Inspired

I hate giving "leader's instruction" lessons.  Actually, I hate giving lessons in RS, period.  It scares me.  It scares me even more when I've got to do the whole "inspiration" thing and come up with a topic.

 

Always an answer to prayer, Tia Jen saved the day with her writings.  Tia's blogging last month inspired me (see here:elpasorepresentyo: Happy July. )  I began searching out talks that focused on the divinity of women.  Sifting through INCREDIBLY AWESOME talks was no easy feat.  The VERY abbreviated list:

 

The Joy of Womanhood 

 http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/2000.htm/ensign november 2000.htm/the joy of womanhood.htm 

 

Are We Not All Mothers

     http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/2001.htm/ensign november 2001.htm/are we not all mothers.htm

 

Live Up to Your Inheritance

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1983.htm/ensign november 1983 .htm/live up to your inheritance.htm

 

How Can I Become the Woman of Whom I Dream?

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/2001.htm/ensign may 2001.htm/how can i become the woman of whom i dre..

 

Rise to the Stature of the Divine Within You

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1989.htm/ensign november 1989.htm/rise to the stature of the divine w..

 

What It Means to be A Daughter of God

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1999.htm/ensign november 1999.htm/what it means to be a daughter of g..

 

 

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/2002.htm/ensign january 2002.htm/visiting teaching message understand..

 

 

I truly urge you to take a sec and read through all of these!!  Some are really quite short, and well worth the read!

 

 

 

Anyhow.... I wound up narrowing in on this one: 

 

If Thou Art Faithful

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Liahona/1992.htm/tambuli march 1992 .htm/first presidency message if thou ar..

 

At first this talk didn't seem to capture what I was "going for".  But it kept coming back as the one to focus on, so I delved deeper and really fell in love with this talk and it's message.

 

I love the question that is posed at the beginning of this talk.  "What does God expect of me?"  How many times have I asked this very question??!  Especially on a particularly crummy day. 

 

What does God expect of me???????  Wouldn't we ALL like to know?!??!?!?!

  

Thanks to modern revelation given through the prophet Joseph Smith to Emma and also to ALL of us women, we can find the answer to this question in the 25th section of the Doctrine & Covenants!  President Hinckley breaks it down in this talk and expounds upon this revelation in a way that only a prophet of the Lord can.  One of my favorite quotes from this talk : " No woman can afford to demean herself, to belittle herself, to downgrade her abilities or her capacities." -Pres. Hinckley

 

If anything, the talk inspired GREAT comments and discussion during the lesson.  It reminded me to keep turning to the Lord for the help that I need.  It reminded me that I am glad I have Tia in my life.   I am grateful for Tia and her ability to constantly look inward, evaluate and improve herself.  She inspires me.  I am grateful for an incredible mother and amazing sisters.  They are important women in my life who provide the support and love that is necessary for me to keep striving to find the divinity within.