In Honor of All Women

What an amazing few weeks it's been! From Easter to the Atlanta Temple Rededication, I think we've all had an opportunity to strengthen our testimonies -- and our gospel literacy! Now, as we round out these last few weeks of our gospel literacy focus area, it's my hope we can each share a little bit of that with each other.

To do that, I've been in touch with many of you and have been collecting your recommendations for resources that have helped you learn or improve your gospel literacy. Now I'm putting them together to create a ready-reference for all of us! (If I haven't contacted you yet, please feel free to write me with your recommendation at yourliteracyspecialist@gmail.com!)

To start us off, and in honor of Mother's Day, I wanted to devote this week's post to women. I've known many women who find Mother's Day can be one of the hardest days of the year: they hear the virtues of seemingly perfect mothers/women being extolled and are crushed with the fear that they don't  measure up. Today and always, I hope you remember how much the Lord loves each of us. No matter what our walk of life, background, experience, or otherwise, we each have something special to give to those around us. That means YOU -- and don't forget it! Several years ago, there was a talk by Sheri Dew that I loved called Are We Not all Mothers?. This talk changed how I viewed my own womanhood and motherhood, and subsequently how I served in various callings dealing with mothers and children. I invite you to read it whether you are a mother or not! (At the time the talk was given, I was not.) Another favorite talk of mine was from Elder Ballard, entitled Daughters of God. Also a wonderful talk for putting things in perspective. Enjoy!

And now... your recommendations! Several of the favorites that were sent to me dealt specifically with womanhood, women in the scriptures, and mothers. Here are the references along with the comments from the submitters:

No Doubt About It by Sheri Dew

Uplifting anecdotes and powerful words from an amazing and positive sister in the gospel. This book really helped me feel better about who I was and where I was going during a difficult time in my life.

I Am a Mother by Jane Clayson Johnson

This book AND title says it all! This book is such a sweet reminder of our privileged and honored role and title of "Mother". Jane boldly states what is most important in being a mother and that is time with our children. After all, time is so fleeting and our children will be grown and gone in a blink of an eye. I love this book not only because of the content but because I am doing exactly what I have wanted to do my entire life....I AM A MOTHER....and I love every second of it!

Daughters of God: Scriptural Portraits by S. Michael Wilcox

Drawing from the Old and New Testaments, as well as latter-day scripture, Wilcox retells the stories of Heavenly Father's well known and mostly forgotten daughters. I truly enjoyed this book because it speaks to all women in a variety of stages of life. Instead of focusing on basic dichotomies of being a mother or childless, widow or newlywed (though these topics are covered), Wilcox goes deeper in creating short and easy to read studies in how scriptural women have dealt with all life has thrown at them, including gaining and losing faith, sacrificing and experiencing joy, and the actual search for meaning in a world (whether it be 2000 years ago or the present) which never wants women to feel as though we are of value. Wilcox's triumph is in ultimately reminding us that regardless of where we find ourselves on the road to salvation Heavenly Father knows us, even when everyone else forgets, loves us and will always fight for us to make righteous choices and relationships.

Women of the Old Testament by Camille Fronk Olson

I have absolutely loved reading this book! Each chapter included historical facts about an Old Testament woman as well as her dealings with the Lord. I learned so much that I didn’t know! I especially liked the emphasis on spiritual experiences and how each woman met the spiritual challenges that were placed before her. Through reading about their lives, I got to “see” their testimonies grow and felt closer to these women. I realized that it doesn’t matter when we come to earth, every woman has to face tests and overcome these tests by relying on the Lord. This was a very testimony-building book!

And a few others:
The Mother in Me edited by Kathryn Lynard Soper
I'm a Day Late and a Dollar Short... and It's Okay! by JoAnn Larsen
Being the Mom: 10 Coping Strategies I Learned by Accident Because I Had Children on Purpose by Emily Watts
You Can Never Get Enough of What You Don't Need by Mary Ellen Edmunds
The Potentially Sane Mother's Guide by Tamara A. Fackrell

Check them out! And happy Mother's Day!

Editor's Note: While vetted for content, please note that these recommendations are just that -- personal recommendations. Please remember your judgment and discretion are still required! :)