Gender Is an Essential Characteristic of Eternal Identity and Purpose

We are beloved spirit daughters of heavenly parents! As such we each have a divine nature and destiny. (Proclamation to the World.) Our gender to large measure defines who we are and our role in this life. Sisters are different, unique and distinctive. (Elder David A. Bednar) We shouted for joy at the creation of earth because we knew we would have the opportunity to have a body! Our goal to work side by side with righteous men to accomplish eternal goals to please our Heavenly Parents. These goals can not be attained independently, but require both male and female. Our female roles did not begin in this life and will not end in this life. (Julie B. Beck)

In high school (1967) there was some debate about not our origin but our gender before this life. Many thought we made the choice. Others thought female now.... always a female. Clearly based on Sister Beck's inspired words we were female in the preexistence and happy to be so! We had much to learn there and here. The female role is essential to the foundations of the world and God's kingdom. It is not always easy, but we can find much joy in womanhood.

These thoughts made me think about what are our goals? To be a good wife? A good mother? A good friend? To be kind? To be thoughtful? Margret D. Nadauld stated, " Women of God can never be like women of the world." But, as I used trudged off to work each day, leaving my home duties behind, was I woman of God or a woman of the world? How can insure I am always a Woman of God? Again from Sister Nadauld, "...we need women who are tender.... we need women who are kind.... we need women of faith. " These are all attributes of Jesus.

This is our challenge to take upon ourselves Christlike attributes. First we need to identify those attributes. Christ was kind, caring, sensitive, He kept his promises, He loved His neighbor, He had a core belief in righteous justice, He healed the sick and sorrowful with his words and deeds, He listened to the pains and sorrows of others, His actions always supported His beliefs.... There are surely more! All of these Godly qualities are doable even for someone as imperfect as I. As we pray to develop and prefect Christlike attributes we become more like Him and truly become Women of God. This is our divine nature and goal.

So be kind, be tender and have faith, listen, keep promises.... It sounds so easy. The challenge: be consistent!

My Girls

I have three girls - sisters.

One is a red headed beauty with light brown eyes with a spark and sparkle about her- Janene. She is self determined and goes after what she wants with determination and purpose.

My second daughter is a dark haired beauty who is reflective and introspective - Amanda. She approached life with caution, carefully thinking and over thinking everything. She analyzing everything all the time.

My third daughter has light brown hair and light brown eyes. She is beautiful! She takes in everything going on around her... quietly - Heather. She is just plain sweet and caring taking in stray cats and to an extent people.

They are all so different.

Years ago I had a picture of my daughters on my desk at work.

I had so many people ask, "Are these your daughters?"

I would reply with pride, "Yes."

They would then ask, "Do they have the same father?"

Again I would reply, "Yes."

"But they are all so different!"

"Yes, all the same father. Aren't they beautiful in their own way! All the same and yet so different and all mine!" and then quietly to myself I would think how much I love them each and marvel at their differences.

As Heavenly Father watches all of his daughters do you think His thoughts are, "They are all so different, so beautiful and all mine!" Does he celebrate and smile with pleasure at our differences knowing we belong to Him?

As you visit your sisters remember Heavenly Father thinks they are the most beautiful wonderful daughter even if they are so different. And He's probably thinking the same thing about you! We are all just a little different, but we all have the same Father! Celebrate the differences - go VISITING TEACHING, go see your sister!

September - The Gospel of Jesus Christ Teaches the Eternal Potential of the Children of God

Russell M. Ballard shares our riches reward will come as we rise to fulfill our destiny as devoted daughters of God. Hum....

Julie B. Beck desires that we have a testimony of our potential for eternal motherhood. Hum...

President Eyring tell us this life is full of learning experiences necessary to return to Heavenly Father, to live with Him. Hum...

President Taylor further tells us our main objective is to prepare ourselves. Oh, and our posterity and progenitors. Hum....

I am a daughter of God. He loves me. He wants only the best for me. But, am I devoted daughter? I know this. But, what is a devoted daughter?

I think of my little granddaughter, Addisyn, who wants to bake cookies for her daddy and put them in a special box. Is this devotion?

Or Janene, my oldest daughter, who send a special gift to her dad for Father's Day. Is this devotion?

Or how excited my little son, Jeremy, was to "get" to go with Daddy to the dump! Is t his devotion?

Of course it is. But, how do we show Heavenly Father our devotion. Can we make Him cookies or wrap up a special gift? Or do we just get excited to be with Him?

As I taught the little Sunbeam last Sunday: "We Can Be Jesus' Friend When We Are a Friend to Others." So we can show our devotion to Heavenly Father by showing devotion to others. We can make cookies for neighbors. We can wrap up a baby gift for a new mother. And we can be excited to be in His kingdom trying to do good. We can keep the commandments. But, that's not all. We can focus on doing our callings with all our abilities, doing the very best we can. We go visiting teaching, becoming friends with our companion and the sisters we visit. We can be a good friend, a good mother, a good daughter. In these ways we show our devotion. Of course learning all we can along the way.

A few months ago I was talking with my daughter, Janene. I was bemoaning the fact that I never learned to play the piano. She told me to go learn. But I'm so old I wouldn't have time to get really good, good enough to play in Primary or Relief Society. She told me I could play like an angle in heaven I would have lots of time to polish my skill! She is a devoted, sweet daughter who opened my eyes to an eternal truth. Never stop challenging yourself to learn something new.

While we a showing our devotion we can develop a testimony of our potential. We can ask for His help and divine guidance in what He would like us to learn. We can look forward to new callings and seek out new learning experiences. We can prepare ourselves to live with Him again by grabbing opportunities to serve and to learn. Remember, every friend we make, everything we learn, all the knowledge we gain in this life, every skill we perfect we take with us when we return to our Heavenly Parents.

Our eternal potential? Never stop seeking after your eternal destiny and potential. You might end up playing the piano with the angels in heaven.

August - Each Sister Is a Beloved Daughter of Heavenly Parents and Has a Divine Destiny

It is important that we stop our busy lives a remember we do have a divine destiny. We cannot see thought the veil to know what that might be, however, we can grow closer to the Lord and have His divine guidance in this life as we try to discover our destiny here and now. Of course discovering our destiny in this life will better prepare us for our rewards in the next life.

I sometimes get discourage because I don't think I do enough. I'm not a good enough person. I'm not attuned enough to the spirit. I miss so many opportunities to do good. I miss the fact that friends are in need, my children need reassuring. I silently assure myself I will do better. But, then life happens, I get busy and again and again I disappointed myself. That could not be my divine destiny.

Thank goodness for the "healing balm" of Christ as President Faust refers to in this lesson. It is only through the atonement of Christ we can overcome feelings of discouragement, lack of self worth and disappointment in ourselves. We can focus on what we do accomplish. The service we do give. The friends and family members we do help uplift.

I often put Neosporin on cuts and bruises. It's an antibiotic ointment or balm. At first it doesn't make that much of a difference. But, I feel better just knowing I did something. The next day I add a bit more. And I notice the cut has stopped hurting, or at least doesn't hurt as much. And so it goes one application at a time. I'm not healed overnight. It takes time. After a week or so the injury is gone. Like it was never there. An this is just like the healing balm of Christ. If we are diligent in applying his love and forgiveness on a regular basis we will heal. We will be able to see more clearly our divine destiny and we will be happy. We can put self doubt and negative feelings about ourselves aside. We might even recognize that our divine destiny is being a mom, a grandmother, a friend, magnifying our callings in the church learning everything we can, and doing our Visiting Teaching!

Just a Moment of Sharing

“In visiting teaching we reach out to each other. Hands often speak as voices can’t. A warm embrace conveys volumes. A laugh together unites us. A moment of sharing refreshes our souls. We cannot always lift the burden of one who is troubled, but we can lift her so she can bear it well” (Church News, 7 March 1992, 5).

Elaine L. Jack
Relief Society general president, 1990–1997