A Religious Basis for a ‘Manly’ Man

It never hurts to start at the beginning.

 In the beginning God created the earth, and God declared it “good.” God then placed a man upon the earth, and the man, too, was “good.” But he was incomplete. “And I, the Lord God, said unto mine Only Begotten, that it was not good that the man should be alone; wherefore, I will make an help meet for him” (Moses 3:18).  “Meet” means ‘appropriate.’   If man was to achieve “a fullness of joy” he could not remain alone.  To be alone is to be without life-creating power—the power for which the earth itself was created. 

 

Although God had created animals to share earth with the man, and they too were “good,” they were not of the man kind or the god kind.  The man could not become one with them; he was worthy of a companion whose attributes and powers were like his own—of his own species—but  whose attributes and powers would compliment his and would complete his.  The help “meet” for the man was a woman—a female compliment of the man.  Her creation was the crowning act of The Creation.  The woman was given by God to man as his companion.  Both of these perfect (when joined, as they were by God) people in the Garden reflected their unique qualifications and temperaments. But they needed each other to be “one.”

I envision Adam being fully and in every good way ‘manly,’ and Eve, his wife, being the archetype of beautiful and complimentary womanhood.  Both, from the beginning, were fully equipped for their roles, and would provide the pattern for us in our roles as men and women.

Procreate—Provide—Protect

A careful reading of the scriptures shows that the woman and the family were to be under the constant protection and guidance of the priesthood that Adam held. Priesthood, properly bestowed and used, is the authority of God delegated to men to act in God’s stead for the blessing of mankind.  This first couple, man and wife, were commanded to procreate:  “multiply and replenish (fill) the earth: 

“So God created man in his own image…male and female created he them.  And God blessed them (married them) and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion…over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:27-28).

   

Adam (man) was Eve’s (woman’s) steward to love, provide for, and protect.  He was to “rule over” (lead with love and care—or preside if the priesthood was held) his wife and they were to have a family and work together in unity.  (See Genesis 3:16).  As pertaining to priesthood authority (and as a guide to any man’s appropriate role as a man relative to any other human being) it is written: “No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness and pure knowledge which shall greatly enlarge the soul (of both the one leading by ‘persuasion’ and by the one being guided and, hopefully ‘persuaded’) without hypocrisy, and without guile . . . that he (or she) may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death” (Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: 121:41-44).

Regarding the manly role of providing, the New Testament apostle Paul said: “Provide things honest in the sight of all men” (Romans 12:17).  He further said: “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.” (1 Timothy 5:8).  Book of Mormon king Benjamin also gave us the pattern of his example: “…to serve you with all the might, mind and strength which the Lord hath granted unto me…that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.  Ought ye not to labor to serve one another?” (The Book of Mormon: Mosiah 2: 11, 17).

As far as protecting or defending, the scripture reads: 

[God’s people] “were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children…yea, for their rites of worship and their church.  And they were doing that which they felt was the duty which they owed to their God; for the Lord had said unto them, and also unto their fathers, that: Inasmuch as ye are not guilty of the first offense, neither the second, (i.e., first turn your cheek and try to resolve the issue, but if you cannot) ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies.  And again, the Lord has said that: Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed” (The Book of Mormon:  Alma 43: 45-47). 

    

To me, my charge as a man is clear: Protect, Provide, Procreate. A man does what he can as long as he is able.