“And at the creation of man and woman, unity for them in marriage was not given as hope, it was a command.” (President Henry B. Eyering in his talk, “That We May Be One” in April 1998 General Conference) He goes on to say that, “Our Heavenly Father wants our hearts to be knit together. That union in love is not simply an ideal. It is a necessity.” I’m so grateful for this promise and commandment. In today’s world, so many people are worried about what is equal and want everyone to be the same. I’m so thankful for The Family: A Proclamation to the World that states, “ALL HUMAN BEINGS—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.” “By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.” Men and women are created equal and are both created in the image of our Heavenly Father. However, our roles are meant to be different and that’s wonderful. Men and women have different strengths and talents that are divine gifts from our Father in Heaven. In his book, “Counseling With our Councils,” Elder M. Russell Ballard states that, “Even though men and women are equal before God in their eternal opportunities, they do have different duties in His eternal plan-and yet these differing roles and duties are equally significant.”

Women are essential to the building of the Kingdom of God. We are important and we are needed. We have a job to do and we must put our shoulders to the wheel and do all we can to help proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and administer to those in need.