I had a visiting teaching appointment last night. As is often the case, I was rushed to get things done for my family, get myself presentable, and prepare the lesson. But reading the message almost stopped me in my tracks. It helped me remember the tremendous blessing that the Spirit can be in our lives. I was moved by all of the excerpts, but particularly appreciated this from Sister Eliza R. Snow:

When you are filled with the Spirit of God, … that [Spirit] satisfies and fills up every longing of the human heart, and fills up every vacuum. When I am filled with that spirit my soul is satisfied. … The Spirit of God will impart instruction to your minds, and you will impart it to each other. … Remember that you are Saints of God; and that you have important works to perform in Zion” (Woman’s Exponent, Sept. 15, 1873, 62).

I wonder sometimes if we look in the wrong places and in the wrong ways when we feel spiritually unsatisfied, or have an unfulfilled ache in our hearts. There is so much in life that has a tendency to throw us off spiritually: illness, financial troubles, doctrinal questions, relationship struggles, worry about wayward family members, mourning, unfulfilled dreams…. The list could go on and on. I loved that Sister Snow said that the Spirit “satisfies and fills up every longing of the human heart” and “fills up every vacuum” (emphasis added). I have to ask myself: Do I trust that the Spirit can help me that much? How often do I expect my voids to be filled by someone’s choices, or prayers answered according to my will, or receiving understanding (now!) about the ‘whys’ of life? Do I believe that I can find peace and strength along the way, regardless of what is happening in my life?

I have heard a quote by Brigham Young that basically said that we live far beneath our privileges when it comes to the Holy Ghost. Reading this quote by Eliza R. Snow seems to validate that teaching. She has motivated me to (“put my trust in [the] Spirit”) more!

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In a recent Worldwide Leadership Training Broadcast, we were reminded that homemaking is about creating a nurturing environment that points members of a family toward eternal life. In this sense, regardless of our ages or stages of life, we are all homemakers, because we each have the opportunity to create a spiritual environment, for ourselves and others.

This is something that has been taught for decades. Sister Belle S. Spafford, a former female leader (president of the Relief Society), said this:

“Homemaking, as I view it, falls into two major divisions: homemaking and housekeeping. Homemaking takes into account the spiritual values: love, peace, tranquility, harmony among family members, security. It makes of a place of residence a spot to which family members can retire from a confused and troubled world and find understanding and rejuvenation. Its character is quietness; it evidences good taste, culture, and refinement. Men, women, and children alike have their individual contributions to make to good home and family life, and each shares in its benefits.

“Housekeeping involves the work of keeping a house clean, orderly, and well managed. This includes financial management, failure in which often becomes a source of family friction” (Belle S. Spafford, A Woman’s Reach [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1974], pp. 24–25).

We encourage our teenaged young women to do their part to strengthen their homes and families — in essence, we encourage them to be homemakers in their own right.

For more information on this topic, please see the following links: Julie B. Beck: Mothers Who Know
“Homemaking: An Opportunity for Every Woman (this is an example of a visiting teaching message — we as Mormon women each visit a few sisters every month to discuss topics such as these, to build friendship and sisterhood, and to watch over and care for each other)

Sydney Smith Reynolds: Wife and Mother: A Valid Career Option for the College-Educated Woman
Barbara B. Smith: Makers of Homes

Katherine Padilla, My Stay-at-Home Education (one woman’s perspective on how “choosing to stay home with your children doesn’t mean stopping your own progress”

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