YW Lesson 5, Manual 1 ("Finding Joy in Our Divine Potential")

The topic of "our divine potential" is an interesting one: are we focusing on the future? the eternities? Are we focusing on the potential to be a certain way that is in us right now, and that will only grow through the eternities? Are we finding that within ourselves that is divine so we can allow that to grow? And why the word "divine"? Divine means of God, godly, from God, of heaven, etc. Are we talking about that which God has given us? Are we talking about our potential to be like God (Heavenly Father, and Heavenly Mother?) I like the latter the best, myself.

Here are a few resources I thought of while searching around on this topic. And I couldn't help myself and I ended up adding my own thoughts and questions along the way. (This sort of turned into my post on additional resources mixed with a post on my own thoughts.)

From Elder Ballard's Mothers and Daughters:

Sisters, we, your brethren, cannot do what you were divinely designated to do from before the foundation of the world. We may try, but we cannot ever hope to replicate your unique gifts. There is nothing in this world as personal, as nurturing, or as life changing as the influence of a righteous woman.

I understand that some of you young women do not have mothers with whom you can discuss these issues. And many of you women do not presently have daughters in your lives. But because all women have within their divine nature both the inherent talent and the stewardship to mother, most of what I will say applies equally to grandmothers, aunts, sisters, stepmothers, mothers-in-law, leaders, and other mentors who sometimes fill the gaps for these significant mother-daughter relationships.

I added this at Feast when I reworked this post a bit for that blog, and I decided to come back and add it here too:  It seems to me we will have a lot to learn, once we cross the veil, as to what exactly is so unique about each gender, and to what extent which gifts cannot be “replicated.” For now, I believe the most important point to gain from Elder Ballard is that whatever those gifts exactly are, there are gifts that cannot be replicated. As Sis. Beck puts it, “We have the female half to take care of, and if we don’t do our part, no one else is going to do it for us.” (Visiting Teaching Message, “Understand the Divine Roles of Women,” Feb. 2009.)

From Sis. Becks' A Mother Heart:

As spirit daughters of God, women “received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth” (D&C 138:56) on the earth. They were among the “noble and great ones” (D&C 138:55) who “shouted for joy” (Job 38:7) at the creation of the earth

My thoughts: I think this is a vital concept for all of us to understand: we women, we received "first lessons." We were among the "noble and great ones." We were taught by our Heavenly Mother, and I fully believe she watches over us, nurturing us still, and is so delighted when we teach our children to think clearly and have faith. She wants us to be strong, like she is. I believe it. Every divine attribute we have - everything we can identify as divine in us - must be what she is like, don't you believe, too?

...

[My mother] had devoted her life to progress. Though it was uncommon at the time, she was university educated and advancing in a career. Following her marriage, children arrived in quick succession; and in a short span of years, she was the mother of a large family. All the knowledge she had acquired, all her natural abilities and gifts, all her skills were channeled into an organization that had no earthly bounds. As a covenant-keeping daughter of God, she had prepared all her life for motherhood.

...

I was recently at a park where I met a group of women with mother hearts. They were young, covenant-keeping women. They were bright and had obtained advanced degrees from respected universities. Now they were devoting their considerable gifts to planning dinner that evening and sharing housekeeping ideas.

My question: I would be interested to have a discussion with the girls about (1) How could anything we learn or do before motherhood (or caring for any child) help us be better, wiser, more capable mothers? For example, these women had "advanced degrees." How does that, or jobs, or whatever else change us and/or prepare us? and (2) Why is that important? Is that important? What exactly is the work that goes on with children? What is our opportunity, exactly? And how does giving ourselves more fully to teaching children doing the work of God?  or is it? I have my thoughts but I think to open up some of these questions in the right setting, where the Spirit was guiding the girls, would be a really, really interesting and important discussion.

From Sheri Dew's "Are We Not All Mothers?"

Have you ever wondered why prophets have taught the doctrine of motherhood—and it is doctrine—again and again? I have. I have thought long and hard about the work of women of God. And I have wrestled with what the doctrine of motherhood means for all of us. This issue has driven me to my knees, to the scriptures, and to the temple—all of which teach an ennobling doctrine regarding our most crucial role as women. It is a doctrine about which we must be clear if we hope to stand “steadfast and immovable” 2 regarding the issues that swirl around our gender. For Satan has declared war on motherhood. He knows that those who rock the cradle can rock his earthly empire. And he knows that without righteous mothers loving and leading the next generation, the kingdom of God will fail.

My thoughts: I liked the line "He knows that those who rock the cradle can rock his earthly empire." Having worked with YW several years, and having worked with my own children, it is amazing how little influence I can have over the YW and how immense my influence can be with my own children. I have a daughter who is bright and confident. We can think together, learn together, read scripture together. She is quite startlingly prepared to face the world and I think she will come out strong, faithful, and a leader. That is, of course, in part because of her decisions and personality. But perhaps it is a combination of her faith and "first lessons" before this life, and her "second lessons" immediately available in a covenant-making, covenant-keeping home? (And a home where parents study, think and talk about those covenants, not just treat them like something we hang them on a shelf to say we got them...) What are your thoughts?

From Sis. Beck's "Teaching the Doctrine of the Family"

Motherhood and fatherhood are eternal roles. Each carries the responsibility for either the male or the female half of the plan. Youth is the time to prepare for those eternal roles and responsibilities.

Parents, teachers, and leaders can help young people prepare for the blessings of Abraham. What are those blessings? Abraham tells us in Abraham 1:2. He says he wanted “the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer; … to be one who possessed great knowledge, … to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers.”

Where are these blessings Abraham received? They come only to those who have a temple sealing and marriage. A man cannot become a “father of many nations” without being sealed to his wife. Likewise, Abraham could not hold the right belonging to the fathers without a wife who had the right belonging to the mothers.

The stories of Abraham and Sarah and of Isaac and Rebekah are found in Genesis. Abraham and Sarah had only one son, Isaac. If Abraham was to be the “father of many nations,” how important was Isaac’s wife, Rebekah? She was so important that he sent his servant hundreds of miles to find the right young woman—one who would keep her covenants, one who understood what it meant to form an eternal family.

In Genesis 24:60, Rebekah is blessed to be “the mother of thousands of millions.” Where do we find those kinds of blessings? They are received in the temple.

The story of Isaac and Rebekah is an example of the man, who has the keys, and the woman, who has the influence, working together to ensure the fulfillment of their blessings. Their story is pivotal. The blessings of the house of Israel depended on a man and a woman who understood their place in the plan and their responsibilities to form an eternal family, to bear children, and to teach them.

In our day we have the responsibility to send “Isaac” and “Rebekah” forth from our homes and classrooms. Every young man and young woman should understand his or her role in this great partnership—that they are each an “Isaac” or a “Rebekah.” Then they will know with clarity what they have to do.

My thoughts: So Sis. Beck points out something that both Sarah and Rebekah had that was "pivotal" to the history of the the House of Israel. They had "the right belonging to the mothers." I feel like I want to apologize on behalf of scripture that these sorts of clear sentences aren't there. But I think Sis. Beck is drawing out implications of doctrines that are actually there, but it takes a careful thinker to put it as she does. Why these ideas are more plain I don't know; but regardless, perhaps through our faith we can see what the scriptures are doing without saying, what their words imply but don't spell-out. Perhaps it is a reward for those who take this work seriously enough to patiently work and think through the temple and the scriptures?

Back to Sis. Beck's quotation, I think that we do need to teach the young women to be like Rebekah, who "would keep her covenants, one who understood what it meant to form an eternal family." In addition, we're going to need to teach them do lots of careful and committed scripture studying in order to understand their covenants and what it means to form an eternal family.

And, okay, one more ramble of my own, sorry. :) I think it's crucial that we not only teach about "roles" but about the scriptures and doctrines behind those roles, and also to teach that we're not done learning about those roles. It is by studying the scriptures that our heart becomes ready to do whatever God wants us to do. It isn't by talking kids into liking playing with kids that we will keep them active in the church; it is by going to the scriptures etc. over and over again that they become converted to them, and it is only by consistently learning from the scriptures that we do anything of real importance. They keep us anchored, or rather, they keep us moving. Remember Lehi's vision that Nephi saw too? Well, those who went on the path were headed toward the tree, but when there was confusing mists they couldn't see their way anymore and didn't stick around. It is only those who held the rod who made it. And the rod is the word of God, no? And it's not just finding the rod that allowed them to make it. It because they were holding to it, hand over hand, "clinging" to the rod until they made it to the tree, and then once they got there, "falling down" in joy and humility. To teach kids that "motherhood is good" is something like showing them the path in hopes they somehow like that path and can sorta figure out about where it goes even when there are mists. But where's the "joy" (as the lesson title suggests) in that anyway? If we simply are told "this is the way it is" that might be a reason to obey, but not to enjoy. Eve rejoiced, not just obeyed:

And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient. And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters.

Eve was glad. Why was it that she was so happy? If we studied what she knew and why she rejoiced, would we rejoice also? Would our YW rejoice? And would we, out of joy, and not out of "that's what you're supposed to do," also "[make] all things known unto [our] sons and [our] daughters?"

(Note: These notes have now also been posted at Feast Upon the Word Blog, in a slightly reworked version.)