Virtue

What does this word mean to you?
If interested, see this talk given by Sister Elaine Dalton "A Return to Virtue" in the October 2008 General Conference and read her definition.
On 12/14/08 Sister Mary Cook, 1st counselor in the general YW presidency taught the RS lesson at the MTC on the topic. She told us about the addition of the value of virtue to the YW theme. She said this is a BIG deal, since the theme hasn't been changed in years. They will now have to reprint all the Personal Progress materials and add new lessons and activities to support this new value. But with the support of the 1st presidency, they have proceeded. This is how important they all feel that it is to put an emphasis on the value of VIRTUE for latter-day saint young women. She said that there would be a new emphasis on teaching virtue to the Young Women in the church, in fact, to all members. She said "We hope that there will be a return to virtue. The temple is our focus and worthiness is the key." She said the value color would be gold to remind us of strength, beauty, a refining process that needs to be gone through to achieve success and that it is a precious metal of great value. We explored many scriptures on the subject of virtue. Some of my favorites were:
Proverbs 31:10 - who can find a virtuous woman, for her price is far above rubies
Proverbs 12:4 - a virtuous woman is a crown to her husband
Ruth 3:11 - for all the city of my people know that thou art a virtuous woman (the importance of having a good reputation)
Moroni 9:9 - that which was most precious and dear above all things, which is chastity and virtue
Mark 5:24-34 - the story of the woman touching the robe of Christ and he saying that virtue (or power and strength) had gone out of him
Doctrine and Covenants 121:45 - let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong
the 13th article of Faith...virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy
and the Bible Dictionary - see the word GRACE - it is defined as strength and assistance to do good works, the enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold of eternal life and exaltation, after they have expended their own best efforts.


She said something that really struck me. She said - "You as women are the guardians of the virtue of your own posterity. We cannot leave the teaching of this value of virtue to others. If we don't set the example of being virtuous to our own sons and daughters, how will they know how important it is?" She also said that people are not generally drawing the connection between modesty and virtue. If we are not modest, chances increase dramatically that virtue will not be protected and can be lost.
She asked all the sister missionaries to stand and repeat the YW theme, adding the new value. It was very dramatic and powerful as hundreds of virtuous young women stood to declare:

"We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him. We will 'stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places' (Mosiah 18:9) as we strive to live the Young Women values, which are: Faith, Divine Nature, Individual Worth, Knowledge, Choice and Accountability, Good Works, Integrity and Virtue.

"We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values, we will be prepared to strengthen home and family, make and keep sacred covenants, receive the ordinances of the temple, and enjoy the blessings of exaltation."