"If we would have the companionship of the master and the spirit of the Holy Ghost, we must be honest with ourselves, honest with God and our fellow man...this results in true joy!"
~ President Howard W. Hunter
Every Spring on the weekend before General Conference the annual Young Women General Conference is broadcasted throughout the world. It was held this past Saturday and we enjoyed every minute of it. This is an event that I look forward to every year ever since my eldest daughter turned 12 in 2007. I didn't grow up in the LDS faith and sometimes I wish I did. The values that these young women are taught in the church have become so helpful in raising my three daughters. I believe that it all begins in the home. There are so many attributes that I wasn't taught as a young child. Joseph Smith wrote a document titled the 13 Articles of Faith. The 13th article of faith states, "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous and in doing good to all mankind; indeed we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul-We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
The General Young Women Presidency all spoke this evening on being honest, true, benevolent and virtuous, and to live by these principles. By being honest and true, we will always have the holy ghost guide us through troubled times and keep us on the right course. There are so many worldly distractions in our society today that we need this source of strength in our life. I didn't grow up with a firm foundation of Christ and so 18 years ago I decided to change that when I became a member of this church. I am raising my family different and am centering our life and home around Jesus Christ. We are not perfect by any means! We do strive hard to make wise choices. I have chosen to raise my daughters differently with moral values, and to be completely honest in all things!
Kindness was another topic. I know that by being kind to others, it makes us feel better. Mary N. Cooke who is the first counselor in the presidency mentioned how, "Kindness begins with me". What a strong statement that is. She also talked about how we should all be kind to everyone...even those who don't treat us well. She also talked about being helpful and considerate of others and seek to be a peacemaker. I look at my daughter's character and feel so blessed that I truly see and know that she is exemplifying all of these qualities. If any of you ever wonder why she is so jovial and smiling all the time, it's because she carries that light of Christ in her. She wakes up every morning and makes the choice to live a good christian life. The holy ghost guides her in choosing righteous goals and to refrain from anything that is not of good rapport. If someone in her life is having a "gray"day, she tries hard to change it into a bright day. She tries to include everyone in activities and is a great example on fellowshipping others.
Virtue and Chastity are my favorite and most important values not only in my daughter's life, but in mine as well. Elaine S. Dalton who is the General President in the young women states that each young woman is a "Guardian of Virtue". I chose to teach my girls at an early age to not wear anything immodest such as sleeveless or strapless clothing, to only wear shorts that are modest and not too short, wearing only one piece bathing suits instead of a two-piece- or even a tankini, and to use clean language. We've limited our usage in watching T.V. and I don't allow them to watch any "R" rated movies. As a teenager my mom did the best that she could in raising me. I didn't hold these values dear, hence teaching and preparing my daughters to live and hold these values and to seriously appreciate them. These are standards that we firmly believe in, and my daughters are grateful to be raised in this manner. Sierra tells me when she dresses modest, it makes her feel clean and pure. She has been blessed with good friends, and knows that if she ever comes across "peer pressure" she won't need to give in. With all the immoral pollution that surrounds us, she has the holy ghost to help her be faithful, obedient and truthful. If she is surrounded by something that is not conducive to the spirit, she'll turn the other cheek. I know that by my example and the way that I model my behavior, she and my other daughters will learn to do the same. It's not easy raising teenagers today, but I am lucky to have an almost 16 year old following all the Young Women Values.
Our kids are the "chosen generation". It is my hope that as parents we can teach our children true principles at a small age and endure to the end... and that is what I'm trying to do in this life with my children.
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