G is for GENDER

Today is sponsored by the letter G

G is for GENDER

 The Family: A Proclamation to the World

In 2003, I was 19 years old when I was called as an adviser in Young Women's.  I taught the 16-18 year old young women.  When I started teaching, I was only a year past being one of them.  I think that made my calling easier and more difficult being so close in age to them.  It made it hard with a few of the young women leaders, too.

One Sunday, I had taught a lesson about divine roles and the following Sunday was taught by an older woman about gender and divine roles.  She told the young women that gender was given to us by chance at birth, that there was no gender in heaven.  I sat there, astonished by her comment but was not given a chance to speak until I taught again the following Sunday.  I knew that this "no gender" comment had to be clarified so the young women would know where to find the truth.

"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."

I have been given a very blessed life to have been born in a home where the knowledge of my divine nature and that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of His children.  Even better, Heavenly Father gave me the opportunity to learn those lessons for myself as well.  I have an unwavering belief that gender is on purpose and a God-given gift that was ours before our birth and that will remain with us throughout eternity.  There are not any choices, temptations, styles, or advantages that are worth trading divine potential.

I am certain that my happiness lies in the divine roles Heavenly Father has given me as His daughter.  Being a daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, girl cousin (go FMC!), young woman, aunt, girl - friend, girlfriend, fiance, wife, and mother is where I find joy.  When my main focus goes outside of those roles, I struggle to keep up, feel balanced, and be happy.

G is for GENDER.  This may have been an odd take-off on my general alphabet sponsored posts, but when I thought of the topic, I just knew I wanted to write about it.