Last year I shared this truth spoken by Gordon B. Hinckley, former president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and shared it again just yesterday in honor of International Women's Day:
"When the process of creation occurred, Jehovah, the Creator...divided the light from the darkness...then separated the land from the waters. There followed the creation of plant life, followed by the creation of animal life. Then came the creation of man, and culminating that act of divinity came the crowning act, the creation of woman."
God's plan, the very existence of the human race, is impossible without women.
It was a woman, Eve, to understood that God's plan for His children could not come to fruition unless she and Adam ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
It was a woman, both a mother and Pharaoh's daughter, who saved the infant Moses from the same fate as his contemporaries thus resulting in the deliverance of Israel.
It was a woman, Esther, who risked her own life to face a king for her people and saved them.
It was a woman, Mary, who was visited by an angel and told that she would be the one to bring the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the Savior and Redeemer of humankind into the world.
There was a point that Elizabeth and Mary, two women, were the only people on earth who knew that Jesus the Christ was soon to be born into the world.
It was a woman, Anne, who prophesied of Jesus' role in the salvation of humankind in the temple.
It was a woman, Mary Magdalene, who was the first to see the Risen Lord and testified to the world that he lived again.
I think about the women in my life.
My grandmother who broke the cycle of abuse in her family and first found the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and led the way for her family to join the Church.
My mother who also broke the cycle of abuse in her family and recognized the truth and light of the gospel, brought my father back into activity, and subsequently taught her children the gospel.
And then there's the woman whom I regard above all. My sweetheart, Emma.
"When the process of creation occurred, Jehovah, the Creator...divided the light from the darkness...then separated the land from the waters. There followed the creation of plant life, followed by the creation of animal life. Then came the creation of man, and culminating that act of divinity came the crowning act, the creation of woman."
A good friend of mine shared this piece of art that touched me deeply, and I keep is saved on my phone.
It was a woman, Eve, to understood that God's plan for His children could not come to fruition unless she and Adam ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
It was a woman, both a mother and Pharaoh's daughter, who saved the infant Moses from the same fate as his contemporaries thus resulting in the deliverance of Israel.
It was a woman, Esther, who risked her own life to face a king for her people and saved them.
It was a woman, Mary, who was visited by an angel and told that she would be the one to bring the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the Savior and Redeemer of humankind into the world.
There was a point that Elizabeth and Mary, two women, were the only people on earth who knew that Jesus the Christ was soon to be born into the world.
It was a woman, Anne, who prophesied of Jesus' role in the salvation of humankind in the temple.
It was a woman, Mary Magdalene, who was the first to see the Risen Lord and testified to the world that he lived again.
I think about the women in my life.
My grandmother who broke the cycle of abuse in her family and first found the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and led the way for her family to join the Church.
My mother who also broke the cycle of abuse in her family and recognized the truth and light of the gospel, brought my father back into activity, and subsequently taught her children the gospel.
And then there's the woman whom I regard above all. My sweetheart, Emma.
There are no words good enough to describe Emma. She has overcome insurmountable odds starting from a young age. She is the epitome of what a woman is. Strong, unbreakable, unyielding, inexhaustible, intelligent, long-suffering, an advocate for the marginalized and downtrodden, fiercely loyal to those she loves, willing to sacrifice absolutely everything for her family, unafraid to face the criticisms of the world, a nurturer of the next generation, and a warrior for love and tolerance. There is nothing she can't do.
She is Eve, the daughter of Pharaoh, Esther, Mary, Elizabeth, Anne, and Mary Magdalene.
In other words, she is a Queen.
She is my Queen.
She has done more for me second only to the Savior in making me the man, father, disciple, and friend that I am today.
It is women who have and continue to save this world. I believe that it is women that God turns to in time of great need to stem the evils of the adversary and the tyranny of men. I believe a day will come when the veil will be lifted from our eyes and we will see that most of the greatest, highest honored individuals in God's kingdom will be women.
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