General Conference is coming around again. I am so excited! I love conference weekend and the opportunity to hear direction from the Lord's chosen servants; warning and guidance meant for me and my family, intended to help us combat the influences of the world that surround us daily. This year I am particularly excited because of the General Women's meeting that will be held the weekend before. This meeting is for all female members of the church, ages eight and above. And guess what! My youngest turns eight six days before, so I get to go with my two favorite girls, my two daughters. I am so grateful for this chance for them. I hope that they can feel the excitement of being members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at this exciting time, a time where the gospel is spreading more rapidly and into more parts of the earth. And I hope they can understand, their role, because, you know what, there are countless influences trying to confuse what that role is. From the time they first announced the change to the General women's meeting I felt instantly that it would be important. It will be a way of strengthening our women, from the time they are very young, against the onslaught that they will face.
And how do I know what will come? I know because I see glimpses and feel a taste of it almost every day. Women are often criticized for choosing to stay home with their children instead of working otuside the home. Women over time have been told they they need to be as smart and strong as and just like men if they want to accomplish anything. And the hardest part for me, is that there is a small, yet vocal, part of the membership in the church that feels women should hold the Priesthood, implying that women cannot possibly be full paticipants in the gospel unless they are ordained. We hear these things now, and they aren't just going to go away. We need to teach our women, young and old who they are, and what Heavenly Father expects of them.
All of this is hard for me, because I know in my heart, in my mind, and in my soul that I am a beloved daughter of my Heavenly Father. I know that He cherishes me and loves me. I know that He has given me guidance throughout my life. He has blessed me with a remarkable husband, and entrusted US with four of his special children to raise in our home and family here on the earth. I know that he has a mission for me to fulfill on this earth, and I know that it is only through His help that I can fulfill this mission. I know that I have not been ordained to the Priesthood, but I have felt the power of the Priesthood bless my life. Not only have I received Priesthood blessings from men I love and respect (I know that they spoke for my Heavenly Father, from whom those blessings came), but I have felt strength, guidance and protection come to me and my family even when no Priesthood blessing was given. This power is very real, and I know that is power came from God. This priesthood power is available to me because I made covenants (covenants made through the authority of the priesthood) and because I strive always to keep my covenants.
I know that my initial, inward reaction to those who want women to hold the priesthood is sometimes defensive, and I know I feel frustration. As I thought about things today I realized that one reason I have a hard time with women fighting for the Priesthood is that I feel like in their fight they are saying, "a woman who is content with the way things are must not really understand. She cannot really have an equal marriage if she does not have the priesthood. She cannot possibly make a difference in the church without the priesthood. The men she knows can't possibly respect her enough if she doesn't hold the priesthood."
But I do understand. I understand that the Lord has given men and women different, complementing roles as we work togther to raise our family and build His kingdom. I understand that Satan's plan is to attack the family, and I understand that he focuses much of his attention on attacking the roles of wives and mothers. I understand that the world we live in is hard, and scary and that so much is asked of us as wives and mothers.
I also understand that in a marriage sameness doesn't mean equality. My husband and I are different. I feel his love and respect for me as his wife and also as a daughter of our Heavenly Father. I know that he sees my talents and strengths and that he sees (even better than me sometimes) the influence for good I can have on those around me. He honors my roles of nurturer and homemaker, but is never ashamed of pitching in on the housekeeping chores. We discuss together any big (and many of the little) decisions that affect our family. We work together to hold Family Home Evening, family scripture study and family prayer. We discuss the needs of our children and how to address those needs, whether in these formal settings or, more laid back settings. He has always completely supported my service in various church callings, even though at times I was gone in the evenings, and he was home with the little ones. I truly am, and feel like his equal, in every sense. (and I am so grateful that he worthily holds the Priesthood, because it is a blessing and a strength in our home. He sets a wonderful example to our children of what a righteous Priesthood holder is and does. This will help our boys as they follow in his footsteps and our girls as they seek for their eternal companions.)
I also know that righteous women have always and will always have a huge impact on the church. Sometimes that is a sister reaching out to the children of a struggling family, helping them know they are missed when they aren't at Primary. Sometimes that is a well-prepared sister who teaches a lesson in Primary that invites the Spirit and allows a young man to strengthen his testimony. Sometimes it is a sister serving on a ward council who shares her concerns with other leaders and together they work to resolve the concern. It could be one of the many sister missionaries who are doing much good as they take the gospel all over the world. I have seen all of these happen as I have watched women around me serve. I have also been blessed with the opportunity to serve, and to, at times, feel like the Lord used me to bless and influence those around me.
And today I have thought a lot about the men around me, both at church and in my immediate and extended family. None of them are perfect, no one is, but my heart is so full of gratitude for countless righteous and worthy priesthood holders who have blessed and influenced me and my family. To say these man are puffed up, or set themselves above women, or feel they are better than anyone else because of a calling or position is COMPLETELY FALSE. They see their call to hold the priesthood as a call to service, as a call to do what the Lord has commanded and to lead others to do the same. They feel love and respect for those around them and a responsibility to watch over and care for God's children in their stewardship.
I am a mathematician and I love numbers and equations. Today I thought of (2+2)x3 and (60-12)/4. They are very different expressions, and use different numbers and mathematical operators, and yet, they are equal. Men and women have different God-given roles, and we each have individual talents and abilities, and yet we are all equally important, equally needed and equally loved by our Heavenly Father.
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