The Worth of Souls

As I have been teaching I worry about children a lot. I worry about my siblings. I worry about extended family. I worry about my friends. I worry about acquaintances. I worry about my future. I am a worrier.

I have been thinking about the choices others (and I) make quite a bit. Although I am far from perfect, I feel that I have SO many good things going for me and overall am happy with the choices I've made and the direction I am going. There are many things I would like to improve on, but that is what life is about-learning, growing, and changing. I have so many supportive people in my life and knowledge that helps me know, despite all of the worrying, that everything will be okay and that I can continue to do better and become better.

Lately I have worried a lot about women and their self-worth. As a woman I understand what it is like to constantly be at a battle with myself. I feel like one of the adversaries best tactics is to go after a woman's self worth. I love the talk Elder Holland gave to young women in General Conference 2005. In it he reminds us of some very important things.

First of all, I want you to be proud you are a woman. I want you to feel the reality of what that means, to know who you truly are. You are literally a spirit daughter of heavenly parents with a divine nature and an eternal destiny. That surpassing truth should be fixed deep in your soul and be fundamental to every decision you make as you grow into mature womanhood. There could never be a greater authentication of your dignity, your worth, your privileges, and your promise. Your Father in Heaven knows your name and knows your circumstance. He hears your prayers. He knows your hopes and dreams, including your fears and frustrations. And He knows what you can become through faith in Him. Because of this divine heritage you, along with all of your spiritual sisters and brothers, have full equality in His sight and are empowered through obedience to become a rightful heir in His eternal kingdom, an “[heir] of God, and joint-[heir] with Christ.”Seek to comprehend the significance of these doctrines.

I love this doctrine and know that it is true. No matter what you have done, what you have gone through, you are a son or daughter of God. You are of great value to Him. He knows what you can be. I am literally a spirit daughter of heavenly parents with a divine nature and an eternal destiny. I hope that this amazing truth really is at the heart of the decisions I am making.

I think if all of us really had this fixed in our soul and at the heart of our decision making, people like me would have to try harder to find things to worry about.