Doctrine of Woman

Volume Three—Chapter Twenty-One THE DOCTRINE OF WOMAN

I have long wished to write a chapter on the doctrine of the Church as it applies specifically to the woman. There exists a certain mystery surrounding the role of the woman in premortality and in the eternal hereafter. No such mystery exists for the man. The interested mortal male has scripturally well-documented role models in the form of the Father, the Son, and a few well-known angels. It is relatively easy for him to maintain some notion of what God is and does. God creates, he sires, he commands, he urges, he loves, he ministers to his offspring, and occasionally he even appears to selected mortals.

The heavenly Mother is less visible and therefore less available as a role model. What do we know of her role in eternity? We know she is the Father’s eternal companion, and she is Mother of our spirits. But what does all that entail? What specific duties comprise her personal stewardship? How does she relate to the Father?

I have repeatedly found myself pondering such questions as: Has specific gender always existed as a characteristic of the intelligence, or did gender separation occur later—perhaps at the spirit birth? What have been the primary roles of our Mother in heaven in our premortal past? What specific roles did she and does she now play in the lives of the pre-existent spirits? What is the nature of the spirit birth process? What specifically was her role in that process? And what about all other women in the preexistence—those who are spirit children of our heavenly parents? What is expected of them that distinguishes them from the male spirits in that realm? What about the eternal future? What is the role of the woman in the spirit world and in the celestial heaven? What will our Mother in heaven do in those realms? Are the separate roles of the heavenly Father and Mother genuinely equal and complementary? Is there anything of subservience in the Mother’s roles? And what about all other women in those venues? What specific stewardships and roles will they have? We struggle with a paucity of scriptural information about most of these questions, and we are left to wonder.

#The Origin of Gender

In the church’s “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” we read, “Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.” The very essence of man, his intelligence, likely had no beginning (D&C 93:29).1 Is gender an eternal characteristic of each intelligence? Has that characteristic always existed? We have no information on this question, but it seems

reasonable to suppose that intelligences likely have always been gender specific.

#Essential Eternal Companionship

We know that a man cannot be exalted without being eternally sealed to a wife in the temple. Hence, we know the woman always will be the eternal companion of the exalted man. Elder John A. Widtsoe wrote:

It is to be noted that the highest blessings therein [in the temple] available are only conferred upon a man and woman jointly. Neither can receive them alone. In the Church of Christ, woman is not an adjunct to but an equal partner with man (“The “Mormon’ Women,” Relief Society Magazine, June-July 1943, 373).

Scripture seems to bear importantly on the “why” of the essential nature of the eternal companionship of the man and the woman. Elohim is the name-title for God. It is used to describe the highest God. It is the majestic title of the ultimate deity. It is interesting and perhaps very important to note that Elohim is the plural form of the Caananite El or the Hebrew Eloah. Add to this the interesting verse: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27, emphasis added). Apparently, both the male and the female were created in the image of God. Does this imply that “God” in this verse is plural? Might it be that “God” consists of both a man and a woman? Might it be that man alone cannot successfully function as God, and that the female is an intimate and integral component of what we refer to as God? Does Elohim refer to both a divine man and a divine woman?

In his teaching about the eternal companionship of man and woman in the celestial realm, the Lord said to Joseph Smith “They [shall] be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them” (D&C 132:20).

#The Woman in the Savior’s Earthly Kingdom

How are we to learn more about the “doctrine of woman”? This doctrine would seems to consist mainly of the separate roles the woman plays in the eternal past and future. We all know this mortal experience is a test, but it is also a school. Many righteous and good things here on earth are in the likeness of their heavenly counterparts. Mortal life is in many ways a metaphor of heaven. God is trying to teach us many things here in mortality. Is it just possible that we may learn much of what lies ahead for woman by looking carefully at the functions assigned her in the Lord’s kingdom here on earth? Certainly the man is instructed in much of his presiding role as he serves in the priesthood of the Lord’s earthly kingdom. I believe this likely holds true also for the woman. In this chapter, I will examine the roles of woman as defined and “commanded” by the Lord in his Church. As we consider the LDS woman’s stewardship responsibilities and assess the inclinations and abilities that result from successfully fulfilling those stewardships, let us then attempt to view them in the context of the eternal future. What are we being taught here on earth about the woman who will live “in the Lord” for all eternity? What implications do a mortal woman’s characteristics and attributes have for her eternal future?

Individuality. Just as the man is foreordained to his work in mortality, there can be no doubt that the woman is as well. As women exercised their agency in premortality, some were obedient, some disobedient, and there existed every shade of grey in between. This surely resulted in an infinite array of unique women, each with her own spiritual gifts and capabilities. The attributes of each penetrate, at least in part, the veil, so that each woman has unique potential gifts and abilities here on earth. The Lord expects each woman to apply herself and her talents to the work of his earthly kingdom and to the welfare and service of her fellow humans. Each is obligated to search out her unique abilities and the role she is foreordained to play here on earth. This is part of the woman’s stewardship. The Spirit of God will assist in this quest. She must then serve in ways that only she can do best. Stir into this mix the agency to choose and act, and the result is a nearly endless variety of highly unique individual women.

Spiritual growth. The earthly man is commanded to obey the Lord’s words and progress to become more like God. Is this also true of the woman? The Lord bestows gifts of the Spirit (spiritual growth) based only on obedience, worthiness, and need, and not on gender. “And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also” (Alma 32:23). These gifts include both the “free” gifts the Lord delights

to bestow upon his people and those increments of divine attributes we earn through obedience to the Lord’s commands. These are gifts of the Spirit or spiritual gifts.

The history of the Church in this dispensation includes many stories of the woman’s receiving personal revelation, healing the sick, prophesying of future events, and performing other divinely-assisted activities. By her spiritual gifts acquired over a lifetime of obedience to God’s commands, just as the male, she will become more like God.

Woman as leader/administrator. Women preside over, direct, and staff the Relief Society, Young Women’s Organization, and the Primary, on ward, stake, and church-wide levels. They officiate in temple ceremonies. They vote on all church matters. The priesthood maintains oversight, but the practical, independent directing of their organizations is left to them.

Woman as nurturer. An important function and inclination of woman is consistent attention to the needs of others—not only her family but all within reach of her help. Her inclination to serve seems instinctive. She often is found serving when her own needs outweigh those of the person being served. President Ezra Taft Benson provided a general description of the woman, as contrasted with the man:

The Lord God gave woman a different personality and temperament than man. By nature woman is charitable and benevolent, man is striving and competitive. Man is at his best when complemented by a good woman’s natural influence. She tempers the home and marriage relationship with her compassionate and loving influence (“To the Elect Women of the Kingdom of God,” Woman, 69).

Women in the Church are inclined to render care in times of illness, death, or other life crises. Sometimes this activity is initiated individually and sometimes it is part of the “compassionate service” arm of the Relief Society. In this latter context women care for the poor and sick and participate in formal welfare activities of the Church.

President Spencer W. Kimball recalled an entry in his own mother’s journal:

I smiled when I recently read one entry, dated January 16, 1900. She was serving as first counselor in the Relief Society presidency in Thatcher, Arizona, and the presidency went to a sister’s home where caring for a sick baby had kept the mother from doing her sewing. Mother took her own sewing machine, a picnic lunch, her baby, and a high chair, and they began work. She wrote that night that they had “made four aprons, four pairs of pants and started a shirt for one of the boys.” They had to stop at four o’clock to go to a funeral, so they “did not get any more than that done.” I would have been impressed by such an achievement, rather than thinking, “Well, that’s not much” (“Introduction,” Woman, 1).

Innate spiritual perspective. The woman has a peculiar proclivity for seeing things in a spiritual and eternal perspective. Frankly, they are unrivaled by the man. In my several conversations with other men over the years, we have agreed that in many of the practical details of everyday life our wives are often the “real spiritual leaders” of the family. President Hugh B. Brown once said at a Relief Society conference:

There are people fond of saying that women are the weaker instruments, but I don’t believe it. Physically they may be, but spiritually, morally, religiously, and in faith, what man can match a woman who is really converted to the gospel! Women are more willing to make sacrifices than are men, more patient in suffering, more earnest in prayer. They are the peers and often superior to men in resilience, in goodness, in morality, and in faith (LDS Women’s Treasury, 477).

The woman and education. The principles of the Church argue unequivocally for the development of the full potential of each person, regardless of gender. While secular viewpoints typically set the attainment of an individual’s personal goals or advancement in opposition to dedication to the family, LDS belief defines the two as inextricably intertwined.

President Spencer W. Kimball asked a significant question: “What is our greatest potential? Is it not to achieve godhood ourselves? And what are the qualities we must develop to achieve such greatness?” He listed the following guides for today’s woman in the Church: (1) to gain intelligence, light, and knowledge; (2) to develop leadership; (3) to extend, exemplify, and teach in compassion and love (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 498).

President Brigham Young consistently encouraged the women of the Church to maintain a high level of competence and resourcefulness both in and outside the home. Speaking of women, he wrote:

I would not have them neglect to learn music and would encourage them to read history and the scriptures, to take up a newspaper, geography, and other publications, and make themselves acquainted with the manners and customs of distant kingdoms and nations, with their laws, religion, geographical location on the face of the world, their climate, national productions, the extent of their commerce, and the nature of their political organization; in fine, let our boys and girls be thoroughly instructed in every useful branch of physical and mental education (JD, 9:188-89).

Camilla Kimball, wife of President Spencer W. Kimball, counseled every girl and woman to “qualify in two vocations—that of homemaking, and that of preparing a living outside the home, if and when the occasion requires. A married woman may become a widow without warning. . . . Thus a woman may be under the necessity of earning her own living and helping to support her dependent children” (“A Woman’s Preparation,” Ensign, March 1977, 59). The Lord counseled Emma Smith to “be given to writing, and to learning much” (D&C 25:8). Education for the woman has been encouraged not only for her own fulfillment and achievement but also for its value in helping her make the home a place of learning and refinement for her children.

To restrict, hamper, thwart, contain, or stunt the development of woman’s education and talents is contrary to the most basic gospel concepts. LDS women are found in societal roles as physicians, lawyers, professors, administrators, teachers, writers, secretaries, artists, businesswomen, and homemakers. But there are guiding principles that apply. Each woman is asked to make career decisions after considering carefully the effects on her family. An education does open possibilities of career choices, but her first priority is her children. The Church does not oppose women working outside the home per se, and recognizes the contributions they make in government, professions, business, and in creative fields. Elder Marvin J. Ashton counseled that “a woman should feel free to go into the marketplace and into community service on a paid or volunteer basis if she so desires when her home and family circumstances allow her to do so without impairment to them” (“Woman’s Role in the Community,” Woman, 93).

Woman has proven herself strong. While the man may possess more physical strength, man has no corner on strength of character, resolve, and determination. A illustrative story is told of a pioneer wagon about to descend the famous “Hole-in-the- Rock” passage to the Colorado River. Joseph Stanford Smith had been below helping earlier wagons cross the river. Climbing back up the rugged ascent, he found his own wagon, his wife, Arabella, their baby, and three other children waiting. They had to descend alone, without men and ropes behind to slow their descent of a forty-fivedegree grade strewn with boulders. The husband hesitated, saying, “I’m afraid we can’t make it.” His courageous wife, her small babe wrapped securely in the back of the wagon, replied, “But we’ve got to make it.” She and an old horse held the vehicle from behind. Thrown to the ground, dragged to the bottom of the gorge, her flesh torn, Arabella was undaunted. And thus the wagon made its hazardous descent and crossed the river (David E. Miller, Hole-in-the-Rock: An Epic in the Colonization of the American West, University of Utah Press, 1959, 111-15).

#Equality of man and woman.

The companionship role is the one most often associated with women in and out of the Church: “Adam began to till the earth,” and “Eve, also, his wife, did labor with him” (Moses 5:1).

We have determined that the eternal companionship of man and woman is vital. But what exactly will be the nature of this companionship in the eternities? President Spencer W. Kimball pointed out that women are “full partners” with men (“Privileges and Responsibilities of Sisters,” New Era, January 1979, 42). Underlying the companionship role is the inherent equality of men and women. The Church insists on the absolute spiritual equality of women and men, proclaiming “all are alike unto God, both “black and white, bond and free, male and female” (2 Nephi 26:33; Galatians 3:28). This equality is also suggested by the creation account: “In the image of his own body, male and female, created he them, and blessed them” (Moses 6:9). Elder Bruce R. McConkie emphasized the equality of men and women in things of the spirit:

Where spiritual things are concerned, as pertaining to all of the gifts of the Spirit, with reference to the receipt of revelation, the gaining of testimonies, and the seeing of visions, in all matters that pertain to godliness and holiness and which are brought to pass as a result of personal righteousness—in all these things men and women stand in the position of . . . equality before the Lord (“Our Sisters from the Beginning,”Ensign, January 1979, 61).

Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught why there must never be any rancor between the man and the woman regarding their separate roles:

We men know the women of God as wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, associates, and friends. You seem to tame us and to gentle us, and yes, to teach us and to inspire us. For you, we have admiration as well as affection, because righteousness is not a matter of role, nor goodness a matter of gender. In the work of the kingdom, men and women are not without each other, but do not envy each other, lest by reversals and renunciations of role we make a wasteland of both womanhood and manhood (“The Women of God,” Woman, 94).

During the Savior’s earthly ministry he openly rejected cultural proscriptions that relegated women to an inferior spiritual and political status. He recognized women’s spirits and intellects; he taught them directly (Luke 10:38-42). He identified himself as the Messiah to a woman, the first such affirmation recorded in the New Testament (John 4:26). He healed women (Matthew 15:22-28), and he raised a woman from the dead (Luke 8:49-56). After his resurrection, he appeared first to a woman, whom he asked to tell his apostles of the glorious event (John 20:11-18).

The woman is hence the full partner or “helpmeet” (also rendered “help meet”) of the man (Moses 3:18). The word helpmeet implies equality. A creator god is not a man alone, but rather the combination or coequal partnership of a man and woman eternally sealed and exalted together.

A vital interdependence will exist between the two in eternity. The apostle Paul declared: “Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:11). A graphic and dramatic example of this interdependence of man and woman is found in the early culture of the Eskimo. While the woman was dependent upon the man as fisher and hunter for food, fur, clothing, and fuel, the man was utterly dependent upon the woman’s learning and skill in producing the warm gloves and the life-preserving inner and outer garments that made the hunt possible in sub-zero Arctic temperatures.

Prior to presiding over a mission in England between 2000 and 2003, I recall my wife and I being counseled that, unlike the bishop or stake president, the mission president is to fully include his wife in all issues in the mission. This allowed me to benefit from her counsel even in some of the troublesome and problematic personal problems of the missionaries during those years. I’ve wondered many times if a female companion in the eternities might function similarly.

It is true that the man has the priesthood which includes a calling from the Lord to preside. Elder John A. Widtsoe explained the consequent relationship with the wife of the priesthood holder:

By divine fiat, the Priesthood is conferred on the men. This means that organization must prevail in the family, the ultimate unit of the Church. The husband, the Priesthood bearer, presides over the family; the Priesthood conferred upon him is intended for the blessing of the whole family. Every member shares in the gift bestowed, but under a proper organization. No man who understands the gospel believes that he is greater than his wife, or more beloved of the Lord, because he holds the Priesthood, but rather that he is under the responsibility of speaking and acting for the family in official matters. It is a protection to the woman who, because of her motherhood, is under a large physical and spiritual obligation. Motherhood is an eternal part of the Priesthood (Evidences and Reconciliations, 307-8).

Why was the father chosen to hold the priesthood and to preside? Elder Neal A. Maxwell wrote:

We know so little about the reasons for the division of duties between womanhood and manhood as well as between motherhood and priesthood. These were divinely determined in another time and another place. We are accustomed to focusing on the men of God because theirs is the priesthood and leadership line. But paralleling that authority line is a stream of righteous influence reflecting the remarkable women of God who have existed in all ages and dispensations, including our own. Greatness is not measured by coverage in column inches, either in newspapers or in the scriptures. Therefore, the story of the women of God is, for now, an untold drama within a drama (“The Women of God,” Woman, 94).

The woman as creator. No one can doubt the sensitivity and creativity of the woman in the Lord’s kingdom. And what of the creation of the universe? Were women involved? Of course.

#Woman as Mother

Eternal mother. It is logical to conclude that some of the most important eternal activities for both men and women center on the creation and maintenance of eternal family relationships. We know the woman can become a god—an integral part of a creator-god relationship with her eternal male companion. But, what does she actually do in her role as eternal Mother? As we continue, let us stay alert to what possible specific roles the woman may play in the lives of members of her eternal family—her spouse and her eternal progeny.

In 1909 the First Presidency, under Joseph F. Smith, issued a statement on the origin of man: “Man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father,” as an “offspring of celestial parentage.” Further, “All men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity” (James R. Clark, ed., Messages of the First Presidency, 6 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1970], 4:203). All humankind are literal spirit offspring of God the Father and God the Mother. Parenthood requires both father and mother, whether for the creation of spirits in the premortal life or of physical tabernacles on earth.

As early as 1839, the prophet Joseph taught the concept of an eternal mother. Out of his teaching came a hymn that Latter-day Saints learn, sing, quote, and cherish: “O My Father,” by Eliza R. Snow. President Wilford Woodruff called it a “revelation” (The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, ed. G. Homer Durham. Salt Lake City, 1968, 62):

In the heav’ns are parents single?

No, the thought makes reason stare!

Truth is reason; truth eternal

Tells me I’ve a mother there.

When I leave this frail existence,

When I lay this mortal by,

Father, Mother, may I meet you

In your royal courts on high? (Hymn no. 292).

As noted previously, we know nothing of the actual nature of the spirit birth process.

Mortal mother. President David O. McKay provided poignant emphasis to earthly mother’s vital role:

Motherhood is the greatest potential influence either for good or ill in human life. The mother’s image is the first that stamps itself on the unwritten page of the young child’s mind. Is her caress that first awakens a sense of security; her kiss, the first realization of affection; her sympathy and tenderness, the first assurance that there is love in the world. . . . This ability and willingness . . . to rear children . . . make motherhood the noblest office or calling in the world. . . . She who rears successfully a family of healthy, beautiful sons and daughters . . . deserves the highest honor that man can give, and the choicest blessings of God (Gospel Ideals, Salt Lake City, 1953, 452-54).

President Spencer W. Kimball added his emphasis to the vital nature of motherhood: “Mothers have a sacred role. They are partners with God. . . . [He] has placed women at the very headwaters of the human stream” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, Salt Lake City, 1982, 326-37).

President Kimball illustrated one vital role of mother with a personal experience:

At a distant conference, my plane brought me to the city many hours early. The stake president met me at the airport and took me to his home. Having important work to do, he excused himself and returned to his work. With the freedom of the house, I spread my papers on the kitchen table and began my work. His wife was upstairs sewing. In midafternoon, there came an abrupt entry through the front door and a little fellow came running in, surprised to see me. We became friends; then he ran through the rooms calling, “Mother.” She answered from upstairs, “What is it, darling?” and his answer was, “Oh, nothing.” He went out to play.

A little later another boy came in the front door calling, “Mother, Mother.” He put his school books on the table and explored the house until the reassuring answer came from upstairs again, “Here I am, darling,” and the second one was satisfied and said, “Okay,” and went to play. Another half hour and the door opened again and a young teenager moved in, dropped her books, and called, “Mother.” And the answer from upstairs, “Yes, darling,” seemed to satisfy and the young girl began practicing her music lesson.

Still another voice later called, “Mother,” as she unloaded her high school books. And again the sweet answer from upstairs, “I am up here sewing, darling,” seemed to reassure her. She tripped up the stairs to tell her mother the happenings of the day. Home! Mother! Security! Just to know Mother was home. All was well (Faith Precedes the Miracle, 117-

18).

Elder David B. Haight provided a delightful summary of some of the details of the mortal mother’s daily life. He obviously had his own mortal mother in mind. Her husband died when Elder Haight was only nine years old, and the full responsibility of rearing her family fell upon her:

Since the dawn of creation no aspect of woman’s life compares with her divine appointment to be the vessel for the physical birth of a child who has been nurtured within her. The role of mother is actually made up of countless smaller roles that, throughout the course of her days, she must assume.

Mother is a very versatile individual. She is a trusted confidant who may also call us to repent, a builder of character who also repairs broken toys, a healer of wounds who relies as much on kisses as on medicines, a chauffeur who may be delayed until she finishes mending our clothes, an economist who lovingly and skillfully prepares what she buys, a homemaker who teaches the most enduring spiritual lessons, a teacher who enjoys play periods along with her child, a friend who is also our most dedicated servant.

More than any other individual, she occupies the center position in her child’s existence. Mother is usually the first person a child sees in the morning and the last to tuck him in at night. She is the one who tenderly kisses away the hurt or cheerfully encourages him on to success.

It is mother who creates an atmosphere of love and contentment in the home. She helps build spirituality in the home. Her attitudes become those of her children. Home is not just a building—it is a spirit and an attitude. Home needs to be a place where the child feels protected and sheltered from the cares of the world, where he can go to be reassured and loved. Mother, through her many virtues, can make of a house a home (“Woman as Mother,” Woman, 14-15).

Elder Haight related the story of a six-year-old who got lost in a grocery store. He began to call “Martha, Martha.” When the mother was found she said: “Honey, you should not call me Martha, I am ‘Mother’ to you.” The child responded, “Yes, I know, but the store was full of mothers, and I wanted mine” (Ibid., 19).

One cannot doubt the Lord’s watchful and respectful regard for the woman. He has entrusted woman with primary role in nurturing and teaching his spirit children. In his Church, he is also unmistakably resolute about our obligation to the widow.

Perhaps the mother’s most vital role is that of teacher. Elder Rex D. Pinegar described the initial teaching responsibility of the mother:

Psychologists say our first teacher is our physical environment. A child learns what his environment teaches. Though there are innumerable kinds of environments, in a significant way it is the woman who creates the particular environment into which we are born. It is she who teaches us how to interact with our environment in a manner that can bring us happiness and growth. Because the natural physical environment does not allow for the differences in her children, the mother interacts with it and with each child to bring about a positive experience. Women have the seemingly innate ability to turn the harshness of our earthly existence into a world filled with softness, beauty and tenderness. It is this influence upon our environment that brings evidence of heaven to earth (“Woman as a Teacher,” Woman, 22).

Elder Maxwell added:

A widow with her mite taught us how to tithe. An impoverished and starving widow with her hungry son taught us how to share, as she gave her meal and oil to Elijah. The divine maternal instincts of an Egyptian woman retrieved Moses from the bulrushes, thereby shaping history and demonstrating how a baby is a blessing—not a burden. . . . Does it not tell us much about the intrinsic intelligence of women to read of the crucifixion scene at Calvary? “And many women were there beholding afar off” (Matthew 27:55). Their presence was a prayer; their lingering was like a litany (“The Women of God,” Woman, 95).

Hers is the responsibility of awakening the intellect in her child and then opening the door to many avenues of learning. Under her influence the child can learn to associate learning with maternal love, an obviously beneficial association. She teaches the power of discernment—the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood—and a love for truth. It is interesting to ponder Mary’s early teaching of the Christ child. Is it not reasonable to suppose it was she who first taught him of his divine birth and mission?

The ultimate goal for the mother’s teaching is to prepare her children to return to their celestial home. Obviously the personal and sociological significance of the mother’s role is immense. Can we expect the woman’s role to be less for those who give birth to spirit children in the eternities? And in the lives of those of her children who have been tried in mortality and have been resurrected and returned to her, can we doubt that there are other magnificent and vital influences she may yet have upon them? Can anyone doubt that mother’s role will be as vital then as it is now?

The First Presidency declared: “Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels” (CR, October 1942, 12-13).

What of the woman who, in mortality, never has the opportunity to bear children? What will become of her? Brigham Young counseled:

Many of the sisters grieve because they are not blessed with offspring. You will see the time when you will have millions of children around you. If you are faithful to your covenants you will be mothers of nations . . . and when you have assisted in peopling one earth, there are millions of earths still in the course of creation. And when they have endured a thousand million times longer than this earth, it is only as it were the beginning of your creations. Be faithful, and if you are not blest with children in this time, you will be hereafter (JD, 8:208.)

Surely this same principle applies to those who die never having married. God loves the single and childless woman individually and infinitely. God will never withhold a righteous woman from receiving all the wholesome desires of her heart. If she desires to participate in the process of creation in eternity, in the justice of God she will have that opportunity. President Spencer W. Kimball taught:

Insofar as eternity is concerned . . . no soul will be deprived of rich, eternal blessings for [reasons] which that person could not help . . . the Lord never fails in his promises and . . . every righteous woman will receive eventually all to which she is entitled which she has not forfeited through [a] fault of her own (Special Interest Fireside, December 29, 1974).

#Conclusion

In the parable of the talents, the Lord taught a most interesting lesson that may well apply to the woman. He said, “Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things” (Matthew 25:21). For the woman who learns her role as a woman here in the school of mortality, just imagine the exciting responsibilities that await her in the eternity ahead.

I will allow Elder Maxwell to conclude our discussion:

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? When the surf of the centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand, the everlasting family will still be standing, because it is a celestial institution, formed outside telestial time. The women of God know this (“The Women of God,” Woman, 95).

1 For a discussion of the nature of our essence or intelligence, see “Intelligence or Intelligences” in volume 1, chapter 3, The Creation.

2 See also “Gender” in chapter 28, The Doctrine of the Family.

3 See “Other Uses of the Term ‘Gifts’” in volume 1, chapter 6, Spiritual Growth—Gifts of the Spirit.