I don't know who reads this blog, but I'm asking for a favor. In five weeks I will be graduating from BYU Law School! I am writing my final paper for my Social Policy and Feminist Legal Theory class on the impact of President Hinckley's counsel to young women to get an education. I remember attending the Young Women's general broadcast as a junior in high school when President Hinckley spoke these words:
Find purpose in your life. Choose the things you would like to do, and educate yourselves to be effective in their pursuit. For most it is very difficult to settle on a vocation. You are hopeful that you will marry and that all will be taken care of. In this day and time, a girl needs an education. She needs the means and skills by which to earn a living should she find herself in a situation where it becomes necessary to do so.
Study your options. Pray to the Lord earnestly for direction. Then pursue your course with resolution.
The whole gamut of human endeavor is now open to women. There is not anything that you cannot do if you will set your mind to it. You can include in the dream of the woman you would like to be a picture of one qualified to serve society and make a significant contribution to the world of which she will be a part.
I was in the hospital the other day for a few hours. I became acquainted with my very cheerful and expert nurse. She is the kind of woman of whom you girls could dream. When she was young she decided she wished to be a nurse. She received the necessary education to qualify for the highest rank in the field. She worked at her vocation and became expert at it. She decided she wanted to serve a mission and did so. She married. She has three children. She works now as little or as much as she wishes. There is such a demand for people with her skills that she can do almost anything she pleases. She serves in the Church. She has a good marriage. She has a good life. She is the kind of woman of whom you might dream as you look to the future.
For you, my dear friends, the sky is the limit. You can be excellent in every way. You can be first class. There is no need for you to be a scrub. Respect yourself. Do not feel sorry for yourself. Do not dwell on unkind things others may say about you. Particularly, pay no attention to what some boy might say to demean you. He is no better than you. In fact, he has already belittled himself by his actions. Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for its opportunities, and forever and always be loyal to the Church.
Never forget that you came to earth as a child of the divine Father, with something of divinity in your very makeup. The Lord did not send you here to fail. He did not give you life to waste it. He bestowed upon you the gift of mortality that you might gain experience—positive, wonderful, purposeful experience—that will lead to life eternal. He has given you this glorious Church, His Church, to guide you and direct you, to give you opportunity for growth and experience, to teach you and lead you and encourage you, to bless you with eternal marriage, to seal upon you a covenant between you and Him that will make of you His chosen daughter, one upon whom He may look with love and with a desire to help. May God bless you richly and abundantly, my dear young friends, His wonderful daughters.
Of course there will be some problems along the way. There will be difficulties to overcome. But they will not last forever. He will not forsake you.
Look to the positive. Know that He is watching over you, that He hears your prayers and will answer them, that He loves you and will make that love manifest. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in all that you do as you look to become the kind of woman of whom you dream. You can do it. You will have friends and loved ones to help. And God will bless you as you pursue your course. This, girls, is my humble promise and prayer in your behalf, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
I would love to hear of some of your memories or thoughts about how this counsel may have impacted your life's decisions or just simply your thoughts on women and education. This paper in no way attempts to praise one choice over another. It is simply an attempt to look at the way ideas about women and education have changed and remained the same over the years. I intend to include some interesting information about the founding of the Relief Society and Brigham Young's progressive efforts to educate women and promote education amongst all Latter-Day Saints. I would really, really appreciate any thoughts you would be willing to share. Please feel free to post them as comments or email me at diana.bate [at] gmail [dot] com. I will post the paper here when it is finished or email it to you if you are interested in reading it! Thank you!
P.S. It will be a better paper if I receive honest input, so please do not feel the need to sugar-coat your comments. In order to protect the innocent, I will be happy to change names. :-) So please feel free to post comments anonymously or to email me a code name to refer to you by in my paper. Thanks!
13 comments:
I don't remember that talk, but I love it! In all honesty, if you were a junior in hs, then I was probably already in college. So I wouldn't be of much help. But I'd love to read your paper when you are finished! :)
I was somewhat of a slacker in highschool and do not remember this talk. But, being a "woman of education" (haha, can I say that??) I would love to read what you get and I would love to help in any way that I can. I can't say the talk changed my life when it was given but reading it today makes me feel better about my choices...maybe I'll just email you my thoughts! :)
Thanks for your comments Kendra and Linds! I realized that I don't want to make my request quite so narrow, so please feel free to share any general thoughts you have about women and education! Thanks a million!
Di- I do remember that talk, but also President Hinckley's overarching emphasis on education (for everyone) but girls especially. I remember having conversations with my friends in high school about how important education was and having my friends cite Pres. Hicnkley's teachings as an example. His "Be Smart" idea also really hit home and impacted my ideas about who and what I could become as an LDS young woman. I'll try and think of a more specific experience for you, but generally I would absolutely say this talk, and his ideas in general had a very definite impact on my view of the world and my place in it as a daughter of God. Sounds like a cool paper and class!
Di,
I have memories of this talk given by President Hinckley and it definitely had an impact on me and still does. I will come up with a few thoughts and email it to you soon. I can't wait to read the end result.
I hope you are doing well, good luck in the coming weeks.
I don't believe I was a member yet when that talk was given, but I love it. I have always held education in high regard and have always planned on education and work being a part of my future as well as being a wife and mother. When I joined the church, my parents showed some concern that I would not be able to be an individual and that I would be "tied down to motherhood," somehow assuming that much of my agency would be taken away in the church. This talk is important to me because it defends the truth about women's divine role, and includes education as part of that role.
For me, motherhood is definitely my most important role in this life, but I know that I am only able to be the mother that I am because of the education I receieved (and continue to receive) and the experiences that I have as I work. Each time I take a job, I pray about it to receive guidance that it will be for the betterment of me, my family, and especially my children. I know that my experiences through education and my contract work make me a better mom.
I think it is important for me to keep my divine role in mind as I choose to educate myself and work, but I know that my talents can be used to not only better my children, but myself and others that I work with. I am careful to remember, however, that each of these endeavors should be for a spiritual purpose, and not solely for a selfish one or simply to gain the praise of the world.
I think it's important to keep these things in mind, and I also think it's important for anyone (man or woman) to gain the education that they can for the callings that they will have in this life.
I remember I enjoyed this talk because I was already planning on going to college. I loved that President Hinckley was encouraging women to not just go to school, but to do it well and do our best. I continue to love learning even though I am not currently working in my "field". As a mom, I use skills and knowledge I have gained throughout the years every single day. As you spend time getting advanced degrees, you learn about other things like time management, organization, interaction, and so much more that just specifics in your chosen field. To me, those aspects are just as important for a quality education and may even change a person more for the better.
So excited for you to be almost done!!! You are amazing.
I remember that counsel, but long before that I had decided that it was necessary for me to get a good degree. When my mom and dad divorced when I was 5, my mom became a single mother of 7 children. It was necessary for her to go back to school to get a degree which would be useful to her in supporting her family. Her original degree was in English, but on this second time around she chose nursing. Unlike the woman in the story, my mom cannot work "as little or as much as she wants" because she has to work full time to support her very needy family and the very large expenses that a large family entails. I was always so proud of her for going back to school and doing what was necessary. Sometimes she would take us to classes with her because there was no babysitter. She got A's the whole time.
I knew that when it came time to choose my profession that I would want to pursue something that would have the capability of supporting a family if need be. you never know what life may bring to you in terms of circumstance. Richard's father passed away from cancer when Richard was 11, and the thought has always been in the back of my mind that we are not exempt from such tragedy as well. Even though I am a stay at home mom now, I still volunteer and take on clients from time to time. I keep up my license. I go to CLE's. I do whatever is necessary to keep myself in the legal world so that I can step up and provide.
I love the counsel to get an education. And I don't think it is just so that we can be "smart moms."
I remember that talk too. President Hinckley said we would want to be women like our mothers. I was in junior high and had no desire to be like my mother. I know now that I have a wonderful mother, who instilled in me a love of education before I ever went to school. At that point in my life, I was definitly going to college. Later in life when it came time to decide to go to law school that talk gave me comfort when I took the leap to go to school. I firmly believe that you should do what the Lord wants you to do when the Lord wants you to do it. Having to leave my baby at home makes me wish that I weren't in debt, but I know Heavenly Father wants me to be educated and to finish this degree. It is important for something. I just don't know what it is yet. I have an answer for me, and I don't care what anyone says about my choices.
OMG I forgot to do this! ARGH! I am SO SO SO SO SORRY. Worst friend ever.
But did you hear the talk today about not judging women who choose to work outside the home?? HUGE.
Hey Diana,
I don't know if you are still taking ideas. I don't blog as much as I should. Anyway...If you are, I remember this talk, not when it was given but reading it later. I remember reading it my freshman year of college. My sister has just lost her husband to an automobile accident and was left to take care of their 2 children alone. I remember thinking how important an education was at that point for her because she didn't have one. I saw the struggles it caused financially, physically and mentally. I made it a goal at that point to finish, at least my bachelor degree, at any cost. When I graudated I felt very proud! I may or may not go back to school in the future but know that I can at least get a decent job and support my family if needed becuase of that degree.
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