True Womanhood

True confession time - I watch TV on Sundays. My Sunday morning begins every week with "CBS Sunday Morning", a normally classy show that reports on arts and culture. Those words should give you an idea of the demographic for the show - it's not generally for the tacky and classless. But lately, there's been a commercial being aired during the show, that frankly, is completely tacky, and classless at it's best, and mysoginistic and exploitative at it's worst. And it's all done in the name of selling hamburgers. It represents womanhood in the most foul and insulting way possible. And I've made a solemn vow that I will not patronize that business ever.

I contrast this with some really terrific examples of young womanhood that I have recently been fortunate to witness. First, I was blessed to attend last evening's Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert with two fine young returned sister missionaries. They were beautiful, modest, full of joy, and full of the Spirit, and they have strong testimonies. It was wonderful to be with them.

Second, and the one that makes me get all teared up, is my beautiful oldest niece. While the above disgusting commercial was on this morning, I got a text message from my sister, with a picture of my niece and her Dad, as they were on their way out the door so that my niece could go and receive her patriarchal blessing. For Latter-day Saints, receiving a patriarchal blessing is a rite of passage. We look on it as something that will guide us throughout our lives, and we work to make sure we are spiritually prepared to receive it. As you can see from this picture, my niece is prepared in every way. She is beautiful inside and out. It is an extremely proud moment for our family.

I am so grateful to have had these examples to remind me this morning that womanhood is not about selling hamburgers, and not about gratifying evil men's urges. It is about goodness and virtue and devotion to the Lord and his commandments.