That He May Be Glorified

President Nelson said this in a talk over twenty years ago: “Before the foundation of the world, each of us existed as spirit children with our Father in Heaven. Among us were noble and great men foreordained to bear the priesthood. Abraham, Jeremiah, Joseph Smith, and others were destined to become prophets of God…. The manner of conferring the priesthood was to come down from the fathers ‘from the beginning of time, … even … before the foundation of the earth.’” As I was listening to this I questioned in my mind, “What about the women and the premortal world?” Sure enough, he answered my question immediately thereafter: “Sisters received special gifts. They, according to the Lord, were empowered ‘to multiply and replenish the earth, according to my commandment, and to fulfil the promise which was given by my Father before the foundation of the world, … for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men; … herein is the work of my Father continued, that he may be glorified.’ Think of it: When a mother bears and cares for a child, she not only helps the earth answer the end of its creation, but she glorifies God!” This verse is a powerful declaration of the work and potential of the daughters of God—they glorify Him and gain their exaltation in the eternal worlds through the divine work of motherhood. His work and glory of course is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” and that cannot be done if women don’t first bring to pass the mortality of man by inviting children into the world (Moses 1:39). Without their divine role, the Father’s plan would fail.

                I was surprised by this verse that President Nelson quoted about the role given from the premortal world and eternal potential of women because it was so unfamiliar to me. The passage is found in the context of the Lord’s revelation on plural marriage to the Prophet Joseph Smith, a place where we naturally do not spend a lot of time studying. I was intrigued, though, to see that this description of the role of the daughters of God and how they glorify God through bringing children to the earth fits with the only place I know of in scripture where the Lord suggested a reason why plural marriage is at times established. Jacob in the Book of Mormon taught, “For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things” (Jacob 2:30). Here the ancient Nephite prophet taught that the practice might be temporarily established to “raise up seed” unto the Lord—in other words, its purpose is to bring more children to the earth in homes where they can worship Him. The gospel essay published by the Church on the topic also highlights this: “Latter-day Saints do not understand all of God’s purposes in instituting, through His prophets, the practice of plural marriage. The Book of Mormon identifies one reason for God to command it: to increase the number of children born in the gospel covenant in order to ‘raise up seed unto [the Lord].’” The article further commented that this is exactly what happened: “Plural marriage did result in the birth of large numbers of children within faithful Latter-day Saint homes.” The Lord certainly may have had other reasons, but surely allowing women to help fulfill their divine role and bring glory to Him through the birth of His children on earth in the everlasting covenant was one. This is a perspective that we need to understand as we consider the challenges of this life, and I love President Nelson’s encouragement at the end of this talk: “Though we don’t know all things, we know that God lives and that He loves us. Standing on that firm foundation, we can reach up and find strength to endure the heavy burdens of life.… The foundation of one’s individual faith, if anchored firmly to eternal truth, allows each of us to reach upward with an eternal perspective. That faith will give hope when there is no hope. It will give us joy here and eternal life hereafter.”