Gender Matters

The Master Teacher, Jesus Christ, taught people using examples from every day life, familiar things like sheep, talents, and Samaritans and such.

Our every day life is filled with things like dishes and PB&J

sandwiches, so that's what we used to discuss today's topic: Gender.

First I told them that when we say "I am a girl" or "I am a boy", that is what we call gender.

I read them this line from The Family Proclamation:

"Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose."

In advance, I set the table like you see above.

I held up the utensils and asked my two-year-old "what is this?"

To which she replied "a fork and knife".

"Are they the same or different?"

"Different."

I said that just like the fork and knife look different and were formed to serve slightly different purposes, men and women are different. But just like the knife and fork, men and women were made to be together. And when they function together correctly, they serve a great purpose.

Pondering this analogy, you might come up with many interesting insights.

For instance, in the absence of a knife, I'm sure that we've all used our fork to get the job done.

It works just fine and you probably didn't go hungry, but isn't it easier when you have both?

The same is true in a family:

When a family has both a Mom and a Dad who love each other and work together, life is so much easier. When one person isn't pulling their weight, the other must compensate.

(Oh, the fun thoughts you can think with this analogy...but I'll leave that for you to discover!)

The last and very important point I wanted the children to understand is that:

They have always been either a boy or a girl.

And they will always be a boy or a girl.

Gender is an eternal part of their identity and purpose.

It will never change.

And that's the way that God designed it.

We made this fun folder activity today with our friend Laura.

If you'd like to make one of your own, just click here for the free download.