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Gospel Principles Lesson #44 ;  Doctrine and Covenants 58:21–22, 26–28 ;  98:4–10 ;  134 ;  Articles of Faith 1:12 Sometimes inspiration takes surprising forms. Ten years ago, I was wrestling with God about what it meant to be a woman in this church. I had acquired a lot of mistaken ideas along the way. I’d felt like being a Mormon woman meant knowingly shrinking yourself to allow others room to grow. I’d felt like we were given gifts and interests, yet scarce and rigid outlets to use them. I’d felt I was being asked to shove myself into a box where I didn’t really fit. I realize now that what I felt was not remotely based in doctrine, but at the time, it was disorienting and painful. I was serving in a YW presidency, and I had the unmistakable impression that as a part of my efforts to complete personal progress alongside our young women, I should do a value project where I create a blog profiling historic Mormon women. I didn’t know anything about Mormon women’s history. I probably couldn’t have come up with five women’s names from the early church. Truthfully, my handle on institutional Mormon history was subpar. But I set off to the Indiana University library and went to work. What I found in those stacks blew me away. The women I discovered were not held back by their faith – it drew them out and motivated them to act. They did not shrink themselves – they expanded themselves, and created spaces for other women to do the same. Early Mormon women took their faith and brought it with them into their communities and the larger world, using it to build, challenge, illuminate, and innovate. Emmeline Wells I learned about suffrage workers like Emmeline Wells. Wells worked tirelessly in the fight for women’s rights. She successfully organized a campaign that gave Utah women the right to vote in 1870, and then organized the Woman Suffrage Association of Utah to restore that right after the US Congress stripped the vote from Utah women in 1887. Her suffrage efforts expanded beyond Utah into the national stage. She served as a vice president of the National Woman Suffrage Association, and she forged close friendships with prominent suffrage leaders, including Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Martha Hughes Cannon I learned about early Utah politicians like Martha Hughes Cannon and Alice Merrill Horne. Cannon was the first female State Senator elected in the United States (whichis even more fun because she defeated her husband for the seat!). As a senator, she sponsored successful bills in areas that mattered to her, including improving the rights of women in the workplace, education for the disabled, and the creation of a State Department of Health. After her time in elected office, she diligently worked in suffrage efforts and public health, making many valuable contributions to both fields. Alice Merrill Horne Alice Merrill Horne served in the Utah House of Representatives. She was responsible for many bills that helped the arts thrive in frontier Utah, including one that established the first state-sponsored arts agency in the Unites States. In addition to her legislative work, she presented at the International Congress of Women in Berlin, addressed the US congress about women in politics, pursued environmental causes, and served as the Utah chair of the International Peace Committee. I found many more records of Mormon women uniting to acquire wheat and distribute it to the needy, train women in medical fields, fundraise for temple construction, and articulate their beliefs to the larger world. The women I found had different passions and gifts, but they worked together with God and took them into the public sphere to improve their communities and worlds. And the more I pay attention, the more Mormon women I have found historically and currently using their own interests and talents to better their communities, in ways both small and large. As a young adult, trying to sort out what God wanted from me and my life, the visibility of these women mattered. They revolutionized my identity as a Mormon woman. I needed to understand that my God-given passions, gifts, and voice mattered, and that they could be improved by my faith, rather than distract me from it. I needed to understand that God had given me power that could be used to build and innovate, as well as broad spheres in which I could use that power. I needed these models of proactive Mormon women serving as I designed my own path, using my faith to become what God wanted me to become.

Gospel Doctrine Lesson #45 “The Family is Ordained of God” is not only the title of the lesson but also something I have firmly believed all my life. I grew up in a non-perfect-but-still-magnificent family. My sisters are some of my best friends. I LIKE to hang with my brothers. I leave time with my family with my cheeks hurting because I have laughed so hard. It doesn’t mean we had it easy— but we had each other. I knew my family had my back— our motto is Ride for the Brand (from our childhood obsession with Louis L’Amour). When all of my colleagues bemoaned upcoming holidays for enforced family time, I was delighted to drive over the hills to get HOME. I would reroute business trips to go see family. I would show up at midnight to hang with a brother for an hour on the curb of the airport just for a chance to be with him. I would host my siblings Prom dinners. I would travel the world with them, etc. etc. In fact, my idea of celestial life is my family on a zydeco dance floor in the woods of WV. Sheesh, I even co-authored a book about families. Trust me, I have been a believer. Which is probably easier said when family life was, well, easier. When other people had rough situations with their clans, I felt really bad for them (and really lucky for me)— but I still thought that family was ordained of God. Those situations were unfortunate-to-terrible but I assumed they just provided an opportunity for people to do things better than their family of origin. And then what happens when families hit bumps? Not other families, my family. Big BIG bumps? Well, you can read the Proclamation on the Family. The Proclamation is now twenty years old. Amazing. I remember when it first came out how deeply thrilled I was…thrilled may not be the right word…deeply peaceful is better…about finally seeing the term “co-equal” used for wives and husbands. That concept was something I had always believed but not always heard articulated in a church setting. In fact, I had often been told by well-meaning people that I just didn’t get it. To finally have something solid and real and OFFICIAL just made me exhale– and think I could believe in that kind of marriage. I appreciated the Proclamation including a Heavenly Mother when it talks about us being made in the image of our Heavenly Parents. I like that I am reminded of my divine destiny…and that they call it the “plan of happiness” over any other term. I appreciate that the first admonition to parents about how to raise children is “in love.” I like that “wholesome recreational activities” made the list with some other more classic principles like faith and repentance. In my world, it doesn’t matter if any external forces are attacking the family— I got enough of my own shortcomings to really know where the threat lies. But, at the end of the day, I can work out the details. When my family hit the BIG BUMPS (as I think we all will at some point), what I personally needed was overarching belief. Is the family ordained of God? Because, if so, then I got to buck up. Quite simply, these bumps will require an immense amount of effort, gut-wrenching growing pains, and marathonesque stamina. I’m not sure I got it in me. But, our Heavenly Parents have told us that all that is worth it. (Seriously? Do they mean that? Truly?) They think I have it in me. They think you have it in you. A family IS the place we are to learn, grow, develop and slough off any non-shiny parts we have. The family IS the place we are to practice all we learn. To practice forgiveness, and charity, and pure love of Christ. That theory on a piece of paper with The Family: A Proclamation to the World written across the top versus rolling out of bed in the morning and going about living it….well, those are very different things. What are we going to do today to show we truly believe families are ordained of GOD ?

Gospel Doctrine Lesson #46 ;  Doctrine and Covenants 57:1–3 ;  64:33–43 ;  82:14–15 ;  97:8–28 ;  105:1–12 ;  Moses 7:12–19, 61–63, 68–69 ;  Articles of Faith 1:10 In studying the lives and words of Mormon women, different women provided me deeper understanding of what it means to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Emmeline Wells taught me about leadership and the value of women’s voices. Sarah Granger Kimball taught me about proactivity and integrity. Jane Manning James taught me about hope and resilience. The woman that showed me what it means to live a Zion life was Chieko Okazaki. Chieko Okazaki was born in Hawaii to Buddhist parents of Japanese descent. She joined the church as a teenager and eventually moved to the mainland, where she worked as an elementary school teacher and principal. In 1961, she became the first non-Caucasian to serve on a general auxiliary board when Florence S. Jacobsen appointed her to the YWMIA board, and she would serve from 1990-1997 as first counselor to General Relief Society President Elaine Jack. Through her life and writings, she taught me many important truths about Zion. First, Zion is creating spaces of inclusion Principles of Zion and diversity were at the core of Okazaki’s ministry. She persistently brought forward the perspectives and concerns of women that were infrequently discussed in church settings at the time, especially single sisters, working mothers, divorcees, and those from varying cultural backgrounds. She celebrated what we gain from each other when we can adjust our practices for greater inclusion and understanding. She discussed the work and deliberate effort it takes to create a Zion people. Okazaki taught, “To make our diversity a strength, not a divisiveness, we need to communicate more and communicate better. As sisters in the gospel, let’s talk. Let’s share experiences. When we see or hear something we don’t understand, let’s check it out. Let’s ask, ‘Can you tell me what it means when you say or do this?’” Okazaki taught me that as a Zion people, we need to thoughtfully engage with difficult questions about gender, race, sexuality, and culture to fulfill that process of being of one heart. It requires patience with each other while we listen to and learn from these different perspectives, and courage to ask for what we need compassionately, articulately, and in a spirit of unity. Second, Zion is seeing everyone’s presence in our midst as a gift In her conference talk Bottles and Baskets , Okazaki listed the varied life circumstances of women she served in the process of her leadership, many facing difficult challenges, and said, “Not many of these women thought they were giving me a gift. Most of them thought they were asking for help. But all of them blessed me as I listened and learned from them.” Okazaki taught me to examine if we see people that way in our branches, wards, and the church at large. Can we look all people in the eye and say to ourselves, “What can I learn from her?” Can we view our interactions with people that supported a different political platform, seem to constantly be falling apart and need rescue, seem too sugar-coated or too prickly, too wealthy or too impoverished, or so forth as a gift? I’ve been amazed by how often I’ve been called to serve alongside someone I thought I wouldn’t have much connection with, and then been blown away by the goodness, talents, and insight I found when I saw them in action, using the gifts and experiences God gave them in their unique ministry. And my participation in this church has exposed me to perspectives and life experiences I would never have access to otherwise. My life is richer for it. Third, you don’t wait for Zion to invite you in – you claim it. Okazaki knew what it was to face prejudice and discrimination amid the body of Saints. She and her family moved to Salt Lake City in 1951, when the wounds of WWII were still fresh. They could not buy life or car insurance. They only succeeded in purchasing land for a home because a friend sold them some of his own property – no one wanted to sell to a Japanese-American family. People acted in prejudiced ways, intentionally and not. The Okazakis chose to make a place for themselves in Zion. They had faith that the Saints around them could be better when they understood better. They got to work introducing themselves to neighbors and ward members, proactively serving, passing out fortune cookies, refusing to take offense, and loving relentlessly. Before long, they became essential and beloved parts of every community where they lived. Okazaki showed me the value of creating spaces for our unique selves in Zion through love, forgiveness, and creativity. Finally, creating Zion brings joy. There is joy and power to be found in bringing our authentic selves into service in God’s church, and in making room for others to do the same. Okazaki modeled how to accomplish it through communication, empathy, forgiveness, and innovation.

Gospel Doctrine New Testament Lesson #1 ;  Isaiah 61:1–3 ;  Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 3:4–11 ,  John 1:1–14 ;  20:31 . The Gospel of John begins with a reminder of the strangeness of its story. The hellenized world in which it was written already had frightening tales of gods who ventured down from Mount Olympus and into the mortal world. Their encounters were sometimes benevolent but more often dangerously capricious: Helpless humans ended up lured across the sea by lustful Zeus disguised as a bull, transformed into hunter’s quarry by vengeful Artemis, goaded into war by raging Ares, and on and on. The New Testament continues this ancient theme of gods among mortals, but its story is a stark reversal. It describes a god whose life on earth was sorrowful, downtrodden, one who experienced pain and fatigue, was humbly self-sacrificing, and was executed in disgrace. This is our Christian story. It is our light of the world and good news for all. As John tells us in splendid poetry, the Word, the Creator and Law-giver of the world, became part of creation, subject to the laws of nature and His own creatures. He came, not in a brief foray of adventure, but to become Immanuel, the god who is with us and like us, and ultimately redeems us. What kind of rescue is this? We aren’t saved by a deus ex machina, a god in a blaze of glory who swoops down to take us away from our troubles. The gospel that we learn has sorrow woven into its fabric. We can’t overcome the evils of the world through shallow or forgetful cheeriness. Instead, our Savior carries the wounds of our transgressions and of his earthly experience with him. He weeps with us. He teaches us how to mourn with those that mourn, how to turn our hearts to generations before and after us. His love is what saves us, and that salvation is shown in our own ties to each other, our empathy for one another. Minerva Teichert “Jesus at the home of Mary and Martha” The Gospel of John isn’t the first book in the New Testament, but it seems fitting to start a year of study with John 1:14, the prologue to his narrative of Christ’s life. This text is literally ancient history, and one danger in studying the New Testament gospels is that astonishing story of Jesus’s presence on earth will come across as someone else’s story, not ours– that we will read it as something that already happened, a perfectly completed past event, not existing in our present lives. But John insists that Christ is not an abstract idea. He became flesh. He became real. And so, my challenge for myself is to turn the study of scripture into something real — to make the Word flesh in my own life. This is really hard! It’s so much easier to deal with abstract concepts on a page or on my phone than to deal with real life. It’s lovely to read about ideals of truth and kindness, but reality means slogging through tedium, confusion, and fatigue. It means dealing with bad weather, bad traffic, and bad tempers. It means being distracted and messing up a lot. It means being sadly reminded that we are removed from Christ, at least his physical presence. Yet John’s opening verses remind us in all this confusion, Christ can still be present. He is not separate from us in the absolute sense but is always ready to be with us. And by reading scripture, we can receive his Spirit and make Him come alive in our own lives. We can live deeply and be present in His love. When the Gospel of John declares the miracle of the Word made flesh, he introduces readers to his own firsthand witness, telling the story of Christ among men and describing himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 19:26). This may seem an odd self-identifier, perhaps a little boastful. But John’s narrative is overflowing with love, and his authority as narrator comes from this special witness of His love. In writing to us, John broadens his particular experience of being loved by Jesus into a declaration of God’s love for the entire world (John 3:16) and of the love engendered by Christian discipleship (John 13:34-35), (John 14:15). Let’s do our part to find this miracle for ourselves, to turn that universal declaration back into particular personal experiences and find Christ’s love in our own lives.

G ospel Doctrine New Testament Lesson #2 ; Luke 1:5–25, 57–80 ,  Luke 1:26–56 ;  Matthew 1:18–25 . The four gospels do not harmonize on every point—each gospel offers us a different viewpoint through the distinct personalities and cultural positions of their authors. All of the gospel writers start at a beginning, though they all define the beginning differently. Mark begins with the baptism of Jesus, Matthew and Luke both begin with the mortal birth of Jesus, and John will go all the way back to the appearance of the pre-mortal Christ in the bosom of the Father. They also all portray women differently. Though women are never a majority in scripture, we can attune ourselves to look for the women: to see the presence of women, their actions, as well as noticing their absence in the text, all of which can be illuminating and instructive. Matthew and Luke’s beginnings with the birth of Jesus reveal much about them as authors focused on their audience. Matthew is a Jew writing for Jews, and he begins with the genealogy of Jesus focusing on his ancestral lineage as a son of David and a son of Abraham which could open the way for fulfillment of the Messianic promise. Jewish genealogies are historically male-centric. Women were often considered second class citizens in the ancient world (though we need not suppose that women could not do anything), they have a prescribed place within Jewish society. Jewish culture does not harbor a cultural sensitivity that would encourage Matthew to focus particularly on women; curiously Matthew includes five women in his genealogy of Jesus. Matthew inserts Thamar (Tamar), Rachab (Rahab), Ruth, and Bathsheba (though she doesn’t get specifically named), to join Mary in the genealogy. Why would he do that? None of these women are the highly regard Mothers of Israel (Sarah, Rebekah, or Leah). None of these women replicate the common trope of the two-dimensional woman who is either angel or devil; all these women are presented as nuanced and complicated individuals in the Hebrew Bible text. Matthew knows his audience and works to encourage his audience to accept Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. To do that, they need to accept Mary, and these women share something in common with Mary. These four women are possibly included to encourage the audience to welcome Mary. Scenes of Tamar waiting for Judah—her father-in-law—in a place that might cause one to question her morals, Rahab—a woman of a questionable profession—“the oldest”, Ruth “laying” at the feet of Boaz (a clear euphemism), and Bathsheba labeled as a seductress show the potential to villainize women without a careful consideration of the context and a close reading of the text. A young Mary betrothed (legally contracted to be married) and pregnant, but not yet married, certainly fits well into this cross-section of women acting outside of an assumed sphere. Though each woman’s situation may have appeared questionable or scandalous on first glance, when we know the whole story we can recognize their wisdom to act in faith. Matthew expects his audience to understand that despite the potential scandal, all of these women are acting in a way that was acceptable before God. Though it is difficult to escape Matthew’s intonation that Mary is Joseph’s problem (Matt 1:18-22), he wants his audience to accept the possibility of Mary as the mother of the Messiah. In contrast, Luke is a Gentile writing for Gentiles. Luke is concerned with the presence of women, and we see more women in his gospel than any of the others (however, we need to go to John if we want to see women really act). In Matthew, the angel appears to Joseph; in Luke, the angel appears to Mary, and Luke gives Mary a voice. With Mary and Zechariah, Luke begins a pattern of pairs that will continue throughout his gospel. Zacharias is struck dumb for his disbelief. Though initially “perplexed” (NSRV) or “greatly troubled” (NET+), this young girl, Mary, responds to the angel, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38 NSRV) Then Mary will praise God in her Magnificat. (Reading a modern translation will set the poetry apart and help us recognize it.) And Mary said, “My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has begun to rejoice in God my Savior, because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. For from now on all generations will call me blessed, because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name; from generation to generation he is merciful to those who fear him. He has demonstrated power with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance of their hearts. He has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; he has filled the hungry with good things, and has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” (Luke 1:46-55 NET) However, all is not lost for Zacharias, despite his doubts, he too can see the impossible occur and ultimately praises God in his Benedictus (Luke 1:67-79). Whether we are like Mary or Zacharias, we might all be blessed. As Luke juxtaposes male and female examples he chooses to highlight that the gospel is for all. The baby Jesus was born of a woman. Women are essential to help us understand the earthly beginning of Jesus who would become the Savior of humankind. Reading scripture closely opens up the broad world of God’s compassion to us. As we pay attention to women in the gospel narratives we can better understand how God will interact with humanity, we can better recognize the hand of God in our lives, and more wholly believe that “nothing be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37 NSRV)

Gospel Doctrine New Testament Lesson #3 ;  Luke 2:1–7 ,  Luke 2:8–39 ,  Matthew 2 ,  Luke 2:40–52 . There are few chapters in scripture as well known as Luke chapter 2, the story of Jesus’s birth. Every Christmas Eve, families gather to read this story, sometimes with children dressed up in bathrobes to be shepherds and white lab coats to be angels, often pausing to sing Christmas carols at various points throughout it. Any time I read these verses, I feel nostalgic—remembering many years of these scripture reenactments that, for me, represent the essence of Christmas. Liz Lemon Swindle As the years have passed, this scripture passage has taken on different significance at different times in my life. When I had children of my own, this familiar Christmas story became not just the story of a baby—but the story of a mother. When I felt overwhelmed to be shaping and guiding the beautiful children entrusted to me, I wondered how it must’ve felt to be entrusted to care for a child the angel Gabrielle tells Mary will “be great” and called “called the Son of the Highest” (Luke 1:32). When I delivered babies in clean, comfortable hospitals, I thought of Mary laying her baby “in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). As I worried about how to keep my children safe from “dangers” like putting toys in their mouths, I thought of Mary fleeing her home in an effort to keep her child safe from a king who wanted to kill him. My family loves to travel. In our travels, I have often been struck by Mary’s role in other religions and cultures. When we lived in Valencia, Spain, during Semana Santa (Holy Week), there was a giant statue of sorts erected in the main downtown square. In art museums and cathedrals in England, Germany, France, Italy and Mexico, I’ve seen paintings of Mary—of her as the young mother of Jesus, but also as a powerful figure who could bring about—or at least petition for Jesus to bring about—good works and miracles. Mary, the lone woman in a cast of males in Jesus’s birth story, plays much more than a token role. She is a formidable central character. In our Mormon culture, Mary does not loom quite as large. We respect and honor her—but we don’t build large statues of her or appeal to her for miracles. Because there is such a dearth of women available in scripture for us to learn about and set as role models, I sometimes wish we focused on her more. While of course, the Savior is our perfect example, spending some time learning and thinking about Mary can add to the examples available to us, particularly examples of women we can seek to emulate. In these chapters, three characteristics in particular of Mary stand out to me: 1) Mary had a desire for understanding. When the angel appeared to Mary, he told her, “blessed art thou among women.” (Luke 1:28) Mary’s reaction wasn’t just to smile and congratulate herself. Instead, “she was troubled…and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.” (v 29) Later, when he tells her she will “bring forth a son,” (v 31) she responds with a question, “How shalt this be, seeing I know not a man?” (v 35). Then after the shepherds visit Mary and the baby Jesus, Luke tells us “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) 2) Mary demonstrated courage. We don’t know much about how Mary felt or what she thought, but we do have her actions to tell us about her. Mary delivered her baby in a manger. She fled with her young son to escape a murderous king. Mary was not married when she became pregnant. There are a variety of opinions on whether or not Mary had to endure scorn for getting pregnant outside of marriage (perhaps she and Joseph married quickly and people never knew) but the possibility of being scorned was almost certainly a possibility—and she agreed to the plan anyway. All of these actions required courage. 3) Mary taught important truths. These chapters also include the story of Jesus’s parents finding him in the temple teaching. Doctrine & Covenants 93:13 tells us that Jesus “received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace, until he received a fulness.” It takes some extrapolation on my part, but I think it’s reasonable to assume that Mary, as Jesus’s mother, played a role in teaching and guiding him as he received this grace and came to understand his role. While we only have small insights into Mary’s character in the story of Jesus’s birth, they are enough to paint a picture of a woman of faith—a woman we can seek to emulate.

Gospel Doctrine New Testament Lesson #4 ;  Matthew 3:1–12;   Matthew 3:13–17 ;  Matthew 4:1–11;   John 1:35–51 . I think I have mentioned this before— the Hindi language has no word for privacy. And if there is no word— there is no concept. The concept that I have the right to have you out of my business— simply does not exist. This is hard for me. And after seven years here, I just want all billion plus Indians to act like me. (You can see the problem with this.) And then about a week ago, it struck me: they got this down. Indians have got the baptismal covenant down. From Mosiah 15 : 8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; 9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life— 10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you? Indians live this in very robust ways. Whenever there is any need, the individual is immediately surrounded by neighbors and co-workers and community. Ministering I have personally witnessed: a room full of women holding and crying with a mother who has lost her child, a party offering to shift location to my sick bed (no thank you), thirteen people picking up my boat to help carry it to the river, people chipping in to help a family marry off their daughter. People simply step in and help— both friends and strangers. This, frankly, can drive me batty. But then… my husband recently had a traumatic experience where he was hauled off in a police Jeep because the police had been paid off. (Yes, my life feels a little dramatic at times.) While he was in the back of the bouncing Jeep on the way to the station, he called our company’s liaison deputy. By the time he reached the police station, two men were already there and others had gone to the supervisor of police so he would intercede. Nothing happened to my husband because this net of safety was drawn around him. When he got home he said it was humbling to experience this “cocoon” of care. I, still traumatized, had the knee jerk reaction that I just want society’s civil systems to work without corruption so that this cocoon was not necessary. No need for a cocoon if you’re not hauled off by corrupt police in the first place! And then, it hit me. Jesus taught us about cocoons. “Love one another as I have loved you.” The point is not to NOT need the cocoon— the point is to grow the cocoon. I had it all wrong. As I realized this a flood of memories came back to me. I have been cocooned by Ward love at a crucial time when they showed me they believed in me. A tall home teacher offering to hang a painting because I simply couldn’t reach even on a precarious tower of stools and chairs and tippy toes. My not-of-our-faith husband wondering aloud how we were going to unpack my brother’s moving van alone— and all of us laughing. We knew that while my brother was moving to a brand new ward with people he’d never met, the ward would show up to help. And sometimes, there is not a ward cocoon. But what I think is important to know is that divine cocooning is ALWAYS possible. When I read the verses for this lesson, what struck me is how often angels were mentioned as ministering unto Jesus. If an all-powerful God like Jesus appreciates a cocoon, surely I could too.

Gospel Doctrine New Testament Lesson #5 ;  Luke 18 ,  Luke 19  and  John 11 . I have been at the birth of six children: four of my own and two of a friend. The birthing process is often long, hard, and messy, but ultimately a beautiful child of God comes from it. When Jesus says that we need to be born again or we cannot see the kingdom of God He isn’t giving us an easy thing to do. Often we think of being born again as just being baptized and receiving the Holy Ghost, but there is much more to it. Being baptized is just entering the gate. It is after that gate that we have a long narrow path to follow. Following this path to eternal life and the kingdom of God is a lifetime endeavor. Dorcas (or Tabitha) is a woman in the scriptures who gives us a glimpse into this life-long process. In Acts 9:36-42 it tells us her story. 36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.38 And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.40 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.41 And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.42 And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord. Dorcas’ story has always been a favorite of mine. I love to sew. So I especially love that there is a story in the scriptures about a woman who uses her talent for sewing to do good. I love that when Peter comes to see the mourning people that the widows show him the coats and garments that Dorcas had made. Sewing takes time. A lot of time. It’s not easy to make a coat or a garment. But Dorcas made these garments and then gave them away. And she did this often enough that there are many to show Peter when he comes. These garments also aren’t shown to Peter by wealthy people, they are shown to Peter by the widows. These garments weren’t being made and sold, they were being made and given to those in need. Dorcas was a disciple and she showed her faith throughout her life by the service and love she gave to others. In Alma 5:14 it says, “have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?” When I read this I think of what Jesus Christ would do in all situations. I ask myself what it means to have his image on my countenance. What do I look like when I look like God? For me it means serving as he would serve, loving as he would love, giving as he would give and then doing those things over and over and over again. These aren’t easy things to do, just like sewing or giving birth aren’t easy, but in the end they are the things that lead to eternal life.

Gospel Doctrine New Testament Lesson #6 ;  Luke 4 ,  Luke 5  and  Matthew 10 . The breathless and sometimes sudden bursts of net breaking spiritual awakening are often the experiences of ordinary seekers. Casting nets with our Maker is a call to leave everything behind like Peter, James, and John for a new song. Not unlike the early apostles, I fished long through the night before hearing the Savior’s call. Prayer, scripture study, writing, paying attention to my dreams, and time spent in meditation aided my journey. I asked questions and listened quietly for answers that didn’t come clearly for many months. Then as my nets broke with the abundance of the spiritual gifts I received, I heard a call to come home to my purpose. Like nets, old hearts break for stronger, gentler hearts that can contain infinite love and power. Peter, James, and John were led to nets that could encircle their followers in the loving arms of the Savior, with boats to bear them through their ministry with Him. Our nets can be renewed as many times as necessary, and new boats will beckon us as we serve the Lord and learn of His love for us. While other fishermen seemed happy to share in the abundance of Peter, James, and John, they knew not their hearts and the gifts of love already growing within them at the time of their calling. When the Savior read the scriptures to His fellow Nazarenes, they mocked Him because they knew Him only in the days of His youth when His ministry had not yet begun. “We know this man, his siblings, and his father’s occupation,” they said, little understanding that the stones He cut as a Nazarene “carpenter” little resembled to them the Rock of Salvation He had become. Peter, James, and John trusted the call of their new Master little knowing the pain and rejection they would share with Him during their lifetime of service to Him. They glimpsed only pallidly the immeasurable beauty that fishing in this new way would bring. Like Monet’s water lily paintings, every corner of my life fills with the Savior’s love, capturing His light in shades all around me. Through wind, water, earth, and sky, an unknown boat invites me to linger on the bow, watching broken nets gently give way. New colors light tired eyes with whispers of His love for me, and a Navajo prayer song fills my heart as we set sail: “Now I walk in beauty, beauty is before me, beauty is behind me, above and below me.” Although I little know what I will find as I leave old ways behind, the Savior’s beauty breaks forth as the morning in my heart.

Gospel Doctrine New Testament Lesson #7 ;  Mark 1:14–15, 21–45 ;  Mark 2:1–12 ;  Mark 4:35–41 ;  5:1–20 ;  Luke 7:11–17,  Mark 5:21–43 . I have always loved reading about the miracles Christ performed during his ministry. In some ways, miracles are the great equalizer. They are performed for powerful centurions and lowly Canaanite women. The stories of Christ’s miracles are primarily stories of all kinds of people approaching Christ in their absolute brokenness, soul-crushing desperation, and outlandish hope, and finding Christ’s personalized and overflowing love for them there. I adore the reminder of the mind-blowing power present in God’s love for us as individuals, even if, and especially when, we have hit rock bottom. On a deeper level, I love that miracles challenge and teach me in all the right ways. Simply put, miracles don’t behave the way I want them to. They are wildly unpredictable and unfairly distributed, at least according to the way I feel like the world ought to function. Christ can perform them for something as seemingly insignificant as making sure a celebration has enough wine to keep the party going, but do not always appear in the forms I want when people I love suffer. I’m learning to see that the miracles are still there and abundant, even if they look different than I would have chosen. Miracles humble me and remind me that God’s work often doesn’t look the way I expect it should, but that God’s work overflows with power and beauty. Miracles further challenge me by making me examine the relationship between accepting the Lord’s will and pleading in faith. I’m the kind of person that likes to manage my expectations so I don’t get let down, and I often exercise faith very badly as a result. I struggle to find the proper middle ground between not missing out on blessings I am too timid to ask for because I am bracing myself for a “no,” and trying to impose my will on God. I’m learning to ask for the miracle I think I want while keeping my eyes wide open to see the one God is eager to give. I strive to remember that the important thing isn’t what the miracle looks like, but that I exercised the faith to ask for one. I’m want to follow the example of the woman with the issue of blood discussed in Mark 5. This woman had abundant reasons to believe that healing was beyond her reach. Twelve years, all the money she had, all the physicians she could access, and she could find no relief. Yet when she heard about Christ, she still exercised faith and hope and sought him. When she asked for a miracle, it did not take the form of my bland “please be with’s” that I rely on far too often in my prayers. She did not wait for someone to offer to heal her or follow the traditional script of what a miracle looks like. Her plan was specific and innovative. She asked for nothing less than becoming whole, and to have it done in a way the world had never seen. I love that despite the audacity of her request, Christ piled on even more power and grace. Rather than letting her have her miracle and be on her way, he took the time to recognize her and teach her. She received more than simply physical healing. She learned that her Savior knew her and her need personally, learned that she was worthy of the Savior’s undivided attention, and was given the gift of peace. I want to follow her example. I want to ask for miracles and keep hoping for miracles as the years go by and God’s plan is not following the script I wrote. I want to be creative in the how of the miracle, rather than trying to stick my need into what I’ve seen before. And I want to continue to feel my Savior’s love and recognition as the miracles flow, whatever form they take. _______________________________ The following two quotes from Chieko Okazaki have shaped my thinking on miracles. “Jesus performed [the miracle of healing the blind beggar] immediately with just the resources he had—spit and mud and a desire to help. He didn’t transport the man to an exotic medical facility, organize a cornea transplant team, or didn’t make it into a media event. Sometimes we think we can’t serve because we’re not rich enough, not educated enough, not old enough, or not young enough. Remember, if we have the desire to serve, then our bare hands, a little spit, and a little dirt are enough to make a miracle.” – Chieko Okazaki, from “Spit and Mud and Kigatsuku” “[People] suppress the perfectly wonderful questions they have, because they’re afraid that the questions may sound accusatory or faithless. As a result, no miracles happen … If we don’t have questions, there won’t be any miracles for us. I don’t know about you, but I need miracles in my life. I want miracles in my life. I hunger and thirst for miracles in my life. So I think I’d better ask questions – questions from the heart, questions that hurt, questions with answers that I’m afraid will hurt” – Chieko Okazaki, from Disciples

The Gospel Doctrine Lesson #8 focuses on a section of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew 5 . The objective as stated in the manual is “[t]o encourage class members to come unto Christ by applying the principles he taught in the Sermon on the Mount.” Our Objective To comment on the Savior’s thoughts on divorce as recorded in Matthew 5:31– 32 . More specifically, to focus on what happens after the divorce and how the teachings in Matthew 5 can help us cultivate resiliency so that we may find our way to joy and fulfillment. Commentary During the time of Christ, acceptable conditions for divorce were debated by rabbis and the outcomes varied, with some being very conservative and some being very liberal. Here, Jesus is reaffirming the sanctity of marriage and counseling that divorce should only be permitted in cases of infidelity. Even though the Church advocates marriage and teaches that a celestial marriage is necessary for exaltation, It recognizes that sometimes marriages need to end and for more reasons than just adultery (thankfully). The Church’s official  statement  on divorce is: When men and women marry, they make solemn covenants with each other and with God. Every effort should be made to keep these covenants and preserve marriage. When divorce occurs, individuals have the obligation to forgive rather than to condemn, to lift and to help. Divorce can be a difficult thing to talk about, especially in  Sunday  School. Regardless of whether your divorce was a  conscious uncoupling  or a street fight or somewhere in between, it sucks. It really sucks. It’s messy, painful and life-altering. It can be shaming and debilitating. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. ( Matthew 5:4 ) Divorce is not just the loss of a relationship, of a person of great significance in your life. It’s also the loss of dreams, and hopes. I have found that the only way to get on the other side of any trial is to go through it. In the case of divorce that means feeling all the pain and emotions. Be angry. Be sad. Be relieved. Be scared. Be hopeful. Be all of it. If you allow the emotions to flow, to be experienced and validated, they will last but for a moment. Many of the Beatitudes encourage us to be humble.  Humility can be a great teacher if we allow it. If we humbly set aside our stories of who we think we’re suppose to be and what our lives were suppose to be like, we open ourselves up to becoming better receptors for all that the Lord is wanting to bless us with. The disciples of Christ are the salt of the earth. Just because your marriage didn’t work doesn’t mean that you are a failure or that you have lost your savour. A divorce is a new beginning. It can be the resurrection of a stronger, more grounded you. It can be an opportunity for you to find yourself. I’m divorced. The best thing I ever did was dedicate the year after my divorce to getting to know myself again. Through a lot of self-awareness/introspection and therapy, I was able to see my light, believe in it and share it. I have been greatly blessed for having done that hard work. Divorce lands you face to face with your imperfect humanness. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. ( Matthew 5:48 ) If getting divorced hadn’t already thrown you into a shame storm, this scripture just may do the trick. I challenge that the “without flaw” ideal of perfection isn’t what’s being asked of us. It negates the necessity of a Savior and speaks more to Lucifer’s plan than of Christ’s. I think another, lesser known  definition  is what is meant in this scripture, “Lacking nothing essential to the whole.” If we align ourselves with Christ and accept the Atonement in our lives we are lacking nothing essential to the whole, and are therefore perfect in Christ. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be whole again after the deconstruction of divorce. My divorce gave me a greater understanding of the multifaceted nature of the Atonement and increased my capacity for forgiveness. The long road of forgiveness is a necessary part of healing the wounds of divorce. It can also be hardest part of the process. It took me nearly a decade to feel forgiveness towards my ex-husband. I’ve learned that there is a fluidity to forgiveness in certain circumstances. Though I would say that I’ve forgiven him, there are still times when something will happen that triggers me and I have to find my way back to forgiveness. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews A Better Doctor, A better Christian , Ines Pinate I know marriage means two people but I could not handle that situation anymore…. Sometimes some members of the church disagree with the idea of divorce, but I think there is a reason why divorce exists, especially if your marriage is hurting you so much. Moving Past Forever , Kenna Christensen My divorce has been the best thing that has happened to me. I never once was upset with Heavenly Father. The second I found out my husband was leaving me, I was on my knees. The first few months my knees were literally blue and purple because I was always on my knees–I had bruises! That was the only source of strength I had, and it was the only source I needed. It wasn’t that I was gaining strength through learning all these doctrines; my testimony and my strength were founded on the love I know my Heavenly Father and Savior have for me. It was just such a growing experience for me. Snapshot Portrait , Mary Decker My life was crumbling around me. I was sad, angry, depressed, and mourning the loss of my marriage. My husband had kicked me and my baby out of our own home. I was homeless and helpless. One night, while pleading to my Heavenly Father, I very distinctly got the feeling that that very moment was going to be the crossroads of my life. I had to choose then and there: Was I going to be happy and have the life I had dreamed about, or was I going to wallow in the mess and become bitter, sad and lonely? It was up to me. Then and there, I chose to be happy. Critical Thinking for a Critical Time , Catherine Humphrey I showed the children, “This is how you manage. You get the most education you can and you take care of business yourself.” Women cannot be helpless. Other Related Women’s Voices Ensign Article Author’s Name Withheld, “Hope and Healing after Divorce.” Healing from divorce is not easy. Despite the abuse and heartache that happened in my own marriage and the shock and pain that accompanied my divorce, the learning and growth that continue to come from these experiences have been my greatest blessings. I have learned to rely on the Lord and to become an advocate for myself. And although there are still days when I struggle to look forward with faith, I accept where I am and then trust that the Lord will completely bind up my broken heart General Conference Barbara B. Smith, “Relief Society in Times of Transition .” A transition may prove an opportunity for spiritual, physical, intellectual and psychological development—or it can become a time of serious deterioration. The way is new and often difficult. It takes a great deal of courage and sometimes support from others to make a transition a time of growth. Mormon Channel Daily Podcast Dating After Divorce

Objective To comment on the story that opens NT Gospel Doctrine Lesson 9 , in which Elder William Bradford counseled about a “higher law of recognition.” He stated: “Recognition from on high is silent. It is carefully and quietly recorded there. Let them feel the joy and gain the treasure in their heart and soul that come from silent, selfless service.” Commentary There’s been a tension in my personal life between a desire for recognition, and a desire to be so pure-hearted that I don’t need it. I have a little stack of past lives — language professor, musician, music teacher, traveler — but now I’m a birth doula and mostly stay-at-home mom. My first few weeks at home after leaving my full-time university position were rougher than I thought they would be! I had expected it to be paradise, with so much more flexibility in each day and time with my son. And that was lovely! But the accolades were gone. I’m not naturally self-focused, so the degree to which this affected me, surprised me. I found myself telling people who asked me “What do you do?” all the things that I used to do. Now, I have found an internal balance, and love and joy in my current life. I really claim it! But as I look toward my future academic and professional plans, I catch myself caring about how sophisticated or smart or authoritative I would look in this or that hat. There, do you know how hard it was for me to admit that…to myself? So, I’ve been meditating on this tension. In Matthew 6, Jesus counsels against hypocrisy, warning that we should not “do our alms” that we may “have glory” and “be seen.” Recognition itself is not the issue here. If we never recognized each other’s good works (whether professionally or in the family and church setting) where would we find our role models? Who would inspire us to be extraordinary? What Jesus seems to care about is not whether we accept or even seek recognition for our good work, but what our motivation for doing good work is in the first place. If I were to mold my heart to be exactly what I want it to be, I would never say anything just to be heard, and never do anything just to be seen. I wouldn’t stop wanting to be loved and respected, even admired. I don’t feel guilt about that. But I want to be loved for all that is truly good and useful in me and not, “as the hypocrites,” project a false goodness — not choose to be good because I like a good audience. There’s a tradition about Rabi’ah al-Basri, my favorite female Sufi mystic (y’all got one of those?). It goes like this: One day, she was seen running through the streets of Basra carrying a torch in one hand and a bucket of water in the other. When asked what she was doing, she said,”I want to put out the fires of Hell, and burn down the rewards of Paradise. They block the way to Allah. I do not want to worship from fear of punishment or for the promise of reward, but simply for the love of Allah.” May what we do this week be only for love. May we rejoice in the public love and approval we receive for what we have done truly. May we rejoice also in our “silent, selfless service.” The former may elevate not just ourselves but also those who are searching for a model of the good life; the latter most deeply enriches our sense of discipleship and our personal communion with God. And in the end, maybe such pure-heartedness is the ultimate key to success . Related Mormon Women Project Interviews Celebrating the Unseen Woman , Heather Farrell When I was really young, I told my mom I wanted a cause. I remember thinking I should have been a suffragette. I was angry that in Young Women’s we’d spend our time doing cooking or quilting. (We did whitewater rafting and rock climbing, too, but somehow to my young mind that didn’t count!) I had read in history about women who did big, important things to change the world, and that’s who I wanted to be! History never tells you about the women who stay home and raise the babies. Six in the City , Lorinda Goff Belnap There was a time where I kind of, I don’t know if “resent” is the right word, but I didn’t really enjoy being a mom. And I was always thinking, I need time for me, I need time for me, I have no time for me. Eventually, I had this epiphany that the time will come. I chose to be a mom. I chose this, and having little personal time is just part of motherhood. And that feeling of resentment or whatever it was kind of left. I felt that was a tender mercy for me. The Mind of a Mother , Lia Collings One of my goals is to get involved in education reform. I had started a master’s degree in public policy with an emphasis on education that I decided to drop out of because I had a little baby. At the time it was a big sacrifice to leave that program, but now I know so much more about myself as a person and about the world. I’ll make a much better student and professional when I go back to it. From Dancing to Diapers ,  Lisa Hess Jones I had to commit myself to this new life, not just try to work a baby into my career. It was a bit of a transition for me to go from performing to full-time motherhood, mostly because my career in the ballet had all been about me: how my body looked, what my costume was like, how strong I felt, if my make-up was on right… And then motherhood was all about focusing on someone else. Other Related Conversations The Decisions Made by Women of this Generation