Gospel Doctrine lesson 20 covers John 12 and Matthew 21-23 . The objective stated in the manual is “to help class members recognize and avoid hypocrisy and thus strengthen their commitment to Jesus Christ.” Our Objective To focus on Christ’s identified behaviors of hypocrisy as found in  Matthew 23 , that we may reflect on our own character. The working definition for hypocrisy (sourced from Google) will be: “The practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform; pretense.” Commentary The lesson manual invites the teacher to ask class members to silently consider these questions: “Am I paying tithing, giving to the poor, attending my meetings, and serving others for my own glory or for the glory of God? In all my actions, do I seek to draw closer to my Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ?” As I tried to wrap my head around the idea of what hypocrisy really is, it became a little confusing in the sense that we, especially as disciples of Christ, cannot possibly live up to everything we profess to believe. Does that automatically give us pretense? I can think of people who think so. It’s a difficult task to think of attempting to draw closer to the Father “in all things” when so much of our lives involve mundane matters like getting to work on time. Lately I’ve been trying to increase my weekly running mileage. Is that for my glory or for God’s glory? I could spend an hour meditating on all the reasons I’d like to run more and still not be entirely sure of the answer. My gut reaction when considering the concept of what it means to be a hypocrite was thinking of a billion examples of rotten hypocrites and not stopping to think of how to improve my own hypocritical tendencies. There’s something so unpleasant about considering your own moral/behavioral dissidence. It’s tough to know where to start. The good news is that I did find some answers. The first comes from President Uchtdorf from his conference talk, “Come Join With Us” . He says: If you define hypocrite as someone who fails to live up perfectly to what he or she believes, then we are all hypocrites. None of us is quite as Christlike as we know we should be. But we earnestly desire to overcome our faults and the tendency to sin. With our heart and soul we yearn to become better with the help of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.If these are your desires, then regardless of your circumstances, your personal history, or the strength of your testimony, there is room for you in this Church. Come, join with us! Let’s contrast “earnestly desir(ing) to overcome our faults and the tendency to sin” with the attributes of a hypocrite as defined by Christ in Matthew 23 . Hypocrites: “say and do not”“bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.”“all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries (a small leather box containing Hebrew texts on vellum, worn by Jewish men at morning prayer as a reminder to keep the law) and enlarge the borders of their garments”“love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues”“devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer” There are many more examples of what hypocrisy is in Matthew 23 and they are all pretty egregious, but I do think it can be easy to adopt hypocritical attitudes about some things. The lesson manual does a great job of pointing some of them out: “For example, when we attend Church meetings we may be more concerned with being seen by others than with worshiping God. We may complain about Church assignments where we do not receive much attention for our service. We may sustain our Church leaders and then criticize their decisions.” A deep sense of honesty and humility seems to be the first step to overcoming hypocrisy. We have to look beyond that natural reaction to point our finger and defend all of our actions as just. We need that earnest desire to overcome our faults and then have the courage to act upon it. I can’t help but think of my mom when talking about this ability and awareness to overcome hypocrisy. My mom has always been quick to admit her own faults and failures and really, truly always wants to overcome them to be more Christlike. Here’s just one concrete example: We never used to discuss politics. I told my mom when I was 18 that I’d registered for the opposing party. It escalated with raised voices and ended with a silence that lasted for years (only on that particular topic.) We both thought we were right. We wanted to defend what we knew to be true. Over time however, she softened. She still doesn’t side with me politically, but we’re able to discuss it. She recognizes that I’m trying to do what’s right and she’ll listen to my reasoning. It has helped me listen to hers. And honestly, at some points in my life, this development felt impossible. In order for that change to happen, my mom had to identify herself as someone who couldn’t listen the way that she wanted to be listened to during a political discussion (something nobody wants to admit). The change wasn’t overnight, but I am so grateful for it now. We’re much closer than we were back then. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews Tis A Gift To Be Simple , Rachel Whipple I’ve grown into our current practices, and honestly I have a long way to go. We are still very wasteful, profligate Americans. I have more pairs of shoes than my husband; he has pretty much exactly the number of pairs of shoes that he needs. Why do I need more than he does? Well, because I feel like I do. It’s just an entitled attitude. So we can definitely do better and everything is a process. There are a lot of things that we assume we need in our society but we really don’t. A Champion for Diversity , Sui Lang Panoke I believe that when each of us is able to get to the point where we can sit down with people of opposing views and genuinely seek to understand where their beliefs are coming from, this is how our country–and, ultimately the world–will be healed. It is very difficult to get to that point, and it always ultimately begins with us. I feel that the gospel is what’s going to get us there. Or at least it is what’s gotten me to where I’m at right now spiritually. I haven’t always been as open and accepting as I am now. Other Related Women’s Voices Blessed By My Callings , January 2006 Ensign, Sheila Kindred My children are older now. Because they have at times struggled with their testimonies, I have sometimes felt like a failure as a parent and unworthy to serve in Church callings. So when I was extended a call to serve as a stake missionary, I was surprised and grateful. As I taught in my new calling, I often felt like a hypocrite for inviting people to attend a church that one of my own children would not attend. At those times I’d try to remember that Heavenly Father knew about my family situation and called me to do missionary work anyway. Increase in Faith , Patricia P. Pinegar What are the things that distract us from the Savior, that turn our hearts and our minds away from Him? It may be thinking more about pleasing our friends or other people than we do about pleasing God (see John 5:44 ). It may be the loud and confusing voices we hear on TV, in videos, in music. Sometimes we just don’t care. Our hearts are hard (see John 12:37 ). There will always be distractions, winds boisterous, but if we choose to turn to the Lord, to believe in Him, to follow Him, we can increase our faith.

The Gospel Doctrine #21 manual objective is “to help class members recognize the signs that will precede the Savior’s Second Coming and to encourage members to prepare themselves for this great event.” Our Objective To highlight references to women in the Olivet Discourse . Commentary Jesus’ words about the destruction of the temple and the last days are found in Matthew 24 , Mark 13 , and Luke 21 . I will focus on the account in Mark 13 . There are several references to women that are worth considering in this text, especially since many of them are found only in the Joseph Smith Translation or are obscured by the KJV translation. In Mark 13:3, the audience for Jesus’ teachings is Peter, James, John, and Andrew. But there is a Joseph Smith Translation which changes the reference to “disciples,” which, in Mark’s context, includes women (compare Mark 3:31-35 and Mark 15:41). While it is not always the case that the JST restores the text to its original state, this JST gives LDS readers an opportunity to include women as part of the audience for this chapter. (Mark 13:17 may suggest that this is the best way to read the text as well.) This is significant because it means that such activities as testifying before the elite (Mark 13:9-11) will be experienced by women. Women are expected to be agents unto themselves who need to be watchful and discerning to be sure that they are not deceived. The important prophecies and teachings in this chapter were not restricted to a male-only audience and Jesus envisioned women occupying important roles in the early Christian church. Today, LDS women should read this text as if it were directly applicable to them. Mark 13:8’s reference to the “beginnings of sorrows” should be translated as the “beginning of labor pains.” While there is scholarly debate as to whether Jesus is here describing the destruction of the temple or the end of days, in either case I find it significant that he chose to describe it in terms of a uniquely female experience—he required the male portion of his audience to contemplate the world through female eyes. Too often, even in modern society, we treat the male perspective as the default and women are required to adapt the message to themselves. But Jesus does precisely the opposite here when he employs a metaphor which would have been instantly familiar to his female disciples but required some thought on the part of his male followers. This metaphor also recognizes and honors the experience of women. Mark 13:17 reads, “But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!” This woe showcases Jesus’ concern for women, especially women experiencing the vulnerability which accompanies pregnancy and breastfeeding. As unpleasant as it is to contemplate, pregnant women were often targets for disemboweling in ancient warfare (see Hosea 13:16). Jesus recognizes the unique dangers of warfare to women; once again, his perspective is not androcentric (=male focused), but rather models inclusion of all people. Another JST changes “no man” to “no one” in Mark 13:32, implying that women are included among the angels of God. (The JST changes “he” and “young man” to “angels” in Mark 16:5 and 6, which makes the messengers at the tomb gender-neutral and, when read alongside JST Mark 13:32, opens the possibility that the angels were female.) This is a very significant teaching, especially given the paucity of information about women’s afterlives. But this verse attests that important assignments, including serving as messengers of God, are given to female angels. In Mark 13:37, the JST adds “two shall be grinding at the mill; the one taken, and the other left.” Because grinding was generally women’s work, this adds a reference to women to the text. While all of these references to women are incidental to the main message of the chapter—which is how the disciples are to comport themselves in difficult times—they nonetheless serve to emphasize that women and women’s concerns were thoroughly interwoven into Jesus’ ministry and that he modeled inclusion. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews Life, By Design , Alyson Von Feldt In the Wisdom poem in Proverbs 8, this woman stands beside God as he creates the world. Different translations treat it differently, but she rejoices as he does it, she is dancing before him, she is clearly anticipating the advent of mankind on Earth. She is interested and involved and enthusiastic about mankind. She loves us exuberantly. It makes me love her. I suppose the implications are about our roles as exalted women. That we can see our place in the heavens with other divine women who are with God. We have a place there that we are returning to, from which we came mothered by a heavenly mother and where perhaps some of us were great and noble intelligences, involved as Wisdom was in the creation and in the care and nurturing of God’s children. These women are our sisters here on Earth and they will also be exalted and become heavenly women. To some degree we can see the great Lady Wisdom in ourselves. The Intimate Side of Marriage , Jennifer Finlayson-Fife One of the chapters in Aaronic Priesthood Manual 3 is “Choosing an Eternal Companion” and the Young Women’s corollary lesson is “Preparing to Become an Eternal Companion.” It’s indicative of the way we talk about men and women—men are agentic, making choices, deciding what they want, while women are passive, preparing to be chosen, trying to be wanted, supportive of male roles, etc. That kind of language and ideology doesn’t prepare someone to have pleasure and desire in sex and life. It preps them to feel needless and wantless and depressed. To be clear, I don’t think it has anything to do with the gospel. I don’t. It’s a cultural thing. I believe there are natural differences between men and women, but we would do much better if we would express our uniqueness to one another rather than trying to live up to cultural dictates of who we are supposed to be. Other Related Women’s Voices Song of the Sisters of the Female Relief Society , Emily Hill ‘Tis the office of Angels, conferred upon woman;And this is a Right that, as woman we claim;To do whatsoever is gentle and human;To cheer and to bless in humanity’s name. In Covenant with Him , Kathleen H. Hughes Yet I wonder whether we women have a full vision of what Relief Society is. When Joseph Smith read the first bylaws written by Eliza R. Snow, he said the document was the best he had ever seen, but he envisioned “something better.” He would “organize the women under the priesthood after the pattern of the priesthood.” When the Prophet Joseph “turned the key” and established the “Female Relief Society of Nauvoo,” he said that the Church itself had not been fully organized until that moment. Sisters, it’s important that we understand that statement. Relief Society was established by God, through a prophet, by the power of priesthood authority; its existence is a necessary part of the organization of the Church. Men and women stand together in priesthood and Relief Society as we strive to bring families to Christ. As women, we should never think that our role in the Church is a lesser role than that played by men. Just as we as righteous women honor the priesthood, we need to hold sacred our calling as women as well. It Is Not Good for Man or Woman to Be Alone , Sheri Dew Our Father knew exactly what He was doing when He created us. He made us enough alike to love each other, but enough different that we would need to unite our strengths and stewardships to create a whole. Neither man nor woman is perfect or complete without the other. Thus, no marriage or family, no ward or stake is likely to reach its full potential until husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, men and women work together in unity of purpose, respecting and relying upon each other’s strengths.

The Gospel Doctrine lesson #22 manual objective is “to help class members prepare themselves for the Second Coming through living righteously, developing their talents, and serving others.” Our Objective To bring into conversation the three parables found in Matthew 25 for guidance on fully engaging in this mortal experience that we may be exalted. Commentary When the parables found in Matthew 25 (Ten Virgins, Talents, and Sheep and Goats) are brought into conversation with each other a cohesive message emerges detailing how we can achieve exaltation. Covenant Making: The Ten Virgins (Matthew 25: 1-13) In this parable, ten virgins are waiting to join the Bridegroom and his entourage as they escort the Bride to her new home for the wedding ceremony. Since the virgins don’t know when they will be joining the bridal party, they have followed the custom of bringing a Herodian lamp to light their way in the dark. What distinguishes a virgin as foolish or wise depends on whether or not she brought oil for her lamp. In this interpretation, the oil represents covenant making and covenant keeping. The saving ordinances of baptism, endowment and sealing can only be performed by mortals thus there is an urgency for us to make these covenants while in the mortal state, otherwise we have to wait for them to be done by proxy. This parable revolves around a marriage, signifying the sealing covenant which is necessary for exaltation. By engaging in the covenant making we affirm our relationship with the Father. As we attempt to keep those covenants we affirm our relationships with Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. This fills our lamps. Five of the virgins are identified as foolish because they brought lamps without any oil. None. In an eleventh hour attempt to participate in the wedding festivities, the five foolish virgins leave to purchase oil but when they arrive at the already commenced celebration they are turned away by the bridegroom: “Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” (v. 12) There are times in my life when I’ve been foolish – delaying covenant making out of pride, complacency, shame and defiance. Not keeping covenants because I was up to shenanigans when I should have been about my Father’s business. There are also times when I’ve been wise. When I’ve proven trustworthy to make covenants and striven to keep them and have been blessed with a deepening in my relationship with the Godhead and having deep-in-the-bones peace. The making and keeping of covenants returns us to the presence of the Father, but is it enough for exaltation? Engaging: Talents (Matthew 25: 14-30) In the parable of the Talents three men are given talents. The first two use their talents and are blessed with additional abundance. The third man, buries his talent. When his lord, the benefactor of the talents, asks what became of the talents the third man replies: I know you to be a merciless man. I was afraid, so I buried it. I now return to you what is yours. The lord rebukes this man calling him wicked and slothful and says that if he believed him to be a merciless man that all would have been better served by engaging in usury. This is a significant statement because usury was an unethical practice of the time. Usury is the charging of high interest on a loan. In Judaism it was forbidden to make a profit off a kinsman. Therefore in Jewish communities it was illegal to charge each other interest but permissible when having dealings with Gentiles. Nonetheless, it was still considered unethical to charge Gentiles high interest rates. Essentially, this lord is saying: I would have rather you engaged in unethical, possibly illegal activity, than to have done nothing. Our mortal existence is the talent of this parable. It is a gift given to each of us that we are expected use – to explore, learn, try, fail, grow. By not fully participating in our lives we are essentially burying them. We are akin to the third man. I know people who are so afraid of doing the wrong thing that they do nothing. Believing that no action is better than the wrong action. Physics and this parable teach us differently. In physics the most difficult object to move is the sedentary one as it takes the most effort. Whereas a body in motion, will stay in motion. Even if that motion is going the “wrong way.” It takes less effort to change a course than to start. It’s scary to risk. It’s terrifying to be vulnerable. And yet we are asked to show up and engage anyway. I believe the third man is called wicked because he returns the talent to his lord exactly as it was entrusted. He did not engage in the act of transformation. The purpose of this mortal existence is not solely to return to the Father, but to return to Him transformed. Transformation: Sheep & Goats (Matthew 25: 31-44) Upon the Son of Man’s return the sheep and goats are separated with the sheep being place on His right side (the honorable side). Transformation is a collaboration between you and the Godhead. It is a messy, painful, beautiful, exhilarating process. But necessary. This is how we become the “new creature” Paul described to the Corinthians ( 2 Corinthians 5:17 ) If we make and keep covenants, actively engage in our lives and are in the process of transformation, the Savior will recognize us as His sheep/the Bridegroom will invite us to participate in the wedding. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews To Be A Vessel , Jamillah Ali-Rashada I believe that in the scriptures there is the letter of the scripture and then there is the spirit of the scripture. I can perform according to the letter, or I can allow the Spirit to perform through me. When I move out of my way and allow the Spirit to take hold, there is so much of a deeper presence and meaning in what it says for me. I believe that the Spirit teaches me; as I learn the words, I know the Spirit will teach me and give me the guidance to perfect me. I don’t have to be all that, I don’t have to be the smartest, the sharpest, the best of whatever, I just have to be true to myself and the scriptures and honor my covenants, and everything else will be handled. That’s where I live on a daily basis. And I live that way better on some days than others. The scriptures and being a member of the Church have given me a guidance and direction to be just that: To just be a vessel. The Love of Her Parents , Jamie Pon Through my parents’ teachings and my friends’ examples, my testimony grew stronger. Maybe I am just an ordinary woman, but I have a great desire to serve. During my mission, I shared with people my testimony of God and the gospel. I also shared my story of having transformed from a rebellious daughter with doubt in the gospel to a woman who now has a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Other Related Women’s Voices Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord , Mary Ellen Smoot The Savior taught us the way when He delivered the parable of the 10 virgins, the parable of the talents, and the parable of the sheep and the goats during the last week of His life. Using these parables in Matthew 25 as my guide, I’d like to review three lessons that Christ taught. As we listen and obey, we become sisters of light and truth. An Invitation to Grow , Dawn J. Young It is expected of us that we will shape our growth so that we will not be like Topsy (in Uncle Tom’s Cabin ) who “just growed,” but rather we will successfully negotiate the bumps and curves by enlarging upon our talents, by disciplining ourselves, so that our mortal experience brings us toward greater and greater mastery of those characteristics which make us worthy of association with the Divine. A God of Miracles , Sydney S. Reynolds How have they come to such a point? How do we access the quiet miracle that the Lord works as He transforms us, His children, into worthy heirs of the kingdom of God? I believe it is made possible because “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” ( John 3:16 ). I believe it comes as we yield to the enticings of the Spirit, put off the natural man, and are filled with the love of God (see Mosiah 3:19 ). “Through the Atonement of [Jesus] Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel” ( A of F 1:3 ). All mankind—that includes me, that includes you—we can each have part in the Atonement, the greatest of all God’s miracles.

The Gospel Doctrine lesson #23 manual objective is “to inspire class members to follow Jesus’ example by loving and serving others.” Our Objective To help people become more Christ-like in being life-givers. Commentary In John 14:6 , Jesus explains he is “the way, the truth, and the life.” If we are suppose to be like Jesus, then how can we also be “the way, the truth, and the life”? This has been very personally for me recently as I am expecting– I am literally participating in the miracle of giving life to another being. However, no matter what your situation or gender, I think we can all be life-givers in a wide variety of ways. 1- Self care Ironically, it took me having another being inside of me for me to be able to comfortably ask for things to be done on my behalf. Silly, simple things such as “I need to stop and use the bathroom” or “I need to eat now.” I think sometimes we forget that in order to be life-givers, we need to have strength in our own lives. 2- Food   This is something so basic that often it is overlooked. To give and sustain life in a very real and necessary way requires food.  But, frankly, food has never been my thing. However, for my friend Bethany , it is. She is passionate that food is a fundamental right. We as a society need to ensure that food is healthy for people and the planet both. Food justice means it is available and affordable for all. Men and women can both work to ensure this basic human right is met. In Christ’s ministry he both literally and spiritually often fed people. This is a core principle for life-giving. 3- Nurturing The Proclamation on the Family states that women are divinely appointed to be primary nurturers. To nurture literally means to grow, develop, or give life. To be a nurturer means that we give our best energy to helping something grow…whether it be a fetus in my current case or a business, relationship, career, home, etc. Nurturing requires our best and consistent effort. 4- Choosing to be a builder   Regardless of your gender, we can all choose to be builders. Years ago I realized that I had a knack for communication. My patriarchal blessing talked to me about doing good with this gift and for years I wondered what it meant. I could major in communications and work in the field but what did it mean to actually use my gift for good every day? One thing that came to mind that I have tried to practice is that I choose to build in my personal communication with others. When we talk with people our language can sometimes veer towards tearing people and things down. Negativity can creep in and become the game of the day. I found myself satisfied with my witty twist of phrases but empty with the repertoire. For six months I tried a new challenge– to make every conversation a building one. That every person would walk away from me feeling uplifted and energized. This is not to be a Pollyanna but to intentionally choose to use my language to build. It made a remarkable difference. I saw people walk in my office who had been on the edge, walk out renewed. I saw friends choosing to prioritize talking with me because they knew, consciously or not, I would always cheer them on. I saw the relationships with my loved ones grow deeper and stronger. I was truly giving life. 5- Life Enhancer Bethany uses this term to describe her role in the family. When I first heard it, I loved it. Years later when I quit my job, got married and moved around the world I was adrift in my identity. When people ask you what you do and expect a tidy title, then none seemed to quite fit until I remembered Bethany’s self-appointed one– and I adopted it. I am a life enhancer. For me personally that means that I volunteer a lot of time in a local NGO helping village women learn employable skills in rural India, I pick out what color our walls should be painted, I light candles at dinner, I plan what activities we are going to do on our family holidays, I plot schemes. I ENHANCE our lives. What I offer improves the quality of our life…I am a life-giver. 6- Creators One of the most powerful roles in giving life is being a Creator. Women and men both contributed to the creation of our world and can continue in this role today in a myriad of ways. President Spencer Kimball said: “Christ and Mary, Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, and a host of mighty men and equally glorious women comprised that group of ‘the noble and great ones,’ to whom the Lord Jesus said: ‘We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell’ ( Abraham 3:22-24 ). This we know: Christ, under the Father, is the Creator; Michael his companion and associate, presided over much of the creative work; and with them as Abraham saw, were many of the noble and great ones. Can we do other than conclude that Mary and Eve and Sarah and myriads of our faithful sisters were numbered among them?” I find that I get personal renewal and satisfaction if I take a few moments every day to be a literal creator. Creation feeds my soul and draws me closer to emulating Christ. If we are charged to become more Christ-like what are the ways we can give life to ourselves and others? Related Mormon Women Project Interviews Hooked on Creativity , Rebecca Knudsen I think art making is a process of bearing witness of the truth. If you explore gospel principles sincerely, God blesses you with insight. He also blesses the artist with the ability to translate it visually. Her Castle on A Cloud , Sandra Turley I’ve always loved young women and still feel like a teenager in many ways. I understand young women and feel that we have an honest relationship, that they’ll listen to me and hear the message I have to share. I have found that the young women go into my events to listen to a Broadway star, but come out thinking about their relationship with their Heavenly Father, which is all that I could ever hope for. The message that I feel prompted to share with them is about fulfilling the measure of your creation and how innately creative each one of us is. We’ve all been created by Heavenly Father and we then in turn have a chance to create. It’s up to us to talk to Him and ask Him to help us see what He wants us to offer to the world. We Are Made for Love and Light , Rachel von Niederhausern My ultimate desire and dream is to have freedom in the world, and to have everyone have the joy of being free. To have good health, good educational opportunities, and to be able to live their own truth. Other Related Women’s Voices Belonging is Our Sacred Birthright , Bonnie D. Parkin In one ward, mothers introduce their daughters to Relief Society in a Sunday meeting when they turn 18. One mother tenderly expressed how her Relief Society sisters had nurtured her from her early marriage: “They have brought meals and hugs in time of sorrow, laughter, and support for celebration. They have taught me the gospel by visiting me and letting me visit them. They have allowed me to make mistakes on their time.” This mother then explained to her daughter how the daisies in their garden came from Carolyn, the lilies from Venice, the buttercups from Pauline. The daughter was amazed. Her mother replied, “These women are my sisters in every way, and I am grateful to bring you into their care.

The manual objective for Gospel Doctrine lesson #24 is “To encourage class members to be receptive to the influence of the Holy Ghost and to draw nearer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.” Our Objective To explore the connection between the Holy Ghost and Christ’s prayer for unity. Commentary Lesson #24 continues Jesus’ farewell discourse to his disciples in John 16 , followed by what the manual calls the great intercessory prayer of John 17 . This is also called the Farewell Prayer or High Priestly Prayer. In Chapter 16, Jesus explains the need for his imminent departure. Think–did he really have to leave? Why not stay on earth as a resurrected being, settling disputes and ensuring centuries of peaceful history? But in 16:7 Christ strongly states, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” Jesus knew that his disciples would be experiencing a kind of second fall in their separation from his divine companionship and protection. In preparation for this, Christ describes the gift of the Comforter not just as a second-best helper, but as a prized gift, even worth the hardship of Christ’s absence. It is only in this often uncomfortable state of existence, separated from Christ and God the Father, but accompanied by the Holy Ghost, that the disciples would be able to experience a fullness of the gospel. When I read about Christ preparing his disciples for their separation, I am reminded of the words of Eve in the Pearl of Great Price. After the fall and expulsion from the Garden of Eden, the Holy Ghost bears record to Adam and Eve of the redemption of Christ in Moses 5:9. In the subsequent verses, Adam and Eve both bear testimony of what they have learned as mortals. Verse 11 records, “Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.” Eve knows that mortality doesn’t prevent eternal life but instead makes it possible. As one who had experienced both worlds, the garden paradise and the dangers and fears of mortality, Eve has the kind of understanding that Jesus wants to convey to his disciples. For Eve, knowledge was key to accessing the gift of eternal life–not factual knowledge but personal knowledge through mortal experience. In John 17:3, Jesus also addresses the need for a particular kind of knowledge, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” But how do we know God or Jesus Christ? Unlike the disciples of Christ’s time, we don’t hear his discourses directly or receive his healing blessings in person. But the gift of eternal life comes not just despite this fact but, in part, because of this fact. Without direct fellowship with deity, we access the atonement through the unifying and enlightening power of the Holy Ghost. And so the separation of mortals from God makes possible an even deeper kind of unity than was previously possible. Jesus prays for this unity in verse 23, “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” How do we know God? through the Holy Ghost? Yes. But our understanding of God, our unity with God, comes only as we follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost to love God’s family. In the October 1991 General Women’s Meeting, Cheiko Okazaki gave a wonderful talk inaugurating the sesquicentennial celebration of the Relief Society: She described a crucial purpose of the gift of the Holy Ghost. Along with its role as revelator of truth, comforter, and teacher, the Spirit prompts us toward unity: Remember, our real calling to be a compassionate Christian came when we stepped out of the waters of baptism. The gift of the Holy Ghost is ours by right of confirmation. We don’t need to check it out of the meetinghouse library. We don’t need a bishop’s assignment to be kind. We don’t need to sign up to be thoughtful. We don’t need to be sustained by our wards to be sensitive. Rejoice in the power you have within you from Christ to be a nucleus of love, forgiveness, and compassion. It is this Spirit, combined with our own actions, that creates the unity that Christ describes in his Farewell Prayer. Okazaki continues, describing the unity she feels with the world-wide Relief Society despite the inevitable separateness we feel as distinct individuals: As a Relief Society General Presidency, we are different. Elaine, Aileen, Carol, and I are married and single, homemakers and professionals, far travelers and homebodies, converts and fifth-generation members, high school graduates and graduate-degree holders. We have given service to our community and to the Church. But we know each other, we help each other, and we love each other. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. We rejoice in our diversity and enjoy a unified sisterhood. Do the same in your own wards and stakes. Eternal life, the Holy Ghost, being One in the Father and in Christ — these are inevitably linked and can’t be separated from our experiences with our fellow mortals. In order to know the Godhead, we are required to love each other. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews Patience and Joy , Patience Omorodion The first Sunday I went to the Church, I was so excited because of the way I was received by the Relief Society sisters. I was wondering why! I said, “Why are they so happy to see me?” The joy that I felt that first Sunday made me to come the other Sundays.So the joy of the sisterhood in Relief Society touched my heart and I decided to have the missionary discussions about the Church, and after, I got baptized into the Church. I’m so excited that I have the testimony that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. That’s helped me to know how much Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ love me. I know that Heavenly Father lives and is our grand Father and Jesus is our Savior, and the Holy Ghost is the best friend that we get in our heart in this life. That testimony has blessed my life a lot. An American Education , Raquel Perez Johnston The day I was baptized, something extraordinary happened to me. I received the Gift of the Holy Ghost and found that I was given the strength to stand alone not only that day but for many years following. In time, my family and I reconciled and our relationship gradually improved. Acting on what I knew to be right was a very difficult thing for me to do, but decisions are like that. I have learned from this experience that sometimes years and years pass before you can see all the blessings you would have missed if you hadn’t said yes when given the opportunity. I could have said no! But because of it, my life has been very rich and abundantly blessed — I have never regretted my decision. To Smile and Talk Again , Agnes Twagiramariya My life has changed completely since I joined the Church. For example, I sincerely feel the joy of the Holy Ghost who changed my life of sorrow and unhappiness into peace and joy. And I have started to smile and talk again. Because of His love, I found that all my sorrow my Savior took away and He has left me peace.I started to feel that I could forgive the people who killed my family in Genocide. It was very difficult for me to forgive them. And after forgiving them, I gained the total peace of my heart. For me, I choose to follow my Savior and I will never choose another way for my life. Other Related Women’s Voices Making Faith a Reality , Janette Hales Beckham Years ago a friend was feeling challenged as she saw the world shouting at her family. She said, “I wish we could lock our children in the temple until they turn 21.” That solution might have kept them innocent, but that is not the plan. Just as Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden, spiritual maturity requires that we have experience in this world. It is experience that helps us know good from evil. It is experience that helps us recognize the promptings of the Spirit. A Comforter, A Guide, A Testifier , Margaret D. Nadauld You too are loved by the Lord, just as were the disciples of old. You are loved more than you will ever know. He wants you to be successful in your life’s mission! You don’t have to face the experiences of this life alone, nor have you been sent here to fail.For this reason a holy gift was given to you at the time of your baptism and confirmation, when hands were placed on your head and you were told, “Receive the Holy Ghost.” It is almost as if your Father in Heaven gave you a gift to celebrate your official entrance into His kingdom on earth. The Holy Spirit can be with you always and guide you back to Him, but in order to enjoy the benefits of this holy gift, you must truly receive it, and then you must use it in your life. Helping Others Recognize the Whisperings of the Spirit , Vicki F. Matsumori There are places where it is easier to feel the Spirit. Testimony meetings and general conference are some of those places. Certainly temples are another. The challenge for each of us is in providing an environment where the Spirit can be felt daily in our homes and weekly at church. One reason we are encouraged to pray and read the scriptures every single day is that both of these activities invite the Spirit into our homes and into the lives of our family members. Because the Spirit is often described as a still, small voice, 11 it is also important to have a time of quiet in our lives as well. The Lord has counseled us to “be still, and know that I am God.”

The Gospel Doctrine lesson 25 manual objective is “to strengthen class members’ testimonies that they can receive forgiveness, peace, and eternal life because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” Our Objective To explore our resistance to submission and to discuss the difference between submitting to God than to mankind. Commentary Throughout my life, I have often been called stubborn. There are all sorts of titles people will assign to those of us who hate conforming to the expectations of others: Insubordinate. Uncooperative. Difficult. Uncompromising. Opinionated. Proud. Obstinate. These words grate against my vision of myself. I see independence and capability – resolution and determination. The problem is, all these words are synonyms. And in my defiance of the adjectives that some would place upon me, I found myself, at certain times in my life, becoming the very things others suggested. I have been defiant for defiance’s sake more times than I’d like to count. My parents used to tell me to be home by midnight. So, I’d walk in at 12:03, almost daring them to confront me. Once, in grade school, my teacher told me I couldn’t go to lunch until I finished a particular assignment. This failed to motivate me. As she walked the others to the lunch, I was left in the room alone for a short moment. When the last person exited, I immediately jumped to my feet, threw my arms high, with my little fingers pointing to the sky. I stuck one foot out, and I wiggled my whole body in a dance of delight. After a whole 5 seconds, I sat down and finished my work on my own terms. Sometimes, I fought smarter battles, and my strong traits aided my progress. However, too often, I have found myself choosing things I felt were wrong just to prove that I lived outside expectations and to prove that I was the one in control. Believe me, I now see the irony in this. I’ve often thought of a great war we once fought long before we came to this earth. We battled for agency—the ability to make our own choices and accept their consequences. We revolted against anything that might suppress or control. Our spirits are still fighting that same battle. We resist any attempt of mankind to limit our gift of agency. I think it is natural to resent forced compliance. We were created with the intent to live according to the higher law of self-governance. I’ve thought about this often, and recently, a good friend asked me an interesting question about the idea of submission: “How is submitting our will to God different than submitting it to men?” I was comforted through the instruction I received in the New Testament, when Jesus works through his process of submitting His will to the Father’s. It wasn’t necessarily easy for him, just as it may not be easy for us. During Jesus’ time in the garden of Gethsemane, He experienced the opposite of peace; suffering so that he could complete his earthly mission as he promised us he would, extending to us the comfort that comes through his atoning gift, providing our only path back to our Father in Heaven. To me, it seems like there could have been a lot of pressure on him to do the right thing. Literally the entirety of humanity depended on him doing what he said he would do. An account in Matthew chapter 26 teaches us that, three times, our Savior prayed, asking if there wasn’t some way for this cup to pass from him (verses 39, 42, and 44). A loving Father probably practiced much restraint to allow his Son to endure these painful moments, without telling him one way or the other what he should do. The Father didn’t need to tell his Son what to do because He had already taught Christ his role in the plan. And Christ had accepted it long before the pains of that moment. Fueled by compassion, the Father sent angelic help to strengthen Christ ( Luke 22:43 ). And, “…being in agony [Jesus] prayed more earnestly…” (Luke 22:44). Following this prayer, he willingly submitted to the only plan that would allow him the power to succor us in our moments of discouragement. I don’t know what type of comfort the angel brought the Savoir in his most difficult moment, but perhaps a comforting message is, “You don’t have to do this.” Obviously, we needed him to complete the atonement, but never once was he compelled to. While men may try to coerce us to action, God, our Father, never forces our submission to his will. He merely asks us to trust him enough to align our will with his. He doesn’t ask us to give up our will; he asks us to become educated enough to want the things that he wants. He encourages our agency and our self-development the whole way, and he never withdraws his love based upon our cooperation. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews A Grief Observed , Julie Hall I’ve always had a strong testimony, I’ve always believed in God, but prior to this experience I thought I would try to make the best choices and follow the commandments, and then God would keep me from experiencing pain, you know? I don’t think it registered that I was thinking that way until I had to shift it, until that paradigm didn’t work anymore. After Jonah died, the Young Women’s theme kept coming to my mind: “I’m a daughter of my Heavenly Father, who loves me and I love Him.” That became my new focus to understanding God. I believe that God is all-powerful, but I don’t believe that He will prevent difficult things from happening in our life; doing so would rob us of our mortal experience and agency. Nothing is Impossible , Dee Dee Shipley That first Sunday after I was baptized, I bore my testimony and I started crying. And I thought, “Why am I crying?” I thought it was so odd. But even at that time, I felt so strong about the Gospel that I knew it was true. Ever since that time I have never doubted or waivered in my trust of the Lord. Sometimes I don’t always submit my will to Him, but now that I am as old as I am, I try to do that all the time because He has much better plans for me than I would have for myself. His road is much smoother and easier than taking the rocky road and doing things the hard way. Other Related Women’s Voices Agency-A Blessing and a Burden , Sharon G. Larsen Because our purpose here on earth has not changed, nor will it ever, our Father steadily and regularly supplies additional gifts to make our world safe and strengthen our wise use of agency. Think about the gift of prayer—opportunities to be heard and understood. Think about the gift of the Holy Ghost, who will show us all the things that we should do (see 2 Ne. 32:5 ). Think about sacred covenants we have made, the scriptures, priesthood and patriarchal blessings. Think about the ultimate gift of the Atonement and its reminder in the sacrament that blankets us with love and hope and grace. These gifts help us use our agency wisely to return back to our heavenly home, where “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” ( 1 Cor. 2:9). Raised in Hope , Chieko N. Okazaki Hope is one of the three great Christian virtues because Christ Himself is the master of life and therefore the master of hope. We are free to choose because we were made free from the beginning, and He honors our agency and our right and ability to choose. The choice He offers is life, and life offers hope. Any other choice is a choice of spiritual death that will bring us into the power of the devil.

The Gospel Doctrine lesson # 26 manual objective is “to help class members feel the Savior’s love for them and increase their love for him and their gratitude for his atoning sacrifice.” Our Objective To discuss women and their personal missions in building the kingdom of God, following Christ’s example and conviction of mission in the statement “to this end was I born.” Commentary One of the most pivotal moments in the sacred history of the world is recounted in the gospel of John. Christ’s testimony of his mission to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, takes my breath away: “Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” ( John 18:37 ). Imagine if Christ had been cowed by the powerful and the craven and had shrunk from his ponderous task in the Father’s plan. Surely such a proposition is unthinkable. We know better. We know that Christ was aware of his identity, his role in the eternities, and was prepared to meet his divine destiny. Contemplating the heroes and heroines of sacred history, it is easy to feel hopelessly inadequate or as though our tasks and assignments are not as noble or as noteworthy as those of renowned figures. This burden of self-doubt can be crushing and interfere with the essential work we have been given to do in building the kingdom. Patricia Holland gave a BYU Women’s Conference address on February 1, 1980 , in which she stated, “I believe that every one of us has a specific mission to fulfill on this earth….I believe that we made sacred promises in premortal councils regarding our role in building the kingdom of God on earth.” She also quoted President Spencer W. Kimball, who spoke about the assignments women received before coming to the earth that they are accountable to carry out. Although the Atonement is Christ’s specific province, we share Christ’s purpose to redeem and uplift humankind; we can be saviors, with a little “s”, within our sphere of influence, however large or small that may be. Perhaps you have a sense of destiny in the work you do, perhaps not. Perhaps you are still searching for what you feel your path is. Whatever your work may be, it matters—not just because you are important (which you are) but because it matters to the kingdom, which I believe extends to all spheres of our endeavor. What would the kingdom lack if we stopped making our unique offerings? It is easy to get caught up in cultural scripts about who we ought to be as women, or maybe we become conflicted about what work is appropriate for us to pursue at certain times . The truth is, as we all discover, that each of our paths are unique and individual and that God has a variety of personal, professional, educational, ecclesiastical, relational assignments for us. These may variously play out on the individual, local, national, and even international levels. Sister Holland said, “We all know there was a great difference between the assignments of, say, Mary Fielding Smith and Eliza R. Snow. Yet both eagerly sought the will of the Lord. Both sought marriage and family. Both gave everything they had to the kingdom.” I am so blessed to have been born into a home with parents who valued education. Because my mom had a master’s degree, I imagined pursuing a path of higher education. While I was in high school, she and her friend Irene Ericksen wrote a book designed to help young women find their personal missions. In Where Do I Go from Here? they write, “Your personal mission is not something mystical and elusive. It is not something ‘out there’ far in the future that you will find only if you don’t make any missteps. Actually, you can think of your personal mission as a combination of three things you already have. Your gifts . . . your challenges . . . The needs in your world and what God needs you to do about them.” I feel that having a profession is an important part of my work on the earth. Ironically, in spite of my mother’s wonderful advice, I still searched for my profession over four years after I finished a graduate degree. When I finally found it, though, and had the answer confirmed by the Spirit, it was one of the happiest days of my life. Along the way I experienced doubt, trepidation, and anxiety, and it took years for the answer to unfold. Nevertheless, the journey has been well worth it. Our missions are significant. Each of us has divine commissions to fulfill, each of us has many ways in which to serve, in the home and out. Many of our limitations come from the voices of fear that daily plague us. Let us cast off the chains of fear and instead see Zion spreading across the earth. Our vision can be one of tikkun olam, of healing the world in our sphere, of encouraging wholeness and opportunity and gospel-growth for everyone we come in contact with in whatever small or large ways we can. We, too, can learn of our true identity as daughters of God, as workers in His vineyard, as saviors on Mount Zion. We, too, can boldly proclaim the truth before the world. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews A Calling and a Purpose , Katie Jennings And then I got a calling that saved my life and taught me my true purpose in this world. I was called as a Primary president in my ward. Heavenly Father gave me 60 kids to call my own and to love and to teach. I made the decision right then and there to throw all of the love, caring, and nurturing that I had in my heart and soul towards those 60 kids. They have returned it in a million different ways, which makes me love them all the more. I love them like they are my own. I count myself blessed to be part of their lives. A Family Production , Erin Morley Most importantly, we pray about every decision we make. Every job that I am offered must be considered carefully. I feel like I can tackle any challenge if it’s part of God’s plans for me! I know that if I receive that confirmation, that feeling that it’s right to accept this work, then my family will be taken care of. With two careers, a child, a home, a traveling schedule, a nanny, housing arrangements abroad . . . there is a lot to manage! But as long as we all remember who we are, stay firmly rooted in our beliefs and our connection to each other, we feel a peace about the situation, and in fact a real purpose in all of our work, professionally and as a family. Street Smart and Math Wise , Janet Nelson I just feel like I am just a basic mom who goes to church and does what I am supposed to do, but Heavenly Father is my rock and He knows who I am. I may not always be able to see my potential but I feel like my husband is a great advocate for me and I feel like Heavenly Father knows what I can do and I have really learned to trust that. So as overwhelming as it was initially, I feel like He knows what I can do. It gives me a lot of faith to think Joseph Smith was a farm boy with a third grade education and look what he did. So if I just put my trust in Heavenly Father I can be whatever instrument He wants me to be. That is really comforting.I think part of the purpose of being called to something, to anything, is to stretch us and to take us out of our comfort zones. The board is made up of amazing women. Just across the board really great women! So to have that association is amazing! But also I’m being stretched and asked to do things that I am not really comfortable doing. And it’s okay. Other Related Women’s Voices Stand Tall and Stand Together , Sheri Dew My prayer tonight is that we can be equally clear about our mission as women of God. This isn’t just a really nice church that teaches really nice ideas so that we can live really nice lives. This is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, endowed with His power and charged with carrying His truth to the ends of the earth. I love our Father. And I love His Son. And I have come to know for myself that this is Their work and Their glory and that we are the most blessed of all women to have such a vital part in it. May we lift our “voices as with the sound of a trump” (D&C 42:6). May we find joy as we stand tall and stand together. And may we “cheerfully do all things that lie in our power” (D&C 123:17), and then stand still to see the arm of God revealed as His work goes forward boldly and nobly until “it has … swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done” (History of the Church, 4:540). Hold High the Torch , Margaret D. Nadauld Never belittle the gifts God has given to you. Develop the divinity that is within you. Don’t dull the brightness of the spirit you came with from heaven. The Lord needs your goodness and your influence in this world.

The manual objective of Gospel Doctrine lesson #27 is “to help class members feel gratitude for the Savior’s Resurrection and the blessings it brings us.” Our Objective To discuss the role of women at Jesus’ resurrection, and in other accounts of resurrection in the scriptures. Commentary Each of the four accounts of Jesus’ resurrection contains different details and emphases (see Matthew 28 , Mark 16 , Luke 24 , and John 20 ). But one thing that they have in common is that in all four accounts, the primary witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection are women. This is a big deal. Various strands of first century Judaism did or did not permit women to testify in court, but it was nonetheless the case that, in general, women were not regarded as entirely reliable witnesses. They were certainly not the ones who would be expected to have crucial information to announce. Luke records that when some of these witnesses informed the apostles of what they had learned about Jesus, “their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not” ( Luke 24:11 ). The fact that women are the first to know of Jesus’ raising is not an accident. In a very real sense, if you want to be a Christian—if you want to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ—the first thing you need to do is to believe women. To believe that they are reliable, to believe that angels speak to them, to believe that they have something important to teach you (see also Alma 32:23 ). The women’s witnessing is important in another way as well: all stories of raisings from the dead and resurrections in the scriptures have female witnesses. (Note that Acts 20:9-12 isn’t a death, 2 Kings 13:20-21 is likely mythic, and 3 Nephi 19:4 isn’t an account of a raising itself.) This pattern is consistent in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and is even hinted at in the Book of Mormon in Alma 18-19 . I would suggest that there is a pattern here: women are–even if we don’t notice them or understand their role–necessary witnesses when the keys of raising/resurrection are employed. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews The Power of A Snowflake , Bonnie Ballif-Spanvill Central to Christ’s work was the way He interacted with women, even though at that time they were relegated to inferior status in the culture. He recognized their spirits and intellects, He taught them, healed them, raised them from the dead. And after His resurrection, He appeared first to a woman and asked her to give the news to the apostles, even though at that time in Jewish law women were not considered competent as legal witnesses. So the fact that He used a woman as a witness is especially profound. Seeking Peace That Passeth Understanding , Patty Gutshall We were all in shock. It didn’t seem real. Like a bad dream that we were going to wake up from any moment and find him standing there and everything would be fine. We did wake up to find, in a sense, that everything was okay. We woke to a new understanding and appreciation for the power of the Atonement and the Resurrection. We woke to the promised peace that “passeth all understanding.” Sharing the Burden , Dawn I have zero regrets, and I know this trial is temporary. I have faith in the resurrection. The times that Eric has been really sick, I can see his heart so clearly. Everything else is stripped away. And there’s just this vulnerable, pure-hearted man in front of me. From an eternal perspective, I have no worries. Other Related Women’s Voices To Look, Reach, and Come unto Christ , Anne C. Pingree In Minerva Teichert’s magnificent painting Christ in a Red Robe, the Savior of mankind, with nail prints in His hands, stands majestically with outstretched arms. In tenderness and compassion He looks down upon the women straining to reach Him.I love the symbolism of women reaching out to touch the Savior. We long to be close to the Lord, for we know that He loves each of us and desires to encircle us “eternally in the arms of his love.” His touch can heal ailments spiritual, emotional, or physical. He is our Advocate, Exemplar, Good Shepherd, and Redeemer. Where else would we look, where else would we reach, where else would we come but to Jesus Christ, “the author and finisher of our faith”? Raised in Hope , Chieko N. Okazaki The death of the body is nothing—for Christ’s Resurrection guarantees our own—but He cannot rescue us from the death of the spirit unless we choose to ally ourselves with Him, with His hope, with the inexhaustible and irrepressible life that is His.

The Gospel Doctrine lesson #28  manual objective is “to remind class members of their responsibility to be witnesses of Jesus Christ and to help them see how the gift of the Holy Ghost helps them do so.” Our Objective To look to Peter and the Young Women’s Personal Progress program to learn how to be a living witness of Jesus Christ. Commentary In the first five chapters of Acts we see the apostle Peter transform into a prophet. He who, not long before, three times denied knowing Christ becomes a mighty witness. Acts begins with the end of Jesus’ instructions to the apostles. After sojourning with them for 40 days, Christ ascends into heaven thereby restoring the Holy Ghost’s presence on the Earth. Before his departure, Christ commands his apostles, “ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” ( Acts 1:8 ) In Acts 3 , Peter and John heal a lame man at the gates of the temple by calling upon the name of Jesus Christ. The healed man’s gratitude and joy draws a crowd, who marvel at the miracle. This triggers something in Peter. He addresses the crowd saying, “..why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?” (v. 12) Peter goes on to say – God has glorified his son, Jesus. The same Jesus whom you listened to and praised and then..”delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses .” (v. 13-15) Peter explains that lame man was healed by faith in that same Jesus. Peter exemplifies the same forgiveness Christ showed on the cross when he acknowledges that the crowd and their rulers acted out of ignorance when they crucified Christ. He then testifies that the prophesies of Christ’s suffering have been fulfilled. In Chapter 4, the Pharisees enter the scene. They do not like that “unlearned and ignorant men” are testifying of Christ and performing miracles. They decide to threaten Peter and John, command them “…not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.” (v. 18) “But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.” (v. 19) Peter emerges as the rock that Jesus foretold he would be. From here on out, there will be no more denying of Christ or backing down from testifying of all that was witnessed, “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (v. 20) To be a witness is to both see and to testify. This means if we are to be witnesses of Christ we must train our eyes to see all of his glory in this mortal world and have the courage to declare what we know when called upon to do so. But is that enough? Is it possible to become a living witness? That our very countenance testifies of Jesus Christ? Every Sunday I stand with a handful of adolescent young women in setting that looks more like an attic bedroom out of a L. M. Montgomery novel than a traditional meeting house and declare, “We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him. We will “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places” ( Mosiah 18:9 ) as we strive to live the Young Women values…” ( Young Women’s Theme ) I think it is possible to become a living witness and the Young Women’s Person Progress program is a training course in becoming just that. This is a rigorous program that requires discipline, introspection and commitment. It absolutely holds its own, when compared with what is required to be awarded an Eagle Scout but with one marked difference – the Personal Progress Program brings the participate unto Christ. In our quest to develop Christ like attributes, I encourage all members (male and female) to use the Young Women’s Personal Progress program as a resource. The Young Women values read as a list of Christ’s character traits: faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice & accountability, good works, integrity and virtue. The work to understand and live these values help us to understand our Savior and emulate him, that we may become a living witness of his glory and grace. I would be remiss, if I did not mention the wonderful supplemental Young Women lessons and innovative Young Women activities that our friends at Exponent II and Aspiring Mormon Women , respectfully, are offering. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews Where Her Truth Is , Morgan Lyon Cotti I think a stronger female voice is crucial. I used to teach in the Young Women and now I am in the older teenager Sunday School. I love the new lessons. I love how it is an open curriculum. But the talks and videos that are listed are usually are of or from men. So I usually have to go searching for a talk or quote by a woman. In my opinion, we are going to have to have some mixture of grassroots efforts and having women be more willing to speak up. And then at the highest level, I hope we will continue to see great changes like the mission age change and the emphasis on women’s voices being included in ward council. Playing from Her Heart , Tina Richerson My mind is more sharp and more clear about what I want to do. It is evident to me that in the past two years God has been directing and guiding my footsteps. I’m blessed with a peace. When I read the scriptures, I’m given revelation on what the Lord wants me to do. I am given the courage and the confidence and the strength to live my life. The Lord has also changed me physically and mentally to be able to do this. I can go to the temple now. I can go to the temple and do the work for my ancestors, which is just such an amazing blessing and get help from the other side. I have full access to all the mysteries of the kingdom of God. If that isn’t a blessing, there isn’t one. I have the reassurance given through the Holy Ghost. I live an abundant life. The blessing of knowing that at any moment I have access to divine energy is just awesome. I know who I am now. I know who I am. I’ll tell you what – one of the biggest blessings is saying, “I’m a homosexual and I’m a daughter of God. The Lord loves me and there’s a work to be done, brother and sisters. There’s a mighty, mighty work to be done and it’s called building up Zion.” To be able to build up Zion like this and strengthen other people who have had such pain caused from being homosexual is joy and fulfillment in my life. Sometimes it’s very stressful and I get bombarded with emails or things I need to do but it’s such a blessing to know what to do with my life. To have meaning in my life. To know where to put my time and my energy and to be directed in every step is the best blessing that anybody could ever want. Other Related Women’s Voices Now Let Us Rejoice , Barbara Thompson Sisters, now more than ever, we need women to step up and be strong. We need women who declare the truth with strength, faith, and boldness. We need women to set an example of righteousness. We need women to be ‘anxiously engaged in a good cause.’ We need to live so that our lives bear witness that we love our Heavenly Father and the Savior Jesus Christ and that we will do what They have asked us to do. We need to rescue ‘all that is finest down deep inside of [us] ‘so that as daughters of God we can do our part to build the kingdom of God. We will have help to do this. As Joseph declared, ‘If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates.’ A God of Miracles , Sydney S. Reynolds I believe that all of us can bear witness to these small miracles. We know children who pray for help to find a lost item and find it. We know of young people who gather the courage to stand as a witness of God and feel His sustaining hand. We know friends who pay their tithing with the last of their money and then, through a miracle, find themselves able to pay their tuition or their rent or somehow obtain food for their family. We can share experiences of prayers answered and priesthood blessings that gave courage, brought comfort, or restored health. These daily miracles acquaint us with the hand of the Lord in our lives. Be Thou an Example of the Believers , Ann M. Dibb Thinking back to when I was a young woman, I recognize that I did not understand the magnitude of what was happening in my life. I did not realize that my participation in each and every Church activity was helping me develop a lifelong pattern and commitment to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. I didn’t understand that I was being prepared for my future life as an individual, a wife, a mother, and a leader. I didn’t understand that as I tried to choose the right, I was honoring my baptismal covenants, exercising faith, increasing my virtue, and preparing to go to the temple. I couldn’t see all of this then, but in very small, incremental steps, I was becoming a believer—and ‘an example of the believers.’ Stand as a Witness , Susan W. Tanner Recently I learned of two valiant young women who, as they lived the commandments and radiated the joy of the gospel, stood as witnesses of God. This is the story as told by a senior missionary at the MTC:She said that years earlier she was at home one day ironing, watching a soap opera, and smoking a cigarette when there was a knock at the door. When she opened it, there were two men in white shirts and ties, and one of them introduced himself as her bishop. He said that as he was praying, he had felt inspired to ask her to teach Young Women. She told him that she had been baptized at age 10 but had never been active. He seemed undeterred as he showed her the manual and explained where they met on Wednesday night. Then she emphatically said, ‘I can’t teach 16-year-olds; I’m inactive, and besides I smoke.’ Then he said, ‘You won’t be inactive anymore, and you have until Wednesday to quit smoking.’ Then he left.She said, ‘I remember shouting in the air in anger, but then I couldn’t resist the urge to read the manual. In fact, I was so curious, I read it from cover to cover and then memorized every word of that lesson.By Wednesday I was still not going to go, but I found myself driving to church, scared to death. I had never been scared of anything before. I had grown up in the slums, been in detention once myself, and rescued my father from the ‘drunk tank.’ And all of a sudden there I was at Mutual being introduced as the new Laurel adviser.I sat before two Laurels and gave the lesson word for word, even the parts that said ‘Now ask them …’ I left immediately after the lesson and cried all the way home. A few days later there was another knock at the door, and I thought, ‘Good. It’s the bishop here to retrieve his manual.’ I opened the door, and standing there were those two lovely Laurels, one with flowers, the other with cookies. They invited me to go to church with them on Sunday, which I did.I liked those girls. They began by teaching me about the Church, the ward, the class. They taught me how to sew, read scriptures, and smile. Together we started teaching the other girls in the class who weren’t coming. We taught them wherever we could find them—in cars, in bowling alleys, and on porches. Within six months, 14 of them were coming, and in a year all 16 girls on the roll were active. We laughed and cried together. We learned to pray, study the gospel, and serve others.’These two valiant young women stood as witnesses for truth and righteousness, for goodness and the joy of the gospel.

The Gospel Doctrine lesson #29  manual objective is “to help class members recognize that the work of the Church is done by many people, all of whom contribute their talents and testimonies to strengthen the Church.” Our Objective To address the lesson manual’s question: “How does diversity among members enrich and strengthen the Church? How can we differ from each other and still be unified?” Commentary After the death and resurrection of Christ, the Church began to grow rapidly through the labors of the Apostles, at first only among the Jews. Acts 6 describes one event in a historic conflict between two groups: the “Hebrews” (Aramaic/Hebrew-speaking Jews) and the “Grecians” or “Hellenists” (Greek-speaking Jews). The former were traditionalists, strictly following the customs and laws of their millennia-old religion. The latter mingled religious tradition with elements of Greek culture and thought, which permeated the Roman Empire wherein they lived and moved. The Hellenists and the Hebrews were at odds culturally and philosophically, and they carried their conflict with them into Christianity. Do we have Hebrews and Hellenists in the church today, along with a thousand other divisions across the globe? Do we sometimes fear each other’s differences, distrust each other’s methods of living and transmitting the Gospel, and engage in (even polite) conflict? I’m an eternal optimist, and I’ve observed among church members mostly good will and charity. But I see that we tend to be more compassionate toward the foreign branch with which we have the least in common, than we do toward the ward or family member who does not meet our expectation of membership (our personal model of Gospel living). I have also observed us forgetting that the general Church leadership is managing a tremendously diverse world-wide membership, and has the impossible task of standardizing its texts, policies, and rituals, while respecting cultural integrity on the local level. I catch myself expecting that my concerns and interests be prioritized. The ancient Apostles appointed local leaders to manage local concerns and interests, comparable to our bishops and RS presidents today (Acts 6:3). But I also am appointed. Do I have the wisdom to accept other models of living and worship, that I might forge unity in my ward and family? I married a Hellenist. My husband had an agnostic upbringing and converted to Christianity and then Mormonism not long before we were married. I was raised a Hebrew. My whole life I kept my Sunday clothes on after church until bedtime, never watched a rated R film, and had family scripture study and prayer daily. (Ironically I even got a graduate degree in Hebrew). When our worlds collided we were both excited about what we could learn from the other, and how we could grow together. But then I found him sunbathing after church in the backyard. And I was bothered at how he didn’t take a kneeling position for our evening prayers. I expected he would be in the temple with me every week, at every church activity possible, and volunteer for extra on top. This was how I was raised. When he showed signs of feeling such a schedule was overwhelming, I accused him. I was loving (as my family also taught) but I couldn’t distinguish my lifelong practices from eternal principles. It didn’t take too long for him to step away from the church entirely, which was the end of my world. Although he is accountable, I do believe now that I partly drove him to it. And then, although he is accountable, my changed heart opened the door for his return. I learned directly from God in that marital crucible that my only responsibility is love — not judgment. That my primary role toward my husband is supporter and friend, as his is to me. I learned that in the grand scheme, I’m walking the same road he is. We now enjoy a much richer model of Gospel life, one based on respect, patience, trust, and love. Not every day! But we’ve got a foundation to build on. We accept the diversity within our family, and our unity is all the truer for it. The pathway of my husband’s ongoing return to full activity in the church has been carved by acceptance and love. Our goal is to guide each other toward truth and peace, to listen to each other and to teach, but never to control or condemn. In the end the diversity of believers is one of the greatest testaments to the Gospel’s truth: All these believe? The homeschooling mother of five, and the unmarried biology professor? The Palestinian street vendor, and the New York investment banker? The diligent, and the errant? We do believe. Because Christ has reached us all. He has encircled us about in the arms of his love, and we are all encircled, Hebrews and Hellenists. We can dislike, disfellowship, or disown each other, but we cannot cast each other out of the circle of Christ’s love. And the message is that we ought to love one another. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews Understanding What is Real , Sarah Street People Like Us Do Thinks Like That , Raquel Cook

The Gospel Doctrine lesson #30 manual objective is “to help class members recognize that the gospel is for all people and that the Church is guided by continuing revelation.” Our Objective To understand how God guides us as individuals and as a church. Commentary Consider Peter, commissioned by Jesus at Galilee to establish the Church of Christ. Jesus didn’t use those words, “establish the church;” instead he said, “feed my lambs,” and “feed my sheep.” ( John 21:15-17 ). But in Acts 10 , Peter sees in vision another kind of flock: Descending from heaven is an assortment of odd animals, and Peter is told “Rise, kill, and eat.” At first glance, these two groups – the flock that he is told to feed and the animals that he is commanded to eat – seem completely unrelated. But remember that Jews tended sheep not as pets but as food. The Mosaic law identified which animals were “clean,” and raising these clean flocks for food and for religious sacrifice went hand in hand. Some animals were unclean and therefore unfit for consumption: pigs, snakes, shellfish, birds of prey…but sheep were set apart from these other animals just as Jews were set apart from the rest of the world, apart from the Gentiles. Jesus himself only preached to the house of Israel, his covenant people and in fact his extended family. His teachings made them worthy to present to the Lord, as lambs were presented to the Lord in sacrifice. With the conversion of Cornelius and the Gentiles, Christianity is suddenly no longer Jewish and no longer a family story. Imagine the fear in venturing out of the house of Israel- mixing sheep and pigs and lobsters in one flock? How could it ever work? Could Greeks, Italians, Jews, and Egyptians really consider each other brothers and sisters? So what does make this radical integration work? As head of the church, Peter takes this step because he sees a vision, but he is not alone. The membership of the church also receives a convincing witness during what becomes a second day of Pentecost (see Acts 2 ). At a gathering of these believing Gentiles and Jews, Peter makes his case, asserting that God is no respecter of persons. Then, in Acts 10:44-48, “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” The witness of the Holy Ghost is crucial: The Gentiles receive it as various spiritual gifts. In their turn, the Christian Jews who witness these manifestations cannot deny the hand of God. And so inspiration and revelation is given to all who need it. Peter’s reasoned explanation of his vision couldn’t have accomplished this transition alone. Neither could the honorable reputation or honest sincerity of Cornelius justify his initiation into what had been a closed group of covenant people. It is the Holy Ghost that makes this “mighty change” ( Mosiah 5:2 ). I believe that God still guides us through change and uncertainty by sending us the gifts and power of the Holy Ghost. So much has changed in our world since Peter and the apostles shaped the church, and now we have our own baffling decisions to make and our own frightening changes to confront. Thank goodness for apostles and prophets today who seek inspiration and act according to the Spirit they receive. And thank God for sending His Spirit to all of us who seek it, to bring as many who desire into unity as the family of Christ. I’ll close with some lines from one of the most spiritually powerful hymns I know. Little is known about the 18th century hymn writer, Katharina von Schegel. It is believed that she was both a noblewoman and a Pietist, following a religious movement that nurtured individual spirituality and private devotion. Of the many hymns she wrote in German, only one is commonly translated into English. In this hymn, she proclaims her trust in God’s guidance: Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertakeTo guide the future, as he has the past.Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;All now mysterious shall be bright at last. ( Hymn 124 ) The early church had rough times after Acts 10. It wasn’t always peace and plenty, and at times even the leading authorities disagreed. But the Spirit was strong, making miracles abundant and dark mysteries into bright truths. It is through this same power that God guides our future as he guided our Christian forebears. And what is our part? The Lord’s words to Hyrum Smith in 1829 apply to us: “Keep my commandments; hold your peace; appeal unto my Spirit.” ( D&C 11:18 ). Simple but powerful counsel. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews All Here Together , Bianca Morrison Dillard I felt like I needed to be involved in helping people feel like they could be a part of the community, and not feel like they were the only ones who didn’t fit in. An American Education , Raquel Perez Johnston The day I was baptized, something extraordinary happened to me. I received the Gift of the Holy Ghost and found that I was given the strength to stand alone not only that day but for many years following…Acting on what I knew to be right was a very difficult thing for me to do, but decisions are like that. I have learned from this experience that sometimes years and years pass before you can see all the blessings you would have missed if you hadn’t said yes when given the opportunity. I could have said no! But because of it, my life has been very rich and abundantly blessed — I have never regretted my decision. Threads Woven Together , Callie Appelstein My interest was piqued when my husband and I were living in Seattle and we decided to take a weekend trip to Las Vegas for our first anniversary. We had a layover in Salt Lake City and when I stepped off the plane, I remember seeing all of these signs inviting us to go to Temple Square. I remember thinking, “Wow! I want to do that! I wonder what this is all about!” My husband thinks that this was the start of everything and jokes, “I should have seen where this was heading!” So we got home from Las Vegas, and I was fascinated; I wanted to learn more about the Church. I discovered on TV that we had the BYU channel, so I started watching that in the evenings. In the Jewish world at the end of the Sabbath, all of the men go back to the synagogue after sundown to have a prayer service to mark the end of the Sabbath, and I remember watching BYUtv while my husband went to the synagogue. I felt a real sense of shame about it, but I was fascinated. My friends and family teased me about what they called “my Mormon thing.” Other Related Women’s Voices Belonging is Our Sacred Birthright , Bonnie D. Parkin It’s the variety in a garden that contributes to its beauty—we need daisies and lilies and buttercups; we need gardeners who water, nurture, and care. Unfortunately, Satan knows that sharing unites our sisterhood through the everyday and the eternities. He knows that selfishness will begin to destroy sharing, which destroys unity, which destroys Zion. Sisters, we cannot let the adversary divide us. You see, “A perfect oneness,” said Brigham Young, “will save a people.” And I would add that a perfect oneness will save our society. Remembering the Lord’s Love , Kathleen H. Hughes As faithful women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have been blessed with the Holy Ghost. As we invite the Savior into our lives, the Holy Ghost will bear witness to us of the love which the Father and His Son, our Savior, have for each of us. But feeling Their love is dependent not only on our desire but upon our actions as well. And the actions we need to take are known to us: genuine prayer that is specific and humble, followed by quiet listening for the Lord’s answers; regular scripture study and time to ponder what we read; and, finally, a willingness to be introspective about ourselves and to trust in the Lord’s promise that He will “make weak things become strong unto [us]” ( Ether 12:27 ). As we study and ponder, we are entitled to the promptings of the Spirit, and as we grow more attentive to these promptings, we come to recognize each day the workings of the Lord in our lives. We will find Him, as Elder Neal A. Maxwell stated, “in the details of our lives” (“Becoming a Disciple,” Ensign, June 1996, 19). And when that recognition comes, we feel His peace and recognize that we are truly encircled in the arms of His love. What Greater Goodness Can We Know: Christlike Friends , Kathleen H. Hughes I have been blessed throughout my life with Christlike friends—from friends of my youth to the many people who have blessed our family in all the wards we have lived in. Their faith and commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ, their service, their wise and gentle instruction have enriched our lives. Some of my friends are very different from me. We disagree about things, and we can even irritate each other. But friendship allows for differences—in fact, it embraces them. I love to visit stakes made up of people from a variety of backgrounds, ages, and ethnic origins.

The Gospel Doctrine lesson 31 manual objective is “To help class members learn from Paul’s teachings about how to share the gospel and how to live as Saints.” Our Objective To learn from the examples of early Christians who strengthened the church. Commentary How are churches established? Or how do wards and branches become strong in the faith? In these chapters, we catch a glimpse of the process. Keep in mind that the author of Acts is Luke the Evangelist, the same writer who gives such close attention to the eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ ministry. So while the main character of these chapters might be said to be Paul, the great missionary of the early church, Luke’s history in Acts also details the contributions of many other men and women, converts to Christianity, who played a significant part in the building up of Christian communities. Chapters 15 to 18 of Acts are especially rich in descriptions of “chief women” (Acts 17:4). Here are a few: In Acts 16, we read about the first named European convert: Lydia of Thyatira. Acts 16:14 describes her as a “seller of purple,” meaning that she was a merchant of costly dye, possibly also dealing in textiles. She seems to have been a woman of means, and she did not hesitate to contribute these resources for the establishment of the church in Philippi. When Lydia heard the words of Paul and Silas, her heart was softened, she and her household were baptized, and she begged to be able to provide food and shelter to the beleaguered missionaries. Through her service, she strengthened the church. In the same chapter we find the first mention of Eunice, whose son Timothy later joined Paul as a missionary. In Paul’s letters to Timothy, he praises both Eunice and her mother Lois: “I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” 2 Tim 1:5. Why was Paul persuaded that Timothy’s faith in Christ was genuine? In part because of the faith of Eunice and Lois. Their honest belief became a legacy of strength for their son and grandson. In Chapter 17, Luke describes the “chief women” who established the churches in Thessalonica, and when Paul moved on to Athens, giving his sermon on the unknown God, one of the few named converts is Damaris, a woman. With only her name, we are left to speculate about her life and the reason that Luke may have wanted to include her in his record. We can acknowledge her contribution even without knowing what it was. And then we come to Priscilla in Chapter 18. A Christian Jew, she and her husband traveled 750 miles to Corinth after being expelled from Rome for their beliefs. Taking up their trade as tentmakers, they allowed Paul to work with them during his stay in their city. In multiple letters, Paul saluted them, as in his letter to the Romans: “Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house” (Romans 16:3-5) Like Lydia in Philippi, Priscilla and Aquila made their home a gathering place for early Christian converts. Priscilla and Aquila continued serving with Paul, showing up later in Ephesus, again as teachers and leaders. When the well-meaning Apollos erred in doctrine, it was Priscilla and Aquila who “took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly” (Acts 18:26). Apollos took their words to heart and later became a leader in his own right. So how were the churches established? Through the good works, faith, teaching, and open hearts of many, including these strong women converts. In the April 1997 General Conference, President Gordon B. Hinckley spoke about supporting new members of the church: “Every one of them needs three things: a friend, a responsibility, and nurturing with ‘the good word of God.’ It is our duty and opportunity to provide these things.” Both our personal discipleship and our communities of faith are made complete by building relationships of love and friendship, fulfilling duties of service, and internalizing the truths of the gospel. Lydia, Eunice, Lois, Damaris, and Priscilla are examples to me of these crucial components of a life of faith and a community of believers. They took responsibility for the edification of the church. They opened their homes in friendship with others. They shared their wisdom and testimonies of the good word of God. Whether we are new converts or old members, our wards and branches are strengthened by this kind of discipleship. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews Choosing Good and Making Change , Bethany Brady Spalding I feel really strongly about working in whatever community I live in. If that’s Mumbai [India], then I want to engage there, and if it’s Richmond [Virginia], I want to be here. I want to be on the ground, making an impact where I live and where I’m invested. I used to think of myself as loving international work, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve started to think that the biggest impact we can make is where we are. I love community work and community development. Wherever I am is where I want to focus my efforts. School, Sacrifice, and Service , Rachel Esplin Odell The Church is present in China. It is growing through a limited amount of proselytizing, family to family, and all very much legal and above the board. I think that I still see myself as being able to play a role in that as a faithful member who is involved in China issues. I think I can have a positive impact on the way the Church is perceived in China and by Chinese officials. We have to realize that missionary work happens differently in different places. I think China is a good example of that. My membership and desire to be a representative of the Church and to get to know other cultures is part of my missionary work.