Gender Matters - Day 6

"Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal and eternal identity and purpose."

Well, today's lesson was really simple...yet it seems this subject is really difficult for some adults to understand...I know that Levi and Hannah didn't need this lesson, but I think that's how it is with any lesson...it's better to learn the principles ahead of time, and then have those lessons in your mind when you need them.

I started off today's lesson of the Proclamation by asking Levi and Hannah if they were a girl or a boy. I told them that this is what the word 'gender' means.

Then I asked them if they were a girl or boy before they came to earth. I told them that this is what 'premortal means'.

I asked them what they thought they would be when they died and went back to heaven.

Each time I asked them, Levi said that he was a boy and Hannah said that she was a girl (after I told her that she was a girl) :)

I then had Levi hold up a picture of a boy and say, "I am a boy" and I had Hannah hold up a picture of a girl and say, "I am a girl."

I then layed out some pictures that illustrated premortal life, earth life, and life after death. I showed the pictures of the boy and girl each moving through each stage, and each remaining a boy or girl.

And that was it...pretty simple, yet I think it is amazing that the Proclamation was written 15 years ago, and yet the things we are taught and warned about have gotten worse. I mean...gender wasn't really an issue publicly discussed 15 years ago. At least not as much as today. I am grateful for prophets and apostles that lead and guide us and warn us of dangers. I know that if we listen to them and head their guidance we will always be blessed.

Here is a great quote from Boyd K. Packer that I love:

"When any unworthy desires press into your mind, fight them, resist them, control them. (see James 4:6-8; 2Nephi 9:39; Mosiah 3:19). The Apostle Paul taught, 'There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.' 1 Corinthians 10:13