Womanhood

The Relief Society Declaration states that we as Mormon women “find…joy in womanhood.” Understanding the plan of God brings that joy, and gives us clarity about our sacred place, value, and eternally-important roles as daughters of God and women in the Church.

President Spencer W. Kimball said the following:

The scriptures and the prophets have taught us clearly that God, who is perfect in his attribute of justice, “is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34). … We had full equality as his spirit children. We have equality as recipients of God’s perfected love for each of us. The late Elder John A. Widtsoe wrote:

“The place of woman in the Church is to walk beside the man, not in front of him nor behind him. In the Church there is full equality between man and woman. The gospel … was devised by the Lord for men and women alike” (Improvement Era, Mar. 1942, p. 161).

President Kimball goes on to explain how even as we are equal before God, “our roles and assignments differ” as men and women. (More can be found about gender roles here.) There are those who want to declare that unless our roles and responsibilities can and are the same, we will never be equal. This is a falsehood that the doctrines of the gospel help to dispel.

Following are some links that further explore these doctrines.

Margaret D. Nadauld: The Joy of Womanhood

Words of the Prophet: Daughters of the Almighty

Susan Easton Black: Happiness in Womanhood

You Are All Heaven Sent

Sheri Dew: It is Not Good for Man or Woman to be Alone (discusses how women and men must work in partnership in order for God’s plan to work and for us to reach our full potential)

M. Russell Ballard: Women of Righteousness

Women of Faith

Arta M. Hale: Lessons in Womanhood: Insights for Latter-day Saint Women from the Lives of Vashti, Miriam, Ruth, Hannah, Jezebel, and Esther

Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball on Women in the Church

Elaine Cannon: The Case for Mary (addresses ideas found in radical feminism, and what used to be called the women’s liberation movement)

Ambitious to Do Good

Barbara Thompson: The Errand of Angels is Given to Women

Richard G. Scott: The Sanctity of Womanhood

Russell M. Nelson: Daughters of Zion

Spencer W. Kimball: The Blessings and Responsibility of Womanhood

Dallin H. Oaks: The Relief Society and the Church (discusses much about historical facets of the role of women in the Lord’s work; even addresses the issue of women anointing and giving blessings, which they did for a time in the earlier stages of Church history)

Sheri Dew: Are We Not All Mothers?

Gordon B. Hinckley: The Women in Our Lives

Jeffrey R. Holland: To Young Women
Boyd K. Packer: Children of God

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You can also search our site or lds.org on topics such as the following:

Gender roles

Motherhood

Eternal Identity

Eternal Perspective

Self-Worth

Articles and Talks on Gender Roles

The Proclamation to the World on the Family declares the following:

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose….

By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. 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.

More on this topic can be found by reading the material in the links below.
2008 Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting

Sheri Dew: It is Not Good for Man or Woman to be Alone

M. Russell Ballard: Women of Righteousness

Boyd K. Packer: For Time and for All Eternity

A Parent’s Guide, Chapter 4

M. Russell Ballard: The Sacred Responsibility of Parenthood

The Sacred Role of Mothers

The Sacred Role of Fathers

Spencer W. Kimball: The Lord’s Plan for Men and Women

David A. Bednar: Marriage is Essential to His Eternal Plan

Articles and Talks about the Savior

Jesus Christ is the center of all we do and all we believe as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Following is a small sampling of talks and articles about the difference the Savior can make in our lives as we come to Him.

David A. Bednar: In the Strength of the Lord

President Boyd K. Packer: “I Will Remember Your Sins No More“

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: Broken Things to Mend

Elder David A. Bednar: Clean Hands and a Pure Heart

Elder Dallin H. Oaks: He Heals the Heavy Laden

Elder David A. Bednar: Ye Must Be Born Again

President Ezra Taft Benson: “Come Unto Christ and Be Perfected in Him“

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: “Come Unto Me“

President Ezra Taft Benson: Come Unto Christ

Personal Revelation

One of the most important things we can build in this life is a personal relationship with our Father in Heaven. He has given us the gift of prayer so we can talk to Him anytime, anywhere, about anything. And then we learn through experience, over time, how He communicates with us. For each person, this may be different. And it may be different depending on the circumstances as well.

We can prepare to receive personal guidance, direction, and communication from God — what we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call personal revelation — by reading scriptures and pondering them, praying often, fasting, and gratefully recognizing the blessings in our lives. The scriptures also teach us that we need to “ask in faith, nothing wavering.” That faith is essential to receiving answers to prayers, and to building a personal relationship with God.

How do answers come?

Elder Robert D. Hales, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said this in a recent talk:

By unwavering faith, we learn for ourselves that “it is by faith that miracles are wrought.”¹⁸

Generally, those miracles will not be physical demonstrations of God’s power—parting of the Red Sea, raising of the dead, breaking down prison walls, or the appearance of heavenly messengers. By design, most miracles are spiritual demonstrations of God’s power—tender mercies gently bestowed through impressions, ideas, feelings of assurance, solutions to problems, strength to meet challenges, and comfort to bear disappointments and sorrow.

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For more information on this topic, please see the following links:
Elder David A. Bednar: That We May Always Have His Spirit to be With Us (audio link, >video link)Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf: Personal Revelation (audio link, video link)Gerald N. Lund: The Still Small Voice: Revelation and How it Can Come (audio link)
“Does God answer my prayers?” – Jennifer shares her experience with receiving answers to her prayers at a critical decision point in her life when she was learning about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

“How can I feel closer to God?” – Noelle shares her experiences with receiving answers to her questions

We are a Worldwide Sisterhood

Through the Church’s organization for women, the Relief Society (the largest women’s organization in the world), we as Mormon women feel a connection with each other as a worldwide sisterhood. Our lives, personalities, talents, challenges, and opportunites may differ, but our faith in Jesus Christ and our desire to serve and reach out to others binds us together.

For more on this topic, please see the following links:

Relief Society: The Mormon Women’s Organization

Relief Society is the Church’s organization for women. It is the largest organization for women in the world.

A recent article summarized how Sister Julie Beck, the general (worldwide) president of this organization, describes Relief Society:

“[R]egardless of the roles [that women in the Church currently fill in their lives], each woman has in common the opportunity to be a part of an organization that teaches how to build faith in Jesus Christ, encourages study and self-improvement, emphasizes the divine worth of women, exercises charity and service, strengthens families and creates a system of support and friendship.”

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For more on this topic, please see the following links:President Thomas S. Monson: The Spirit of Relief Society
lds.org index entry on Relief Society
Relief Society Program Strengthens Mormon Women (“[Sister Julie] Beck [the general president of the Relief Society] says that regardless of the roles, each woman has in common the opportunity to be a part of an organization that teaches how to build faith in Jesus Christ, encourages study and self-improvement, emphasizes the divine worth of women, exercises charity and service, strengthens families and creates a system of support and friendship.”)

More Church newsroom articles on women and Relief Society can be found here

What Should I Expect From a Relief Society Meeting?

God is aware of us and our trials

Sometimes when we are struggling and suffering, we may feel that God is not aware of us, or doesn’t care, or is too far away to access. Most of us have probably felt that way at one time or another.

The truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ help us have faith in trying times. They help us remember that God is there.

Hear one woman’s experience with her trials and finding the peace of the gospel after losing her husband on 9/11. This video is entitled “Does God care about my suffering?”

Here is another video about how God really knows and loves us, and that our lives have purpose.

Articles and Links on the topic of Priesthood

Sister Sheri L. Dew: “It Is Not Good for Man or Woman to Be Alone“

Sister Julie B. Beck: An Outpouring of Blessings

Sister Patricia T. Holland: A Woman’s Perspective on the Priesthood

Elder Dallin H. Oaks: Priesthood Authority in the Family and the Church

Elder Robert D. Hales: Blessings of the Priesthood

Women and the Priesthood

H. Burke Peterson: Priesthood — Authority and Power

Boyd K. Packer: A Tribute to Women

Serving in the Church

Teachings of John Taylor: The Responsibilities and Order of the Priesthood

Marriage (includes links to articles and talks)

Marriage is a central doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As Mormon Women, we receive much counsel about the importance of marriage, the necessity to defend and sustain the institution of marriage, and nurturing marriage relationships.

Devotion to Christ

The Savior is the center of all we do in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We as Mormon women are devoted to Him and seek to make Him the center of our lives. We believe that it is through Jesus Christ and the covenants and ordinances of His gospel that we have the possibility of returning to live with our Father in heaven, and to live eternally with our families.

For more on this topic, please see the following links: