Happy Mothers Day, thank you to all the women that influence this world for the good.

First Presidency Message
 The Influence of Righteous Women

By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Second Counselor in the First Presidency
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The scriptures give us names of several women who have blessed individuals and generations with their spiritual gifts. Eve, the mother of all living; Sarah; Rebekah; Rachel; Martha; Elisabeth; and Mary, the mother of our Savior, will always be honored and remembered. The scriptures also mention women whose names are unknown to us but who bless our lives through their examples and teachings, like the woman of Samaria whom Jesus met at the well of Sychar (see John 4), the ideal wife and mother described in Proverbs 31, and the faithful woman who was made whole just by touching the Savior’s clothes (see Mark 5:25–34).
As we look at the history of this earth and at the history of the restored Church of Jesus Christ, it becomes obvious that women hold a special place in our Father’s plan for the eternal happiness and well-being of His children.
I hope that my dear sisters throughout the world—grandmothers, mothers, aunts, and friends—never underestimate the power of their influence for good, especially in the lives of our precious children and youth!
President Heber J. Grant (1856–1945) said, “Without the devotion and absolute testimony of the living God in the hearts of our mothers, this Church would die.”1 And the writer of Proverbs said, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
President Gordon B. Hinckley counseled the women of the Church:
“It is so tremendously important that the women of the Church stand strong and immovable for that which is correct and proper under the plan of the Lord. …
“We call upon the women of the Church to stand together for righteousness. They must begin in their own homes. They can teach it in their classes. They can voice it in their communities.”2
There is a saying that big gates move on small hinges. Sisters, your example in seemingly small things will make a big difference in the lives of our young people. The way you dress and groom yourselves, the way you talk, the way you pray, the way you testify, the way you live every day will make the difference. This includes which TV shows you watch, which music you prefer, and how you use the Internet. If you love to go to the temple, the young people who value your example will also love to go. If you adapt your wardrobe to the temple garment and not the other way around, they will know what you consider important, and they will learn from you.
You are marvelous sisters and great examples. Our youth are blessed by you, and the Lord loves you for that.

An Example of Faith
Let me share some thoughts about Sister Carmen Reich, my mother-in-law, who was truly an elect lady. She embraced the gospel in a most difficult and dark time of her life, and she liberated herself from grief and sorrow.
As a young woman—a widow and the mother of two young girls—she freed herself from a world of old traditions and moved into a world of great spirituality. She embraced the teachings of the gospel, with its intellectual and spiritual power, on a fast track. When the missionaries gave her the Book of Mormon and invited her to read the verses they had marked, she read the whole book within only a few days. She learned things beyond the understanding of her peers because she learned them by the Spirit of God. She was the humblest of the humble, the wisest of the wise, because she was willing and pure enough to believe when God had spoken.
She was baptized on November 7, 1954. Only a few weeks after her baptism, she was asked by the missionary who baptized her to write her testimony. The missionary wanted to use her testimony in his teaching to help others feel the true spirit of conversion. Fortunately, the missionary kept the handwritten original for more than 40 years, and then he returned it to her as a very special and loving gift.

A Testimony Born of the Spirit
Let me share with you parts of her written testimony. Please keep in mind that she wrote these words only a few weeks after hearing about the gospel. Before the missionaries came, she had never heard anything about the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, or Mormons in general. In 1954 there were no temples outside the continental United States, except in Canada and Hawaii.
This is the English translation of Sister Reich’s handwritten testimony:
“Special characteristics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that are not present in other religious communities include, above all, modern revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith.
“The Book of Mormon in its clear and pure language is next, with all the instructions and promises for the Church of Jesus Christ; it is truly a second witness, together with the Bible, that Jesus Christ lives.
“Bound together by faith in a personal God, that is, God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Ghost, who facilitates prayer and also influences personally.
“Also, faith in the premortal life, the preexistence, the purpose of our earthly life, and our life after death is so valuable for us and especially interesting and informative. It is clearly laid out, and our lives receive new meaning and direction.
“The Church has given us the Word of Wisdom as a guide to keep body and spirit in the most perfect shape possible to realize our desire and goal. So we keep our bodies healthy and improve them. All this from the knowledge that we will take them up again after death in the same form.
“Totally new to me, of course, is temple work with its many sacred ordinances, having families together forever. All this was given through revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith.”
Carmen Reich, my dear mother-in-law, passed away in 2000 at age 83.

A Unique Feminine Identity
The lives of women in the Church are a powerful witness that spiritual gifts, promises, and blessings of the Lord are given to all those who qualify, “that all may be benefited” (D&C 46:9; see verses 9–26). The doctrines of the restored gospel create a wonderful and “unique feminine identity that encourages women to develop their abilities” as true and literal daughters of God.3 Through serving in the Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary organizations—not to mention their private acts of love and service—women have always played and will always play an important part in helping “bring forth and establish the cause of Zion” (D&C 6:6). They care for the poor and the sick; serve proselytizing, welfare, humanitarian, and other missions; teach children, youth, and adults; and contribute to the temporal and spiritual welfare of the Saints in many other ways.
Because their potential for good is so great and their gifts so diverse, women may find themselves in roles that vary with their circumstances in life. Some women, in fact, must fill many roles simultaneously. For this reason, Latter-day Saint women are encouraged to acquire an education and training that will qualify them both for homemaking and raising a righteous family and for earning a living outside the home if the occasion requires.
We are living in a great season for all women in the Church. Sisters, you are an essential part of our Heavenly Father’s plan for eternal happiness; you are endowed with a divine birthright. You are the real builders of nations wherever you live, because strong homes of love and peace will bring security to any nation. I hope you understand that, and I hope the men of the Church understand it too.
What you sisters do today will determine how the principles of the restored gospel can influence the nations of the world tomorrow. It will determine how these heavenly rays of the gospel will light every land in the future.4
Though we often speak of the influence of women on future generations, please do not underestimate the influence you can have today. President David O. McKay (1873–1970) said that the principal reason the Church was organized is “to make life sweet today, to give contentment to the heart today, to bring salvation today. …
“Some of us look forward to a time in the future—salvation and exaltation in the world to come—but today is part of eternity.”5

Blessings beyond Imagining
As you live up to this mission, in whatever life circumstance you find yourself—as a wife, as a mother, as a single mother, as a divorced woman, as a widowed or a single woman—the Lord our God will open up responsibilities and blessings far beyond your ability to imagine.
May I invite you to rise to the great potential within you. But don’t reach beyond your capacity. Don’t set goals beyond your capacity to achieve. Don’t feel guilty or dwell on thoughts of failure. Don’t compare yourself with others. Do the best you can, and the Lord will provide the rest. Have faith and confidence in Him, and you will see miracles happen in your life and the lives of your loved ones. The virtue of your own life will be a light to those who sit in darkness, because you are a living witness of the fulness of the gospel (see D&C 45:28). Wherever you have been planted on this beautiful but often troubled earth of ours, you can be the one to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees” (D&C 81:5).
My dear sisters, as you live your daily life with all its blessings and challenges, let me assure you that the Lord loves you. He knows you. He listens to your prayers, and He answers those prayers, wherever on this world you may be. He wants you to succeed in this life and in eternity.
Brethren, I pray that we as priesthood holders—as husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, and friends of these choice women—may see them as the Lord sees them, as daughters of God with limitless potential to influence the world for good.
In the early days of the Restoration, the Lord spoke to Emma Smith through her husband, the Prophet Joseph Smith, giving her instructions and blessings: “[Be] faithful and walk in the paths of virtue before me. … Thou needest not fear. … Thou shalt lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better. … Lift up thy heart and rejoice. … And a crown of righteousness thou shalt receive” (D&C 25:2, 9, 10, 13, 15).
Of this revelation, the Lord declared, “This is my voice unto all” (verse 16).
Later, the Prophet Joseph Smith told the sisters, “If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates.”6
Of these truths I testify, and I extend to you my love and my blessing as an Apostle of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

True Beauty

"The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It's the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years." - Audrey Hepburn

Today, I feel impressed to write about True Beauty. 

The world tells us to be beautiful we must, dye our hair, wear mascara, lipstick, concealer, eye shadow, get botox here, and lipo there. But I believe true beauty is within. It is the beauty that literally draws people towards you. It is the beauty within a soul that is truly memorable. In my life I have found the greatest key to this inner beauty is Happiness. 

Have you ever met someone who almost seemed to seep the very life out of the room. They almost seem to have a rainy cloud following them around. It can be completely exhausting to around such people. You can try to cheer them up, you can try to lighten their load but for some reason the glass is always half empty. 


While on the other hand, there are the kind of people where there seems to be a rainbow even their soggy cereal. And I don't mean lucky charms. These people can see the positive side of life. Have you noticed how easily you can be drawn to those people? They can cheer you on even your darkest days. I have been blessed to know many of these people. And I can tell you that true beauty shines through their eyes as they see past the trials and see the light at the end of the tunnel. 


Their countenance glows, and that draws others to them. Such a countenance comes from looking outside yourself and from seeing a larger picture. In a talk I read it says, "If happiness is the most attractive accessory a young woman can have, then a smile would have to be the most charming cosmetic..." nothing "could possibly compete with natural attractiveness of a genuine smile."  http://lds.org/new-era/2008/11/true-beauty?lang=eng&query=beauty  Throughout culture, and throughout the world a universal understanding is made through a simple smile. It says hello, how are you, I understand, I care, I am happy, I am your friend, and can say so many other things. 

"Happiness does not depend on what happens outside of you, but what happens inside of you."

Sometimes no matter how hard we try we just don't feel like smiling and sometimes burdens seem too hard to bear. But  no matter the hardships beating down on us, happiness is a choice. We are the masters of our life. A small trial seen with negativity can become a mountain or in a more positive light nothing but a simple bug bite. True beauty is within and it is yours for the taking. 

 

"The Less You Reveal the More People Can Wonder"

A friend shared an article that spoke about Emma Watson standing up for women and standing up for modesty. All around, I see girls in shorts that barely cover their bums and tank tops that hardly seem to leave anything to mystery and I wonder, what does such an appearance say to the world? Does it say, I respect myself and you should too? Or does it give a different feeling? I'm not saying that because someone dresses a certain way it means they are a bad person or don't want respect. They deserve respect in all circumstances. They deserve to be treated with kindess no matter who they are or how they are dressed. But I have found, that those who dress provocative may find boys that only seem to notice their body instead of finding the things that make them unique and special. The funny personality quirks and talents that make them one in a million. By covering up more, we find opportunity to meet the good guys, the ones really interested in us and not what they can get from us. This world is a hard and cruel place for women and often makes us feel like we need to stand out to be noticed but we should not given and subject ourselves to be come things. We have feelings and needs and deserve to be treated like queens. As such, we should care for ourselves, and by all means get dolled up, but we should maintain the sacredness of womanhood that gives us the most beauty. Emma Watson sums it up very well below. 
"I find the whole concept of being ‘sexy’ embarrassing and confusing. If I do an interview with photographs people desperately want to change me – dye my hair blonder, pluck my eyebrows, give me a fringe. Then there’s the choice of clothes. I know everyone wants a picture of me in a mini-skirt. But that’s not me. I feel uncomfortable. I’d never go out in a mini-skirt. It’s nothing to do with protecting the Hermione image. I wouldn’t do that. Personally, I don’t actually think it’s even that sexy. What’s sexy about saying, ‘I’m here with my boobs out and a short skirt, have a look at everything I’ve got?’ My idea of sexy is that less is more. The less you reveal the more people can wonder."

More Precious Than Rubies

I was going to sleep tonight, when the thought came to mind to create a blog that lifts women. A blog that can help them to love themselves and to improve themselves. It breaks my heart when I see the way woman are abused and portrayed in media. I personally know the affects it can have. No matter the love I am given by my parents, friends or even my husband the world beats be down and tells me that I am not good enough. Most of all, I tell myself I am not good enough. I am not skinny enough, pretty enough, smart enough, creative enough, the list could go on and on. What girl hasn't heard the voice in their head demeaning their own worth. Truth is we all have. At times of clarity I have found that all of these things are lies. We are special. We have within ourselves divine qualities of gentleness and empathy that are unique to our gender. We are strong and have within our souls the stirrings of love and kindness. We have a natural gift of motherly love, something so dear a precious that allows us to be the vessels of the purest souls. We are WOMEN. Each of us has beauty, intelligence, and something amazing to offer the world and those around us. This blog I hope can inspire others to love themselves and most of all to find the best inside themselves and allow it to shine for all those around them to see. Each of us as said in Proverbs 31: 10 are more precious than rubies.