Mother and daughters play "a critical role in helping each other explore their infinite possibilities" despite the undermining influences of the world, declared Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve in his address Saturday morning.
A sacred, symbiotic link connects a mother to her daughter, he noted. "Young women, your mothers adore you. They see in you the promise of future generations. Everything you accomplish, every challenge you overcome, brings them pure joy. And likewise, your worries and heartaches are their worries and heartaches."
Elder Ballard offered suggestions on how mothers and daughters can take full advantage of their special relationship. Society, he said, has distorted the definition of womanhood.
"Popular culture today often makes women look silly, inconsequential, mindless and powerless. It objectifies them and disrespects them and then suggests that they are able to leave their mark on mankind only by seduction — easily the most pervasively dangerous message the adversary sends to women about themselves."
The apostle asked young women not to look to contemporary culture for role models.
"Look to your faithful mothers for a pattern to follow. Model yourselves after them, not after celebrities whose standards are not the Lord's standards, and whose values may not reflect an eternal perspective. Look to your mother. Learn from her strengths, her courage and her faithfulness. Listen to her. She may not be a whiz at texting; she may not even have a Facebook page. But when it comes to matters of the heart and the things of the Lord, she has a wealth of knowledge."
A mother, he added, possesses a unique love for a daughter that cannot be found elsewhere.
"Love your mother, my young sisters. Respect her. Listen to her. Trust her. She has your best interests at heart. She cares about your eternal safety and happiness. So be kind to her. Be patient with her imperfections, for she has them. We all do."
Elder Ballard then directed his counsel to mothers. He spoke of a well-traveled friend's observation that young women behave like their mothers. "If the mothers are thrifty, so are their daughters. If the mothers are modest, so are their girls. If the mothers wear flip flops and other casual clothing to sacrament meeting, so do their daughters."
A mother remains a daughter's first line of defense against the wiles of the world.
Elder Ballard counseled mothers to teach their daughters joy in nurturing children and to resist the temptation to gossip or judge others. He said Joseph Smith told Relief Society sisters in Nauvoo that "the tongue is a unruly member — hold your tongues about things of no moment."
Mothers can teach their daughters the importance of making covenants and a desire to live worthy to go to the temple.
Mothers, he added, must also talk to their daughters about sexual matters and modest living and dress. The world openly embraces casual promiscuity and immodesty. "You need to have frequent, open discussions during which you teach your daughters the truth about these issues."
It is also vital that young women learn to recognize the things of the Spirit. "And, if needed, teach them how to repent and how to remain pure and worthy," he counseled.
To watch video of this talk go to ksl.com.