Modesty, Makeovers, and the Pursuit of Physical Beauty: What Mothers and Daughters Need to Know

by Jeffrey R. Holland

Modesty, Makeovers, and the Pursuit of Physical What Mothers and Daughters Need to Know

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, Lds, Inspirational, Parenting, Self Help, Teen

58 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland was ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 23 June 1994. At the time of this call, Elder Holland was serving as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, to which he had been called on 1 April 1989. A native of St. George, Utah, he has spent most of his professional life in Church education. He received his bachelor and master degrees from Brigham Young University and a master degree and Ph.D. from Yale University.
From 1980 until his call as a General Authority in 1989, Elder Holland served as president of Brigham Young University. He is a former Church commissioner of education and dean of the College of Religious Education at BYU.
Elder Holland is the author of several books, one of which he co-authored with his wife, Patricia. They were married in 1963 and are the parents of three children and the grandparents of 12 grandchildren.

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little booklet is a a collection of two talks. One by Elder Holland and another by Susan Tanner. They're both great reminders of who we are and why it's important to know. Girls and women should definitely read and reflect on these principles. (Men and boys should definitely as well!)

If you don't want to track down the books, you can find the talks here: https://www.lds.org/general-conferenc...

And here: https://www.lds.org/general-conferenc...

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book for mothers and daughters contains two articles that were originally published in the Ensign magazine. One article is by Jeffrey R. Holland and the other is by Susan W. Tanner. Great advice and inspiration accompanied by lovely black and white photographs.

[Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be required reading for my girls when they turn 12...and before they move out! :)
In fact, when I'm feeling not so confident, I'm going to force myself to read this book again!!!
(It's a super quick read.)

I love these quotes:
"I want you to be proud you are a woman. I want you to feel the reality of what that means, to know who you truly are. You are literally a spirit daughter of heavenly parents with a divine nature and an eternal destiny. That surpassing truth should be fixed deep in your soul and be fundamental to every decision you made as you grow into mature womanhood. There could never be a greater authentication of your dignity, your worth, your privileges, and your promise. Your Father in Heaven knows your name and knows your circumnstance. He hears your prayers. He knows your hopes and dreams, including your fears and frustrations. And He knows what you can become through faith in Him."

"I plead with you young women to please be more accepting of yourselves, including your body shape and style, with a little less longing to look like someone else. We are all different. Some are tall, and somre short. Some round, some thin. And almost everyone at some time or other wants to be something they are not! 'You can't live your life owrrying that the world is staring at you. When you let people's opinions make you self-conscious you give away your power...The key to feeling confident is to always listen to your inner self- the real you.' And in the kindgdom of God, the real you is "more precious than rubies" (Proverbs 3:15)"

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great short read. I think when my kids turn 10 I will have them read it. It is a great reference for teaching that modesty and respect for your body is more that just covering up. We will be having a family night about this.

[Ashleigh Read · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is so beautiful. I love 90% of it. But there are just a few sentences here and there that make me cringe hard enough to bring the rating down to two stars. I know it’s an older book and therefore reflects older standards, such as prescribing exactly what cannot be worn. But those parts upset me nonetheless. There’s also a sentence where Sister Tanner, quoting her mother, said, “You must do everything you can to make your appearance pleasing” and then forget about yourself and serve others. She also mentions a time when her mother was too ashamed to pray because she had eaten three cinnamon rolls. These things together are too toxic to recommend the book.

[Ale · Rating 5 out of 5]

So worth the time - a pamphlet really - so short and concise- but so much Goodness . I wish I would have ad this attitude about my own body when my girls were young. I wonder if my own lack of understanding was reflected in their perceptions of their own bodies. I am changing for the better and learning the Right way. It has been a lifelong practice and pursuit.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick read with a good message on how we should care for and treat our bodies. I want to be more selfless and not be triggered by the world, but the everyday people around me make it hard to not feel self conscious and to not worry about my outward appearance. These are not people made-over but have managed to be what I want to be.

[Amber Orvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful book to read and messages for us daughters of a loving Heavenly Father and parents. I highly recommend you all read this book.

[Drennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this to my kids. It opened up some great discussions and helped them understand the importance of taking care of their bodies and what that really means.

[Sabra Ann Rasmussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a good book hitting the main importance of our bodies

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A refreshing read on a sometimes tricky subject. I liked how it framed modesty as an inner attitude and self-respect rather than just outward appearance.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book - good reminders on what is really important.

[Cami · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is two talks reprinted in book form. They are good ones and summarize well what I want my girls to know about modesty and the gospel. I am not thrilled with the book set-up though. The pictures are beautiful and nice, but every time there was a photo spread with a quote inserted, it disrupted the sentence I was reading from one page to the next. For example, the bottom of page 37 reads: "In For The Strength of Youth it says:" and then you turn the page and there's a quote that reads, "I testify that the body is a gift to be treated with gratitude and respect." But the continuation of the sentence begun on page 37 actually finishes on page 40 with "Your body is God's sacred creation..." Since I stopped to read the inserted quote, I got mixed up on the message from the talk and ended up not really appreciating either sentiment. That happened several times throughout the book and made for a choppy read. I'll bookmark these talks online to share with my girls but I probably won't give them this book.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick little read - I believe these two messages were taken from conference talks a few years ago. But, the message is one every woman could use in today's world. Satan wants us to hate or become obsessed with our physical appearance - so much that we will undergo any pain to change them. We were created in the image of God and should try to remember that and be grateful for the amazing gift that it is to have our physical bodies! Bringing another baby girl into the world sometime in the next week makes me wonder at the amazing miracle that our bodies are and I hope I can teach my daughters the principles taught in this little book!

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book is only about 50 pages and will take you about 15-20 minutes to read. It has a lot of valuable information. Things that will be good for me to instill into my daughter as she grows. I love Elder Holland so much and when I saw this at the library decided to grab it b/c he wrote half of it. It is actually taken from two conference talks. One by sister Tanner and the other by Elder Holland.

[Melissa T · Rating 3 out of 5]

A combination of 2 talks on this subject by Jeffery R. Holland and Susan W. Tanner. A great book for young women and also, I think for those of us who still wish we looked "like we did when..." Brings perspective to the growing obsession women have with our bodies and encourages us to balance fitness with family and other demands. A quick little page-turner.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm disappointed that this publisher feels good about reprinting 2 conference talks and selling them for 10$. Seems super close to priestcraft to me. Great messages. I enjoyed reading them again and I suppose there's value in them being a beautiful book you can gift someone. I had a very different expectation as I anticipated reading this "book".

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad that I bought this book!! It is two talks that were given by Elder Holland (I love listening to him!) and Sister Tanner so I finished it in about twenty minutes. It's full of such good spiritual stuff, lovely pictures and quotes from the talks. I came away feeling better about myself and with a good guide for my girls in the future. Highly recommend it.

[Julie Doherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, this is a reference book that literally sits on my nightstand and I refer to it and re-read often. I think everyone can benefit from reading it, but especially moms (and dads!) of girls, all young women leaders and all teens.
We cannot hear enough the message that we are more than just our bodies!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very short book filled with a few religious talks about "Modesty, Makeovers..." It is a reminder of what real beauty is and how the world can skew our perspective. This is a great book for young women but is also applicable to all women.

[Nicole Cornelius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short...it's really more a pocket-book. I bet you could find Elder Holland's and Sister Tanner's messages on lds.org, saving you money and space on your bookshelf. Not much we haven't heard before, but it's a good pick-me-up.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this! I'm pretty sure it was just 2 conference talks in book form, but they were 2 of my favorites! Plus the pictures included really fit well. I thought this book was quite wonderful, and I think every girl out there should read it.

[Lauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick read - a talk by Elder Holland and a talk by Sister Tanner. Carey, thanks for the suggestion! Felicity is turning 12 this month and I think it is a great idea to have mothers and daughters read this as they enter their teenage years, and to re-read it frequently!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I generally dislike it when a (free) conference talk is put in book form ($), however, these two talks are among my favorites and I borrowed it from the library. Good reminders and perfect gift for young women. Holland is one of my favorite speakers so I plan to read some of his other books.

[Daisy Dandelion · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second talk (by Susan W. Tanner) is my favorite part of the little book. I think of her wisdom and quotes frequently as I go though my daily life. She speaks to my soul. I highly recommend this book to all women.

[Tanjua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Quick read.

[Camille]

Does anyone have a copy of this I could borrow? This looks like something important to check out!

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be read by everyone- male of female - It's nice to get a little support and direction in an appearance driven society.

[creativate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is based on the 06 General Conference. I think it's a must for all females of all ages.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read especially if you have daughters.