In March 2010, we had a stake workshop. We offered 8 great classes for the girls to choose from. They could attend only two. We had the girls sign up in advance so we would have an idea of how many to expect, plus we were serving lunch afterwards so we needed to have an idea on how much food to prepare. So according to the signups we planned on 450 girls. WOW! Doesn't that sound impressive. We were so excited to think that many would come. Well, reality struck that Saturday morning when we only had about 150 girls. We were grateful for those dedicated young women. They really appreciated all the leftover food that many of them took home with them. It was a great learning experience for us. Take those signups with a grain of salt. Anyway, I was the "guest" speaker. After much prayer and studying, this was the talk I gave that morning.
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
Proverbs 31:10
I looked up virtuous in the dictionary. Sometimes we think of having virtue as being sexually pure. But it is more: it’s having or showing moral goodness or righteousness
Synonyms for virtuous are good, righteous, worthy, honorable and moral.
Encarta® World English Dictionary © 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Listen for the characteristics of virtuous women as I read
Proverbs 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
10 ¶ Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
These are beautiful verses for I see a woman who is beautiful, talented, hard working, unselfish, kind, knowledgeable, supportive, trustworthy, wise, giving of herself, charitable, willing to work with her hands and continually learning, growing and progressing.
This is your time. This is your day! Take advantage of the great opportunities all around you to gain temporal as well as spiritual knowledge. It is your responsibility to see that you grow and progress and become as valuable as the Lord sees you—far above rubies. BECOME PRICELESS!
I did some research on rubies. Rubies are not a simple gem. They are complex and a bit of a mystery. Geologists are amazed that rubies even exist because of the rareness of the material that they are made of and the extreme unlikelihood that iron and other elements didn’t mix with it to form other gems. Rubies like other gems, were formed with extreme high heat and extreme pressure. They have a remarkable radiance when put under ultraviolet light. Most ruby is found in concentrations of marble at the base of the Himalayan mountains. For centuries rubies have been used as a symbol of good fortune and protection. Some rubies are more valuable than the clearest diamonds.
So you women are very valuable indeed. You are priceless. Thus our theme: “Become Priceless” for your journey here with all the experiences you have and all the knowledge you gain, continues to add to your value and worth. And your color and clarity become visible to all.
In the scriptures we have many examples of women who exemplified their worth. Esther is one of my favorites. Esther was an orphan. She was raised by her adult cousin, Mordecai. When she was a young woman the queen of the land was dismissed , so the King was in need of a new queen. He asked for all the available maidens to come to his palace so that he might choose a new queen. Mordecai felt that his cousin, Esther, should go before the King. She was obedient and went. Of course we know that Esther was chosen to be his queen. And the King loved Esther. Unbeknownst to the King, Esther was a Jew. The King, being advised by one of his men, issued a decree to have all the Jews killed. When Mordecai found out, he told Esther she must go before the King and plead with him to take back the decree. Esther was frightened for the queen was not allowed to go before the King uninvited. Mordecai said to Esther, “Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. “For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, if you say or do nothing and think only of yourself . . . thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esth. 4:13,14).
I’m sure Esther was frightened. But Esther knew her role, she knew who she was and she knew her Heavenly Father and decided she must try to save her people. She along with all her people, fasted and prayed for 3 days and then Esther went before the King, without him calling her. Fortunately the King accepted her presence. She then asked him to take the decree back and explained that she was a Jew and he would have to have her killed as well. Esther’s wish was granted and the Jews were saved. Esther did not think only of herself. She showed great courage and faith.
Ruth, a Moabite by birth, is another great example. She married the son of Naomi, who was widowed early in life. Ruth’s husband and son of Naomi died also at a young age. After the death of both of her sons, Naomi desired to return to her homeland in Judah. Ruth insisted that she go with her, leaving behind her own family and traditions and beliefs to embrace the God of Israel. Ruth 1:16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Naomi allowed her to come. Once they were in Bethlehem, Ruth went into the fields to glean the field after the reapers. She gathered what was missed. I’m sure this was not a pleasant or an easy job. She found favor in the eyes of Boaz, the owner of the fields, because of her dedication to Naomi and her hard work. Then Boaz, invited her to eat with him and the reapers and ordered the head servant to make sure that there was abundant barley left behind for her to glean. As Ruth continued to follow the counsel of her mother-in-law, she eventually married Boaz and gave birth to a son, Obed, through whose lineage the Savior was born. From Ruth we learn of faith, hope, charity, obedience, devotion and hard work.
In the book of Samuel we read of Hannah. Hannah was a righteous woman who loved the Lord. More than anything, she wanted to have a child, but she was baron. One day while worshipping at the temple, she prayed earnestly to God, and told him that if she would be blessed with a son she would give him to the Lord. Shortly after this, Hannah’s prayer was answered and she gave birth to a son, Samuel. After the child was weaned, Hannah kept her commitment and brought Samuel to the temple to be raised by the high priest, Eli. 1 Samuel 1: 27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:
28 Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.
How easily she could have said nothing and simply raised the child herself for no one had heard the words she had prayed at the temple. But she knew the Lord had heard her prayer and had granted her wish. She loved Him and wanted to serve the Lord, therefore she kept her word. We know, also, that Hannah loved this child when we read in chapter 2 vs. 19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
I can’t imagine the sorrow and heartache she must have felt to give up this child she had wanted so badly. Hannah was blessed, though, with many more children. I am confident that she was a great mother and that she taught these children to serve the Lord. Hannah, like Esther and Ruth, was a woman of faith, charity and obedience. She was also devoted to the Lord, and willing to sacrifice.
Sarah was the wife of Abraham. They lived at a time when the people were in apostasy and worshipped idols. There was great evil and wickedness on the earth. Abraham had been promised that he would be the father of a great nation, but his wife Sarah was baron. Even though I’m sure Sarah did not understand why she wasn’t being blessed with a child, she remained faithful. She stayed at the side of Abraham, supporting him and serving faithfully. Finally after many years of disappointment, trials, hardships, and I’m sure blessings, Sarah, at the age of 90, gave birth to Isaac. You know that she must have taught him the ways of the Lord, for he was a strong and faithful son, even though he would have been exposed to all the evils that surrounded him. She would have taught him about the covenant the Lord had made with Abraham and that he was the chosen heir of that covenant and how his honor would influence generations to come. I think of Sarah as a rock, patient, enduring all things, waiting on the Lord.
One more example of a virtuous woman in the Old Testament is Rebekah. I love the story of Rebekah. Abraham’s servants had been sent to find a wife for Isaac. When they came to the well outside the city, they were tired and thirsty but they knew what they were looking for. A woman who willing would let down her pitcher into the well and give them water and water for their 10 camels as well. Genesis 24: 16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.
17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.
18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. (she puts out her hands and gives him a drink out of her own hands, she didn’t just hand him the pitcher—to me that shows her character)
19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.
20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
We know that that would be a tremendous amount of water, a tremendous amount of work. Again, Rebekah’s character shines forth. She had learned to work hard. She cared about others. She had charity. It also makes me think, that she probably listened to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, which may have prompted her to get this man a drink. The servant of Abraham knew immediately that this was a righteous woman and that she would be the wife to Isaac. After a long journey, Rebekah met Isaac. “When she saw him, Rebekah put on a veil as a sign of her virtue, modesty, respect, and readiness for a covenant marriage.”
In the Book of Mormon we don’t have many women spoken of by name. But there is one that stands out to me. In the conversion story of King Lamoni, Abish comes forward. She gained a testimony of Jesus Christ after her father received a vision. Abish is a Lamanite and so for many years she hid her beliefs and studied in secret. When King Lamoni and his queen were taught the gospel by Ammon, they had such a strong witness by the spirit that they were all struck down as if they were dead. Abish, a servant to King Lamoni, understood what had happened to them. She was so excited that she ran to tell the people so they would see the great hand of the Lord and be converted as well. Unfortunately the crowd did not react the way Abish thought they would. They were angry with Ammon. Abish touched the hand of the queen, who immediately awoke and bore strong testimony to the people. Some left the area while others felt the spirit and stayed to learn more. When King Lamoni arose, he also began to teach his people. Many were converted. How disappointed Abish must have been at first. But she did not retreat, but went to the queen for help. She had faith and conviction. How excited she must have been when many were converted and baptized. She would no longer have to believe in secret. She was a woman of strong faith and knew how to endure.
Now you young sisters, we are so blessed with examples of righteous women all around us. You are blessed to be here in this valley where the gospel is strong. Where people want to live the gospel. There is so much good for you to learn and take hold of. The windows of opportunity are endless. It is up to you to decide how much knowledge you want to gain. It’s up to you to choose the path you want to go on.
My husband and I, especially my husband, like to watch American Idol. One of the things the judges often say to the contestants, “You have got to find out who you are. Every week you get on stage and portray a different image. What is it that you want to be known as? What kind of a singer are you?” That’s what each one of you girls have to do. You have to find out who you are. What do you like to do? What do you do well? What is it that you want to be known for? What personality do you want to portray to your fellowman? What is it that you want to fill your time with every day? You find out who you are by trying new things, by learning and growing and progressing. You find out who you are by DOING. God has a plan for you. You need to find out what it is.
Heavenly Father blessed all of us with great ability and talent. Our job is to seek out and find what those talents are.
D&C 46:8 . . . seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given;. . . .
10 And again, verily I say unto you, I would that ye should always remember, and always retain in your minds what those gifts are, . . .
11 For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, . . .
12 To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.
Robert D. Hales said that verse 10 makes reference to our “minds,” meaning our ability to study, learn, and develop our intelligence, gifts, and talents. We have the responsibility to improve ourselves. (Robert D. Hales, “Every Good Gift,” New Era, Aug 1983, 4)
L. Tom Perry said, “All of us are endowed with abundant talent, beauty, and ability. Our lack of productivity can never be blamed on a lack of raw material.” (L. Tom Perry, “Staying Power,” Ensign, Jul 2003, 40–44) It’s all there—it just needs to be developed.
I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to speak to you today. It has caused me to do some deep reflecting. I have prayed earnestly for the Lord’s hand as I prepared this talk. I hope that it gives you strength and courage to move forward in your life, to listen to the Lord to know what direction He would have you take. The world is pulling you from every angle. Satan does not want you to be happy. He does not want you to be successful in life. He doesn’t want you to know how valuable you are. Please follow the council of Pres. Mullen. Become familiar with the “for strength of youth” pamphlet. I was so impressed last Sunday in our Sunday school class when during a discussion one sister pulled out her “for strength of youth” pamphlet and read exactly what it said about the topic we were discussing. Be careful about the way you dress, especially as we move into summer and warmer weather. Dress in such a way that does not draw attention to your body. Think before you speak so that your language is in accordance with a daughter of God. Treat others with kindness, compassion and love. Live the golden rule everywhere you go. Take every opportunity to help and serve others. Open your minds and learn as much as you can. Watch the good examples of others and follow in their footsteps. Be strong. Know that God loves you. Have hope and faith and press forward, always holding onto the iron rod. And as you do these things, you will see how priceless you are and that your value exceeds that of rubies.
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