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The Fayetteville North Carolina Stake Relief Society Presidency
Women are consistent with navigating, influencing, and adapting to change within the social, economic, cultural, religious, and political aspects that govern life. It is easy to search up historical women that have changed the world for the better. What was it about these women or in them that inspired them to become a leader, a beacon, a heroine? They understood, embraced, and used their attributes, talents, and skills to benefit others.
Do you understand the greatness of your gifts and talents and what you can achieve within your home, in your community, in the world? One of your unique, precious, and sublime gifts is your femininity, with its natural grace, goodness, and divinity. Femininity is not just lipstick, stylish hairdos, and trendy clothes. It is the divine adornment of humanity. It finds expression in your qualities of your capacity to love, your spirituality, delicacy, radiance, sensitivity, creativity, charm, graciousness, gentleness, dignity, and quiet strength. It is manifest differently in each girl or woman, but each of you possesses it. Femininity is part of your inner beauty. Femininity is part of the God-given divinity within each of you. It is your incomparable power and influence to do good. You can, through your supernal gifts, bless the lives of children, women, and men. Be proud of your womanhood. Enhance it. Use it to serve others (1).
Eve – Annie Henrie
There have been and are extraordinarily strong women who have influenced our world to change. Who in history or in your life do you look to for an example of femininity?
Eve “was the mother of all living” (Moses 4:26). She was the first woman, she worked beside her companion, worshiped the Lord, and sacrificed immortality to have a family (2).
Joan of Arc – John Everett Millais
Joan of Arc (1412-1431) had fearless faith and played a huge role in liberating the French from the English invasion. She was quoted saying, "I am not afraid because God is with me. I was born for this!" (3) Joan of Arc had a personal relationship with God and understood her part to be a force for righteousness.
Jane Manning James – Courtesy Church History Library and Archives
Jane Manning James (1810-1908) was one of the first recorded African American women to enter Utah. Her life, conversion, and refusal to be defeated when she met prejudice and hardship was indeed unusual and is an example of undaunted faith. “We went on our way rejoicing, singing hymns, and thanking God for his infinite goodness and mercy to us, in blessing us…protecting us …and healing [us]”. Jane managed and raised her family through sacrifice, provident living, and loving generosity (4).
Marie Curie – Courtesy Britannica
Marie Curie (1867-1934) is a Nobel prize winner for her pioneering discoveries in physics and science. She faced discrimination in her life from gender inequality, but she understood and taught “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less (5).”
Maya Angelou – Courtesy CMG Worldwide
Maya Angelou had life challenges of racial prejudices and discrimination but persevered with the strength of character to bless the world with literature. One sentence she left in this world should not be taken lightly; “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel (6).”
Sacrifice, love, faith, perseverance, loyalty, empathy, and personal connections with the Lord and others are key to influencing the world to change for the better. WE INVITE all women to search and ponder what the Lord has for you to do at this time to build up his kingdom. Our homes, families, communities, and the world need the talents and traits that we each possess. We can make a difference now and in the future. A beautiful song asks the question, Have I done any good in the world today? Bless your life and those around you by doing good and God will pour out his blessings. We indeed are beloved daughters of God.
References
Faust, J. E. (2000). Womanhood: The highest place of honor. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2000/05/womanhood-the-highest-place-of-honor?lang=eng
Nelson, R. M. (1987). Lessons from eve. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1987/11/lessons-from-eve?lang=eng.
Joan of Arc. (2009). http://saint-joan-of-arc.blogspot.com/2009/07/joan-of-arc-quote.html.
Newell, L. K. and Avery, V. T. (1979). Jane Manning James: Black Saint, 1847 pioneer. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1979/08/jane-manning-james-black-saint-1847-pioneer?lang=eng.
Haddrick, M. (2018). 12 of the most famous women in history. https://www.marieclaire.com.au/famous-women-in-history.
Haddrick, M. (2018). 12 of the most famous women in history. https://www.marieclaire.com.au/famous-women-in-history.
Photos:
Eve – Annie Henrie. https://www.anniehenrie.com/all-paintings?pgid=jwccx7x4-d2bc7c53-c2d9-43e4-88e7-7acf7a49aee3.
Joan of Arc – John Everett Millais. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Everett_Millais_-_Joan_of_Arc.jpg.
Jane Manning James – Courtesy Church History Library and Archives. https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/jane-manning-james-life-sketch?lang=eng.
Marie Curie – Courtesy Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marie-Curie.
Maya Angelou – Courtesy CMG Worldwide. https://www.californiamuseum.org/inductee/dr-maya-angelou.
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