General Conference Sunday

Really I guess I should have said, "General Conference Saturday AND Sunday" but you see, my last two posts were about Friday and Saturday so it just seemed appropriate to keep the trend.

It was a HOT General Conference weekend up in PA. Hot hot hot. However, even through the sweat and gulps of cold water (and a baby who was even more clingy than normal at my feet or climbing all over my body) I was able to enjoy another beautiful conference with my husband and family.

My favorite favorite talk was Elder Christofferson's talk: The Moral Force of Women. Let's be honest, Elder Christofferson's talks are usually my favorite talks anyways, but this one really seemed to touch me on a personal level. After all, I am a woman :).

We live in a world where women increasingly feel like they need to be like men in order to be equal to men and where the divine roles of homemaking and motherhood aren't seen as the divine roles that God intended them to be. In fact, when we decided that I should stay home with Shae, I'll be honest, there were times when I didn't feel "equal" to Darin. Up until that point, we had been "equal" in what we were striving for: Education for a better future, money to provide for our wants/needs, work experience, strengthening our understanding and love for one another in our young marriage, a strong relationship with the Savior, etc. For awhile even our callings at church were the same. Our "roles," if you will, were quite similar (although I did cook quite a bit more than he did even back then :).

For some reason, it is so easy to belittle the role of a mother/homemaker and in general, the role of a woman. But the truth is, women are different than men. And that is okay! We were meant to be different. We have qualities and characteristics that men just don't have and we should cherish and exemplify those qualities rather than try to hide them or change them.

Elder Christofferson quoted former Young Women general president Margaret D. Nadauld in his talk and I love what she said:

 “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.”¹⁰ 

Then Elder Christofferson said:

"In blurring feminine and masculine differences, we lose the distinct, complementary gifts of women and men that together produce a greater whole."

Amen. The world needs more women to be women. That doesn't only refer to being good mothers/wives rather being loving, kind, tender, virtuous examples of the Savior, something that is innately within our moral being, a force to do good and something we should all be proud of and never look to change.

That was one of the many insights that this conference gave me. I am so thankful for modern day revelation. What a blessing it is to be able to hear from living prophets and apostles whom Heavently Father uses to continue to guide and direct us, his children, as we strive to do what's right in this crazy yet beautiful life and ultimately make it back to live with him and our loved overs for, forever!

Mannnnn, life is good.