Women: General Conference Review #5

I've recently read "Freakonomics" which discusses ideas such as raising a genius child and providing the best possible circumstances for that child to have success. In the study of statistics, the authors discovered that it isn't so much the things that parents do, but rather, who they are, that makes the biggest difference in a child's life. Although a child may be extremely successful and they are discovered to have been raised in a home with a large home library or if they are successful and came from a more deprived environment, the parenting was similar: they desired the best for their children and used whatever resources were possible. Who the parents were, those having a deep interest and concern for their children, had a larger impact than which school or which opportunities were utilized.
In a similar manner, Elder Quentin L. Cook cited that "Women are incredible!" That isn't to say that men are less incredible, he was just taking a look at the huge impact that women, particularly LDS women, have upon their families and the church.
The kind of people we become will determine our influence for good or evil upon the world, the church, and the family. As a mother, I am constantly in reflection upon this mirror. My children teach me to be a better person. They teach me to be more compassionate. They teach me not to be a hypocrite. The improve me in every way. I know that Eric and I have taken a conscientious approach to parenthood and are trying to teach our children the most important truths in this world: kindness, responsibility, love, service, etc. They love the Savior. They know and are learning the gospel of Jesus Christ.
At one point, Elder Cook mentions a woman who makes the statement that she fears that "families are TV rich and family-time poor." OH! How very true! A few years ago we opted out of TV: no cable, no satellite. That isn't to say that we never watch anything ON the tv, just that we have a limited selection and we choose other ways to interact as a family than zoning out over television. This has made our family stronger and more involved with each other as we seek different activities for entertainment. We love playing with the croquet set we found at a garage sale about the same time. We love going on walks and bike rides. All of these things strengthen our relationships as we put away the world (aka TV) and take an intehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifrest in each other.
I also appreciated the comments of this brother as he spoke about not judging other women in the church who work. That decision is something that each family must make for themselves through prayer and discussion. For us, I am able to stay at home and be the care-giver of our children. We have been immensely blessed and I cherish the opportunity to be a SAHM ("stay at home mom" for those who may not recognize that). However, it does not give me the right to judge any other woman who chooses otherwise, no matter the reason. It's good that our leaders remind us that judging others in such ways is not of God. We worry about ourselves and then love those around us.
I am grateful to be a woman, and even more grateful to be a woman in a church who cherishes woman and the influence she has upon the world. For more about this line of thinking, I recommend reading this article.