President James E. Faust
“Before we were born, male and female, we made
certain commitments and... agreed to come to this
earth with great, rich, but different gifts. We were
called, male and female, to do great works with
separate approaches and separate assignments.
“... Becoming like men is not the answer. Rather,
the answer lies in being who you are and living up
to your divine potential by fulfilling eternal
commitments....
“All of you will have to sometime answer to your
natural womanly instincts, which the Prophet Joseph
said are according to your natures. He said, ‘If you
live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be
restrained from being your associates.’ [Teachings of
the Prophet Joseph Smith,226.] You should respond
generously to those instincts and promptings to do
good. Hold your soul very still, and listen to the
whisperings of the Holy Spirit. Follow the noble,
intuitive feelings planted deep within your souls by
Deity in the previous world. In this way you will be
responding to the Holy Spirit of God and will be
sanctified by truth. By so doing, you will be eternally
honored and loved. Much of your work is to enrich
mankind with your great capacity for care and mercy”
(“How Near to the Angels,” Ensign,May 1998, 95–97).
President Boyd K. Packer
“The tender hand of the sister gives a gentle touch
of healing and encouragement which the hand of
a man, however well intentioned, can never quite
duplicate” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1998, 94; or
Ensign,May 1998, 72).
“In the home and in the Church, sisters should be
esteemed for their very nature. Be careful lest you
unknowingly foster influences and
activities which tend to erase the
masculine and feminine differences
nature has established. A man, a father,
can do much of what is usually
assumed to be a woman’s work. In
turn, a wife and a mother can do
much—and in time of need, most
things—usually considered the
responsibility of the man, without
jeopardizing their distinct roles. Even
so, leaders, and especially parents,
should recognize that there is a distinct
masculine nature and a distinct feminine nature
essential to thefoundation of the home and the
family. Whatever disturbs or weakens or tends to
erase that difference erodes the family and reduces
the probability of happiness for all concerned” (in
Conference Report, Apr. 1998, 96; or Ensign,May
1998, 73).Elder Thomas S. Monson
“What the modernists, even the liberationists, fail
to remember is that women, in addition to being
persons, also belong to a sex, and that with the
differences in sex are associated important differences
in function and behavior. Equality of rights does
not imply identity of functions. As Paul the apostle
declared: ‘... neither is the man without the
woman, neither the woman without the man, in
the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 11:11.)” (“The Women’s Movement:
Liberation or Deception?” Ensign,Jan. 1971, 20).Elder Boyd K. Packer
“Except Adam and Eve by nature be different from
one another, they could not multiply and fill the earth
[see Genesis 1:28, note 28c]. The complementing
differences are the very key to the plan of happiness.
“Some roles are best suited to the masculine nature
and others to the feminine nature” (in Conference
Report, Oct. 1993, 28; or Ensign,Nov. 1993, 21).Elder James E. Faust
See quotations on page 80.Elder Dallin H. Oaks
“We live in a day when there are many political,
legal, and social pressures for changes that confuse
gender and homogenize the differences between
men and women. Our eternal
perspective sets us against changes
that alter those separate duties and
privileges of men and women that are
essential to accomplish the great plan
of happiness. We do not oppose all
changes in the treatment of men and
women, since some changes in laws or
customs simply correct old wrongs
that were never grounded in eternal
principles” (in Conference Report, Oct.
1993, 99; or Ensign,Nov. 1993, 73–74).64 DIFFERENCESINHERENT BETWEENMEN ANDWOMEN