Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson #46 ;  Daniel 2:1–23  and  Daniel 2:24–49 As women, we join our voices in the storied conversation surrounding the scriptures. Scriptural criticism and scholarship is a deep well from which we can draw increased wisdom. The work we do as individual readers can contribute to that well, which is sure to become an ocean of witnesses. Every textual reading leads to new revelation and avenues of exploration. The Church leadership are elevating the scripture reader and her individual devotion. The response of individual hearts and God-responsive minds to the text will bear out in incredible ways in the lives and religious practices of the men, women, and children in the Church. As we strive to become even more educated in our conversations about scriptures, I hope we each can become more vocal in sharing the insights we have. Church leaders are encouraging us to share our insights. Commenting, creating readings, teaching truths, has never been just about a few teachers. It has always been about us, and this new model, “Come Follow Me,” can allow us to get in touch even more deeply with what God’s word is for us and what we, as women, have to say about God’s word. In this spirit of the “Come Follow Me” curriculum, which is reader-centered and reader-directed, I will give you a little slice of my brain as I read the scriptures for this week’s lesson. These thoughts contain my own experiences, paraphrases, and insights, which allow me to follow threads of inquiry in books, prayer, journaling, and research as I feel led. All questions are welcome because they lead to new knowledge, and when tutored by the Spirit the revelation we receive as readers can be truly great. A list of questions, notes, and observations on Daniel 2 Daniel 2:1 God gave Nebuchadnezzar a symbolic dream of the kingdom of God. God cares about all His children, and the irony of one mighty king being shown the true Kingdom is not lost. A troubled spirit can lead us to look for answers. 2: The king used his best resources to find answers—in this case, it’s sorcery and astrology, which are shadows of the priesthood and of connective revelation with God. 3: Nebuchadnezzar really wants to know what his dream means. His soul is actively seeking more knowledge. 4: The people he calls in are sycophants. They don’t care for his best interests, they only care for their lives. They’re doing the best with what they have. 5-9: Nebuchadnezzar’s ego swells. He institutes a test to see if the sorcerers are able to tell them his dream, but they are not visionaries and cannot. They ask the king again to tell them his dream. In his anger (hanger?) he says, “Ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me.” He could see that they are false sorcerers, or he is just spiteful and angry that they cannot give him what he wants. If they fail the test, he will kill them. What was Nebuchadnezzar’s personality like? What were his strengths? We see some of his weaknesses. God clearly cares about redeeming him and giving him a proper understanding, saving him from himself. God also knew this revelation would be written down and that it would be significant to us today. 10-11: The Chaldeans know what they don’t know. The king’s expectations are too high, but they’re trying to do a good job. They see that dream interpretation is a matter for divinity. Were any of these advisers women? How did women’s wisdom and liminality function in a royal court? Were there any of these women who were inspired of God? Why weren’t their stories written down? 12-13: We can be seekers of truth and also be flawed, but Nebuchadnezzar escalates big time. He doesn’t just want to kill the wise men who couldn’t help him but all of the Babylonian wise men. Anger problem. Power corrupts but absolute power corrupts absolutely (Sir John Dalberg-Acton). These types of leaders pop up again and again throughout world history. God is mindful, but how do you stop a runaway train? With a revelation? 14-15: Daniel’s like, what’s up? Why is Nebuchadnezzar suddenly itching to kill people? Arioch the captain of the king’s guard amazingly tells Daniel why the king is so upset. He could have just killed Daniel. One of those thin lines between catastrophe and mercy. 16-18: I imagine Daniel, a man who has a relationship with God and who has God’s inspiration flowing to him because of his clean life, approaching this matter-of-factly. He’s confident in his relationship with God but is also trying to save people’s lives. He has been trained and he’s not panicking. Culture shock of living in the Babylonian court after coming from Jerusalem. Learn more about Daniel. Was he royal (“of the king’s seed” Daniel 1:3)? When was the Book of Daniel written? Learn more about its critical reception throughout the history of biblical scholarship. What do I need to be getting out of this book? I could go on and on, but I’ll stop here. We all have been taught what the dream meant, that all the kingdoms of the earth are infinitely transient and inferior compared to the Kingdom of God, which will one day fill the earth like “a stone…cut out without hands…that became a great mountain and filled the whole earth” 2:34-35). I have yet to discover the revelatory potential for that vision in my life. No doubt many of you have already had life-changing and important insights into this vision that should not be lost and should be shared with your family, friends, and with us. Unlike many of our sisters in centuries before, we are allowed to interpret scriptures. We are encouraged to interpret them. We have all been close readers and appliers of the word to our daily lives. How can we go deeper? What are the good, better, and best questions we need to be asking of the texts? What life-saving understanding do we need to gain now so we can save kingdoms of wise men and women later?

Gospel Doctrine Old Testament Lesson #47 ;  Ezra 1 –8,   Nehemiah 1–2 ,  4 ,  6 ,  8 . A little historical background helps set the stage for this lesson. In 721 B.C., the kingdom of Israel (the Northern Kingdom or ten tribes) was taken by Assyria. About a hundred years later, the Babylonians destroyed Assyria and also conquered the kingdom of Judah (the Southern Kingdom), taking many Jews captive. By the time these chapters at the beginning of Ezra took place, Babylon had in turn fallen to King Cyrus of Persia. The book of Ezra opens with a decision by King Cyrus that must’ve surprised everyone around him: he tells the captive Jews to return to their land and build a temple. The lesson tells us, “The ancient Jewish historian Flavius Josephus reported that Cyrus read his name in Isaiah’s prophecies, was touched by the Spirit of the Lord, and desired to fulfill what was written.” This prophecy King Cyrus had read is recorded in Isaiah 44:28 which states, “That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.” God had given Cyrus an individual set of instructions—complete with his name attached to them. Imagine how Cyrus must’ve felt reading his name in a prophecy given 150 years before he was born, distributed so that all could see. It would have been incredible to say the least—like something out of one of these fantasy books my kids like to read (that always seem to revolve around prophecies). The particulars of this story are unique and historically significant, recorded and passed down through hundreds of years. And yet, the overall idea of getting our own set of personal instructions is, of course, common—an experience probably all of us have had. When I read this story, I remembered an Ensign article ten years ago that seemed to speak to me directly. The article, “ Waiting a Little Season ,” was about a single woman whose greatest desire was to marry but who had not had the opportunity. She equated her experience to the scriptures about Zion’s Camp, in particular Doctrine & Covenants 105:14 that says, “For behold, I do not require at their hands to fight the battles of Zion; for…even so will I fulfill—I will fight your battles.” As I read the story, the intensity of my emotional reaction confused me. I had married relatively young so her experience wasn’t one I could personally relate to. This was not a story with my name in it—or even one with an obvious parallel for me. At that time, my husband and I had three children. I felt there was one more for us but we had ruled out a fourth pregnancy. I had spent many hours of my last pregnancy throwing up—to the level of bursting blood vessels in my face and eyes from the violence of it and needing IV fluids to prevent dehydration. So, after years of prayer and saving, we had decided to adopt from Russia. We had completed all the paperwork and everything felt “under control.” Famous last words, right? The next few months did not go as planned. A financial disaster (tens of thousands of dollars of repair on our home) meant we had to postpone the adoption. Other setbacks followed. I felt frustrated in a way I had never felt before—almost as if the wind had been knocked out of me. I had followed the promptings I was given—had done everything I possibly could do to make this happen. It was, of course, then that this story I had been so affected by months ago came back to my mind. I was not required to make this happen. God would fight this battle for me—in his time—after we had waited a little season. (To tie that story up, through some developments that I could’ve never made happen on my own, we did end up adopting a little boy the next year.) We could say that what makes King Cyrus’s experience different than our own is the magnitude of it. His action was large and consequential—letting a captive people go because of a prophecy—a prophecy from a God he did not necessarily even believe in (King Cyrus was a Zoroastrian). Yet, in some ways, it’s actually King Cyrus who has it easy here. His personal instructions from God came with his name printed on them and with explicit direction on what to do. Ours usually don’t come this way. It’s up to us to listen and learn to recognize the instructions meant just for us.

Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson #48 ;   Zechariah 10–14  &  Malachi . The Old Testament ends with the infamous scripture mastery verses from Malach 4: “5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” The lesson asks us to ponder the “great and dreadful day” of Christ’s return to the Earth. This is a useful exercise and one I rarely engage in. I’m not a dooms-dayer or inclined to believe that we have crossed over from the latter-days to the last days. And yet, sometimes, when I become overwhelmed at the frequency of natural disasters, wars, unstable governments, cruelty and moral apathy, I do wonder if these are the last days? How much worse will it get? Just before I’m about to slide down a rabbit hole of anxiety, dread and fear, I remind myself that this Earthly journey was designed and is overseen by a loving Godhead, and its purpose is for each of us to become as they are. “[A]ll these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good” ( D&C 122:7 ). So, the way I prepare for the future “great and dreadful day” is to be focused on the here and now. The past is what it is; the future is yet to be. I can only turn my heart and find peace in the present. My here and now is to bring more compassion, empathy and forgiveness to my family. This brings me to the last verse of the Old Testament, “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” We know that Elijah as returned and entrusted the sealing powers to worthy members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Temple work is some of the most important work being done today. We must continue in this sacred mission. This scripture has come to mean more to me. It prompts me to ask – what does it mean for me to turn my heart towards my father? If my relationship with my father was a social media status, it would be listed as complicated. We very different in many ways and similar in others. There’s a lot of tension and love in our relationship. He challenges and frustrates me. He is one of my master teachers. Our relationship challenges me to remember my job isn’t to fix everything. My job is to show up and be the best possible version of myself. And when I’m not, to be compassionate with myself and make amends. To believe that he is trying to do the best he can, and when he falls short, disappoints or harms to walk the path of forgiveness. This is so hard!!! There are times I want to turn my heart away from him and there have been times in my life when I have. But I’m in a better place today and want to do the work of turning my heart towards him. During this Christmas season, I’ve been reflecting on how the birth of our Savior is the ultimate promise of the Father’s forgiveness. A promise that He will turn His heart to His children, and that we are to turn our hearts to Him. This perspective gives me great courage, strength and compassion to be more loving and patient with my father. I choose to turn my heart toward him, for this is sacred work too.

On a January morning in Wisconsin with temperatures in the single digits, I pull up at 8 a.m. to my work at a community nonprofit that focuses on creating food and housing stability. Across the parking lot, I see a long line of people standing outside, waiting for the doors of the food pantry to open—something that won’t happen until 10 a.m. They’ve arrived two hours early in the bitter cold because they are worried that if they don’t, we might run out of food—food they need to feed their families. We are worried too. Food insecurity is going up across the country. Demand has nearly tripled at our pantry during the past two years—an increase that is hard to keep up with. In my work, I’ve read a lot about the causes of food insecurity in general and these increases specifically. I’ve heard lots of opinions on whose fault hunger is and even some thoughts about the character of those who are experiencing hunger. But of all the points of views I’ve come across, there is one that has shaped my own views the most: King Benjamin’s sermon in Mosiah chapter 4. A discourse, I consider to be one of the most powerful speeches on poverty and how we should respond to it ever given. From it, we can draw a few simple but profound takeaways. My first takeaway is that God cares about the temporal well-being of his children. Most of us are familiar with the setting of King Benjamin’s address. In Mosiah 1:9, we read that King Benjamin “waxed old, and he saw that he must very soon go the way of all the earth.” He told his son, Mosiah, who would become king after him, to call all the people together. This was his last opportunity to teach his people. He must have carefully selected his words to focus on what he believed God most wanted them to learn—and perhaps what He wanted us to learn also. Over the next few chapters, King Benjamin taught about some of the most important principles in the gospel including the atonement and salvation. Then in chapter 4 verse 16, he turns his focus to poverty and our responsibilities. I’ve sometimes wondered why King Benjamin thought the subject of responding to poverty was so important. There is the obvious answer that he knew that God loves his children and doesn’t want them to suffer. It seems natural that a parent would care that His children had enough to eat and a warm, safe place to sleep. But I also wonder if King Benjamin believed, as other prophets through the ages have taught, that being temporally fed is a prerequisite to being spiritually fed. This is illustrated by a story David Burton told about David O. McKay in his 2011 General Conference talk, The Sanctifying Work of Welfare . As a missionary in Stirling, Scotland, Elder McKay knocked on a door that opened to reveal a “haggard women” who was “poorly dressed and had sunken cheeks and unkept hair.” She took the information Elder McKay handed her and asked him, “Will this buy me any bread?” This interaction made a lasting impression on David O. McKay. He later wrote, “From that moment I had a deeper realization that the Church of Christ should be and is interested in the temporal salvation of man. I walked away from the door feeling that that [woman], with … bitterness in [her heart] toward man and God, [was] in no position to receive the message of the gospel. [She was] in need of temporal help, and there was no organization, so far as I could learn, in Stirling that could give it to [her].” In other words, the first step in bringing someone to Christ might be giving them food. My next takeaway from King Benjamin’s address is that when we see those around us lacking basic necessities, we are expected to do something. Or perhaps more accurately, if we are true followers of Christ, we will do something to relieve their suffering. In chapter 4 verse 11, King Benjamin sets the condition on which the next few verses are built: “As ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love.” Over the next few verses, he tells them what they will do if this condition is met. They (and we –since he is, of course, also addressing us) will grow in the knowledge of the glory of God, not have a mind to injure one another and teach our children to walk in the ways of truth and soberness. Finally, he tells us that if we know of God’s goodness and have tasted of his love, then we will (vs 16): “succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.” King Benjamin is drawing a powerful conclusion: If we have truly tasted of God’s love, we will administer of our substance to those who need it. Perhaps this is because when we feel so much love, we will more easily be able to love others. Or maybe it’s because as we get to know God more deeply, we will strive more to follow His example. And his example of how to treat “beggars” is clear. Jesus spent his ministry relieving suffering and, in King Benjamin’s words, administering of his substance. One of the first verses that describes Jesus’s ministry is in Matthew 4:23: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.” He raised the dead, made the blind to see, and cast out devils. When people were hungry while he taught them, he provided food. When he sent his disciples out, he told them: “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils. Freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). And He taught that when we give meat to those who are hungry and drink to those who are thirsty, we are giving it to Him (Matthew 25:34-40). In Mosiah 4:21, King Benjamin makes it clear how we can follow God’s example. He says: “And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another.” Although we may not be cleansing lepers or casting out devils, we can impart of our substance by sharing the things we have that others don’t have. The Church does this institutionally through fast offerings and through other initiatives around the world that care for those in need. We can and should support these initiatives. But we can also provide help directly and locally. Each of us lives in a community with people who don’t have basic necessities. We can make sure people have enough to eat by providing food to them—which might mean donating food or making a financial contribution to a local food pantry. We can make sure people have somewhere to live by donating to a local homeless shelter or volunteering. In his 2014 General Conference talk, Are We Not all Beggars ?, Thomas S. Monson says, in speaking about poverty: “The great Redeemer has issued no more persistent call than for us to join Him in lifting this burden from the people.” My final takeaway from King Benjamin’s address is that not only does God expect us to help those in poverty, He expects us to do it without judgment. This is where King Benjamin’s words are the strongest. In verses 17-18, he states, “Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just— But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.” Our food pantry is supported by the generosity of the community. Many people I talk to recognize the great injustices that exist in our society that lead to food insecurity and have a true desire to make people’s lives better. But I also regularly hear comments that don’t line up with King Benjamin’s teaching—and that are harmful. Community members sometimes want to know if people using the food pantry are lazy or if they are just taking advantage “of the system.” We don’t know all of their circumstances, of course. But we do know that one in five children in the U.S. , or 13 million children, experience food insecurity. We know that five million seniors are food insecure . Over half of food insecure households have at least one adult who works full-time. The next two largest categories are households with adults who are disabled and retired. And I can tell you that nobody stands in front of a food pantry for over two hours in temperatures nearing zero if they have any other options. But, maybe justifying why people are experiencing hunger is missing the point. King Benjamin doesn’t say we should first figure out why people can’t afford to buy their own food so that we can determine if they are worthy of our help. He tells us that if we turn people away saying they have brought on their own misery, then we have great cause to repent. I don’t think this means we shouldn’t explore what causes food insecurity or why the amount of people experiencing food insecurity is increasing so much right now. But maybe we should do it with the purpose of understanding and implementing deeper solutions instead of with the purpose of passing judgment. “Bread of Life” by Andrei Mironov In verse 19, King Benjamin asks the soul-searching question that brings this all together: “For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?” This is a question I ponder often. It reminds me that ultimately we may not have as much control over our lives as we’d like to think. People don’t earn their births into privilege or their births into poverty. We had no control over this or many other life circumstances. We depend on God to guide us, to bless us, to protect us, to redeem us. If we must constantly ask for help beyond what we can do for ourselves, do we have the right to condemn others for also asking for help? My role at the nonprofit I work at is to lead our fundraising team. Every good fundraiser has something that’s called a case for support that lays out the reasons someone should support their cause. Our case for support includes statistics that demonstrate that when kids have enough food and stable housing, their life outcomes improve in large and measurable ways. These statistics are important. But in my heart, I know there are other even more powerful reasons to impart of our substance. We should impart of our substance because we have tasted of God’s love. We should impart of our substance because we have an interest in the kingdom of God. And we should impart of our substance because we are also beggars, relying on God to impart of His substance to us.

I had a dream once. I saw myself standing alone on a rocky cliff above the ocean with wind and rain raging all around me, while the waves crashed high enough to almost reach me. I saw many shades of gray – the sky, the water, the leafless trees, even the cabin in the distance. All gray. The only color was my purple fleece jacket, getting darker as it absorbed more water from the rain and the ocean spray. I just stood there, legs braced, feet actively pressing into the ground. I didn’t try to dodge or hide from the storm, but confronted it straight on – my face was turned into the wind and my tangled hair blew back. No shaking, no weakness. I was part of the stone mountain. The storm was all around, but I didn’t need to move. The sun would come out eventually. And then I woke up. It’s been more than two decades since I had that dream, but the mental picture comes back to me again and again. I see myself on that stormy cliff every time I hear the hymn, “How Firm A Foundation.” I remember so much gray with a speck of purple when I read Helaman 5:12 – Remember, Remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. I am reminded of my dream again when life is a storm…which means that for past couple of years, I think about it all the time. Our entire world is in a hurricane of hatred toward people other than one’s chosen team. Fury and fear swirl around us constantly – anger about others’ choices that we disapprove, rejection of innate diversity such as the color of one’s skin or sexual orientation, cruelty and outright violence, an angsty desire to live in a bubble free from differing viewpoints…Some days (most days, if I’m being honest), I connect with the bubble plan. I want to lock up in my house with my husband and children and hide away with our books and fuzzy blankets, our art supplies and board games, and extra snacks. We do not want to encounter the hatred in the world. But whether we want to or not, we must engage with it because hate, left on its own, continues to develop. Hatred cannot be “fought” in the metaphor of great battles, with swords dramatically wielded by ancient military battalions. It cannot be fought with today’s weaponry, people literally arming themselves with guns, guns, and more guns. Even the perception of fighting only feeds hatred more, helps it grow and makes it stronger because it pits person against person as enemies. Protection against hatred doesn’t work in a warrior mentality either – no bunkers or shields can keep it away, because hiding from hatred, anger, and fear also inexplicably enhance them. Hatred can only be overcome by LOVE, and that doesn’t need a metaphor – it must be outnumbered and outmaneuvered by real-live basic action by real-live basic people. Protection against the storms of hatred is as simple (and as difficult) as filling our souls with love. The containers of our hearts cannot carry hate when they are overflowing with kindness and goodwill toward the people around us, especially people who have different patterns of behavior, different child-raising methods, different political opinions, different understanding of gospel principles, so much different. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminded us that everyone loves their friends and that’s not a big deal – the higher law is to love those who are rude and mean to you. I know it’s difficult to do that, which is why my all-time favorite scripture is Moroni 7:48 – Wherefore, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the children of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. This protection of love is not something we have to generate within ourselves through sheer force of will. The Lord will give it to us when we ask for it, and that gives me so much hope. We can literally get on our knees and say, “I really don’t like that person. Please help me to see them and love them as You do.” I know this works because I’ve done it. I always imagine a massive ceramic pitcher above my head, pouring the living water of God’s love over me. This is not the time to get out an umbrella. And then I get up from my prayer and put on my purple jacket, to go out into the gray of the storm and share the love of God. Love is the answer to protect from the storm, and it will also calm the storm. Sympathy and gentle answers to confrontational questions ease the winds of rage. Quart jars of hot chicken soup and plates of fresh cookies cut through the cold. Smiles and hugs light the path. Here comes the sun. And here comes the Son.

I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a convert from being an active member of the Catholic church in 2017 at the age of 35. The prompting from the Spirit that began my investigating the Church was to read the Book of Mormon. There are so many incredible chapters, verses, lines, and phrases in The Book of Mormon that have built my testimony, strengthened my faith, and have edified and tutored me by the Spirit. What I have read in The Book of Mormon has made it possible for me to set myself on the covenant path. When I look back and think about what I have gleaned from this marvelous book, there is one line within one verse that has been the summum bonum of the whole book for me, and that is 2 Nephi 11:7: “But there is a God, and he is Christ.” This is the line that all of my trust and all of my hope, with its buoyant flowing white wings, hangs upon. “There IS a God. And He is Christ.”In mortality, there is heartbreak, and loss, and separation from loved ones, and calamities, and tragedies and illness; inequity, unfairness, sinfulness, and evil. There is commotion. There is the trying of our faith and the proving of our souls herewith. In the lone and dreary world we can feel a terminal quality to our sorrows– the final word, in Him, seeming to be an eternity away–an ineffable and inconceivable speck of time at the end of the long inescapable tunnel of our pain. How do we know how it will all turn out? What do we do with the broken pieces of ourselves and our lives and our losses that seem to have no inkling of hope to be reversed, reclaimed, or redeemed? Is there really a God? Does He really see me? Does He really see us? Does He see the decimating grief of war? Does he see the earth-shattering injustice of the suffering of His children–especially those who are actually children–on this earth? “There is a God. And He is Christ.” These words. My heart clings to them. These words reveal to me two things. The first, there IS, in fact, a Supreme Creator. There is someone at the top. There is someone who sees it all. There IS an executive party to the tempest below. There is someone to look to. There is a place–a person–where the buck stops and where the pain lands. Our suffering doesn’t echo into the void. There is witness to our woe. And while there is humanity, with its fragile mortal frame prone to disease and decay, and the natural man responsible for the misuse of its own agency, there is a Being who is aware of the entirety of the immeasurable Universe. The second line is my favorite part. It reveals just WHO this God is. His name, Christ, reveals His character and His nature to me. This God isn’t just an impartial leader as large as the universe itself ready to subject us each to arbitrary whim or worse, no whim at all -just an indifferent party to a chaos model of creation. No. this God is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. This God IS the Good News. This God is the Light in the darkness. This God is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This God is Emmanuel, “God with us”[1]. This God is the thrill of hope. This God is with us. He is in our story. He isn’t hovering above, an uninterested bystander leaving us to our own devices, completely apathetic to our doings and our happenings. He is beside us, in every detail. He is in every joy and every sorrow. He lends us our very breath[2]. He has promised us the yoke[3]. He offers us salvation from spiritual death and eternal life. He is the condescension of God and also IS God. He reveals our Heavenly Parents’ nature and attributes to us through His behavior and words during His earthly ministry. He is our Exemplar, modeling the characteristics and qualities that make Him perfect. We know that while following Him will not give us easy lives or free from troubles, it WILL bring us true joy and happiness. We know this because we know Him. We know Him, because of this blessed book as another testament of Him. These two lines are why the Book of Mormon exists at all, to help us to know and convince us all of the fact that Jesus is the Christ. The words, “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ”[4] shall be fulfilled as every human being on this earth receives this knowledge and feels its truth. I cannot think of anything better as a human being to know that there IS a God, that He loves us, that He is championing us through this mortal sojourn with all of its joys and sorrows, AND offers us salvation from spiritual death and eternal life with Him and with those whom we love most. As this truth resounded in my heart and caused me to follow the Savior into the waters of baptism and make my first covenant with Him, and later to make and keep sacred covenants with Him through the temple, it rings today. It burns in my heart. It keeps me clinging to my covenants. It keeps me repenting each night at the end of the day, speaking to this loving witness only a whisper away, partaking of the opportunity to be washed clean. His sacred and holy name, He who is full of grace and truth, I sing His praises on my lips unceasingly. I sing the song of Redeeming love[5]. Why? Because there IS a God. And his name is Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. [1] Matthew 1:23, see also Isaiah 7:14, 2 Nephi 17:14 [2] Mosiah 2:21 [3] Matthew 11:29-30 [4] Philippians 2:10-11 [5] Alma 5:9; see also 5:26

They come from Eritrea, Thailand, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Iran, and Afghanistan – mostly Afghanistan. None of the countries in which my faltering but growing Spanish would be useful. And no, Duolingo doesn’t offer Pashto lessons – I checked. I wish I could at least say hello. It’s my third day volunteering at the refugee center. Today I’m a little braver when it comes to trying to pronounce their musical, unfamiliar names on the sign-in sheet, to call out who is next. They come for help to find a job, sign up for English classes or sewing lessons, pick up free sanitary pads or diapers (once a month) or condoms (unlimited, no questions asked), decipher letters from government bureaus, print out a form, or FAX documentation for Medicaid or food assistance. Men with dark curly hair arrive together, usually with one of the bunch speaking some English, sometimes bringing a wide-eyed child who clings close to their daddy. Women wear jeans or hijab, sometimes pushing a stroller, sometimes with a gaggle of well-behaved children. One veiled woman has all ten fingertips dyed red up to the first knuckle. I wonder what that means but I love it, whatever it is. Wordlessly she hands me a laminated card with her name and address so I can look her up in the system and fetch her monthly allotment of diapers. I discover that you can tell from her eyes when a woman is smiling, even from behind a veil. An Afghan woman with dead eyes and brittle hair hands me her paper. The deadline was three weeks ago. Her English is pretty good, but when she gets stuck for words, her olive-skinned daughter, maybe seven years old, translates for her. The daughter seems somehow oblivious to the weight of her responsibility, telling me about her day at school with the same sparkle as when she translates for her mother. Occasionally the little girl gets serious when she translates “missed the deadline because I was in the hospital on the deadline date.” The mother turns to me and whispers “breast cancer.” I wish no little girl ever had to know the words “documentation deadline,” and especially not “mom’s diagnosis.” I write down the mom’s statement, using whiteout liberally as the situation becomes clearer through her halting English and her daughter’s translation, as they try to make me understand. We all look relieved when I finally get it right. I watch the mom’s face brighten a bit as we connect, woman to woman. The mom signs the statement; I FAX it with the documentation she has brought. She gives me a smile and takes her daughter’s hand as the little girl bounces out of the office. These resettled refugees are largely former US government employees from Afghanistan. These men supported our military operations, serving as translators and contractors. In exchange, they were promised refugee status in the USA, since it’s no longer safe for them to remain in their home country, being considered traitors by some. These are legal refugees, carefully vetted in an application process that often takes several (dangerous) years while they wait in Afghanistan for approval. And now they are here. It’s simply America making good on our promise. I think about these women, children, and men: what they have seen, what they have fled, what they carry in their hearts. I want our community to be a welcoming place for them to heal, to grow, to become, to contribute their God-given talents to the world, just like all of us. Two generations ago, this skipping little girl could have been my grandmother, translating for her Swedish-speaking mother who was trying to make her way in Galveston (the Texas equivalent of Ellis Island). Two millennia ago, this refugee family could have been the family of the infant Jesus Himself, fleeing persecution in His homeland, seeking safety in the far-off country of Egypt. Seldom do I have the blessed opportunity to live so directly the Savior’s words, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). I feel it when I am with these beloved children of God; this is holy work. Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson said , “When we serve our families and our neighbors, we are part of a global cause. As followers of Jesus Christ, we strive to embrace His two great commandments: to love God and our neighbor. With the generous support of Church members and friends, we embrace the opportunity to do the things that He would do if He were here.” At the entrance to the refugee center, a sign is stuck in a pot in front of the white wrought-iron gate. In Arabic, Spanish, and English, the sign reads, “No matter where you are from, we are glad you’re our neighbor.” When I look at that refugee child translator and her mom, I see divine daughters of God, my eternal sisters, made in the image of Heavenly Parents, just like me. Looking into their eyes feels like a reflection of eternity.

As a teenager, I would enjoy my own “silent, holy night” after my parents and sisters had gone to bed in December. After turning off every other light in the house and plugging in the Christmas tree lights, I’d sit on the couch facing the tree and bask in the glow of tiny white bulbs illuminating each branch and unique ornament. Snow covering the ground outside seemed to seal in the blissful stillness that encompassed me. It is this concept of the starry night, celebrated in Nativity images during the darkest time of the year, that has been calling to me. Central to the nativity is the star in the east pointing the faithful to the baby Jesus. As the light of the world, the Savior was the star of stars. He is the light shining in the darkness that could not be hidden, that bids us follow. As His disciples, we are the children of a light Jesus admonished us not to hide, but to shine brightly as our Sunbeams so readily do. From Hindus greeting others with “Namaste” acknowledging the divine light they see in each other to my former mission companion calling me “Stellina,” ( “Little Star” in Italian) we may rightly see one another as stars. As the Savior lights every soul who enters the world. so we may shine through the darkness for others. While teaching botany, I shared with fifth graders some of Charles Kovacs’ thoughts about the state of plants during the winter: “Imagine all these millions and millions of seeds held inside the earth during the cold season when there is snow, ice, and cold winds, but they are safely kept inside. And now imagine for a moment that each seed is a tiny light, and if you could imagine that we could see through the earth, it would look as though there were millions of stars. During the winter, the earth would look like the starry sky.”[1] And now imagine that you can see far enough into these seeds, to see each tiny acorn bright with the light of the oak tree and even entire forests that lie dormant within. [2] One night in a dream, I shouted, “Show me myself!” A black star-filled universe then encompassed me. On waking, my first response was of comfort, a feeling of safety on finding myself within the fold of God’s greater whole. Reflecting later on my dream, it took courage to see myself not only as a tiny part of the universe but as host to a universe within myself. I once resented the fact that the yin of the yin and yang symbol was associated with women; the masculine yang appeared to represent all light and good. Now I see that my strength originates in the dark womb of the yin through Jesus Himself. He arose as a root out of the dry ground to become the vast Son-light of the yang, the King of Kings, the fount of His creative love rising from the yin. Within yin’s darkness lies space for ever-expanding creation. While both men and women certainly hold creative potential, women fill a uniquely powerful role as we nurture and love the seeds of our unborn children and creative works long before bearing them. Each life requires yin and yang, stillness and drive, hearing and speaking. Over time I have seen that my strength grows in winter stillness, just as the silent lights of the Christmas tree grace dark days. Despite all that calls us to rush, may we heed the season’s urge to quiet, sending strength down deep where seeds of life may germinate to bear fruit in the coming year. [1] Kovacs, Charles. Botany (page 15) [2] Dyer, Wayne. Being in Balance Consider also how seeds of light may become trees of light in this companion essay: Trees of Light

Author with her grandfather I remember watching my grandfather bake pie crust for garden rhubarb pie and fluffy white rolls for our monthly family dinner. My memories of those days recall the joy of companionship with my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents–a shared sense of belonging indistinguishable from the pleasure of “Grandpa Rolls.” Rituals involving bread in ancient Israel were among the most sacred manifestations of the divine in everyday life. As our Savior began his life in Bethlehem, the “House of Bread,” so the simple processes of bread making were woven into life. In those days, men sowed and harvested the grain while women baked bread for every meal. In Palestine, bread is still generally baked in the shape of stones and customarily broken, not cut. [1] Each day, the women of the house would scoop up some of the family’s store of grain and grind it on a saddle quern consisting of a lower and upper stone. The flour was then mixed with water and kneaded. Thin, flat circles of dough were slapped onto the hot interior of the courtyard bread oven. When done, the bread fell into the ashes below. [2] Covenants in the Middle East were traditionally made while the parties broke bread together. Inviting a stranger into the home was a duty of hospitality which forged covenant-like bonds between families from different regions. Families who hosted travelers often depended on their former guests to host them if they were traveling to the guests’ region. [3] Thus, around the dinner table, those who were once strangers became companions. The word “companion,” meaning someone “with whom one spends a lot of time or with whom one travels” derives from the Latin “com-panis,” one who breaks bread with another. [4] I recently had a dream that my husband, Micah, and I were conversing with my grandfather, who passed away a couple of years ago. We weren’t seeing eye to eye about something until I said, “Micah and I are a chip off your block because we both like to make bread.” He threw back his head and gave a merry laugh. Like families ancient and modern, each Sunday, we break bread around the sacrament table with our “ward family,” united in our commitment to travel alongside one another, share burdens and mourn together. As we partake of pieces broken from the same sacred loaf, we remember Christ’s sacred body and His At-one-ment that breaks down the “wall of partition between us.” [5] As church “members,” we together form Christ’s church. [6] When we re-member, (the Latin prefix “re” meaning “again,” we recall our commitments to each other and to the Savior and are rejoined members of the body of Christ. We may consider that the opposite of remember is dis-member (from the Latin prefix de meaning “take away”): to be separated from the whole, or torn limb from limb. [7] It is a central mission of the Church to gather scattered Israel, re-membering the “poor and needy,” any who are lost among the ten tribes, and those living in our midst who are not currently breaking bread with us. [8] Another term that captures this process of re-membering is re-storing a process which Patrick Mason asserts will “remain ongoing and incomplete so long as there are any poor or “any manner of ites’ among us.” He continues, “What is being restored in the Restoration? God’s people. The poor will receive the kingdom of heaven. The brokenhearted will be healed. The captives will be liberated…In the ultimate sense, this is the atonement and reconciliation that only our Savior Jesus Christ can fully accomplish” as we “[co-participate] with him as ‘saviors…on Mount Zion.’” [9] Two friends on the road to Emmaus unexpectedly rediscovered the joy of Christ’s companionship. When their new acquaintance began expounding scriptures they invited him to stay with them. He “took bread, and blessed it , and brake, and gave to them.” It was then that “their eyes were opened, and they knew him” before Jesus vanished out of their sight. [10] Curiously, the disciples on the road to Emmaus, already His followers, did not recognize Christ until He broke bread with them. We too will come to know Him at the most personal level as we sup with him. “Here I am!” He calls. “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” [11] When we finally eat face-to-face with the Savior, our faith in Him may turn to knowledge, changing everything. This transformation develops gradually, beginning with His role as the word, the seed swelling within our hearts. [12] But Christ appears at every step, being also the ground for the seed, fertile enough for us to firmly root and ground ourselves in Him. [13] Christ is the Son-light that warms and germinates the seed [14] and the living water that rains down upon it. [15] Christ is the sower who oversees the growth of this precious seed, eventually employing us to aid Him in the harvest, tossing out the weeds, and taking the wheat to the storeroom. [16] Ultimately, Christ is the rock upon which the wheat is ground, [17] the salt and living water that binds it into dough. Having submitted to the process Himself, He is the seminal work of the Bethlehem Bakery, the stone-like loaf of bread containing a living lump of yeast. [18] As His loaf children looking to His example, we lie flatly divested of any foreign yeasts, humbly waiting for Him to raise us up. [19] The refiner watching the fire with care, Christ manages the heat judiciously to bake us to perfection. [20] Then we fall from the sides of the oven and into the ashes in similitude of His death as the original bread torn and broken to forever satisfy the hunger of His children. Can we say what portion of the resulting bread is truly us as individuals and how much of it is Jesus? By the time our bread is ready for consumption, we are so fully enmeshed in His being and infused in every particle with His nature that we are one with Him, there being no point at which He ends and we begin. [21] We become a piece of His living bread prepared to nourish all around us. Having become like Him, we are ready to break bread with Him and await His arrival as our dinner guest. [22] [1] From Daily Life in Ancient Israel [2] The source for this is no longer active on Harvard University’s website [3] From Entertaining Angels: Hospitality in Luke and Acts [4] See Google’s English Dictionary provided by Oxford Languages [5] Ephesians 2:14 [6] 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 [7] See Online Etymology Dictionary [8] Alma 6:6 [9] Pages 20-21 in Restoration: God’s Call to the 21st Century World by Patrick Mason [10] Luke 24:30-31 [11] Revelations 3:20 (NIV) [12] Alma 32:28 and John 1:14 [13] Ephesians 3:17 [14] John 8:12 [15] Jeremiah 2:13 [16] Matthew 13:24-30 [17] Psalms 18:2 [18] John 6:35 [19] 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 [20] Isaiah 48:10 [21] John 17:21 [22] 1 John 3:2 and Luke 22:29-30

Constellations by Brian Kershisnik. 2009. Used with permission. A few years ago, my mother gifted me one of our favorite books for Mother’s Day. She inscribed it, “For Rachel, my traveling companion.” When I began my own travels away from her as a young adult, she would often stuff a card for me in my suitcase that I would discover later. It helped me feel close to her, and like I was brave enough to have my own adventures knowing she was still with me. When I was a missionary in Sicily, she told me that she had prayed diligently (Mosiah-like) to know that I would be OK.[1] She said emphatically, “The Spirit told me you’re coming home; you’re coming home!” I imagine that our Heavenly Mother with her perfect love likewise eagerly awaits our return and is doing all she can to support us during our mortal journey. While much about Her nature remains veiled, I believe that through scripture study and prayer we can come to an understanding of Her that is greater than mere speculation. Christ is the manifestation of the divine we follow on earth, and we can apply scriptures about Him and His love to gain an understanding of our Mother. The following verses reference the Savior, and as He reflects the nature and love of our Heavenly Parents, I have changed the pronouns and nouns (with the capital nouns designating Heavenly Mother) to consider the Mother’s relationship with Her daughters: [2] Behold, what manner of love the Mother hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the daughters of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Her not. Beloved, now are we the daughters of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when She shall appear, we shall be like Her; for we shall see Her as She is. And every woman that hath this hope in Her purifieth herself, even as She is pure. When I first tried this exercise, I felt the power of these words otherwise missing from our standard works about our Heavenly Mother and Her daughters. The nature of our being rests in Her and is defined by Her. When we come to know Her we will see the divine manifested in ourselves in powerful ways. If the world demonstrates significant confusion regarding the nature of women, it is because they too have not known Her. I’ve been recognizing the effect this dearth of knowledge about Heavenly Mother has had on me. It is as if after having the sweet relationship with my mother that has defined my life in significant ways, I suffered amnesia when I left on my mission. I knew I must have had a mother back home and that some day I could return to Her. Knowing virtually nothing about Her and unaware of any evidence of Her care for me, I felt abandoned by Her. For me this sense of estrangement manifests itself as a pervading malaise, a longing I sometimes feel when I am still enough to listen. As I fulfill my daily responsibilities and share love with my husband and family, this lingering sense of separation floats softly like subtle clouds of depression through my heart’s sky. I started to become aware of these sensations when I felt impressed to pay attention to the feelings and circumstances behind my seemingly incurable snacking habit. I consider myself a healthy eater and enjoy cooking for my family. However, especially when I am alone or caring for my baby during the day, I frequently find myself reaching for the chocolate or some other kind of “comfort food.” When I stop mid-reach for the snack and tune in, I notice how strong the pull is to dull my discomfort. It’s often when the “to-do list” keeps growing, when I’m tired after being up with the baby during the night, or otherwise feeling like too much depends on me. If I listen long enough, I find that the overwhelm is a mask for loneliness and a deep sense of loss. I miss the peaceful presence of heavenly connection, and I need to share the burden of caring for my home and family with a Mother who can take me in Her arms and tell me everything is going to be OK. I sense this yearning for Her even during calm, bright moments when the evening light dances on the tulips about to bloom before shining through the window in a spring-green glow. I want to share the beauty of my life as much as the pain. While I treasure my relationship with family, their presence cannot abide with me always. Once I hang up the phone or say goodbye to a friend, the ache eventually re-emerges. For a while I wondered how I could have so much connection and still feel moments of acute loneliness. When I read a devotional by M. Catherine Thomas[3], I was a little relieved that this condition was part of our mortal experience. She notes that when we left the presence of our Heavenly Parents and came to earth, we died spiritually; their presence was veiled from us and we were essentially orphaned. I miss my Heavenly Parents equally, but the separation seems greater from Heavenly Mother because we know no stories about her from the scriptures and sing no songs[4]. We seek to assuage this “intrinsic pain and alienation” through incessant or neurotic thought and comforts that provide only temporary satisfaction[5]. However, the satisfaction of my fancy dark chocolate is ephemeral at best, because the only enduring comfort can come through Christ. He promises us as He did His disciples, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come unto you.” She reflects in the devotional on this verse, “The English word comfortless translates the Greek word for ‘orphans’: ‘I will not leave you orphaned.’” Our Heavenly Mother and Father did not leave us orphaned. They arranged a way home through Christ. In the meantime, the unquenchable longing we feel for them in quiet moments is meant to call us home, to recall to our hearts the source of our being in them. When our inner seed of divinity begins to sprout and all other addictions and pursuits pale in light of the true source of the loss we feel, our hearts will be drawn to Her. And as we seek Her, we will find Her even here. The layers of veil amnesia and grief will fall away, and we will feel Her embrace. I feel more connected to the Savior and His love as my longing for our heavenly home draws me closer to Him in every thought. There are also moments I hold sacred, my pearls, when I have seen our Mother’s response to my seeking[6]. That they should seek Heavenly Mother, if haply they might feel after Her, and find Her, though She be not far from every one of us: For in Her we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also Her offspring. [7] [1] See Mosiah 28:6-7 and Alma 17:35 [2] See 1 John 3:1-3 [3] “ The Doer of Our Deeds and the Speaker of Our Words ” Devotional by M. Catherine Thomas [4] The exception to this would be the hymn “O My Father” [5] The Godseed by M. Catherine Thomas (page 151) [6] See Matthew 13:45 and 7:6 [7] Pronouns/nouns again changed in Acts 17:27-28

St. Maria Magdalen. Paracletos Greek Orthodox Monastery, Anderson, SC, USA. Many Christian institutions imply a uniform historical tradition of women in supportive roles; however, recent biblical scholarship reveals that women held many authoritative positions in the early Christian community. In Christian theology and biblical discussion, it is commonly perceived that women were not commissioned or given ministerial authority from Christ, but a deeper analysis of Mary Magdalene may challenge this theory. Many cast Priscilla, Lydia, and Phoebe in supportive roles in Paul’s ministry. Recent biblical scholarship reveals how these women were charged with ministerial authority as leaders of house churches, deacons, and missionaries. An analysis of these biblical women in the New Testament will reveal more clearly what vocations women filled. At the beginning of Luke, Mary Magdalene is one of “the certain women” who followed Christ but who then disappears from the explicit narrative until the end of Christ’s life, where in John and Mark, she is mentioned at the garden tomb. Although she is hardly mentioned during Christ’s ministry, Magdalene is present at the beginning of his ministry as one of the “certain women” traveling throughout “every city and village preaching.” [2] She is also present at the end of his ministry at his resurrection; therefore, it is evident that we are to imagine Magdalene and other women with the twelve apostles and Christ the entire duration of the synoptic gospels. [3] There is also evidence later in the New Testament of female missionaries and female leaders that assisted in spreading the gospel but are only given a verse or two when mentioned. [4] This lack of female representation in the New Testament contributes to why there is a significant gap in understanding women’s roles during Christ’s ministry and in early Christian communities. In the few instances Mary Magdalene is mentioned, what she does in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) is profound and paints her image as an important disciple of the Lord. In Mark 8:34, Christ explains that to be his disciple, he asks them to “take up his cross, and follow me.” [5] Magdalene and a few others were the only ones at Christ’s cross that followed him until his final moments demonstrating that she, along with those few others, were exceptional disciples of Christ. [6] She shows her devotion again at Christ’s tomb, “when it was yet dark” and early at a time where it was life threatening to be a disciple, and yet Magdalene stayed with the Savior. [7] Magdalene also qualifies as a disciple according to the gospel of Luke where he shares that discipleship meant accompanying Jesus and witnessing his ministry. [8] Biblical scholar Richard Bauckham uses Luke’s definition in Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels , to argue that women along with the twelve were with Christ when he traveled and preached the gospel, making them disciples, by Luke’s definition. [9] Discipleship was a title that women, specifically Mary Magdalene, like the twelve, held in Christ’s ministry according to the narrative of Luke and Mark in the synoptic gospels. In the synoptic gospels, Magdalene can not only be interpreted as a devoted disciple, but an apostle as well. In 1 Corinthians 9:1, Paul claims his apostleship authority by reciting his vision of the resurrected Lord. [10] Mary Rose D’Angelo in Reconstructing “Real” Women From Gospel Literature: The Case of Mary Magdalene , explains that Magdalene’s delivered witness of the risen Lord in the book of John is a prophetic oracle that fits Paul’s criteria for apostleship. [11] In John 20:11-18, Christ’s first resurrected appearance was to Mary Magdalene when he commissioned her to preach the news of the living Son of God to the other apostles. Not only does this demonstrate Christ giving Magdalene ministerial responsibilities, but many have also interpreted this passage as Christ putting her in a higher position of authority over the other apostles. [12] John 20:18 justified the traditional interpretation of Mary Magdalene’s title, the “Apostle to the Apostles,” which dates back to the first century. This title was coined by several early Saints such as St. Thomas Aquinas in his Lectura Super Ioannis and St. Jerome’s commentary on the Book of Zephaniah who honored her the title, apostola apostolorum, or “Apostle to the Apostles” or, “supreme apostle.” [13] St. Jerome explains that “the risen Lord appeared first to women, and those women were apostles to the apostles [apostolorum…apostolas], so that the men were put to shame for not having sought out the Lord, whom the weaker sex had already found out.” [14] The historical scholarship of Mary Magdalene prompts us to consider that Christ gave her apostolic authority when she saw his resurrected self. [15] Disciple or apostle, Magdalene is seen as a significant and key player in Christ’s ministry in the New Testament that largely is misunderstood in Christian theology. Understanding the roles of women in the early Christian communities, such as leaders of house churches, can help expand the place for women in Christian theology. House churches were a space where communities could gather and worship in a house where, in some instances, women would host, plan, and preside. Biblical Scholar Margaret Y. MacDonald in The Religious Lives of Women in Early Christianity , identifies women such as Priscilla, Lydia, Mary Magdalene, and Nympha as leaders of house churches in the early Christian community. [16] As Carolyn Osiek and MacDonald explain in A Woman’s Place: House Churches in Earliest Christianity , women were instrumental in all aspects of the house church, which included hospitality, patronage, education, communication, social services, evangelization and missions. She writes, “Women were expected to independently manage their households, with or without a husband. Therefore, to step into a Christian house church was to step into a woman’s world.” [17] Priscilla and her partner Aquila are a particularly interesting pair to examine: in Acts and Romans, Priscilla and Aquila travel with Paul to build local church communities suggesting their being an important missionary companionship in Pauline Christianity. [18] Many scholars have noted the fact that Priscilla is listed before Aquila in Romans 16:3 and Acts 18:18, 26, which suggests that Priscilla was of a higher status than her partner since normally, in antiquity practice, it would list the man’s name first before the woman. [19] Pauline Christianity references a variety of women who were vital to Paul’s ministry and to the expansion of Christianity. The leader of house churches evidently entailed ministerial responsibility. If we look closely at the Pauline epistles, we can also find Phoebe as not just a servant of the Church of Cenchreae but as a deacon. Paul named Phoebe a “deacon” or “diakonos,” translated from the Greek as bishop or presbyter. [20] The term “deacon” is also the same term used to describe male office holders who formed various branches of the early Christian community in the second century, which implies Phoebe as having some form of ministerial authority in the Cenchreae church community. [21] The first few verses of Romans 16 suggest that Paul and Phoebe are working closely together in their mission in Cenchreae as Paul is relying on Phoebe’s sphere of influence. [22] Her position as deacon implies ministerial authority given by the apostle Paul. Unfortunately, male translators changed Phoebe’s office from deacon to “servant” or “helper” in the King James Version, New International Version, the New English Bible, Contemporary English Version, and the American Standard Version of the Bible, eliminating the possibility of her having ministerial authority. Phoebe became known as a servant rather than a deacon. [23] Fortunately, there are feminist scholars who continue to recover women like Phoebe in the Bible that have been misunderstood. There is also evidence of female missionaries and female apostles that assisted in spreading the gospel but are only given a verse or two when mentioned. [24] For instance, the female missionary companionship of Euodia and Syntyche in Phil 4:2-3, is particularly notable because it notes women as “laboring” with Paul “in the gospel” implying them as being a part of the evangelizing mission of non-believers in the Philippians. [25] Similarly, in the book of Romans when Paul begins his ministry, he lists ten women who were fundamental to the expansion of his mission in Rome. Junia, being one of these esteemed women, was honored with the title of apostle, given by Paul, along with her partner Andronicus. [26] According to Paul’s definition of apostleship in his letters, Junia witnessed the resurrected Christ, received a commission, and performed miracles, signs, and wonders. [27] Throughout the New Testament, women are seen as leaders during the Christian movement and were fundamental in spreading the gospel. Reclaiming and bringing attention to these roles in conversation, worship, and everyday studies is essential to recover women’s status in contemporary religion. Despite the limited female representation in the New Testament that contributes to the misunderstanding of women’s roles in the early Christian community, we can see that these women held significant authority in building up the church. Regrettably, the depictions of female leadership in the New Testament have been obscured by translators who did not believe it was possible for women to hold these positions as noted in Phoebe. Junia, the apostle, was recast as a man in the Greek text with the name “Junias.” [28] The first to question Junia’s gender was an archbishop in the thirteenth century and identified Andronicus and Junias as men of note among the apostles. [29] This mistranslation was a part of his influential and long-standing Bible translation in 1522. Nympha, with her title as leader of a house church in Colossians, was also altered to be a man because of copyists who felt “uncomfortable about a woman leading a house church.” [30] In addition to these problematic discoveries, there are also instances in scripture where the Roman Empire may have played a role in suppressing women. Texts such as, “Let a woman learn in silence with full submission.” or, “Wives, be subject to your husbands,” biblical scholar Frances Taylor Gench in, Encountering God in Tyrannical Texts identifies these texts as “textual harassment” that require more digging to understand their purpose. [31] She explains how this writing is prescriptive rather than descriptive writing, meaning, the author is prescribing his [translators and interpreters of the text were solely men at the time] ideal, what men and women’s duties should look like, rather than describing what is actually happening. [32] Considering the historical context at the time, the public image of the Christian church was at stake with the Roman Empire. It is possible that for the church to survive, the family values and standards had to align with the Romans. This meant that women had to be seen as confined to the social norms at the time. Therefore, Gench argues that these tyrannical statements in the Bible were interpolations, meaning, they were imputed later by an author, to cover up women’s presence in the church so as to align the Christian communities with Roman patriarchal standards. [33] If the Romans influenced scripture, we can consider other things that may have been written out, such as the ordination of women in these authoritative roles, or the apostolic charge given to other women in Christ’s community. The lack of female representation and the ambiguous image we are left with because of mistranslations and misinterpretations, require us to further the historical and theological discussion of the scriptures so as to truly understand a woman’s vocation. Religious principles are ingrained into society’s culture and morals. For centuries, the meaning behind Eve being created second has been used to confine women in the restraints of a patriarchal society. Religious institutions’ understanding of how Christ “structured” his Christian community and texts such as, “I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence” has been used to justify male hierarchies. [34] It is uncertain whether claiming this historical biblical scholarship would change patriarchal institutions because of centuries rooted in tradition. However, the scholarship may be a necessary move towards deconstructing these institutions and patriarchal mindsets in Christian theology. Scholar of Theology, Elizabeth Johnson said of Magdalene, “In rendering her visible, women also become visible.” [35] Unveiling the women of the New Testament can be the source for liberating women in having opportunities, a voice, and a position in religion and society.   [1] New Testament: King James Version, (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), Luke 8 :2; John 20; Mark 15-16 [2] Ibid., Luke 8:1-2. [3] Ibid., John 20; Mark 15-16. [4] Ibid., Romans 16; Acts 18; 1 Cor. 16; Phil. 4. [5] Ibid., Mark 8:34; D’Angelo 114 [6] Ibid., John 19:25 [7] Ibid., John 20:1 [8] Luke 8:1-3, 6:17, 7:11. [9] Bauckham, Richard, “Johanna the Apostle” in Gospel Women of the Named Women in the Gospels ( Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans, 2003) 112. [10] 1 Cor. 9:1, NRSVUE. [11] D’Angelo, “Reconstructing ‘Real’ Women in Gospel Literature,”: The Case of Mary Magdalene,” Women & Christian Origins , (Oxford University Press, 2010), 111. [12] John 20:11-18; Matthew 28:10-11 NRSVUE; D’Angelo, “Reconstructing ‘Real’ Women,” 111. [13] D’Angelo, “Reconstructing ‘Real’ Women,” 106; Brandon L. Wanless, “Apostle to the Apostles.” The Sacra Doctrine Projects: Thomistica; A Site for Academic Study of St. Thomas Aquinas, (Sacra Doctrina Project, 22 July 2019), thomistica.net/posts/tag/Mary+Magdalene ; Backes, O.Praem. Dimminger, “Apostola Apostolorum” 66-71. [14] Wanless, “Apostle to the Apostles,” 67. [15] Inter Insigniores: “The Attitude of Christ” [16] MacDonald, Margaret Y. “The Religious Lives of Women in Early Christianity,” Women in Early Christianity: Translations from Greek Texts,” (Catholic University of America Press, 2005) 641. [17] Carolyn Osiek and Margaret Y. MacDonald, “A Woman’s Place: House Churches in Earliest Christianity.” (Minneapolis: MN Fortress Press, 2006), 163. [18] Romans 16:1-5, NRSVUE; Acts 18:18-19, NRSVUE. [19] Margaret Y. MacDonald, “Reading Real Women Through the Undisputed Letters of Paul,” in Woman and Christian Origins (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999) 204. [20] MacDonald, “Undisputed Letters of Paul,” 208. [21] MacDonald, “Undisputed Letters of Paul,” 207-208. [22] Romans 16:1-5. [23] Gench, Frances Taylor, “Beyond Textual Harassment” in Encountering God in Tyrannical Texts: Reflections on Paul, Women, and Authority of Scripture , (Westminster John Knox Press, 2015) 141; Romans 16:1-33 Ibid., 2; 1 Timothy 2:15; Ephesians 5:22-24. [24] Romans 16; Acts 18; 1 Cor. 16; Phil. 4. [25] MacDonald, “Undisputed Letters of Paul,” 204-205; Phil. 4:2-3. [26] Romans 16:7. [27] MacDonald, “Undisputed Letters of Paul,” 210; 2 Corinthians 11:4-6, 13, 12:11-12, 29; Macdonald, “Undisputed Letters of Paul,” 209-210. [28] Macdonald, “Undisputed Letters of Paul,” 209-210. [29] Gench, “Beyond Textual Harassment,” 149. [30] MacDonald, “Undisputed Letters of Paul,” 210. [31] Gench, “Beyond Textual Harassment,” 2; 1 Timothy 2:15; Ephesians 5:22-24. [32] Gench, “Beyond Textual Harassment,” 5. [33] Gench, “Beyond Textual Harassment,” 12. [34] 1 Timothy 2:12. [35] Mercuri, Joanna. Truth About Mary Magdalene Could Open Doors for Women in the Church, Scholar Says. (Fordham Newsroom, 16 Apr. 2015), news.fordham.edu/living-the-mission/truth-about-mary-magdalene-could-open-doors-for-women-in-the-church/ . BibliographyPrimary: “Declaration Inter Insigniores On the Question of Admission of Women and Orders.” 1977. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19761015_inter-insigniores_en.html . “Mulieris Dignitatem: Apostolic Letter of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II on the Dignity andVocation of Women.” 1988. https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1988/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_15081988_mulieris-dignitatem.html . NRSVUE. National Council of the Churches of Christ. 2021. Acts 1, 18:18-19. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+18%3A18-19&version=NRSVUE . NRSVUE. National Council of the Churches of Christ. 2021. 1 Corinthians 9:1, 16. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Cor.+9%3A1&version=NRSVUE . NRSVUE. National Council of the Churches of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:20, 11:4-6, 13, 12:11-12,29. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+11%3A4-6%2C+13%2C+12%3A11-12.+29&version=NRSVUE . NRSVUE. 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Philippians 4. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Phil.+4&version=NRSVUENRSVUE . National Council of the Churches of Christ. 2021. Romans 16:1-5, 33. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+16%3A1-5&version=NRSVUE . NRSVUE. National Council of the Churches of Christ. 2021. 1 Timothy 2:15. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Timothy+2%3A15&version=NRSVUE Vatican Press: Summary of Bulletin. “The Liturgical Memory of Mary Magdalene Becomes aFeast, Like That of the Other Apostles.” (Holy See Press Office, 2016). https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2016/06/10/160610b.html . Secondary: Bauckham, Richard. “Johanna the Apostle” in Gospel Women of the Named Women in theGospels . (Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans, 2003). 112. D’Angelo, Mary Rose. “Reconstructing ‘Real’ Women” in Gospel Literature: The Case of MaryMagdalene . Women & Christian Origins. (Oxford University Press, 2010) 111. Fiorenza, Elisabeth Schussler. In Memory of Her: A Feminist Theological Reconstruction ofChristian Origins.  Crossroads Publishing. 1994. Gench, Frances Taylor. “Beyond Textual Harassment” in Encountering God in Tyrannical texts:Reflections on Paul, Women, and Authority of Scripture . (Westminster John Knox Press, 2015). 149. Hunt, Mary E. Women-Church: Feminist Concept, Religious Commitment, Women’s Movementin Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion . vol. 25, No. 1, 2009. 86. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/10.2979/fsr.2009.25.1.85.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Af095874e9 4e33d7afaf2cd982718aa01. Margaret Y. MacDonald. “Reading Real Women Through the Undisputed Letters of Paul.” in Woman and Christian Origins . (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999). 204. MacDonald, Margaret Y. “The Religious Lives of Women in Early Christianity.” Women inEarly Christianity: Translations from Greek Texts . (Catholic University of America Press, 2005). 641. 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Psalm on a Sleepless Night Kristine W. Matthews O, Jesus, my Savior and dearest friend, My companion in this season of sorrow, Wilt Thou walk beside me in the solitude Of my silent, aching heart? Wilt Thou hold my grief in Thy warm, strong hand? Hast Thou heard my sore lament? My poignant cry? My deep yearning? My pleading for a path that can be walked with ease? I long for a way that is wide, A road that is smooth and straight. And yet . . . In Thine eyes I see a reflection, A glimpse of the pain that has swallowed me, A tender, gentle vision of my anguish. Thou canst see! Thou hast heard! Thou dost know! And because Thou sees, hears, and knows, I can hope. I can trust. I can rest. Praise be to the Lord!