The Priesthood, motherhood, marriage, and family.

I've been thinking a lot today about what I want to post today. 

And I got my idea today during sacrament meeting. 

I was watching the young men in my ward pass the sacrament to the congregation, and I was thinking about how grateful I am that the young men in my ward are worthy priesthood holders, and how reverently they pass the sacrament each week. They have the power of God, and they use it reverently and respectfully.  I'm grateful that I have worthy priesthood holders in my life that I can turn to for blessings, and for help.

During this time, I was also thinking about the ordain women movement, and how I don't understand why those women want the priesthood because women have an important power from God, too: the power to create and bear life. The power of creation is a God-like power, and that sacred power was given to women–women are able to bear bodies for the spirit children of God. And then I was thinking of this scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 4:5-6: "And faith, hope, charity, and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work. Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence." And as I remembered this scripture, I was thinking of all of the wonderful mothers in my life that I look up to and love, and who display these attributes: my mom, my aunts, my grandmother, and several of my friends (like all of my past Young Women leaders, a few of the girls that I looked up to when I was a new Beehive, and others that I could name specifically but I won't because I don't want to be weird. Plus it would take too much time. Let's just say I have a lot of friends that are moms and I love them to death). Motherhood is a sacred calling and these women fulfill it in their own ways but they each do it beautifully. I'm grateful for their examples of charity, love, and how to be a good mother. 

Men and women both have different roles in Heavenly Father's plan, but that doesn't mean that they are not equal. Their roles are different, yes, but that does not mean that one is more or less important than the other. Men and women have to work together. In The Family: A Proclamation to the World, it says, "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." Men and women both have different roles to fulfill, but they work together, and are equals in marriage.

I am so grateful for the wonderful examples in my life that show me what a marriage should be like, and I'm so grateful for the temple, in which families can be sealed together forever. I'm grateful that my parents were sealed together and that I get to be with my family forever, and I'm looking forward to the day when I can be sealed to my future husband and we can start our own family together.