President Gordon B. Hinckley gave a talk about virtue in the March 1992 Ensign. He spoke about the commandments that the Lord gave to Emma in Section 25 of the Doctrine and Covenants. The article is very powerful and should be read by every women of the church. The Lord was speaking to each of us when he gave this revelation to Emma. His words were carefully chosen with Emma's best interest in mind. This is what the Prophet had to say about it:
"Said the Lord to Emma, and to each of us:
“A revelation I give unto you concerning my will; and”.
“If thou art faithful and walk in the paths of virtue before me”—those words might become the theme of a very long sermon. I shall comment only briefly.
In very large measure each of us holds the key to the blessings of the Almighty upon us. If we wish the blessing, we must pay the price. A part of that price lies in being faithful. Faithful to what? Faithful to ourselves, to the very best that is within us. No woman can afford to demean herself, to belittle herself, to downgrade her abilities or her capacities. Let each be faithful to the great, divine attributes that are within her. Be faithful to the gospel. Be faithful to the Church. We have all about us those who are seeking to undermine it, to look for weaknesses in its early leaders, to find fault with its programs, to speak critically of it. I give you my testimony that it is the work of God, and those who speak against it are speaking against Him.
Be faithful to Him. He is the one true source of your strength. He is your Father in Heaven. He lives. He hears and answers prayers. Be faithful to God.
The Lord continued, saying to Emma, “If thou … walk in the paths of virtue.”
I think every Latter-day Saint woman understands the meaning of that. I feel those words were given to Emma Smith, and consequently to all of us, as a condition to be observed if we are to receive an inheritance in the kingdom of God. Lack of virtue is totally inconsistent with obedience to the commandments of God. There is nothing more beautiful than virtue. There is no other strength that is greater than the strength of virtue. There is no other nobility equal to the nobility of virtue. There is no other quality so becoming, no attire so attractive."Do you see what I mean? It's a powerful article. I think my favorite quote in this article is, "Lack of virtue is totally inconsistent with obedience to the commandments of God." If we, as women, want to be obedient to the Lord's commandments then we have no other option than to have strength in virtue. Just as the Lord told Emma, if thou art faithful and walk in the paths of virtue before me, I will preserve thy life, and thou shalt receive an inheritance in Zion. What a great blessing this is to us and what an even greater blessing it was to Emma at the time of the revelation. Emma was worried about her life and if she would survive the birth of her twins. The Lord knew her fears and reassured her that she would be okay if she would just follow His commandments. Emma was lucky to receive this revelation from the Lord. We are just as lucky to have these words to live by today.
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