Daughters of God

The Lord has blessed me with many wonderful women in my life. As I’ve thought on how they have blessed me, I have recognized many divine attributes of daughters of God.

I have seen their inherent interest in and concern for others as they have reached out and talked to me after sensing that I was feeling down. I think of all the times they have seen more in me than I’ve seen in myself and helped me to improve. I have seen their inclination for deep spirituality as I have heard them bear testimony of our Savior and lived their lives in a Christlike way. I have seen their selflessness as they have put the comforts and goals of others before their own. I am not alone when I say that the righteous examples of daughters of God have made me want to be a better man so that I can one day be a worthy husband and father.

The lies of Satan

Satan understands the worth of God's daughters, and their importance in the plan of Salvation, and so he tries to attack them and everything Daughters of God are and stand for. You know what I’m talking about. The Media spreads many lies about women—how they should act, what they should look like, what they should be interested in. The divine attributes of daughters of God are denied and mocked openly almost everywhere we look.

The world would have them focus on themselves, their appearance, and their insecurities, instead of focusing on their real divine attributes, on their selflessness and divine worth. As Sheri Dew once said:

“No amount of time in front of the mirror will make you as attractive as having the Holy Ghost with you” (Sheri L. Dew, “It Is Not Good for Man or Woman to Be Alone,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 12).

Satan bombards us with lies about women, but just knowing that something is a lie doesn’t mean we don’t believe it or don’t listen. The lies of Satan can only be overcome by replacing them with divine truth. Nephi said it this way:

“And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction” (1 Nephi 15:24).

Replacing lies with truth

We can replace the lies with divine truth as taught by the Lord through His prophets. Speaking to women, Elder Holland said:

“I want you to be proud you are a woman. I want you to feel the reality of what that means, to know who you truly are. You are literally a spirit daughter of heavenly parents with a divine nature and an eternal destiny. That surpassing truth should be fixed deep in your soul and be fundamental to every decision you make as you grow into mature womanhood. There could never be a greater authentication of your dignity, your worth, your privileges, and your promise. Your Father in Heaven knows your name and knows your circumstance. He hears your prayers. He knows your hopes and dreams, including your fears and frustrations. And He knows what you can become through faith in Him” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “To Young Women,” Ensign, Nov 2005, 28).

And when the devil lies to women that you are not beautiful, I hope that they will remember this:

“Of all the creations of the Almighty, there is none more beautiful, none more inspiring than a lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue with an understanding of why she should do so, who honors and respects her body as a thing sacred and divine, who cultivates her mind and constantly enlarges the horizon of her understanding, who nurtures her spirit with everlasting truth.” (“Our Responsibility to Our Young Women,” Ensign, Sep 1988, 8).

My own mother

Now may I share some thoughts about my own angel mother. The Savior said:

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

This is what you did for me mom. Instead of living your own life, doing solely the things you wanted to do, you dedicated your life to your family, staying home to raise me and my brother. When I think of the all of the sacrifices you have made for me, I am overwhelmed. You sacrificed any personal ambitions you had, to give me the life I have now. Mom, you’ve always believed in me, and taught me to reach for my dreams. I love to see your joy when you hear of my successes.

Over the years you have taught me many things:

You taught me selflessness, by your example.

You taught me to love life, by your example.

You taught me to forgive, by your example.

You taught me courage, by your example.

You taught me how to be resilient, by your example.

You taught me how to smile through the hard times, by your example.

You taught me to have faith, by your example.

You taught me the importance of family, by your example.

You taught me how to love, by your example.

Mom, as well as what you did, it is who you are that has helped me to be who I am. Thank you for embracing your divinity as a daughter of God. I hope you know how important your life’s work has been to raise me and my brother.

I will be forever grateful to my mother for her sacrifice to stay at home and raise me. I hope to show her my gratitude, not only in words, but by the way I live my life.