Countdown to May 1- Post 2/5

On the article: Wet Cement and Real Womanhood by Hillary Olsen
"Don't get stuck in the ways of the world."


This article speaks on examples of what girls, young women, and women should really seek after, not what the world says they should. The Lord loves us as His precious daughters and wants us to live virtuously, with guidance from our church leaders.
As a daughter of God, we should aspire to:

1. Develop Talents
• pursue your goals and learn the skills you wish for
• pursue worthy hobbies that help you grow and serve
• your unique gifts, talents, and desires are meant for you to be a part of His work
• "You may think you don't have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all gave talents and gifts, every one of us." - Dieter F. Uchtdorf
• follow the voice of the Spirit in deciding what to pursue among all your options
• the Lord knows better than anyone what you are capable of and how He needs you to serve
• this will lead to you reaching your potential and finding joy in womanhood
2. Discovering True Beauty
• Heavenly Father wants you to aspire to have a true, inner beauty of your own that shines brightly
• it's important to look your best as a representative of Christ, take care of your body, and be healthy
• it's OK to wear makeup in moderation to enhance natural beauty
• the Lord wants you to focus on the genuine beauty inside you and let it shine
• "No amount of eye shadow, lipstick, or mascara could possibly compete with the natural attractiveness of a genuine smile. It brightens the room. It cheers others. It communicates friendship, love, and optimism so much more than any other cosmetic ever could."          - Lynn G. Robbins 
• "It is spiritual attractiveness. Deep beauty springs from virtue. It is the beauty of being chaste and morally clean. It is the kind of beauty that you see in the eyes of virtuous women... It is a beauty that is earned through faith, repentance, and honoring covenants."  - Elaine S. Dalton
• As you focus on living a clean and virtuous life, you'll let your inner beauty shine.
3. Embracing Motherhood
• mothers are SO important to the Lord's plan
• Nothing can "exceed the ultimate rewards of family," and "there is not a higher good than motherhood... in marriage." - D. Todd Christofferson
• the Lord has prepared you to make the courageous choice to be a mother
• He has placed within you "divine qualities of strength, virtue, love, and the willingness to sacrifice to raise future generations of His spirit children." - Quentin L. Cook
• you will be blessed for raising children
• All around you are people who need your love and leadership. 
• You can use the divine characteristics the Lord has given you as a nurturer to bless those around you. Seek now to develop those qualities. They will give you opportunities to bless those around you in a powerful, loving way and to prepare to one day be a mother.
4. Focusing on Eternal Goals
• The eternal goals we were specifically sent to earth with are learning to have faith, following the Savior's example, and receiving necessary ordinances. All of these things will help us return to our Father's presence.
• important to remember our eternal goals and not be distracted
• "In all that you do, stay focused on the temple. In the temple you will receive the greatest of all the Lord's blessings, including marriage for time and all eternity."                            - For the Strength of Youth
• focus on your eternal goals of being worthy to enter the temple, making and keeping covenants, and becoming more like the Savior

"A woman's abiding trust in God and unfailing devotion to things of the Spirit have always been an anchor when the wind and the waves of life were fiercest." - Jeffrey R. Holland
"Following the counsel of Church leaders and focusing on the right goals will help you become the woman of God the Lord wants you to be." - Hillary Olsen
"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies." - Proverbs 31:10


I bear my testimony that if you embrace your unique characteristics and heed the counsel of the Spirit and the gospel, you will be blessed in all aspects of life. Christ is with you and wants you to let your light shine before others and use your talents to serve others and bring them to the true gospel. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.