did years ago that “as you ponder your place in the eternal scheme of things… all of you need to drink in deeply the gospel truths about the eternal nature of your individual identity and the uniqueness of your personality [and I would add that of the women in your lives]. You are in need, more and more, to feel the perfect love which our father in heaven has for you and to sense the value he places upon you as an individual. Ponder these great truths in those moments when (in the stillness of such anxiety as you may experience as an individual) you might otherwise wonder and be perplexed.” I am just beginning to glimpse how vitally important the roles of women are and the forces that are raging against us. I can’t put into words the impact that we have in the Father’s plan for his children. I testify to you as did Gordon B Hinckley and I quote “Without you the plan could not function. Without you the entire program would be frustrated. As I have said before from this pulpit, when the process of creation occurred, Jehovah, the Creator, under instruction from his father, first divided light from the darkness and then separated the land from the waters. There followed the creation of plant life, followed by the creation of animal life. Then came the creation of man, and culminating that act of divinity came the crowning act, the creation of women. Each of you is a daughter of god, endowed with a divine birthright. You need no defense of that position” In the Doctrine and Covenants section 132 verse 63 we read in regard to the roles of women “For they are given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth, according to my commandment, and to fulfill the promise which was given by my father before the foundation of the world, and for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men; for herein is the work of my father continued that he may be glorified.” There is only one way for His spirit children to progress onto eternal life and that is through us as women fulfilling our divine role, through our mothering in the highest sense of the word all in our sphere of influence. We are not mere speck, but a giant force that is shaping the eternities, one child, one spouse, and one soul at a time, but like a snow ball that child, spouse, or soul will pick up speed and become its own force in building the kingdom of god, to send it rolling forth over the earth and into the eternities.