Psalm 144:12
That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.
This phrase from the Psalmist is one of the loveliest scriptural images we have regarding children. We all want our children to be the best they can be, and we want them to be better than we were. Every parent hopes that his or her children will be safe and pure, strong and righteous. It would be an unusual parent indeed who would not wish a child to be good, to be honest, to be a responsible, contributing citizen in a family, a church, and a nation.
Much in the Hebraic tradition of the scriptures deals with sons and priesthood principles. Yet so often we fail to recognize how many stunningly beautiful things are said about women—our mothers and daughters and sisters. What could be more inspiring than to think
of our daughters as the corner stones of a palace, even corner stones of the temple—like unto Christ, who is “the chief corner stone” of the Church and of our lives.199
God has no favorites. He does not love His sons more than He loves His daughters, and truly His daughters often—very often—set an example and a standard for His sons that the latter dearly need. Women have proven to be the salvation of many a man, and in our lives they truly are foundational gems—rock-solid jewels of faith and fidelity that make our individual lives, our homes, our churches, and our communities polished and more pure. They are “after the similitude of a palace,” and we thank heaven for the godliness in them.
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