As I considered the wonderful women of the Church, particularly in my family and our ward family, I am deeply grateful for their faith and courage as a beacon of love, life, and light. Although we often note that the highest blessings of the temple are made available through the power of the priesthood, some may forget to recognize the essential role of these beautiful women in bringing forth these blessings.
At the August 2013 Campus Education Week at BYU, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of Twelve taught “The power of a converted woman’s voice is immeasurable… A woman’s sphere of influence is a unique sphere, one that cannot be duplicated by men… In our Heavenly Father’s great priesthood-endowed plan… a man cannot fully exercise the power of the priesthood to establish an eternal family without a woman. In the eternal perspective, both the procreative power and the priesthood power are shared by a husband and wife… The endowment is literally a gift of power. All who enter the house of the Lord officiate in the ordinances of the priesthood. This applies to men and women alike…” (BYU Campus Education Week, Aug. 2013).
In speaking to the women of the Church, President Gordon B. Hinckley said “you are an absolutely essential part of the plan. Without you the plan could not function. Without you the entire program would be frustrated… the crowning act [of creation was] the creation of woman. Each of you is a daughter of God, endowed with a divine birthright.” (CR, Oct. 1996)
Although priesthood authority may be conferred upon the men, the full measure of priesthood power and temple blessings does not exist without the faithful women of the Church. Your influence in the home, in the Church, and in your community is far reaching and extends throughout the eternities. May you seek refuge in the House of the Lord, draw often from the power that is found therein, and remember your divinely appointed role that allows the blessings of the temple to be extended to all men, women, and children on both sides of the veil. To the women, young women, and girls in my family, our ward family, and the Church, may you remember that you are magnificent and of infinite worth! To the men, young men, and boys in my family, our ward family, and the Church, may we remember to always honor and respect these beautiful daughters of our Eternal Father.
By: Brother P.N. Felipe Chou