Proverbs 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
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 it is 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. 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.
In January 2008 my oldest sister was diagnosed with chronic lymphomic leukemia or CLL. When the doctor gave her this news, she told my sister that she could not be cured but that this disease was treatable. They hoped to be able to give her at least 20 more years of good life. At the time she was 56 years old. Relatively young but the prospects of being able to live until your 76 isn’t all THAT bad. Not perfect or great news but news you can live with. At the time she was acting as superintendent of a small school, contingent on her getting her doctorate degree, which she was working on. She went through all of her treatments, continued her busy schedule of working full time, going to school part time, being a wife and mother, being actively involved in her ward and working in the temple on weekends. About a year later, after completing her treatments six months previously, she was still extremely tired. She contributed that to her busy schedule and scaled back on her activities. After many blood transfusions and more testing, she was further diagnosed with diffused large B-cell Lymphoma. Her cancer had spread through the spinal fluid and into the lining of her brain. She lived 2 ½ more months. On her headstone was engraved her favorite scripture, Proverbs 31:10 “For who can find a virtuous woman, for her price is far above rubies.. . .” My sister never planned her life to be over at age 58. None of us know, when our journey here is done. Now is the time for us to prepare for what will come tomorrow. So often at your stage in life you might say, “I’ll wait to learn to do that when I’m married. I’ll do that when I have children. That can wait until I’ve finished with school.” It’s so easy to put off til tomorrow what you can do today! And some things just have to wait because of lack of time or it isn’t the right time. But right now, take advantage of all that you can. Live everyday as if it were your last. You have so many opportunities for growth. Not only in your school and formal education, but in every aspect of your life. My sister was doing all that she knew how to do, to be the person her Heavenly Father wanted her to be. She was priceless. Each one of you girls is priceless as well. My sister knew who she was. She wasn’t just a daughter of God, which is the most important thing to know about yourself, but she was an educator, she was a mentor to young people, she was a teacher to her children, she was a support to her husband, she loved her heavenly father, she loved life and the people that were around her.
My husband and I, especially my husband, really 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. My sister grew and progressed and expanded. And then her time here came to a close. Now she is continuing to grow and progress in the next segment of her life. The journey continues. You are at the cross roads of your journey. It’s up to you which direction you choose to go.
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.
Ezra Taft Benson, said in a talk in 1988. Jesus knows our weaknesses and He knows our strengths. By personal revelation, we may discover some of our strengths through careful and prayerful study of our patriarchal blessing. In prayer we can ask Him to reveal to us our weaknesses so that we can amend our lives. The Lord has promised in Ether 12:27: “If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. … if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”
God can reveal to us our talents and our strengths so that we will know what we can build upon.
Each of you should have a patriarchal blessing. I love my patriarchal blessing and I read it from time to time. It helps me to know that not only does my Heavenly Father love me, but He has a plan for me. It has helped me to know where I have strengths and weaknesses and that I can make my weaknesses strengths.
Our weaknesses may be a weakness only because we haven’t put effort into it and made it a strength. Some of you were born with talents that were just laid before you and all you’ve had to do was take of hold of them and run. Some of you have talents that have taken hard work and will continue to take effort to fully develop them. All of you have weaknesses, but if you will go to your Heavenly Father he can help you make them strengths. For example, some of you may have a hard time controlling the money that comes into your possession. When you have cash, you spend it. When you see something you want, you buy it, maybe even making the excuse that you NEED it. When you see something on sale you buy it because it’s a really good deal. You can’t have a credit card because you rack it up to the maximum and then you can’t pay it back. This is a weakness. But is this something that can be made into a strength? Absolutely!
One of my weaknesses is that I cannot communicate what is in my head. I have these great thoughts but they just don’t come out my mouth. I feel like I totally understand something, but there isn’t any way that I could help someone else understand the same principle. I also go completely blank when I am in front of people. But the Lord has continued to call me to positions where I have to stand before a crowd, as I am today. I know that if I will adequately prepare that my weakness will be made strong and I can see the Lord’s hand in my life. This would never happen if I had said to the many Bishops and Stake Presidents who have extended callings to me, I can’t speak in front of people, I can’t accept this calling. My weakness would overpower me and I would be missing out on great opportunities for growth and many blessings in my life. Don’t run away from your weaknesses. Be humble, and search for ways to overcome. Heavenly Father cannot make your weaknesses into strengths if all you do is watch TV, play computer or video games and eat brownies. You have to be an active participant. The same idea applies to talents. You won’t know you have a talent until you’ve tried it out. Robert D. Hales said, A friend of mine was asked, “Do you play the piano?” He replied, “I don’t know, I haven’t tried yet.” What a great lesson! How many talents we may have hidden that are waiting to emerge if we just try!
I have some river rocks that I have brought with me today. A river rock may spend hundreds of years with water running over it. This causes the rock to be smoothed and shaped. It may also be pushed through the water, tumbling over and around other rocks. This will also help its formation. When I was looking up river rocks on the internet. I mostly found landscaping sites. One site said, Every stone is hand picked for their unique shapes and individual characteristics.
We are like these river rocks, we go through life tumbling along being bumped and smoothed and shaped by our experiences and by those that we come in contact with. Sometimes the forces that are around us may actually break off a chunk of us leaving us with sharp and jagged edges. But over time, those edges can be made smooth to the point that you would never know that they had once been rough. Like the river rocks, we all have unique shapes and individual characteristics. Don’t be ashamed of who you are. Don’t think you have to be like everyone else. WE are all unique. What a boring world if we all liked the same things and wanted to do the same things. In fact, I don’t think our society could exist if that were the case. There is too much to be accomplished and if we were all doing the same thing, it couldn’t all be done.
Proverbs 31:10-31: I looked up virtuous in the dictionary. Sometimes we think of having virtue as being sexually pure. But it is more: 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, kind, supportive, trustworthy, wise, giving of herself, charitable, willing to work with her hands and continually learning, growing and progressing. Just like you sisters who are here today for your price is far above rubies.
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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