I recently shared a comment about mentoring women who are interested in business. (Others can talk to mentors in other fields, but this is my area of expertise.) I thought I would make a post out of my comments.

I’ve been involved in mentoring students (mostly women in business students) for over a decade, and the topic of Mormon women, motherhood, education and the tension women sometimes feel with LDS teachings of family first + education/preparation is something I’ve been passionate about for a long time.

First, the thoughts and quotes:

I think, also, when women can understand that education helps prepare them to serve in the kingdom however and wherever they may be led/called, it can add more of a ‘whole’ to the whole issue rather than being framed as an either/or scenario.

Mary Cook gave an excellent talk on this subject at BYU a few years ago (summary here:http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/58136/More-fit-for-the-kingdom-more-used-would-I-be.html). Some of the ideas that she shared in that talk also appeared in this New Era article: https://www.lds.org/new-era/2009/04/more-fit-for-the-kingdom?lang=eng

I also think this talk by a female BYU-I professor captures the tension beautifully. http://www.byui.edu/Documents/instructional_development/Perspective/V7n2PDF/v7n2_hurley.pdf

Lastly, this quote from Eliza R. Snow is one of my favorites:

“Don’t you see that our sphere is increasing? Our sphere of action will continually widen, and no woman in Zion need[s] to mourn because her sphere is too narrow.

“God bless you, my sisters, and encourage you, that you may be filled with light, and realize that you have no interests but in the welfare of Zion. Let your first business be to perform your duties at home. But, inasmuch as you are wise stewards, you will find time for social duties because these are incumbent upon us as daughters and mothers in Zion. By seeking to perform every duty you will find that your capacity will increase, and you will be astonished at what you can accomplish.” (quoted in Daughters in My Kingdom)

I think consecration and personal revelation are key to dancing in the tension. I believe God cares about what we have to offer, and yet He offers, first, all that He has to offer if we will seek to follow His plan. I believe firmly that as we do this, and seek His guidance, He will lead us in how, when, and where to use the talents He has given us all along our life’s path. He’s the best mentor there is!

– – – – –

Resources for women who are interested in connecting with female mentors or others interested in business:

– BYU Management Society. There are women in business involved in chapters all over the world. Some chapters have specific women’s groups to help with networking and mentoring. See https://byums.org/women-professionals . If there is not a Women in Business group in your area, consider starting one. See http://byuwomeninbusiness.blogspot.com/2011/12/starting-women-in-business-group.html for ideas.)

– With the internet (see LinkedIn and Facebook, blogs, and more), women can take initiative and connect with LDS professionals in places all over the US and elsewhere.

– For students at BYU, there are robust women in business clubs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. These clubs have regular opportunities to network with professional LDS women.

Undergraduate Women in Business club: http://womeninbusiness.byu.edu/

Graduation Women in Management club: https://sites.google.com/site/wimbyu/)

– As an FYI, the undergraduate club will be holding an event on March 13. Elaine Dalton will be speaking and there will be opportunities to connect with people in various emphases within the business program. http://www.marriottschool.net/womeninbusiness/major-shopping-event-registration/

– The Marriott School has several advisory board where female mentors might be found. http://marriottschool.byu.edu/advisoryboard/

– The BYU Management Society held a Women in Business conference in 2011. There were several dynamic and accomplished women who were invited to speak and participate. http://marriottschool.byu.edu/conferences/wibc/

– Several of the women who participated in the Women in Business conference were featured on the blog for the conference who are excellent mentors to follow on Facebook and elsewhere (e.g., Whitney Johnson’s Harvard Business Review blog posts (http://blogs.hbr.org/whitney-johnson/), personal blog (http://whitneyjohnson.com/), Chrysula Winegar’s blogs (e.g., http://chrysulawinegar.com/, http://whenyouwakeupamother.com/).

See many more Mormon women in business featured at http://byuwomeninbusiness.blogspot.com/

p.s. The non-profit Aspiring Mormon Women also has a list of other resources for women in professions such as law, medicine, science, and more. http://aspiringmormonwomen.org/resources/

The post Thoughts, Resources, Mentoring Options for Mormon Women in Business appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

~by Heather L.

I always wanted to be a mother… and a detective, and a librarian, and a teacher. And I have always loved to learn!

From the time I was little, my mother was a great example to me of an educated woman – she completed her college degree even after getting married, and got her teaching certificate not too long after I started school. She loved to learn, and took every opportunity to do so, whether it was Friday night “Know Your Religion” classes or a “just because I want to learn” Hebrew class at a local college.

Reading was one of my favorite occupations, and I read voraciously growing up. I can remember my uncle getting frustrated because I was so absorbed in a book that I didn’t hear him calling me… again and again and again. I kept a dictionary in my desk at school that I would read during silent reading time if I didn’t have a novel. I really loved to learn!

Every subject in elementary and high school was exciting to some degree or another – science and dissecting a frog, math and puzzles, reading and writing, creating works of art, playing and appreciating music…. I was blessed with many great teachers who brought those subjects alive and made me want to learn more. Their excitement for learning set fire to mine, and motivated me toward furthering my education, both spiritual and temporal.

They taught as we are counseled in the Doctrine and Covenants 88:78-80, and helped prepare me for my mission in life:

78 Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;
79 Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms—
80 That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you.

And college — college was like going to an all-you-can-eat buffet -– so many interesting choices, so much to learn, and so much to try! I found joy in geology, solace in singing, an outlet in art, the Spirit in the scriptures (I attended BYU, a Mormon university, so religion classes were part of the curriculum), and so much more. As a matter of fact, when I took a zoology class as part of my major requirements, I thought that if I could do it all over again, I might have chosen zoology as a major – it was like being that detective that I’d dreamed of becoming as a child!

In looking at this buffet, I felt much like Merlin the magician in T.H. White’s The Once and Future King, when he said:

“Look what a lot of things there are to learn…. You can learn astronomy in a lifetime, natural history in three, literature in six. And then, after you have exhausted a million lifetimes in biology and medicine and theocriticism and geography and history and economics, why, you can start to make a cartwheel out of the appropriate wood, or spend fifty years learning to begin to learn to beat your opponent at fencing. After that you can start again on mathematics until it is time to learn to plough.”

I struggled with deciding what to major in – I loved science, and reading, and writing, and history, and math (thanks to a great professor!). How could I choose just one?

So I chose elementary education, to become the teacher I dreamed of being, until I met my husband, and became the mother I had wanted to be all along.

Then, learning became like a torch to be passed to my children’s eager young minds – reading books, going to museums and science centers, doing homework together, mastering technology, passing on my one-handed piano playing skills…. It has been a joy to be able to be at home sharing what I have learned, and watching them surpass me! It is a legacy that we can pass on, and that can last eternally:

Doctrine & Covenants 130:18-19

18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.
19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

Are Mormon women encouraged to be educated? Yes, at every turn, and in both the spiritual and the temporal!

On the spiritual side, we are encouraged to learn from the time we are young, attending everything from Primary classes, to Young Women and Personal Progress, to Seminary and Institute, Family Home Evening, and Relief Society classes. Personal and family study of the gospel and the scriptures is also a key part of being a Mormon woman.

On the temporal side, we are encouraged to be literate and educated, to prepare ourselves for careers, motherhood, and life in general. No effort to learn is wasted –- I have used what I have learned throughout my life in so many ways: at home, in the schools, in the community, at church — and feel that continuing to learn is one of the best investments in my life.

President Gordon B. Hinckley counseled Mormon women to “…educate your hands and your minds. You belong to a church which espouses education. To you young women may I suggest that you get all the education you can. Train yourselves to make a contribution to the society in which you will live. There is an essence of the divine in the improvement of the mind.”

Even as a mother of adult children, I am constantly learning – learning to use my latest cell phone to keep in touch with friends and family; learning to use computer programs to write blogs and make presentations; learning how to research my family history via the Internet and FamilySearch; and my favorite, learning more from the scriptures every day! As I continue to “seek… out of the best books words of wisdom” (Doctrine & Covenants 88:118) I am becoming the librarian I dreamed of being, too.

As Mormon women – as all women “seek learning, even by study and also by faith” it is continual education, — eternal education, life-blessing education. As we share what we learn with our families, friends, and communities, as we learn from one another, our intelligence expands, and together we can do amazing things!

The post Mormon Women and Education appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Sister Pinnock’s favorite calling, prior to being a full-time missionary, was her calling to be the Laurel President as a young woman in her ward. [Laurels are young women ages 16-18 who have not yet graduated from high school.] Because of the added responsibility for the care of each of the girls in her class, she felt the love of the Lord as she reached out to each young woman so they would all feel included.

When asked why she wanted to serve a mission Sister Pinnock responded, “While in London for study abroad, I was able to share the gospel for the very first time. I received so much joy from doing that. I also had had so many friends who came home from their missions a better person. They knew the gospel better, became stronger as individuals, and learned to serve others better.

“I have felt the same joy I felt in London while sharing my testimony on my mission. Even if the people I meet don’t accept the message, I feel strengthened by sharing my convictions with others. I also feel Heavenly Father’s love stronger than ever before. I know and have felt His love for all people.”

Sister Pinnock shared an experience on her mission where she learned that God was aware of her and her struggles:

“My first week on my mission I felt like I didn’t know anything. I felt that there was a lot expected of me. It broke my heart that something so dear to my heart, the gospel of Jesus Christ, was being rejected. Doors were being slammed in my face. It was hard, and heart breaking. I felt discouraged. I learned for the first time that I had to solely rely on the Lord. Previously, I had always relied on others like family members or friends in times of need. But through prayer, I found out how much I needed Heavenly Father and the Savior, and that missionary work cannot be done without Them. That night after feeling so discouraged, I turned out the lights in our apartment, my companion was already asleep and I cried and expressed everything that was in my heart to Heavenly Father. I prayed to know that I was called on my mission and how I was going to get through it.

“The next day, I was doing my personal scripture study and felt directed to read in Alma 8:15: ‘Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst thy first message from him. Behold, I am he that delivered it unto you.’

“It made me realize that despite others rejecting the message, it doesn’t matter because I still have a testimony and that testimony came directly from my Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost. He will guide me and lead me through this mission.

“I learned that it is not just my name on my name tag. I am a representative of Jesus Christ.”

—–

For more Missionary Monday posts, please click here.

The post Mormon Women on a Mission: Sister Pinnock appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

My name is Rebekah, and I am a Mormon Woman.

I have been married for just over a year. I was married to my husband in the Atlanta, Georgia LDS Temple, and we do not, yet, have any children. I was born into a Latter-day Saint family, and was baptized at the age of eight. My mom is a convert; missionaries from the Church taught her family while they were living in Puerto Rico and she was baptized at the age of 16, along with her mother, brother, and sisters. My Dad was born to LDS parents, who were converted and baptized into the church just before he was born.

I am currently a student attending BYU-Idaho, although I grew up in Tennessee. I am majoring in Communications, with minors in Photography and Humanities. In the Church, I am currently serving as a Family Home Evening Group Leader (in our area, young, married couples get together on Monday nights once a month to share a gospel message and get to know each other through games and activities). I am also serving on the Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment Board, helping to put together enriching activities for the women in our Relief Society.

I enjoy the outdoors more than most anything else: I love hiking, camping, rock climbing, repelling, and swimming. Some of my hobbies include writing and photography. I am currently taking piano classes and trying to develop my musical talent and I also love to dance!

When I was in high school, I was one of only a few LDS kids at my school. I was a cheerleader and had a lot of really wonderful friends. However, it was often a struggle for me to have friends and keep my standards at the same time. I didn’t drink or smoke or do much of what was often happening around me. I didn’t want to attend most of the parties, and felt a little alienated from some of my friends because I just didn’t want to participate. I felt different. But, I could feel what my parents and church leaders were teaching me was right, and I held onto it. It wasn’t until after high school that I realized what a blessing these standards were in my life! Although I wasn’t perfect, and made plenty of mistakes, the things that my family and church leaders had taught me kept me clean, healthy, and happy. It also allowed me to have the knowledge of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, so that I could repent and start fresh when I slipped up. I now feel that I have lived wisely and without regret. It is a joyful way of life.

I love the joy that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings. Being a Mormon Woman blesses my marriage and keeps it strong. It gives me guidance as to how to live a happy, healthy, and productive life. Most of all, it teaches me to progress daily and provides a way for me to repent and grow closer to my Savior. Being a Mormon woman teaches me of my identity as a child of God and gives direction as to what this life is all about and what I should be doing here to get back to my Heavenly Father with my family some day.

—
For more Portraits of Mormon Women, please click here.

The post Portraits of Mormon Women: Rebekah appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.