Hello, my name is Guardian of the Hearth

So today I taught the lesson in Relief Society at church.  The topic was "Guardians of the Hearth", and it was based on a lesson in the wonderful book put out by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Daughters in My Kingdom". 

When I told my husband the topic for the lesson, he was like "huh!?  Did you make that title up?"  Nope, it's Chapter 8, buddy!  :)  I benefitted so much from being able to prepare the lesson and ponder and study over this topic. 

As the sisters came in, I had them get a name tag like this:

To help us better understand what a guardian of the hearth is, I filled in titles and names from the book that describes what that is including but not limited to: mother, wife, sister, cousin, aunt, daughter, granddaughter, grandmother, friend, neighbor, woman, rescuer, heart and soul, family member, visiting teacher, Relief Society sister, Saint, minister, etc.  These people are all guardians of the hearth!  I like what a sister said when I opened my lesson.  She said a hearth is the fireplace.  It provides warmth and light, and used to be the center of the home and the gathering place. I love that!  We are the warmth, light, and should make Christ the center of our home where we all gather. 

I just thought I'd share a few favorite quotes ighlights and thoughts.  There were so many great ones it was hard to cut things out.  These are great ones to put on your mirror or in the car, in your planner or in your quote book.  I have quotes floating all over the place here, and it helps to keep me going when times get tough, which they do.  All too often!  These are assuring and encouraging. 

“You are the guardians of the hearth.  You are the bearers of the children.  You are they who nurture them and establish within them the habits of their lives.  No other work reaches so close to divinity as does the nurturing of the sons and daughters of God.” –President Gordon B. Hinckley

“To be a righteous woman is a glorious thing in any age.  To be a righteous woman during the winding up scenes on this earth, before the second coming of our Savior, is an especially noble calling.  The righteous woman’s strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times.  She has been placed here to help to enrich, to protect, and to guard the home – which is society’s basic and most noble institution.  Other institutions in society may falter and even fail, but the righteous woman can help to save the home, which may be the last and only sanctuary some mortals will know in the midst of storm and strife.”  -President Spencer W. Kimball

       “Through selfless service and personal faith, women have rescued many children     from emotional, spiritual, and physical danger.”

“Whenever a woman strengthens the faith of a child, she contributes to the strength of a family, now and in the future.” 

“There is an art to being a homemaker.  For ourselves and for our families, it is important that we have a sanctuary – a place of refuge away from the world where we feel comfortable and where, if others come, they, too, can feel comfortable.”  -Barbara W. Winder

“There is nothing in this world as personal, as nurturing, or as life changing as the influence of a righteous woman…ALL women have within their divine nature both the inherent talent and the stewardship to mother.”  -Elder M. Russell Ballard

“To nurture means to cultivate, care for, and make grow.  Therefore, mothers [should[ create a climate for spiritual and temporal growth in their homes.  Another word for nurturing is homemaking.  Homemaking includes cooking, washing clothes and dishes, and keeping an orderly home.  Home is where women have the most power and influence; therefore, Latter-day Saint women should be the best homemakers in the world.  Working beside children in homemaking tasks creates opportunity to teach and model qualities children should emulate.  Nurturing mothers are knowledgeable, but all the education women attain will avail them nothing if they do not have the skill to make a home that creates a climate for spiritual growth…Nurturing requires organization, patience, love, and work.  Helping growth occur through nurturing is truly a powerful and influential roll bestowed on women.”  -Julie B. Beck

“Motherhood is near to divinity.  It is the highest, holiest, service to be assumed by mankind.  It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels.  To you mothers in Israel we say God bless and protect you, and give you the strength and courage, the faith and knowledge, the holy love and consecration to duty, that shall enable you to fill the fullest measure the sacred calling which is yours.  To you mothers and mothers-to-be we say: Be chaste, keep pure, live righteously, that you posterity to the last generation may call you blessed.”  - David O. McKay

“Many of the social restraints which in the past have helped to reinforce and shore up the family are dissolving and disappearing.  The time will come when only those who believe deeply and actively in the family will be able to preserve their families in the midst of the gathering evil around us…We know the family to be eternal.  We know that when things go wrong in the family, things go wrong in every other institution in society.”  -Spencer W. Kimball

Barbara B. Smith was quoted as saying "Hold your heads high, you wives, mothers, homemakers.  You engender life and enrich it.  Don’t trade that pervasive force for fleeting, surface trinkets.  Cherish it, enlarge it, magnify it.  You hold a mighty office."

I am so grateful I get to be a mother in Zion and hope in some small way I can help those around me, particularly my family and then out from there!  We have such great obligations and duties, but we have so many blessings, gifts and tools to help us and others along our way!  I pray I can be a better guardian of the hearth and to "do my duty and do it well"!