The Women in my Life

Each mother's day, I can't help thinking of the many amazing women I know whose hearts break on this holiday because they haven't yet received the opportunity to be a mother - and so, I want to express gratitude for ALL the women in my life this day.


I'm grateful for my mom who taught me to laugh, to serve, to worship, and to trust in God when all else fails. She makes each day magical. She has been there for me on all my darkest days. She is my hero, and I hope that some day when I grow up, I can be like her.


I am grateful for my grandmothers who have taught me to sew, to cook, to clean, to work hard, and to appreciate my family history. Both of my grandmothers are beautiful, strong women who have always been great examples to me.


I am grateful for my aunts who taught me how to take care of babies, to have fun, and to enjoy life as it comes. I don't know any of them very well, but I am grateful that they saw the beauty in me even during my awkward years, and have always shown me love and support. I look forward to the opportunity to get to know them better some day.


I am grateful for family friends and church leaders who have taken care of me over the years. They have been like mothers to me, encouraging me in my dreams, teaching me their talents, always taking the time to listen to me and give advice. I feel blessed to have been guided through life by such angelic servants of God. Your testimonies and Christlike love have made me into the person I am today. Thank you for listening to the Spirit and being there for me whenever I needed a helping hand.


I am grateful for sisters-in-law who have welcomed me into the family with open arms. They have not hesitated to love me and help with our wedding. It is a blessing to know that my children will grow up in a family with aunts and cousins who will always love and encourage them.


I am grateful for my sweet mother-in-law who has loved me without restraint and stood up to help me before I even knew I had needs. I am grateful that she raised such an amazing son to be my eternal companion and that she has accepted me as her own daughter. I could not ask for a better mother-in-law.


Thank you to each of you women who have shaped my life. I believe that it truly takes a village to raise a child, and I was blessed to be placed in a wonderful village. Don't forget that your little kindnesses, testimonies, and acts of service really do mean a lot - they have changed my life for the better. I echo Elder Cook's sentiments - you women are incredible!


Have a wonderful Mother's Day.

Women are Heroes.

Have you ever heard of French street artist JR? I hadn't until Tuesday. He is fantastic. 


My friend Christine just wrote a post that explains him very well. Basically, he didn't like how the news portrayed women as uncontrollable emotional wrecks, so he set out to photograph them himself and show who they really are. 

The result is powerful and stunning. 

Way to go, JR. I'm a fan.

Jesús De La Helguera is not my favorite artist, to say the least.

For the last day of our Northern Mesoamerican Art class (that's ancient Mexico, if you didn't know) on Tuesday, we looked at some modern Mexican depictions of the Aztecs. The most popular at the artists whose work we looked at was Jesús De La Helguera. As we viewed some of his paintings (shown below), the girl behind me whispered, "ooh, I like these! These are nice." I was disgusted at the objectification of women in these images and at the fact that members of my own sex were so used to seeing women in this light that they had been desensitized to it.

Jesús De La Helguera, "Legend of the Volcano"

Jesús De La Helguera, "Flor de Luna" In my opinion, the very worst one!

Jesús De La Helguera, "La Malinche"

Jesús De La Helguera, "El Flechador"

Jesús De La Helguera, "Grandeza Azteca"

And almost all of his paintings depict women in this way - helpless, flimsy, overly sexual creatures whose only purpose is to please the super-buff men they are attached to. This is not what women are; this is not what God made us to me.

Then the Professor showed us a Minerva Teichert painting similar to the one below:

Minerva Teichert, "Christ Blessing The Children At The Bountiful"

...and the girl behind me groaned in disgust. "Ugh, I hate Minerva Teichert!"

Some consider Minerva Teichert to be over-hyped, but I love her depictions of noble, virtuous, Godly women.

Minerva Teichert, "Esther."A copy of this hangs in the women'sdressing room at the San Diego Temple.

Minerva Teichert, "Mary and Martha"

These are the women I look up to - not the fantasized women Jesús De La Helguera paints.

Another reason why I don't like Helguera's art is because of his unrealistic body types. My first impression on seeing his paintings was, "Am I supposed to be that thin? Wow, I feel so fat!" On closer observation, I realized that his female figures are unnaturally, unhealthily skinny.Why is our culture so obsessed with equating beauty and thinness with worth?

Women, your worth is not based on your appearance. You have worth merely because you are a daughter of God. You have power and influence for good not by being a sex symbol, but by following Jesus Christ and using your gifts to bless those around you. You are so much more than a pretty face. 

I believe that actions speak louder than words - and images. My hope is that as we live virtuous lives, we can show people that true beauty comes from having character, and the true messages of the Gospel can drown out the false messages of a visual culture that objectifies women.

"True beauty can’t be painted on but is a gift of the Spirit. It is literally letting your light shine before men. When virtue is combined with obedience to the Lord’s laws of health and respect for the human body, young people truly become temples in which the Holy Ghost dwells, giving them a beautiful aura. It is this beauty that is most becoming and enduring." 

-Lynn G. Robbins, "True Beauty"

French Fashion, Feminism, the Priesthood, and my Opinions on All

Today in my Women in French Art and Culture class, we talked about designer Jeanne Lanvin. I just love her feminine, whimsical dresses and especially her mother-daughter ensembles. Don't you?

The artist herself.

My professor credited Lanvin for the invention of the rosettes we pin in our hair and on our dresses. Can you see why?

Check out these mother-daughter images - I think they're so sweet. I love how she often she represents women as mothers and her insistence that motherhood and fashion can go together.

 

Watch out for the scary cat!

For the same class, we were assigned to read the last chapter of Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex, arguably the most important piece of feminist literature in the Western World. Reading Feminist theory is difficult for me; the mixing of truths, untruths, negativity, and general hatred towards men turns my brain to jelly. I do not enjoy the debasement of men any more than I enjoy the debasement of my own sex. Somewhere in that chapter, Beauvoir wrote, 

"We have seen that it is possible to avoid the temptations of sadism and masochism when the two partners recognize each other as equals; if both the man and the woman have a little modesty and some generosity, ideas of victory and defeat are abolished; the act of love becomes a free exchange" (692).

If men and women are to be "equal partners," as the Proclamation on the Family suggests, both men and women need to see each other as such. Men do not only need to honor and respect women, but women need to do the same for men. Man-hating, backbiting, criticizing, and proclaiming that one "doesn't need a man" can have not a place in our lives if we are striving to end sexism and work together as one. 

Some in the Church claim that only men hold the Priesthood because they are inherently less virtuous or righteous than women. I find this argument degrading, depressing, and out of line with the loving nature of our Heavenly Father. 

I believe that the Priesthood is not just a power but a responsibility and an opportunity to serve as Christ did, and thus become like Him. I believe that motherhood/womanhood are the same things - opportunities to serve as Christ did and become like Him. These offices involve different skills and different assignments, but their purpose and their promised blessings are just the same. 

As a mother, a woman gives life to a physical body and maintains it through daily care. She teaches, encourages, uplifts, comforts, counsels, and bears testimony. She serves the needy, cares for the sick, and clothes the naked. Most importantly, she leads her flock to make covenants with the Lord through sacred ordinances. Through this service, she finds joy, fulfillment, and exaltation.

As a Priesthood holder, a man gives life to a spiritual body and maintains it through daily care. He teaches, encourages, uplifts, comforts, counsels, and bears testimony. He serves the needy, cares for the sick, and clothes the naked. Most importantly, he leads his flock to make covenants with the Lord through sacred ordinances. Through this service, he finds joy, fulfillment, and exaltation. 

Both men's and women's are important, Holy, and necessary for our salvation. Why should one sex and their foreordained role be heralded as better than the other? Every single one of us needs the blessings we receive from women and men. 

Michèle Le Dœuff wrote that, "a feminist is a woman who does not allow anyone to think in her place," and I try to live up to this definition. I also believe that a feminist should be someone who understands the pain of injustice and does not wish that pain upon anyone else. Therefore, a feminist should not belittle men, but honor them in righteousness and work with them to create a better, happier world.

Recapturing Beauty Day 2: God's Definition of Beauty

Tuesday's challenge was to research God's definition of beauty and read Elder Lynn G. Robbins' talk "True Beauty." He discussed how true, radiant beauty does not come from our appearance but from our hearts. It comes through living the Gospel, being cleansed by the Atonement of Christ, and growing closer to the Lord. And the people that do that have a loveliness that cannot be imitated, a light that cannot be hid. 


There are some women who seem to be beautiful, who seem to be perfectly skinny and have all the expensive fashions, and sometimes I wish I looked like them. But when I think of the beautiful women in my life, these are not the faces I picture. The most beautiful women in my life are my heroes and role models, the women who exemplify Christ and are an example to me


Some of the most beautiful women in my life are my mother who teaches me about the Savior through her testimony and her example, and whose love is so powerful that I feel it even 704 miles away; my best friend's mother Diane who is one of the most selfless, stalwart people I know; my roommate Courtney who is so full of joy and love that it rubs off on everyone she meets; my sister who has great big dreams to change the world and a bright faith in the God who will lead her there; my friend Nicole who has faced incredible challenges but continues to push forward with a faith and courage that leaves me in awe; my dance teacher who sees the best in each of us and teaches us to be artists and dance with the Spirit; the many women in my home ward and stake who embrace their roles as mothers and nurturers, building up the Kingdom of God in their own unique way; and leaders in the Church such as Emma Smith, Marjorie Pay Hinckley,  Elaine S. Dalton, and Julie B. Beck. These are the women who are truly beautiful to the Lord. These are the women who I want to be like. 


In a world that shouts so many contradictory messages at us, I am deeply grateful for the knowledge that my Heavenly Father loves me perfectly and thinks I am beautiful just the way I am. 


"True beauty can’t be painted on but is a gift of the Spirit. It is literally letting your light shine before men. When virtue is combined with obedience to the Lord’s laws of health and respect for the human body, young people truly become temples in which the Holy Ghost dwells, giving them a beautiful aura. It is this beauty that is most becoming and enduring." 

-Lynn G. Robbins, "True Beauty"

Staying Balanced in a Turbulent World

Image found here.

I have a friend who is an amazing woman. At her best, she is full of testimony and conviction, radiant with the love of Christ, and a joy to be with. Being with her makes me want to be a better person. But in recent years, she has changed. She has become busy with work and school and research and volunteering and many good things. She has great desires to serve and do amazing things in this world, but in pursuing that she has lost the light and joy in her eyes. She is tired and burdened. She is not happy. 


I miss the girl she used to be, her happy self, her best self, her true self. She has grown so busy with preparing to serve in the future that she has no energy left to serve right now, much less enjoy it. Maybe if she knew how her simple joy and goodness has blessed me, she would de-clutter her life and try to remember the girl she used to be. Oh, how I wish she would. 


Anne Morrow Lindbergh wrote:


Woman today is still searching. We are aware of our hunger and needs, but still ignorant of what will satisfy them. With our garnered free time, we are more apt to drain our creative springs than to refill them. With our pitchers, we attempt sometimes to water a field, not a garden. We throw ourselves indiscriminantly into committees and causes. Not knowing how to feed the spirit, we try to muffle its demands in distractions. Instead of stilling the center, the axis of the wheels, we add more centrifugal activities to our lives - which tend to throw us off balance. Mechanically we have gained, in the last generation, but spiritually we have, I think, unwittingly lost.


Fortunately, the Gospel of Jesus Christ provides the answer. When we make time to have a relationship with God and choose to make Him the center of our lives, the wheel slows down. We have peace in our souls and a greater capacity to serve. Our needs are satisfied. 


This week has been so busy as I've tried to balance tests, papers, my social life, my spirituality, and that lovely little thing called sleep. There have been times when I have been tempted to skip my prayers or daily scripture study, but each time I have chosen to put my relationship with Heavenly Father first, I have been blessed. I have been more productive, more peaceful, and more joyful. I have learned that I must make God my first priority if I want to accomplish good things and be happy while I'm doing it. 


If you find yourself feeling discouraged, overwhelmed, depressed, burdened, or unhappy, ask yourself these questions:
*Have I talked to my Heavenly Father today?
*Have I read the scriptures today?
*How is my spiritual standing? What can I do to improve it?


I find that whenever I feel sad or overwhelmed, it is because I have forgotten to make God my first priority. It is impossible to be truly happy when He is not first in our lives. But here is the remarkable thing - as soon as I ask forgiveness for my carelessness and strive to improve my spirituality, my heart is filled with peace and joy. I can feel God's forgiveness and love for me. 


Our Heavenly Father desires so earnestly for us to come unto Him. He can make your life amazingly joyful if you will just let Him into your life. 

The Messy Version.

Hillary was my best friend during my teenage years. We met in Christian Youth Theater when I was 12 and she was 13, and we spent the next 6 years doing all kinds of musicals together. We were very much alike; we were both oldest sisters, both liked the same music, both were casted in similar roles, we even had the same hair color and style. "You are just like Hillary," my mom once remarked, "but the messy version."

It was true, one of our few differences was my messiness. Her hair always stayed perfectly in place while mine easily fell limp and stuck up in every direction. Her make-up always stayed nice, while mine always smeared and wore off. (Fortunately she is a whiz at stage make-up, so she was always there to fix it for me.) She always looked so put together while many times I looked like a train wreck. Even her speech and relationships seemed pretty perfect. Sometimes I say things without thinking, but Hillary has always been the epitome of grace and poise.

I didn't mind my mom's comment so much. I acknowledged my messiness and knew that it was part of who I was. But every once in a while I wish I was more like Hillary and less like myself. I see other beautiful people and wonder why my hair looks funny and my clothes get ripped and my mouth says dumb things. Sometimes I long to be flawless. 

When these doubts and self-abusive thoughts come into my mind, I think of my blessings. I have incredible family and friends who don't mind my messiness. They love me for (and in spite of) myself. It is an honor and a blessing to associate with you Christlike people. I learn so much from your examples and testimonies, and you inspire me to be a little bit better every day. Thank you for loving me and teaching me by the way you live your lives.

Heavenly Father could have created me as a less messy person, but for some reason He didn't. He loves me despite my messiness and my shortcomings. Yes, I have weaknesses, but the Lord doesn't let them define me. He knows my strengths, and He knows my heart. He knows that I long to do good. I may not be perfect, but He loves me, and my best is good enough for Him. What a comfort it is to know that!

Sometimes I forget the simple fact that God loves me. I get so caught up in trying to be perfect that I think I have to earn my Heavenly Father's love and do everything on my own. When I finally slow down long enough to listen to the Lord's still, small voice, the message is always the same: "I know you. I love you. I am pleased with you. You are enough. Rely on me." 

Jesus had some messiness in His life too, messiness that left Him with a scarred and imperfect body. He chooses to keep those imperfections as a reminder of what He endured that enables us to transcend our messiness and become perfect, glorified beings.

 "Graven Upon My Palms", Emily Pugmire

I guess my messiness and imperfections make it possible for the glory of God to be manifest in me. In the end, my weaknesses help me learn to rely on the Atonement of Christ and can be a testimony to others of the power of the Atonement. 


And that is quite the reason to be grateful for the messy version. 

General Conference

Photo by Doug Merrill.

Today I've been watching General Conference. And it has been beautiful.

We went up to beautiful Temple Square and watched the morning session in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, the afternoon session in the Conference Center.

The addresses were uplifting, inspirational, hopeful, and timely. But the Spirit they brought was even better. I was overwhelmed with hope, joy, peace, trust in the Lord, and most of all, a reassurance of God's love for me.

I wept when I saw the statue of John Rowe Moyle and another statue of Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration. I wept as I listened to Sister Beck's talk on the nature and responsibilities of womanhood. I wept as Elder Wilford W. Andersen addressed depression and reminded us that "hope, happiness and joy are not products of circumstance but of faith in the Savior." I wept as I realized how much my Redeemer has changed me over the last 6 months. And I wept again when the Spirit revealed changes I needed to make, complemented with the assurance that, as Elder Richard G. Scott said, "when the call comes, the ability follows."

I wept a lot.

I am continually amazed at how the Lord stretches me, shapes me and refines me. I am in awe at how He has been able to transform my soul. I still have so much I can improve on, but I know that my God will help me with that. He has helped me through everything else, and I know that He will not abandon me now.

I am also amazed to learn about God's plans for my life. In these last few months, He has taught me so much about the work He specifically wants me to do. He has helped me to see my role in His plan, to cherish it and to better appreciate the role that others play in the plan. Roles that I could not play, but that I rely on all the same.

I am amazed at the power of the Atonement. Because Jesus Christ lived, paid the great Atoning sacrifice, died, and was resurrected, we each have the opportunity to receive a fullness of joy. We will live again in perfected bodies. We can be forgiven for our sins. We can receive divine help and guidance. We can learn to love and forgive as Christ did. Our pain can be healed. We can have a personal relationship with Heavenly Father and learn His plan of each of us individually. We can have joy and peace in this life, no matter what the circumstances. We can return to live with God again. We can have families that will last forever. We can grow and progress through all eternity.

I know that Jesus Christ lives. He is the reason why I rejoice.

Who I was Born to Be

Me, about 1996

I've always been different from my peers.

As a child I had many of the same personality traits that I have now. I have a unique gift to not care much about what others think of me. I am my own person and don't struggle with peer pressure. And while that is such a protection, such a blessing, it has left me alone rather often.

My mom says that I've always gotten along better with people younger than me or older than me; there was just too much competition in my peer group. Even today some of my closest friends are older or younger than me.

I am a perfectionist, especially when it comes to inter-personal relationships. I doubt myself a lot. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed by my expectations of perfection that I can't even begin. I like chocolate milk too much and vegetables too little. I like to read in voracious chunks - I'll read an entire book in one Friday afternoon and go for a month before I seriously read another one. I have a strong aversion to confrontation. I need a lot of alone time. I'm not good at hiding my feelings, so when someone annoys me they, unfortunately, find out about it.
I hunger for eternity.
While other fourth graders read "Baby-sitter's club" or "Goosebumps" books, I was reading "Little Women" (which has been my favorite book ever since). In high school others were content with running around and having fun, but I longed to go to BYU. I knew that none of my friendships there would be very deep or lasting. I wanted friends who would really understand me, who would help me grow, who would be my friends forever. And even now, as I enjoy the wonderful spiritual and social environment of BYU, part of me longs for the future when I will be a mother and a wife. There have been times when my roommates are hanging out with people in the ward and I stay at home, talking to my mom on the phone or reading Segullah or doingFamilySearch Indexing. I anxiously look forward to the end of April when I will fly home to be with my family, be a pseudo-mom again, put on tea parties for little girls in the world, and hopefully be an EFY counselor (I'm still waiting to hear back).
And I'm not good at worldly things.
I was listening to a devotional talk the other day and this story hit a special place in my heart. It as an experience that happened to Elder Holland's daughter, Mary, when she was 7 years old. These are the words from her journal at the time.

I was practicing the piano one day, and it made me cry because it was so bad. Then I decided to practice ballet, and it made me cry more; it was bad, too. So then I decided to draw a picture because I knew I could do that good, but it was horrid. Of course it made me cry.

Then my little three-year-old brother came up, and I said, 'Duffy, what can I be? What can I be? I can't be a piano player or an artist or a ballet girl. What can I be?' He came up to me and whispered, 'You can be my sister.'

Me and my sister, about 1994

Friday was one of those "what can I be?" days. It was just another day at school, but it seemed like everything I did was a failure. It all culminated in clogging, my last class of the day. We were finishing up a combination that I had been struggling with. The teacher introduced some new steps that just put me over the edge. Everyone else seemed to get it just fine. I had asked my classmates for help, but each time they seemed annoyed that I couldn't pick it up. They would rush through the step and I would pretend that I understood it to avoid annoying them further.

I wearily climbed up the stairs from the Richards Building, trying to ignore my sweatiness and the tears of frustration welling in my eyes. Why couldn't I do anything well? Why couldn't people be more patient with me? Was there anything I could do well? In essence, what could I be?

Then one of my favorite scriptures popped into my mind.

"Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days. And in temporal labors thou shalt not have strength,for this is not thy calling. Attend to thy calling and thou shalt have wherewith to magnify thine office." -D&C 24:8-9

Temporal labors. Was that what I had been seeking after? My desires to do well in school, my social life, dancing, singing - these were all temporal. They weren't lasting. In the eternal perspective - in God's perspective - they didn't really matter.

The Lord has taught that He GIVES us weaknesses to keep us humble, to teach us that He is the only source of lasting strength (see Ether 12:27). He could have created me to be gifted in "temporal labors," but He did not. And He did it for a reason.

I think one of those reasons is addressed in Ether 12:27; my weaknesses keep me humble and keep me coming back to the Lord for help. But that verse also promises that God can make weak things become strong unto those who seek them. That has happened for me in many areas (my testimony, social skills, ability to love, optimism, and self-confidence) but not the areas I have listed above. God could make be an impressive dancer, singer, and/or scholar. But He doesn't want to.

When I ask Him why, the answer is always the same. "For this is not thy calling."

So then, what is my calling? What areas do I have strength in?

I like to think I am pretty good at writing. My mother always tells me so. And that fact that you are reading this seems to be proof that I'm not horrible. I've gotten positive comments on the blog posts I've written and the quotes I post on my facebook. It is a small thing, but through it the Lord has been able to uplift and strengthen others.

I'm not bad at singing. At BYU my gift doesn't help much, but when I go home my voice is needed more. It is so fun to sing in my home ward's choir and feel that my voice is actually a benefit to them. And of course, my favorite way to sing is to testify of Jesus Christ.

I've gotten better at meeting new people and making them feel comfortable. I'm good at making new friendships and maintaining the old ones.

I have a special love for youth and children. I love spending time with them, talking to them, and caring for them. I want to teach them about Christ so they can be their best selves, so they can reach their full potential. That's another gift -I have a strong testimony of the gospel. I know that God lives. I know that He loves me and blesses me and guides my life. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior, the Son of God. I know that His Atonement is real and has the power to heal, to transform, to make ugly things beautiful once more.

So what is my calling? To testify of Christ. To love my brothers and sisters and teach them about the Savior, who will ultimately bring them back home to Heavenly Father. To be a wife and a mother that will base my family on the gospel of Jesus Christ. To raise children unto the Lord. I will testify with words when its necessary, but mostly in being a window to the love of Christ. When people think of me, I want them to think of the love the Savior has for them. I want to be a living manifestation of that love. I want everything in my life to point to Christ, to testify of Him, to glorify Him, to accomplish His work and glory - "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (see Moses 1:39).

And when I remember that great work the Lord has given me the ability and desire to do, suddenly nothing else matters. I don't want to be a clogger anymore - I want to be a disciple.

I was pondering all of these things yesterday, still feeling a little sad and trying to remind myself of all of my blessings. I was battling another round of negative thoughts about myself when the Spirit whispered, "You are not filling the measure of your creation here; you are preparing for it."

At this point in my life I am not able to be a wife or a mother or teach youth about the Savior. But I am able to serve those around me and share my testimony with them. But mostly I can prepare to fulfill my life's mission. Study the gospel. Strengthen my testimony. Get even closer to the Lord. Get ready for those years when I will be required to give a tremendous output.

Christ had to pass through Gethsemane to become who He was born to be; Am I greater than He? No, and I must pass through my own Gethsemane to become who God wants me to be.

And I am willing to pay the price because I know that He will make some better than I could ever imagine.

And that He will help me through every step of the journey.

And though I may not

Know the answers

I can finally say I am free

And if the questions

Led me here,

Then I am who I was born to be.

-Susan Boyle

This is what I was born to be.

Photo by Michelle L.

"It's a good thing a feminist didn't overhear you"

"I read this thing the other day that was SO unfair," one of the girls in my dance class griped earlier this afternoon as we were changing into our street clothes after class. "It said that guys' blood has more red blood cells, which means that they get more oxygen to their body when they excercise, which gives them more stamina when they play sports. How unfair is that?"

Being the Pollyanna that I am, I replied, "Well, maybe Heavenly Father made us [meaning women] that way so that we wouldn't get super good at sports so we would stay home and be good mothers."

Someone chuckled, and I noticed some girls I didn't know giving me funny looks. "It's a good thing a feminist didn't overhear you," another friend remarked, trying to cover up the awkward aftermath of my statement. The conversation continued but in my mind that line kept playing over and over again.

The definition of feminism is "the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men." I believe in that. Men and women are equal in their worth and importance. But I also believe that men and women have different gifts and different responsibilties from the Lord.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World states, "Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners."

I believe that raising a child to the Lord is the most I could ever ask from life, the greatest calling a woman can have. Careers, positions and posessions all fade, but souls last forever. God gives us the opportunity to shape lives, to participate in creating something that will last through the eternities. Nothing else is as important. Nothing else is as demanding. Nothing else is as rewarding. Nothing else can compare.

Brethren and sisters, material possessions and honors of the world do not endure. But your union as wife, husband, and family can. The only duration of family life that satisfies the loftiest longings of the human soul is forever....Our family is the focus of our greatest work and joy in this life; so will it be throughout all eternity. -Russell M. Nelson

It is so tremendously important that the women of this Church stand strong and immovable for that which is correct and proper under the plan of the Lord. They must begin in their own homes. They can teach it in their own classes. They can voice it in their communities. They must be the teachers and the guardians of their daughters. When you save a girl, you save generations. I see this as the one bright shining hope in a world that is marching toward moral self-destruction. -Gordon B. Hinckley

I think there is a misunderstanding of feminism in the world and in the Church. The essence of feminism to to celebrate the strength and beauty of women, But I think that purpose is forgotten when some seek for equal rights in trying to make women just like men.

But that is not what God made us to be! He made us differently so we could complement one another. Instead of trying to become so much like men, I believe that we should celebrate the beautiful, divine attributes that God has given us as women - and use them to do the work He has called us to do.

So maybe I should have responded to that classmate, "No, I am a feminist. I believe that women are strong, capable and important, but I also believe that the greatest thing we can do is use our capabilities to raise a family in righteousness to the Lord."

Because really, what could be better than this?

Photo by Sheena Jibson.