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Every girl, and I say every girl, should prepare herself for marriage and for domestic responsibilities. You are not reading that in the magazines today, but it's true nevertheless. She should be encouraged to be proud to prepare for true womanly service. She should become skilled in things that are useful and enriching to her family life. She should develop her talents, strengthen her knowledge and testimony of the gospel, and be eager to serve others. Some girls may be called on full-time missions, and all will have the opportunity to be highly useful in the kingdom of God if they prepare themselves. We want our women to be well educated, for children may not recover from the ignorance of their mothers.
Mary, you are to become a career woman in the greatest career on earth -- that of homemaker, wife, and mother. And so, if you have failed to prepare for motherhood and homemaking when you could, you may make up somewhat by devoting yourself to those subjects now. In your spare time you could now study child psychology and child discipline, the fundamentals of nursing, the art of teaching, particularly how to tell stories and teach children; and you will want to get all the theory as well as the practice now in cooking, sewing, budgeting, and buying. John's limited income will spread far if you can learn to buy efficiently and cook expertly so that there will never be waste. And his small compensation can go far if you learn to make your own clothes and those for the children and utilize scraps and pick up bargains. And if you learn the rudiments of nursing, you may be able to save much in doctor and hospital costs by recognizing symptoms and treating minor afflictions, and you may also have the satisfaction of even saving the lives of your own precious family by your being able to do practical nursing. And so your economies will largely make up for the loss of your own income.
Source: Edward L. Kimball, ed. The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982. 320.
Young women, we hope you will keep yourselves clean. We hope you will look forward to the time when you can become honorable mothers -- homemakers. There is no higher calling for woman. We hope you will prepare for it, look forward to it, and that you will enjoy it.
Source: Benson, Ezra Taft, Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988. 550 - 551.