Week 4- Gender Roles

This week we talked about how our gender roles affect our families. I found it fascinating. Thinking about how my family dynamics would change if I were of a different gender, and what defines me in my gender. We talked about typical gender roles, and how the most self sufficient people do typical gender tasks of both genders. I thought it was interesting that to become a well rounded female, you can't just learn to cook, clean, sew, care for children, etc. you also need to know how to mow the lawn, fix things, operate heavy machinery, etc.  

I found it particularly interesting applying this to the Family a Proclamation. Knowing that we have had our genders for eternity helped me to decipher which typical gender characteristics were divinely nurtured and which were societal influences. For example, that females are more caring and nurturing is Divinely nurtured. That men are more protective and have more of a tendency to lead is also Divinely nurtured. (Not that I am saying men are the head in the household, they only have presiding power. That is, guiding influence over the family. The parents should be a team)

It is also interesting to think how the gender roles of society often interfere with the gender roles of our Heavenly Father. Like if women spend so much time on their appearance and end up neglecting their children and family. Or if men become too focused on "manly endeavors" that they forget to provide for their families.

Satan has a way of twisting and perverting the things which God has ordained to make it so that they interfere with what God has planned for us.