While the father is the leader in the home, “his wife is his most important companion, partner, and counselor” (Family Guidebook [1999], 2). A husband and wife must work together to strengthen their family and teach their children the principles of the gospel. By fulfilling her role as counselor to her husband, a woman can reinforce her husband’s position as head of the home and encourage greater family unity.
We also honor the priesthood when we treat our husbands with the same gentleness, kindness, and love they should maintain as bearers of the priesthood. The Prophet Joseph Smith counseled the Relief Society to “teach women how to behave towards their husbands, to treat them with mildness and affection. When a man is borne down with trouble, when he is perplexed with care and difficulty, if he can meet a smile instead of an argument or a murmur—if he can meet with mildness, it will calm down his soul and soothe his feelings; when the mind is going to despair, it needs a solace of affection and kindness” (History of the Church, 4:606–7).
As women in the Church, we can have great influence on the priesthood holders in our home. We can support and encourage our husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons in fulfilling their priesthood responsibilities. If we request a blessing and then honor that blessing, we communicate our support of the priesthood. We can also strengthen the priesthood bearers in our home by including them in our prayers. The Prophet Joseph Smith counseled women of the Church to “concentrate their faith and prayers for, and place confidence in their husbands; … that we should arm and sustain them with our prayers” (History of the Church, 4:604–5).
We must work continually to perfect our own characters and fulfill our responsibilities. We may also need to encourage and gently remind priesthood holders in our home to honor and magnify their priesthood callings. Young women as well as mothers can do much to encourage young men to attend their meetings and prepare to serve missions. Elder David B. Haight said: “You young ladies have a profound influence on young, masculine behavior. … Your influence with young men is important. You encourage Church standards and dress and conduct” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1977, 85; or Ensign, Nov. 1977, 56–57).
When a wife has a positive attitude about her husband’s duties in the Church, it makes it easier for him to carry out those duties. Her attitude also communicates to their children that having the priesthood in the home is a great blessing.
Just as a righteous woman can exert much influence for good by sustaining the priesthood bearers in her own home, she can also strengthen the Church when she supports the leaders in her branch or ward and district or stake. We support our leaders when we accept Church callings willingly and fulfill them faithfully, realizing that a call from the priesthood is a call from the Lord. We can honor the counsel of priesthood leaders—our husbands, home teachers, bishops or branch presidents, stake or district leaders, and General Authorities. We should refrain from criticizing priesthood leaders and teach our children to do the same. Sustaining and supporting the priesthood is more than just raising our hands or saying that we support the priesthood. It is learning, praying, obeying, and serving in a good cause.
The Lord has provided priesthood leaders to set the course to follow, under the Lord’s direction. Our responsibility, then, is to listen and heed righteous counsel as though it were from the Lord. “And whatsoever they [priesthood leaders] shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be … the will of the Lord, … the mind of the Lord, … the word of the Lord, … and the power of God unto salvation” (D&C 68:4).
*We can dress modestly to help our sons and husbands maintain pure thoughts.
Genesis 24: 64-65 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. For she had said unto her servant, what man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a veil, and covered herself.
Rebekah showed him respect by conforming to the code of modesty of her day. We can do the same.
*We can speak kind, encouraging, and building words instead of finding fault with our sons and husbands.
Ephesians 4:29, 32 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Lesson 13: Women and the Priesthood
ReplyDeletehttps://www.lds.org/manual/the-latter-day-saint-woman-basic-manual-for-women-part-a/women-in-the-church/lesson-13-women-and-the-priesthood?lang=eng
While the father is the leader in the home, “his wife is his most important companion, partner, and counselor” (Family Guidebook [1999], 2). A husband and wife must work together to strengthen their family and teach their children the principles of the gospel. By fulfilling her role as counselor to her husband, a woman can reinforce her husband’s position as head of the home and encourage greater family unity.
We also honor the priesthood when we treat our husbands with the same gentleness, kindness, and love they should maintain as bearers of the priesthood. The Prophet Joseph Smith counseled the Relief Society to “teach women how to behave towards their husbands, to treat them with mildness and affection. When a man is borne down with trouble, when he is perplexed with care and difficulty, if he can meet a smile instead of an argument or a murmur—if he can meet with mildness, it will calm down his soul and soothe his feelings; when the mind is going to despair, it needs a solace of affection and kindness” (History of the Church, 4:606–7).
As women in the Church, we can have great influence on the priesthood holders in our home. We can support and encourage our husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons in fulfilling their priesthood responsibilities. If we request a blessing and then honor that blessing, we communicate our support of the priesthood. We can also strengthen the priesthood bearers in our home by including them in our prayers. The Prophet Joseph Smith counseled women of the Church to “concentrate their faith and prayers for, and place confidence in their husbands; … that we should arm and sustain them with our prayers” (History of the Church, 4:604–5).
We must work continually to perfect our own characters and fulfill our responsibilities. We may also need to encourage and gently remind priesthood holders in our home to honor and magnify their priesthood callings. Young women as well as mothers can do much to encourage young men to attend their meetings and prepare to serve missions. Elder David B. Haight said: “You young ladies have a profound influence on young, masculine behavior. … Your influence with young men is important. You encourage Church standards and dress and conduct” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1977, 85; or Ensign, Nov. 1977, 56–57).
When a wife has a positive attitude about her husband’s duties in the Church, it makes it easier for him to carry out those duties. Her attitude also communicates to their children that having the priesthood in the home is a great blessing.
Just as a righteous woman can exert much influence for good by sustaining the priesthood bearers in her own home, she can also strengthen the Church when she supports the leaders in her branch or ward and district or stake. We support our leaders when we accept Church callings willingly and fulfill them faithfully, realizing that a call from the priesthood is a call from the Lord. We can honor the counsel of priesthood leaders—our husbands, home teachers, bishops or branch presidents, stake or district leaders, and General Authorities. We should refrain from criticizing priesthood leaders and teach our children to do the same. Sustaining and supporting the priesthood is more than just raising our hands or saying that we support the priesthood. It is learning, praying, obeying, and serving in a good cause.
The Lord has provided priesthood leaders to set the course to follow, under the Lord’s direction. Our responsibility, then, is to listen and heed righteous counsel as though it were from the Lord. “And whatsoever they [priesthood leaders] shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be … the will of the Lord, … the mind of the Lord, … the word of the Lord, … and the power of God unto salvation” (D&C 68:4).
*We can dress modestly to help our sons and husbands maintain pure thoughts.
ReplyDeleteGenesis 24: 64-65
And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
For she had said unto her servant, what man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a veil, and covered herself.
Rebekah showed him respect by conforming to the code of modesty of her day. We can do the same.
*We can speak kind, encouraging, and building words instead of finding fault with our sons and husbands.
Ephesians 4:29, 32
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.