The Threat
In the beginning, God created man; but it was not complete until there was woman. The Genesis account says, “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” (Genesis 2:21-23) Eve being created from Adam’s rib, signifies that she is his companion and partner, ever at his side. Contrary to common belief, the Bible is a beautiful example of the high status of women, in God’s kingdom; women are always treated with the highest respect and honor. However, as scholar Bruce K. Satterfield stated, “The equality between man and woman was destroyed over time. In many cultures, man overstepped his authority and gained dominion over woman. This has demeaned the role of woman. In the last few centuries there has been great effort by many to bring women out from under the dominionship of men. However many of these women’s movements have tried to bring about equality with men by making women the same as men. But… they are not the same. They were not created to be the same. They were created to be equal partners in doing the Lord’s work. Hence, many of the goals of various women’s movements have missed the mark” (Satterfield). This is the point I would like to make today. While the Feminist movement has undoubtedly done much good, radical feminism has gone too far. The leading research council for feminist organizations, formerly known as The National Council for Research on Women, has recently changed their name to, re:gender- research. rethink. reframe. Their creed states that they are, “shaping a world that creates fairness across difference;” and yet even the name of their organization speaks of rewriting what being a woman means: Re:gender. The idea is that woman was oppressed by man, because of their gentler nature, and now it is time for woman to rear up and take the lead. One feminist declared the cause of radical feminism when she said, "Being a housewife is an illegitimate profession... The choice to serve and be protected and plan towards being a family- maker is a choice that shouldn't be. The heart of radical feminism is to change that" (Gornick).
The belief of radical feminists that women should not be feminine, is not only ironic, but dangerous. It has led to the belief that women can and should acquire all of the aggressive attributes of men, while rejecting the gentler characteristics of femininity, and in the end create a sex which is “infinitely superior to men” (Stanton). It has gone so far, that a leader of the Feminist movement has said, "Since marriage constitutes slavery for women, it is clear that the women's movement must concentrate on attacking this institution. Freedom for women cannot be won without the abolition of marriage" (Cronin).
The Role of Women
We are blessed to have a clear understanding of our purpose on earth. God Himself declared that His work is to, “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of [mankind].” (Moses 1:39) This is accomplished through gaining a body, coming to earth, and living a life in which we learn to become more like Him through obedience to His command. This plan for our salvation and happiness is dependent upon both men and women, within families. This was so important for us to understand, that modern prophets have revealed, “…that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children” (The Family). Why is this? Well, for starters, we gain a body and come to the earth, only through the sacred union of man and woman. No technology or medical breakthrough can or will ever change the fact that life is only created with two parts of a whole: man and woman.
But for me, the less understood part of this, is the role that both men and women, helping mankind learn to become more like God. Because of the fall of Adam, we are subject to the “natural man,” or in other words, the carnal, chemically driven, genetic, part of ourselves. It has been shown time and time again, that men and women are intrinsically different. Our chemical make up, or natural men if you will, are different. Both are riddled with weakness, and yet both are blessed with divine strengths. If one of the main purposes of life is to become like God, we must learn the attributes of God. You will find that God is a leader, an enforcer, and full of passion, and yet, he is also gentle, empathetic, and nurturing. The world has seen the wrongs that have been committed against womanhood and decided that the solution is to abolish womanhood and its innate characteristics of gentleness, empathy, and nurturing; replacing them with the more masculine traits- be more aggressive, tough, and confrontational. And yet, as Elder D. Todd Christofferson has said, “[Feminine characteristics] have been a civilizing influence in society; they have brought out the best in men; they have perpetuated wholesome environments in which to raise secure and healthy children.” (Christofferson). If we destroy the feminine, we do society a great injustice. In blurring feminine and masculine differences, we lose the distinct, complementary gifts of women and men that together produce a greater whole. I think the idea of synergy, plays an important part in this idea: the sum of the whole, is greater than its individual parts. In the end, we need what both genders can bring to the table. This interdependence is the ideal. This is not only applicable to the characteristics of each gender, but also to their roles in God’s divine plan.
According to history, and God’s declaration, “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.” (The Family). This leads to one of the greatest threats of the radical feminist movement: “A pernicious philosophy that undermines women’s moral influence is the devaluation of marriage and of motherhood and homemaking as a career.”(Christofferson). Elder Christofferson says, “there is not a higher good than motherhood and fatherhood in marriage. There is no superior career, and no amount of money, authority, or public acclaim can exceed the ultimate rewards of family. Whatever else a woman may accomplish, her moral influence is no more optimally employed than here.” (Christofferson). We need women in the home. The idea of radical feminists, seems to be that if a woman is married and raising a family, she will be a servant to the needs of those around her and eventually die having made nothing of herself. Elder Hafen addressed the political trend to take women out of the home, when he said, “The critics who moved mothers from dependence to independence skipped the fertile middle ground of interdependence. Those who moved mothers from selflessness to selfishness skipped the fertile middle ground of self-chosen service that contributes toward a woman’s personal growth. Because of these excesses, debates about the value of motherhood have, ironically, caused the general society to discount not only mothers but women in general” (Nadauld).
Radical feminism proclaims that women deserve the right to make a difference in the world and make their mark on history. And you know what? I agree! I think Elder Maxwell put it best when he said, “When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses?”(Christofferson). I would say, “Yes!” History is made of the people who live in it. And there is no greater influence on humanity, than its mothers.
The Call to Action
Women have such great potential for good in the world. A mother’s power of influence is arguably the most potent of all. But this power is under attack. Now is the time for us to stand up and defend womanhood. When we come to better understand the role of women in God’s plan, we are catalyzed to action. First and foremost, women need to understand their divine role. We need to be brave enough to step up and become what we were meant to be. As we join together in standing as a shining example of womanhood, the world will take notice. And the world will be the better for it. We were not born to become children of the world, rather we were born because we are children of God. Sister Mary D. Nadauld, of the former Relief Soceity General Presidency said, “Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity.” (Nadauld)
However, women are not alone in this battle. Men also have a part to play. Many studies have shown the great influence which fathers have on the self-view of their daughters. Fathers are encouraged to “understand the great potential for good their daughters inherited from their heavenly home. We must nourish their gentleness, their nurturing nature, their innate spirituality and sensitivity, and their bright minds. Celebrate the fact that girls are different from boys. Be thankful for the position they have in God’s grand plan.” (Nadauld). It may be that when we examine ourselves, we see the need to change; change our view of womanhood, change our perspective on femininity. But we can start now, to raise our daughters well. Teach them of their role, teach them of their purpose. If we can help them to embrace their divinely given nature from the beginning, we can save them the struggle of purging the world’s influence later.
Sister Elaine S. Dalton gave a particularly moving talk in General Conference, in which she taught, “Your personal virtue will model for your daughters, and also your sons, what true strength and moral courage are.” (Dalton). You see, we must become something ourselves. If we intend to right this wrong, we must start within ourselves.
It is my hope that we will find strength in the proven virtues of womanhood; even those which others devalue.
In the beginning, God created man; but it was not complete until there was woman. The Genesis account says, “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” (Genesis 2:21-23) Eve being created from Adam’s rib, signifies that she is his companion and partner, ever at his side. Contrary to common belief, the Bible is a beautiful example of the high status of women, in God’s kingdom; women are always treated with the highest respect and honor. However, as scholar Bruce K. Satterfield stated, “The equality between man and woman was destroyed over time. In many cultures, man overstepped his authority and gained dominion over woman. This has demeaned the role of woman. In the last few centuries there has been great effort by many to bring women out from under the dominionship of men. However many of these women’s movements have tried to bring about equality with men by making women the same as men. But… they are not the same. They were not created to be the same. They were created to be equal partners in doing the Lord’s work. Hence, many of the goals of various women’s movements have missed the mark” (Satterfield). This is the point I would like to make today. While the Feminist movement has undoubtedly done much good, radical feminism has gone too far. The leading research council for feminist organizations, formerly known as The National Council for Research on Women, has recently changed their name to, re:gender- research. rethink. reframe. Their creed states that they are, “shaping a world that creates fairness across difference;” and yet even the name of their organization speaks of rewriting what being a woman means: Re:gender. The idea is that woman was oppressed by man, because of their gentler nature, and now it is time for woman to rear up and take the lead. One feminist declared the cause of radical feminism when she said, "Being a housewife is an illegitimate profession... The choice to serve and be protected and plan towards being a family- maker is a choice that shouldn't be. The heart of radical feminism is to change that" (Gornick).
The belief of radical feminists that women should not be feminine, is not only ironic, but dangerous. It has led to the belief that women can and should acquire all of the aggressive attributes of men, while rejecting the gentler characteristics of femininity, and in the end create a sex which is “infinitely superior to men” (Stanton). It has gone so far, that a leader of the Feminist movement has said, "Since marriage constitutes slavery for women, it is clear that the women's movement must concentrate on attacking this institution. Freedom for women cannot be won without the abolition of marriage" (Cronin).
The Role of Women
We are blessed to have a clear understanding of our purpose on earth. God Himself declared that His work is to, “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of [mankind].” (Moses 1:39) This is accomplished through gaining a body, coming to earth, and living a life in which we learn to become more like Him through obedience to His command. This plan for our salvation and happiness is dependent upon both men and women, within families. This was so important for us to understand, that modern prophets have revealed, “…that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children” (The Family). Why is this? Well, for starters, we gain a body and come to the earth, only through the sacred union of man and woman. No technology or medical breakthrough can or will ever change the fact that life is only created with two parts of a whole: man and woman.
But for me, the less understood part of this, is the role that both men and women, helping mankind learn to become more like God. Because of the fall of Adam, we are subject to the “natural man,” or in other words, the carnal, chemically driven, genetic, part of ourselves. It has been shown time and time again, that men and women are intrinsically different. Our chemical make up, or natural men if you will, are different. Both are riddled with weakness, and yet both are blessed with divine strengths. If one of the main purposes of life is to become like God, we must learn the attributes of God. You will find that God is a leader, an enforcer, and full of passion, and yet, he is also gentle, empathetic, and nurturing. The world has seen the wrongs that have been committed against womanhood and decided that the solution is to abolish womanhood and its innate characteristics of gentleness, empathy, and nurturing; replacing them with the more masculine traits- be more aggressive, tough, and confrontational. And yet, as Elder D. Todd Christofferson has said, “[Feminine characteristics] have been a civilizing influence in society; they have brought out the best in men; they have perpetuated wholesome environments in which to raise secure and healthy children.” (Christofferson). If we destroy the feminine, we do society a great injustice. In blurring feminine and masculine differences, we lose the distinct, complementary gifts of women and men that together produce a greater whole. I think the idea of synergy, plays an important part in this idea: the sum of the whole, is greater than its individual parts. In the end, we need what both genders can bring to the table. This interdependence is the ideal. This is not only applicable to the characteristics of each gender, but also to their roles in God’s divine plan.
According to history, and God’s declaration, “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.” (The Family). This leads to one of the greatest threats of the radical feminist movement: “A pernicious philosophy that undermines women’s moral influence is the devaluation of marriage and of motherhood and homemaking as a career.”(Christofferson). Elder Christofferson says, “there is not a higher good than motherhood and fatherhood in marriage. There is no superior career, and no amount of money, authority, or public acclaim can exceed the ultimate rewards of family. Whatever else a woman may accomplish, her moral influence is no more optimally employed than here.” (Christofferson). We need women in the home. The idea of radical feminists, seems to be that if a woman is married and raising a family, she will be a servant to the needs of those around her and eventually die having made nothing of herself. Elder Hafen addressed the political trend to take women out of the home, when he said, “The critics who moved mothers from dependence to independence skipped the fertile middle ground of interdependence. Those who moved mothers from selflessness to selfishness skipped the fertile middle ground of self-chosen service that contributes toward a woman’s personal growth. Because of these excesses, debates about the value of motherhood have, ironically, caused the general society to discount not only mothers but women in general” (Nadauld).
Radical feminism proclaims that women deserve the right to make a difference in the world and make their mark on history. And you know what? I agree! I think Elder Maxwell put it best when he said, “When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses?”(Christofferson). I would say, “Yes!” History is made of the people who live in it. And there is no greater influence on humanity, than its mothers.
The Call to Action
Women have such great potential for good in the world. A mother’s power of influence is arguably the most potent of all. But this power is under attack. Now is the time for us to stand up and defend womanhood. When we come to better understand the role of women in God’s plan, we are catalyzed to action. First and foremost, women need to understand their divine role. We need to be brave enough to step up and become what we were meant to be. As we join together in standing as a shining example of womanhood, the world will take notice. And the world will be the better for it. We were not born to become children of the world, rather we were born because we are children of God. Sister Mary D. Nadauld, of the former Relief Soceity General Presidency said, “Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity.” (Nadauld)
However, women are not alone in this battle. Men also have a part to play. Many studies have shown the great influence which fathers have on the self-view of their daughters. Fathers are encouraged to “understand the great potential for good their daughters inherited from their heavenly home. We must nourish their gentleness, their nurturing nature, their innate spirituality and sensitivity, and their bright minds. Celebrate the fact that girls are different from boys. Be thankful for the position they have in God’s grand plan.” (Nadauld). It may be that when we examine ourselves, we see the need to change; change our view of womanhood, change our perspective on femininity. But we can start now, to raise our daughters well. Teach them of their role, teach them of their purpose. If we can help them to embrace their divinely given nature from the beginning, we can save them the struggle of purging the world’s influence later.
Sister Elaine S. Dalton gave a particularly moving talk in General Conference, in which she taught, “Your personal virtue will model for your daughters, and also your sons, what true strength and moral courage are.” (Dalton). You see, we must become something ourselves. If we intend to right this wrong, we must start within ourselves.
It is my hope that we will find strength in the proven virtues of womanhood; even those which others devalue.