A Quote to Share

I became aware of this quote as I was reading one of my sister's posts on her blog. Being in the situation I am (having a young son while getting a PhD full-time and as a member of a faith where many women choose to stay at home with their children rather than work full-time) I found this quote wonderful.

Now, my preference is to be at home with my son as much as humanly possible. I love being a mother. And when I need to go out and study, I just take Hunter with me. Here he is in the Ancient Studies room at the library at Brigham Young University this summer getting used to the bookshelves so that he can study with momma. Yes, he is smiling. I take that as a good sign. What a cutie pie!


I also know that God has blessed me with certain talents and that I have the opportunity to use those talents for the good not only of myself, but of my family and the community where I study and live. In the process, I get to do what I love. If you'd like more of my opinion on the issue and the circumstances related to my stumbling upon this quote, visit my sister's blog. I pretty much agree with her wholeheartedly.

This is a quote from Brigham Young, the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I find this quote inspiring because it was given at a time when our society viewed men and women and their respective roles very differently than it does today. Indeed, the fight for "women's rights" in the United States, including the right to vote, was just getting going in the 19th century. As an interesting aside, Colorado, Utah and Idaho were the first three states to grant women the right to vote, and the only states to do so before the turn of the century. I feel so blessed to be able to have the opportunity not only to pursue my PhD, but to do it without sacrificing the blessing of motherhood. If it had to be a choice, then I would have to choose motherhood. I mean books are cool, but they can't beat the blessing of a little baby. I am so grateful to live in a time where I have the opportunity to do both.


"As I have often told my sisters in the Female Relief Societies, we have sisters here who, if they had the privilege of studying, would make just as good mathematicians or accountants as any man; and we think they ought to have the privilege to study these branches of knowledge that they may develop the powers with which they are endowed. We believe that women are useful, not only to sweep houses, wash dishes, make beds, and raise babies, but that they should stand behind the counter, study law or physics, or become good bookkeepers and be able to do the business in any counting house, and all this to enlarge their sphere of usefulness for the benefit of society at large. In following these things they but answer the design of their creation" (Discourses of Brigham Young pp. 216-217).