Neither man nor woman is perfect or complete without the other, said Sheri L. Dew.
"Our Father knew exactly what He was doing when He created us," said Sister Dew, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency. "He made us enough alike to love each other, but enough different that we would need to unite our strengths and stewardships to create a whole. . . .
"Thus, no marriage or family, no ward or stake is likely to reach its full potential until husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, men and women work together in unity of purpose, respecting and relying upon each other's strengths."
Speaking Saturday morning, Sister Dew said she wanted to direct her remarks to the young adult men and women of the Church.
"These truths about the divinely appointed stewardships of men and women are largely lost on the world today. . . ," she said. "The Lord's pattern for couples and in large measure men and women serving together in His kingdom, was established by our first parents. Together Adam and Eve labored, mourned, were obedient, had children, taught their posterity the gospel, called upon the name of the Lord, 'heard the voice of the Lord,' blessed the name of God and dedicated themselves to God."
Sister Dew said some may try to persuade the Church's young women that because they are not ordained to the priesthood that they have been shortchanged. "Sisters, we as women are not diminished by priesthood power; we are magnified by it."
She told the Church's young men that their ordination to the priesthood is a grand privilege and responsibility and not a license to dominate. "Be unfailingly worthy to exercise this godly power, which is given you to be of service. A man is never more magnificent than when he is guided by the Spirit to honor the priesthood he holds."
In addition, Sister Dew counseled young men to be humble enough to listen and learn from the women in their lives. "They will provide insight, balance and unique wisdom," she said.
Concluding, Sister Dew said men and women of God must build each other in order to build the kingdom of God. "There is no challenge — with activation, retention, families or anything — that we can't solve when we counsel together in councils and help each other lift the load."
