"I am a beloved spirit daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, I have a divine nature and destiny. By divine design, I have unique gifts and talents that will help me fulfill my destiny as a daughter of God. Knowing who I am gives my life purpose and helps me make the right decisions." Paraphrased from Come Follow Me, January 2014
Genesis 1:26–27 (I am created in the image of God.)
Psalm 82:6; Moses 1:39; Abraham 3:22–26 (My divine potential is to inherit eternal life. Eternal life is existence in the Heavens in the presence of God as opposed to eternal damnation or eternity with Satan in Hell.)
Luke 15:4–6, 11–32; John 3:16; D&C 18:10–15 (To God the worth of a soul is great.)
In the world today, negative influences toward womanhood flourish. Young woman are deceived from many sources that their worth is in their sexuality. Certainly, sexuality and sensuality are gifts of God, however, their purposes are specific. Not for casual recreation, these are to be shared with one's spouse in a loving marriage. Additionally, young woman feel pressure to cultivate these sacred gifts prematurely in a way to make them cheap to the exclusion of cultivating other divine gifts. I suppose my views are old fashioned, but that doesn't make them incorrect. Simply because society says something is legal and acceptable, doesn't make it moral or correct. In the past, women understood their roles to nurture the rising generation as a moral force for good in society. I'm convinced this can still be the case even if women don't care to be homemakers. Why can't woman choose virtue and nurturing over blatant sexual sin and manliness? Women can be doctors, lawyers, teachers, astronauts, politicians, and so forth, while still choosing femininity, honor, integrity, gentle strength, and decency. If all women chose to boycott pushers of vulgarity and filth, muck peddlers would soon be out of business. The trend of men refusing marriage would end. Like the old saying goes, why by the cow when the milk is free. After all women still make up approximately half the population. If half refused to follow this ever-increasing, extremely alarming trend, we could change society, cut violence and crime, and create peace and security for the children of tomorrow. This nurturing is the God-given duty of women no matter their chosen profession.
"From age immemorial, societies have relied on the moral force of women. While certainly not the only positive influence at work in society, the moral foundation provided by women has proved uniquely beneficial to the common good," The Moral Force of Women, D. Todd Christofferson, October 2013.
