September 6, 2010

I want to start studying what the Lord expects from His daughters as wives and mothers. So to begin, I am turning to the most recent talks from the General Relief Society meeting in October 2009. The talk I'm reading tonight is by Julie B. Beck called Relief Society: A Sacred Work. She lists three purposes of Relief Society that help prepare women for the blessings of eternal life: "1- Increase their faith and personal righteousness. 2- Strengthen their families and homes. 3- Serve the Lord and His children." From this talk, these are the expectations I believe the Lord has for His daughters:

• Apply principles of provident living
• Apply principles of spiritual self-reliance
• Apply principles of temporal self-reliance
• Teach each other
• Serve together
• Nurture and care for children
• Homemaking: making the home a center of spiritual strength
• Visiting teaching - love, know, serve, understand, teach, and minister in the Lord's behalf
• Watch over and strengthen at least one other sister in the ward
• Be the Lord's hands and heart to those in need
• Increase faith and personal righteousness
• Strengthen families and homes

This has given me more to think about and desire to study, especially in relation to applying principles of provident living, spiritual self reliance and temporal self reliance. I especially am interested in exactly what the gospel definition of those are, especially temporal self-reliance.