All Posts

The limited numbers of women in scripture means we sometimes get caricatures of women—most frequently the angel or the devil. Women are either perfect, still, and silent on a pedestal or the garish whore of Babylon. Very few female characters in scripture are complex human beings, however, sometimes the nuance of a story shines through.

As women, we join our voices in the storied conversation surrounding the scriptures. Scriptural criticism and scholarship is a deep well from which we can draw increased wisdom. The work we do as individual readers can contribute to that well, which is sure to become an ocean of witnesses. Every textual reading leads to new revelation and avenues of exploration.

A little historical background helps set the stage for this lesson. In 721 B.C., the kingdom of Israel (the Northern Kingdom or ten tribes) was taken by Assyria. About a hundred years later, the Babylonians destroyed Assyria and also conquered the kingdom of Judah (the Southern Kingdom), taking many Jews captive. By the time these chapters at the beginning of Ezra took place, Babylon had in turn fallen to King Cyrus of Persia.

The Old Testament ends with the infamous scripture mastery verses from Malach 4: “5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”

Georgina is an artist from Mexico City, Mexico, where the stereotype of an artist does not necessarily align with gospel living. She works to portray gospel principles through abstract art.

Amy Watkins Jensen lives in a California stake with a practice of having women leaders sit on the stand in ward and stake meetings to increase the visibility of women and partnership among all leaders. In 2023, the Area President instructed the California stakes to end women leaders sitting on the stand. Amy began the Instagram account “Women on the Stand” in response.

Aubrey Chaves experienced a personal faith crisis as a young married adult relating to Church history and polygamy, and wondered if she should continue to be a member. Through a lot of questions and exploration, she expanded her faith and transformed her spiritual life. She now hosts the Faith Matters podcast with her husband, Tim.

Wendy Gonzalez shares her family’s story of emigrating from Venezuela to the United States.

Barbara Katende is a Latter-day Saint in Uganda and shared her personal history and testimony with the LDS Women Project.

Alice (Allie) Bradford Brown grew up in Provo, Utah as the daughter of a BYU professor and a homemaker, and the granddaughter of a Latter-day Saint feminist icon. But stereotypes have not been her path as she forges her own way through life. Allie is also the Director of Fundraising for the LDS Women Project.

On a January morning in Wisconsin with temperatures in the single digits, I pull up at 8 a.m. to my work at a community nonprofit that focuses on creating food and housing stability.

I had a dream once. I saw myself standing alone on a rocky cliff above the ocean with wind and rain raging all around me, while the waves crashed high enough to almost reach me. I saw many shades of gray – the sky, the water, the leafless trees, even the cabin in the distance. All gray. The only color was my purple fleece jacket, getting darker as it absorbed more water from the rain and the ocean spray.

I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a convert from being an active member of the Catholic church in 2017 at the age of 35. The prompting from the Spirit that began my investigating the Church was to read the Book of Mormon. There are so many incredible chapters, verses, lines, and phrases in The Book of Mormon that have built my testimony, strengthened my faith, and have edified and tutored me by the Spirit.

They come from Eritrea, Thailand, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Iran, and Afghanistan – mostly Afghanistan. None of the countries in which my faltering but growing Spanish would be useful. And no, Duolingo doesn’t offer Pashto lessons – I checked. I wish I could at least say hello.

As a teenager, I would enjoy my own “silent, holy night” after my parents and sisters had gone to bed in December. After turning off every other light in the house and plugging in the Christmas tree lights, I’d sit on the couch facing the tree and bask in the glow of tiny white bulbs illuminating each branch and unique ornament.