Interesting

I found a link to a blog today that interested me.
It's a blog for Young Women Leaders in the LDS church. I was called to teach the 12-14 year old girls for a few months and it was hard sifting through the old lessons and rephrasing things to make them more applicable and not so out of date.

That is exactly what this blog does. They discuss young women lessons and how to make the lessons better and more positive for the girls.


There was one lesson that was given while I was in young women's in which of portion of it nearly made me gag as scripted answers were given. I so wish I would have said something, but I was new and didn't speak up.
This is the link to that lesson.
The part that is quoted on the blog is the EXACT thing I had an issue with.

"Georgia's teacher at school has often told her that she has a fine scientific mind and that to be married and have a family would be wasting her abilities. How does this advice conflict with the Lord's standard? How can Georgia use her abilities in fulfilling her divine role? Which trees should she cling to in deciding about her future?"

Of course the answer that was given by the girls and affirmed by the teacher was that Georgia's divine role was to be a mother and that family/motherhood {and staying at home} should be her priority and not be put off. She SHOULDN'T further her education and make use of the great mind that Heavenly Father had given her because her gift of a great mind will be used while being a mother {and was one of the reasons why she was given that gift}.

Why can't she do both? What would be wrong with her working and her husband staying home? Surely father's have a divine role to be parents and love and nurture their children as well.
I see her divine role as one to bring children into the world. That is an amazing thing. However, that doesn't mean that her life from there on out is defined as being solely a mother.
Women have great abilities and are just as smart or smarter than their spouse and can excel as a working woman. I think that if they want to and enjoy learning and working, there is NOTHING wrong with that. Who's to say that using one's mind and skills to provide for their family (while still being a mother) isn't fulfilling her divine role?

The thing that really rubbed me wrong is that this was given in a lesson of being the Lord's standard.
That as we do little things and make little choices Satan slowly binds us "with flaxen cords".
I very much felt like we were telling the girls through sharing that little story and giving the fixed answers we were telling them that the Lord's standard is that they should be giving motherhood priority, however great their mind and desire to work is.

I think that sharing such a message can be dangerous. What degree of guilt will these girls have when they have to decide to have a family/go to grad school/work? Will there be tearful prayers wondering if they are going against the Lord's standard and not fulfilling their divine role to be a mother? Will many feel pressured to simply submit and be unhappy with their choice and their wasted talent?

It just makes no sense to me how we can encourage education and developing one's talents and skills and yet tell the women in our church that they belong at home raising children.

A family is made up of 2 parents who equally love and have equal ability to nurture and care for children. And even if both parents work, there is still a LOT of family time to love and nurture those children.
Let's NOT teach the women in our church and especially our young women to feel like they are being led away by Satan if they do choose the path of further schooling and working.