I don’t recall lessons like this when I was in Young Men. Though there is a joint YM/YW career lesson in my ward tomorrow night.

Perhaps I could say something about the information provided to the Young Women. I was just called as a teacher for the Young Women, and every time I open the manual I cringe. Something has definitely changed in the Young Women program.

Perhaps I could say something about women’s professions. If women are the more delicate sex, why are theirs among the most physically demanding professions? (Mother, nurse, teacher of young children, etc.) Certainly not every woman is suited, personality-wise, to the traditional “female” professions.

And perhaps I could say something about the career of nursing. I’ve certainly been around enough nurses in my time, and sure appreciate a good one, male or female. (One of my son’s very first specialized cardiac nurses was male.)

Nursing is a physically demanding job. This article notes the 12 hour shifts. I wonder how many shifts these nurses were expected to work in a week. Nursing can of course also be extremely emotionally taxing. It can be very taxing to see people suffer and see people die. But it can also be a blessing to be able to alleviate suffering in the most practical of ways.

Though in some respects the introduction is not that different from the advice I heard in MIA, in tone, and practical outlook, it is as different as night and day.

By comparison, I remember my father mentioning that his father’s schoolteacher income during much of the 1930s was about $1,000/year. At $5/day, or $100/month, the nurse’s wages compare favorably (although she–and weren’t they all women then?–wouldn’t have got a summer vacation).

The range of jobs covered will seem traditionally narrow, I think, although there may be a few surprises. In every case, the training and dedication to excellence in that field is presented just as seriously as this one is.