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The Gospel Doctrine lesson #1 ; D&C 1 , Our Heritage: Introduction To begin our Sunday School supplement for Doctrine and Covenants and Church History, I want to address two central difficulties I see with focusing on women and the gospel specifically in our study material for this year. Firstly, it is the Doctrine and Covenants itself. In comparison with the biblical text and the Book of Mormon text, even a smaller percentage of the new revelations recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants directly involve women. Secondly, it is the church history. LDS Church History has always predominantly been his story. It has generally been the story of great LDS men—the Josephs, the Brighams, and the Wilfords. (Generally white and American, too.) Though either of these issues on their own might be enough for us to throw in the towel, we don’t want our spiritual foremothers turning over in their graves, nor do we want to miss out on the great possibilities offered us in the Doctrine and Covenants and church history. I’ll address the former first—only two nineteenth-century women, Emma Smith and Vienna Jacques, are specifically mentioned in the text. (If we expand our timeline, Sarah, Hagar, and Eve get a moment.) Section 25 is the only section given directly to a woman, Emma Smith. The section itself is critical; Latter-day Saint women in the latter-half of the nineteenth-century would often read this section and use it as a guide to the role of women in the church (hint: expounding and exhorting are essential). However, some LDS commenters have called section 25 “the” women’s section as if it was the only section that applied to women—the snarky voice in my head asks, so are the rest “the men’s sections”? The Lord seems to read my mind and responds in the last verse of section 25 declaring, “This is my voice unto all.” And this is not the only place, more than forty times in the revelations the Lord proclaims that His words are “unto all.” As the Lord says in His preface to the revelations, “Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding” (1:27). Whether or not our gender or native tongue or culture is the same, each of us has our own unique and personal “manner of language.” Differences in interpretations are not weakness; the Lord will speak to each of us so we might understand. As for the second problem of church history, this is a great time to be studying church history. Elder M. Russell Ballard’s seminal February 2016 talk described “extraordinary efforts” that have been made “to provide accurate context and understanding of the teachings of the Restoration.” He pled with CES instructors to gain a better understanding of church history—particularly through the historical Gospel Topics essays on lds.org , the Joseph Smith Papers, and the many other resources now available. We see evidence of this charge being taken up in the newest additions to the Sunday School manual. Each lesson offers new additional resources. (Those who use the hard copy manual or the pdf copy will not have access to the new references, so use the version on lds.org or in the Gospel Library.) The manual encourages teachers to use the historical Gospel Topics essays, Revelations in Context (also available in book form for the bargain price of $3.50), the Joseph Smith Papers, Daughters in My Kingdom, The First Fifty Years of Relief Society , tours of LDS Historic Sites, and articles and films from Pioneers in Every Land . Many of these resources are available from history.lds.org . The Women of Conviction section also provides many important examples LDS women. There are links in each lesson as well as a new Church History Study Guide which will aggregate many of these resources. Moreover, there is a new Church History section in Gospel Library for easy access (scroll to the end of the first page). As we further work to incorporate women’s experiences into the history of the church, Daughters in My Kingdom is a great place to start. The monumental First Fifty Years of Relief Society is a marvelous resource of women’s voices—including Eliza R. Snow’s minutes of Joseph’s words to the women in the first six meetings of the Relief Society in Nauvoo. The Beginning of Better Days is a bit more accessible look at the minutes of those initial meetings along with useful essays. For additional resources, we may turn to any of the many LDS women’s history biographical works. Since 1877 and the publication of Edward Tullidge’s Women of Mormondom , much of Mormon women’s history has been biographical. Some great examples include: Mormon Sisters , Women’s Voices , Women of Covenant , and the multiple volumes of Women of Faith . There are also many others. To make the experiences of LDS women more easily accessible in lesson preparation, Jennifer Reeder and myself have recently published The Witness of Women: Firsthand Experiences and Testimonies of the Restoration (a review and interview about the book will be forthcoming). The Mormon Women Project seeks to fill a dearth of women’s voices related to scripture and clearly we will continue to need more. As we make efforts to include women’s voices as we study the Restoration and work to better understand our theology, we will help fulfill the Lord’s work of speaking “unto all” in a way that all “might come to understanding.”

The Gospel Doctrine lesson #2 These early lessons in this year’s Church History (D&C) curriculum are organized thematically, rather than chronologically or by section, so this week’s lesson attempts to explore the character of Jesus Christ as represented in the Doctrine and Covenants. As we jump around the book to the various scriptures referenced in the lesson, we encounter many first person statements by the Lord Himself ( D&C 19 for example) and we also encounter sections which refer to the Lord in third person and are written from the point of view of Joseph himself ( D&C 76 for example). There is no doubt that Jesus is the protagonist of the Doctrine & Covenants. It is His voice that reverberates most plainly throughout its pages, allowing us to gain insight into the character of the Savior and how he deals with men in the latter days. And it is indeed to the “children of men” that many sections are addressed. After the Savior Himself, the other key figures in this book of scripture are overwhelmingly men. In fact, the Doctrine & Covenants has the smallest presence of women of any of our canonical works. In the sections most completely devoted to the organization and administration of the Church, such as Section 107 , there is no mention of women and explicit mention of men being the audience for such instruction. As women, where do we find ourselves in the Doctrine & Covenants when it, as the guidebook for administering the modern church, it is almost wholly about and addressed to men? It is for this exact reason that we must cling to lessons like this week’s, “Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World,” which are entirely focused on the gift of the atonement that is equally available to both men and women. Lessons like this focus on the individual application of the atonement, separate and apart from the activities of men that are depicted in so much of the book’s historical context. In this lesson, we can truly focus on what it means to have the Savior suffer and die just for us, for we women, unmoderated by the men’s experiences. In Section 19 , the Savior says he “suffered these things for all,” emphasizing the individuality of salvation that comes from His suffering. (See last week’s lesson “ Unto All ” for a discussion of the Doctrine & Covenants’ invitation to all.) We can read the emotion in His statement, the rhetorical pain expressed in the punctuation itself in verse 18 when the Savior cuts off his own remembrance of that horrible pain: “Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—” The application of the atonement is an individual, genderless exercise requiring simply the priesthood power that all have access to. As we proceed through the Doctrine & Covenants this year, we can remember that, in the midst of the men’s mission calls and administrative duties and kingdom building, it is the Savior’s call to repentance and salvation that is at the heart of the book. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews Turning to the Atonement , M.P. “…by some miracle, I began to find the power to overcome this experience. It came straight from the Atonement. I was reminded that it was possible to forgive and love, even while being crucified to a cross. So, I did that. I followed Christ’s example. It was a miracle to me that I could do this. But somehow I was able to feel all the love, compassion and forgiveness in the world, even in the worst moments of my life. Never in my life have I felt the Spirit so strongly or felt as empowered as when my marriage was ending. Even though losing my husband was the worst thing I ever could have imagined for myself, it was the most beautiful time of my life and I would do it all over again, just to be able to walk away with the testimony and peace that I have today.” We Are Made for Love and Light , Rachel von Niederhausern “People are made for love and light. God is so mindful. He loves all his children, no matter where you are, and if you tap into that love then you can’t help but start seeing others who need love. But it has to start with yourself, and then with your family, and it’s all one circle of love. Let it be messy, and let it be real, and just don’t worry. Don’t even try to be perfect! It’s no fun! Rely on the Atonement and on Heavenly Father’s perfect plan and then love and joy will flow so much better.”

Gospel Doctrine Lesson 3 ; Joseph Smith History 1:1-26 ; Our Heritage 1-4 . Lucy Mack Smith sought a pure inner Christianity, to the extent that she had difficulty joining any particular Christian sect. Two years before she gave birth to Joseph, Lucy became very ill with a fever and feared the thought of death. She wrote, “I did not consider myself ready for such an awful event, inasmuch as I knew not the ways of Christ; besides, there appeared to be a dark and lonesome chasm, between myself and the Saviour, which I dared not attempt to pass.” 1 Lucy later recorded the following experience, remembered from the peak of her illness: I then looked to the Lord, and begged and pleaded with him to spare my life, that I might bring up my children, and be a comfort to my husband. My mind was much agitated during the whole night. Sometimes I contemplated heaven and heavenly things; then my thoughts would turn upon those of earth — my babes and companion. During this night I made a solemn covenant with God, that, if he would let me live, I would endeavor to serve him according to the best of my abilities. Shortly after this, I heard a voice say to me, “Seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Let your heart be comforted; ye believe in God, believe also in me.” 2 Surely Lucy taught her son Joseph to seek, not only by repeating these words to him, but by example. She spent a great deal of time reading the Bible and meeting with preachers of various sects, to ascertain who could help her bridge the chasm she felt between herself and Christ. Her husband tended toward Universalism, with a disdain for other creeds. In Richard Bushman’s words this contributed to Lucy hovering “on the edge of respectable religion, attracted and repelled at the same time.” 3 Her son William later wrote that she “made use of every means which her parental love could suggest, to get us engaged in seeking for our souls’ salvation.” 4 Without Lucy’s urging, and her relentless example of seeking, would Joseph have felt so compelled to seek and to knock? If she had seemed settled in her religion, would fourteen-year-old Joseph have felt unsettled enough to kneel that day in the Sacred Grove? In modern Mormonism, we tend to honor those who express certainty in their beliefs. But it was Lucy’s earnest and constant seeking, her worried inability to accept the creeds of her day, that bred Prophet sons. Footnotes 1 Lucy Mack Smith, History of the Prophet Joseph Smith by his Mother, Improvement Era: Salt Lake City, 1902 , p. 43. 2 ibid , p. 44. 3 Richard Bushman, Rough Stone Rolling, Vintage Books: New York, 2007, p. 26. 4 ibid , p. 26. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews A Savior to Her Family , Susan Anneveldt When I was back in the Netherlands, my mother met missionaries and gave them our address. When they came to our home, my mother came to my room and said, “There are people here you might like to meet.” It took quite a while before I did join the Church. I can still distinctly recall standing, putting a book onto the bookshelf in my room, and having this hammer blow between the eyes, like a voice saying, “You are going to be baptized.” And it was like another voice said, “Oh no you’re not.” It was like a battle. I don’t mean literal voices, but just impressions. “No.” “Yes.” And in the end I said, “I do want to be baptized,” and that negative feeling entirely left me. So in a small way I can comprehend how Joseph Smith felt prior to the First Vision taking place, that inner conflict. Other Related Women’s Voices Mary Isabella Horne, quoted in The Witness of Women , by Janiece Johnson and Jennifer Reeder, p. 55. “I heard [Joseph Smith] relate his first vision when the Father and Son appeared to him; also his receiving the Gold Plates from the Angel Moroni. . . . While he was relating the circumstances, the Prophet’s countenance lighted up, and so wonderful a power accompanied his words that everybody who heard them felt his influence and power, and none could doubt the truth of his narration. I know that he was true to his trust, and that the principles that he advanced and taught are true.”

The Gospel Doctrine lesson #4 ;  Joseph Smith—History 1:27–65 ; Doctrine and Covenants 3 ; 5 ; 10 ; 17 ; 20:5–15 ; 84:54–62 ; Our Heritage, pages 5–10    The other day my daughter was watching cartoons based on the Old Testament. After watching one of these she turned to me and said “Mommy, did we have any kings in our family…good kings?” I thought for a second and then said “Yes! “You’re related to the people in the Book of Mormon. King Benjamin and King Mosiah were both very good kings”. A light bulb suddenly went off in her mind and she jumped up and started searching for all the Book of Mormon cartoons so she could watch them. I have had many experiences seeing people’s minds “light up” like this as I witnessed to them of the of the Book of Mormon. I danced with a group at Brigham Young University called Living Legends. Audiences were fascinated by the elaborate costumes, vibrant music and beautiful dances that we shared from our various cultures, namely Polynesia, Latin America and Native America. But there was more to our production than a compilation of multicultural dance routines. Woven throughout the performance was the story of our forefathers and foremothers who crossed the great waters to a promised land. People’s countenances would change during our shows as their hearts and minds were touched by our testimony of the Book of Mormon, born through song and dance. On tour, we would also perform at assemblies. Some of the schools were in areas where students were considered to be “at risk” and had lower incomes. A lot of the kids in these areas had lives that were very different from the other parts of the country that we saw. Often their behavior reflected that. I remember one school in particular where some of the high schoolers were literally climbing up the walls. But as soon as the performance started with our first dance, a very spiritual Native American number, you could literally feel a hush come over the auditorium. The students were fascinated in spite of themselves. What had changed? I believe they felt something for the first time in their lives. Many of these kids were Latin, Polynesian and Native American (“Lamanite”). They had a heritage that resonated with the story of the Book of Mormon. We had reminded them who they were, and why they had value. This was so different from everything the word had been telling them about their heritage and who they were. It was like they were suddenly lit from within. Have you ever had an experience like this? You don’t have to be “Lamanite” to be a part of the New Covenant of the Book of Mormon. Just as the Jews were the covenant people of the Old Testament, we who are the descendants of Joseph of Egypt are the covenant people of the Book of Mormon. We are Ephraim and Menasseh. We all have a deep connection to the people and promises of the Book of Mormon and are blessed with a desire to share it with others. Think of Emma Smith and Mary Whitmer who were actually present as Joseph translated the plates entrusted to him by Moroni. Emma, who, for reasons only known to the Lord, was never actually allowed to see the golden plates, and yet she valiantly defended their divinity until the day she died. Emma shared stories about helping her husband with the translation where Joseph would be “sitting with his face buried in his hat, with the stone (urim and thumim) in it and dictating hour after hour.” Her witness illustrates the day to day reality of the translation of the book of Lehi. Then there is the incredible testimony of Mary Whitmer , who opened her home to Joseph and Emma and all those who were interested in the work of translation. Overwhelmed with the increased labors she had to perform, she encountered an “old man” one day who told her she would receive a witness to help strengthen her faith. He then opened his knapsack and presented the golden plates to Mary. The man encouraged her to remain faithful to the end, promising that, if she would “her reward would be sure”. This is our heritage. These are the blessing that come from the “New Covenant of the Book of Mormon”. It’s our birthright to reach out to the other descendants of Israel, and and remind them of their divine heritage. It’s our privilege to see the Holy Ghost enlighten their minds and awaken their souls. Whether we’re watching cartoons with our children on a Sunday morning, performing at the local high school, or sharing personal stories with our friends and family, we are living, breathing, dancing witnesses of God’s promises in the Book of Mormon. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews To Sit at the Feet of Christ , Christie Kay Hansen Frandsen “Well, I grew up on Indian Reservations. Very remote. The whole branch was basically my family. When I was in sixth grade, my mother was an early morning seminary teacher. Even though I was only in sixth grade there were not very many students in the class so she asked me if I wanted to come to seminary. I loved that I had the opportunity for my mother to be my teacher. It was Book of Mormon that first year and I remember on several occasions really being moved by what my mother was teaching me. I don’t know if it would have happened the same way if it hadn’t been my mother. I think because it was my mother I saw her in a new light. Having the Book of Mormon opened up to me by her was a really moving experience.” Threads Woven Together , Callie Appelstein “When we were in Seattle, I worked part-time at a store that sold scrapbooking supplies. The owners were members of the Church, and I formed a friendship with the wife. We enjoyed each other’s company, and we were curious about each other’s faith. We had good conversations over the years back and forth, and I really loved her. When we left Seattle and moved to St. Louis, I gave her a book and she gave me the Book of Mormon. She wrote her testimony in the front and had made notes throughout the book. I was so touched that she would do that for me. I had no intention of reading it, but it was such a nice gesture, so I couldn’t throw it away.” Other Related Women’s Voices What I Hope My Granddaughters (and Grandsons) Will Understand About The Relief Society , Julia B. Beck “As the Lord began restoring His Church through the Prophet Joseph Smith, He again included women in a pattern of discipleship. A few months after the Church was formally organized, the Lord revealed that Emma Smith was to be set apart as a leader and teacher in the Church and as an official helper to her husband, the Prophet. In her calling to help the Lord build His kingdom, she was given instructions about how to increase her faith and personal righteousness, how to strengthen her family and her home, and how to serve others.” Guardians of Virtue , Elaine S. Dalton “I pray that the Spirit will witness to your hearts your divine identity and your eternal responsibility. You are the hope of Israel. You are elect and royal daughters of our loving Heavenly Father.”

A conversation with McArthur Krishna and Bethany Brady Spalding about their new book  A Girl’s Guide to Heavenly Mother . We discuss how the knowledge of Heavenly Mother impacts us and influences our behavior. And we talk about the pandemic and racism within this context.

Gospel Doctrine Lesson 5 ; D&C 6-9 , Joseph Smith History 1:8-17 Relief Society General President Julie B. Beck said, “The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life.” 1 Yet, the process of understanding how we can receive revelation—how God speaks to us—is a lifelong pursuit. One does not gain this skill in the abstract, we have to learn it through our own experience. Sections 6, 8, and 9 of the Doctrine and Covenants are all given to Oliver Cowdery and we are offered an intense tutorial in revelation from the words of the Lord to Oliver. One of the major goals of the Mormon Woman Project is to broaden our understanding of Mormon women—there is never just one way to be or experience life as a Mormon woman. I wonder if one of our difficulties with personal revelation is the personal part. It works differently for each of us. I don’t know exactly what someone else is feeling even if I can tell they are feeling the Spirit. Paul called it the “unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost.” (2 Corinthians 9:15) We are all unique and feel the spirit differently. The Lord knows us and He will talk to us uniquely so that we might come to understanding. (D&C 1:24) I wonder why we often quote Section 9:8–9 when talking about revelations, when just the revelation before, the Lord gave an example of revelation that He actually called “the spirit of revelation.” There the Lord says He will “tell us in [our] mind and in [our] heart.” (8:2) Do we miss the beauty there? He doesn’t deride women for their assumed lack of rationality and praise men for their assumed lack of emotion. In a move that places Enlightenment rationality in union with the Romantic focus on the heart, God can speak to women’s minds as well as to men’s hearts. We all have the capability for both and we all need both. We exclude one or the other at our peril. And then the Lord offers the perfect example of revelation, Moses and the Red Sea. While we often think of the miraculous elements here, the Lord points to the revelatory aspects. Might the Lord be suggesting the revelatory precedes the miraculous? The spirit of revelation “is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.” (8:3) Think about why this might be the example the Lord chooses. Elder Holland’s masterpiece “Cast Not Away Your Confidence” draws three significant lessons from the Lord’s example: Ask the Lord; go forward once you’ve received revelation; and trust the Lord—He will provide a way. He also very significantly reminds us of the role of opposition in the most spiritually momentous moments in our life. Moses had no idea what lay ahead of him. The Red Sea had never been crossed in such a way. Some of our lives will follow a path similar to one our parents followed, some of us need to move forward somewhat blindly through fog, some will be thrashing through underbrush and fighting to create a new path. Oliver Cowdery’s first gift was the gift of revelation—a gift available to all. His other gift was considerably unusual, at least for us. In a time when the spheres of folk magic and religion were still blurry for some, some considered natural objects to be imbued with power. Joseph Smith used seer stones. Oliver Cowdery used a divining rod. The Lord makes it clear to Oliver that though this gift may not be common that it was “of God.” (Oliver’s second gift is introduced well with this Revelations in Context essay . Joseph’s seer stones are introduced and shown here and here and further considered here .) Elder Ezra Taft Benson argued that the Spirit is the most important in our lives. 2 We need to know what gifts we have and what path God would have us follow. Revelation encouraged Oliver to continue on even after some failures and lots of questions. At BYU Women’s Conference in 2015, Elder M. Russell Ballard pled, “Each of you must come to know what the Lord wants for you individually, given the choices before you.” He then quoted President Beck and highlighted her witness of truth. He continued, Once you know the Lord’s will, you can then move forward in faith to fulfill your individual purpose. One sister may be inspired to continue her education and attend medical school, allowing her to have significant impact on her patients and to advance medical research. For another sister, inspiration may lead her to forego a scholarship to a prestigious institution and instead begin a family much earlier than has become common in this generation, allowing her to make a significant and eternal impact on her children now. Is it possible for two similarly faithful women to receive such different responses to the same basic questions? Absolutely! What’s right for one woman may not be right for another. That’s why it is so important that we should not question each other’s choices or the inspiration behind them. 3 There is never just one pattern to revelation or one way to receive revelation, any more than just one way to be a Mormon woman. We all desperately need God’s guidance to know what he wants us to become. Learning to recognize his words to us and act on them are our greatest tasks in mortality. Footnotes 1 Julie B. Beck, “And upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit,” CR, April 2010. 2 Ezra Taft Benson, “Seek the Spirit of the Lord,” Ensign, April 1988. 3 He continues: “And we should refrain from asking hurtful and unsupportive questions like “Why are you going on a mission?” or “Why aren’t you on a mission?” or “Why aren’t you married?” or “Why don’t you have children?” We can all be kinder and more thoughtful of the situations in which our sisters throughout the world find themselves as they seek to follow the will of our Heavenly Father in their individual lives.” M. Russell Ballard, “Women of Dedication, Faith, Determination, and Action,” Women’s Conference, 1 May 2015. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews Just Call Me Ruth , Ruth Renlund “One thing I’ve always felt strongly about is that there’s no one way to be an LDS woman. Each has a right to personal revelation and is expected to use that. It should be personal and we shouldn’t let other people’s comments shake our direction. I think women are particularly susceptible to that.” Her Version of Having it All , Marie-Laure Oscarson “My version of “have it all” is very specific to my family and to my profession. I know that spiritual revelation will guide me through difficult decisions. I have felt God talking to me, leading me, and guiding me. This gives me a lot of courage and determination. The peace and love that I feel testify that God lives; even when doubt creeps in, I can turn to prayer and feel that knowledge of His love again. Faith in God’s love is what anchors me in this life as I continue to make family and career decisions.” Other Related Women’s Voices Fulfilling the Purpose of Relief Society , Julie B. Beck “Revelation is not a matter of pushing buttons, but of pushing ourselves, often aided by fasting, scripture study, and personal pondering.” Personal Revelation and Testimony , Barbara Thompson “The way to receive personal revelation is really quite clear. We need to desire to receive revelation, we must not harden our hearts, and then we need to ask in faith, truly believe that we will receive an answer, and then diligently keep the commandments of God. “Following this pattern does not mean that every time we ask a question of God, the answer will immediately appear with every detail of what to do. However, it does mean that if we diligently keep the commandments and ask in faith, answers will come in the Lord’s own way and in His time.”

The Gospel Doctrine lesson #6 ; scriptures Doctrine and Covenants 6, 8, 9, 11 The Doctrine & Covenants is often described as a manual for the establishment of the modern church and its priesthood authority, but we can’t forget that many of its texts are fundamentally personal rather than institutional, given to individuals with particular questions for the Lord. This week’s texts are directed toward Oliver Cowdery and Hyrum Smith, two of Joseph Smith’s closest and staunchest friends. These words help define the process of personal revelation. Like Joseph, Oliver and Hyrum thirsted for divine inspiration and struggled to learn how to understand the elusive inner voice of the spirit. How do Mormon women recognize revelation from God? Our experiences as women of the church reflect those of Oliver, Hyrum, and Joseph in their variety, their experimental process, and most of all, in the intimately individualized manner in which they are received. What is our process? 1 ~ We use our minds . One of our most oft-quoted verses on revelation is D&C 8:2 : “Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.” These words to Oliver are reiterated when he is later told that he “must study it out in [his] mind” ( 9:8 ) as a necessary step in discovering spiritual truth. The work of the mind, what we call reason or rational thinking, is not always seen as having a place in spiritual knowledge. But Mormons refuse to divorce the heart from the mind, or reason from spirit. What we identify as divine revelation includes our own efforts of thought, research, and study. Eliza R. Snow says it best. In her hymn “O My Father,” she introduced a fundamental principle into the mainstream of Mormon theology: we are spiritual children of both a divine Father and Mother. She writes, “In the heavens are parents single? No, the thought makes reason stare. Truth is reason, truth eternal tells me I’ve a mother there.” For Eliza R. Snow and the many believers in these words, truth must resonate with our rational faculties. Logic can cooperate with spiritual understanding. 2 ~ As Mormon women, we also use our hearts . Before Oliver Cowdery ever met Joseph Smith, he prayed about the stories and rumors that he had heard. When he later struggled with doubts and worries about his own spiritual vocation, these verses reminded him of his earlier experience: “Verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things. Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?” ( D&C 6:22-23 ). Emma Lou Thayne’s hymn “ Where can I turn for peace? ” asks this very question, and answers it in the final verse: “He answers privately,/ Reaches my reaching/ In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend./ Gentle the peace he finds for my beseeching./ Constant he is and kind,/ Love without end.” Teresa of Ávila by François Gérard Another woman many years earlier wrote of this same peace. Theresa of Ávila entered holy orders in the 1500s in her native Spain. She struggled for most of her life with physical illness and self-doubt, yet she was tireless in seeking to know God. Known for her visions and skill in meditation and prayer, she was asked to write about her life. She did this in an autobiography that doubles as a handbook of prayer, and in which she emphasizes the variety of her own spiritual experiences. She describes a period of personal agony answered by a spiritual voice that relieved her distress. She heard these words, “Have no fear, daughter, for it is I, and I will not forsake you. Have no fear,” and continued, “In the state I was then in, I think it would have taken many hours to persuade me to be calm, and that one person would not have been enough to do it. But here I was, calmed by just these few words. I received strength and courage, security, tranquillity, and enlightenment, and in one moment found my soul transformed.” 1 Learning to recognize the voice of the Lord means coming to experience the peace and transformative power whose source is love. 3 ~ Finally, as women, our agency is crucially bound up in any divine guidance we may hope for. Oliver Cowdery was chastened with these words “Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me” ( D&C 9:7 ). There will, of course, be times when peace and spiritual promptings come without struggle — these are tender mercies. But divine inspiration is of little use to people who do not act with a deep sense of personal responsibility. Aileen Clyde describes the empowerment that comes with conversion . “My whole hope in speaking to you about gospel knowledge of our individual importance to our Heavenly Father and our Savior is that it will build our confidence in our own ability to make good decisions that will help us grow spiritually. Some people want a strong authoritative voice to say, ‘Do this’ or ‘Do that.’ Some want God to tell them exactly what to do before they risk anything. . . . When we are converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ we become both humble and courageous. Our conversion strengthens us greatly in our decision making.” There is no quick formula to knowing God. It requires humility, patience, and work. But the peace and power of the spirit is available for all who seek it. 1 The Life of Saint Theresa of Ávila by Herself. Trans. By J. M. Cohen. p. 181 Related Mormon Women Project Interviews Loving Allegra , Alison Sprouse Pulley “A few months before Allegra was born, Mitch said in a blessing Allegra would be born alive. I dismissed this, thinking he was merely saying what I wanted to hear. A few days later I had a dream in which I was holding a baby with dark hair and full pink lips. I knew it was Allegra, but when I woke up I dismissed this revelation, thinking I was merely remembering a baby with similar features I’d seen at church the day before. Several times, Heavenly Father tried to communicate with me, but I wouldn’t listen. So when the time came to have Allegra, I put my hopes aside and trusted statistics instead. Holding a living baby with Trisomy 18 would be a long shot. We checked into the hospital on a Thursday night thinking I would be induced in the morning, instead, we realized I was in labor at two a.m. Because the drops in Allegra’s heart rate were significant and caused us stress we chose to not be hooked up to heart rate monitors. Even if her heart rate dropped dangerously low, we’d already been informed an emergency c-section was not an option. When she came out, the midwife immediately put her on my stomach. She was purple. We couldn’t figure out if she was moving, much less breathing. She was gurgly for a little bit, but as we watched, we could see her chest rise and fall and knew she was breathing. Allegra was born alive, but we had no idea if she was going to last a few minutes, a few hours, or a few days. We called my parents right away to get the kids and bring them to the hospital where they met her within the hour. Allegra weighed only four pounds and had multiple external deformities including a club foot, a missing ear, curled hands, and facial features that matched those of other babies with Trisomy 18. She didn’t look like a normal baby. But when my kids walked in, there was this beautiful acceptance of their baby sister. They adored her! They were excited she was alive and would join us at home. Within an hour of her being born, Mitch and my dad gave her a name and blessing. In that blessing, Mitch acknowledged that Allegra’s life would be short and then asked that she ‘touch the veil occasionally to let us know you are doing okay.’”

The Gospel Doctrine lesson #7   Lesson #7 focuses on the first ordinances and principles of the gospel: faith, repentance, baptism and confirmation of the Holy Ghost. To start, let’s look at what some of our women leaders have said about these ordinances and principles. Faith In last April’s General Conference, President Oscarson said, “True conversion is a process that takes place over a period of time and involves a willingness to exercise faith.” Faith offers grounding and hope in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. It allows us to tolerate the discomfort of the unknown. It is the power by which we enact our agency and choose to believe. The scriptures are full stories where faith was the key to miracles, blessings, conversions, reconciliations. Faith provides footing in the spiritual realm as we journey through this Earth-school. Repentance In the April 2007 General Conference, President Beck said, “Because we are all mortal, we all make mistakes. Repentance is not optional, but we don’t do it alone. We have a Savior to help us repent. By developing His qualities in our lives, we know we are making changes that help us come closer to Him.” Christ’s atonement creates space for us to make a mess of this mortal experience. We develop His attributes in the doing – by practicing with each other. We are deeply imperfect and we are going to get it wrong a lot of the time. This is by design. How do we learn if we are unable to risk failure? Knowing there’s a way to rectify wrongs makes it easier to step into the unknown with faith. Engaging in the practice of Christ-like living and using the atonement frequently is how we show our gratitude. I’m a sculptor. I have many tools. There are some tools that I rarely use – maybe just once or twice a year. Even though it’s rarely used, I’m grateful I have it when I need it. That tool is not the atonement in this metaphor. The atonement is the tool that is used frequently – daily, hourly – it’s lost its sheen. Though it may not be much to look at, it’s so familiar in my hands that it gives me courage to create. Baptism In October of 2005, Kathleen H. Hughes said, “At baptism we took the name of Jesus Christ upon us. We carry that name with us each day…” In Baptism we tell Christ that we pick Him. That He is the one we’ll be devoted to. Then we spend the rest of our lives recommitting to that covenant and attempting to be worthy of His name – imperfectly (see above). Gift of the Holy Ghost In April of 2015, Cheryl A. Esplin said, “Many of us have been baptized and have received the gift of the Holy Ghost, whose role it is to reveal and teach the truth of all things. With the privilege of that gift comes the responsibility to seek truth, to live the truth we know, and to share and defend the truth.” The Holy Ghost is our ally as we seek to discover the truth of who we are, what this Earth-school is all about and the nature of the divine. These are the first principles and ordinances because they create and sustain the foundation upon which everything else is built. They are tools of transformation. Endure The manual talks about these principles and ordinances in relation to enduring – “[w]e must endure to the end in faith to receive eternal life.” I’ve been pondering what it means to endure and how it manifests in our lives and community. I wonder, do we sometimes use it to justify a victim/martyr identity? An identity which gives a false sense of righteousness while permitting idleness. I want to be clear here – I’m not suggesting that we don’t need time to mourn, or reconcile, or breath after a painful or traumatic experience. One must do this in order to heal. What I’m suggesting is we get into dangerous territory when we allow the things that have hurt us to become our identity, and then we use that identity as an excuse for not being active participants in our lives. I’ve been trying to figure this out in my own life. I’m turning 40 in a few weeks. The only thing tainting this birthday is that I am childless. Aging while being childless has been a real source of my suffering over the past few years. I’ve work hard to reconcile my expectations and desires with reality. There have been moments when enduring was the best I could do. And yet, in the struggle to still show up for my life and find purpose and meaning I’ve grown stronger. These principles and ordinances have helped in this process; I’ve come to realize that however my life plays out that it will be okay. It will be more than okay – it will be joyful and purposeful. This realization is an absolute act of faith. (I talk in depth of this process of reconciliation in Cocoon’s latest podcast episode ). What has helped me not just endure but thrive is hearing the stories of other women struggling to find purpose and meaning in the midst of suffering. Our foremothers, Eliza R. Snow and Mary Fielding Smith inspire me to overcome adversity and participate in my life. Mary Fielding Smith By 1848, Mary had suffered much. Her home had been raided, her children attacked and her husband martyred. She was a single mother with 8 children determined to cross the plains to the Salt Lake Valley. She was assigned to a company led by Peter Lott. Lott believed that Mary was not equipped for the journey and would be a burden to the company. He discouraged her from making the trek. Mary’s response, “I will beat you to the valley and will ask no help from you either.” 1 Mary and her children had many trials along the journey including lost and sick oxen. Not only did she endure these hardships, she persevered. She was true to her word. She never sought help from Lott and she entered the Salt Lake Valley on September 22, 1848, one day ahead of Lott. Eliza R. Snow Eliza was a poet and leader in the early days of the church. Once in the Salt Lake Valley, she reestablished the Relief Society and was the president for 21 years. During that time she sent women back east to be trained as doctors and nurses, opened Desert Hospital and launched the women’s journal, Exponent. Last year, we learned that during the persecution of the saints she was sexually assaulted by multiple assailants. As a result, she was unable to have children. Eliza not only endured the horror of this trauma, she spent the rest of her life bringing healing and beauty to her community through her callings and poetry. Like Eliza and Mary, we must not simply endure. We must use these principles and ordinances to find a purpose for our lives and embrace joy. “I testify that as we trust God, our Eternal Father; trust His Son, Jesus Christ, and exercise faith in His Atonement; trust the whisperings of the Spirit; and trust the counsel of living prophets, we will find our way off the edge of the road and continue safely—not just enduring but finding joy in our journey home.” Carole M. Stephens. 2015 This mortal existence isn’t to be suffered through; it’s to be deeply enjoyed. Joy rooted in faith. Joy covenanted to through emersion. Joy recommitted to through repentance. Joy strengthened in the building of our relationships with Heavenly parents through the Holy Ghost. Suggested reading: First Principles and Ordinance by Samuel Brown 1 Don Cecil Corbett, Mary Fielding Smith: Daughter of Britain (1966), 228. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews Standing Firm When It All Falls Apar t, Ashlee Birk “I’ve always had faith, I’ve always known that Heavenly Father answers my prayers, I’ve always seen His hand in my life. But it wasn’t until I went through this total low point where all I had left with was Him that I realized how much He cared and was there for me. I’ve always known about the Atonement and known that the Atonement is there for me when I make a mistake. Whenever someone would wrong me, I knew I needed to forgive them. But as I have gone through this tragedy, in which three people wronged me on so many levels, my faith has helped me understand the Atonement on a much deeper level. The Atonement is there even if you’re just struggling with the fact that the story you’re living is different from the one you had planned. The Atonement is also there to help you forgive and feel compassion for a man who made a really bad choice. I think that’s been my greatest blessing, to understand the Atonement and the power that it can have on those hard days when it feels like your faith has been flat in the dirt for weeks and someone is just dragging you. If you pray for help, Heavenly Father will send you a little light, and He will send you the right person to say the right thing.”

Gospel Doctrine lesson #8 A couple of years ago, I was at a meeting where we were discussing some ward and stake events. When we got to the topic of an upcoming father-son event to commemorate the restoration of the Priesthood, one of the women leaders raised her hand and said, “Why should only men and boys commemorate the restoration of the Priesthood? I love the Priesthood too and it was restored for me also.” I was taken off guard. As a ward leader, I had pushed for more opportunities for women in many avenues, yet I never had any desire to be included in this event. The question formed in my head: did I love the Priesthood? Did I see it as being restored for me? The answer has come slowly. First, while I had been taught that the purpose of the Priesthood is to bless all people, deep down I saw it as belonging in the realm of men. Talks on the Priesthood are most often given in the priesthood session of General Conference or taught to men or boys in meetings without women. Even when the topic is addressed in a broader setting, a separation is enforced. The purpose of this lesson, for example, is to “encourage brethren to magnify their offices and callings in the Priesthood.” Second, while I recognized the Priesthood as something that had blessed my life, it was also a topic tangled up in my mind with gender roles and unequal treatment of women at church—a topic that hurts. Because of that, even when information was available, I often avoided it. The topic of women and the Priesthood tends to be either ignored as uncomfortable or irrelevant or the discussion becomes so charged as to be unproductive. I wonder if the result is a general ignorance among church members about the relationship between women and the Priesthood. Here are a few things I’ve learned since that meeting: 1) Women’s roles in the Priesthood are greater than we usually acknowledge. While women don’t hold priesthood office, they are given priesthood authority. In the April 2014 General Conference, Dallin H. Oaks said, “We are not accustomed to speaking of women having the authority of the Priesthood in their Church callings, but what other authority can it be? When a woman…is set apart to preach the gospel…she is given priesthood authority to perform a Priesthood function. The same is true when a woman is set apart to function as an officer or teacher in a Church organization…” Shouldn’t then the Sunday School lesson encourage men and women to magnify their callings with the Priesthood authority he or she has been given? 2) Women have the power to call upon God directly for healing, answers or blessings in their lives and aren’t dependent on an intermediary priesthood holder to reach Him. Prayer grants all of us equal access to God. The Church essay “Joseph Smith’s Teachings about Priesthood, Temple and Women” teaches that in the early days of the Church, women even gave blessings of healing by “laying on of hands” which Joseph Smith said was “no sin for any body to do it that has faith.” Not until 1926, did Heber J. Grant formally discourage this. Eliza R. Snow explained in 1883, “Women can administer in the name of JESUS, but not by virtue of the Priesthood.” Given that the priesthood is the power and authority of God, or men administering in the name of God, and that women have power to “administer in the name of Jesus” and to call on the power and authority of God in prayer, I wonder if we sometimes create a gulf that doesn’t exist. Or in other words: is a mother’s petition to God for the healing of a child and then listening for inspiration less potent than a father’s priesthood blessing? 3) Men hold the Priesthood—that does not mean they ARE the priesthood. Dallin H. Oaks taught: “While we sometimes refer to priesthood holders as ‘the priesthood,’ we must never forget that the Priesthood is not owned by or embodied in those who hold it.” The priesthood belongs to all of us. 4) The Priesthood bestows power on women and men alike. Priesthood ordinances in the temple endow both men and women with “power from on high.” Similarly, women and men can both be exalted. 5) Perhaps the great divide that exists in church governance because of priesthood shouldn’t be quite as large as it is. Women are excluded from many meetings and trainings based on not having the Priesthood. Women are not invited to stake “priesthood leadership meetings” or often to ward “priesthood executive councils.” Yet, if women operate in their leadership callings by the authority of the Priesthood, and if they call upon God to help them administer to those in their stewardship just as men do, could it be that there is a place for them there after all? What I often come back to though isn’t something I learned; instead it’s something I have always known: God “suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam” (2 Nephi 9:21) and “none are forbidden” (2 Nephi 26: 28). God loves and values me, a woman who does not “hold the priesthood,” as much as he does any man who does. I have as much access to his love, power, atonement, forgiveness, inspiration, guidance and gift of eternal life — the greatest of all gifts of God (D&C 14:7) as anyone else. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews Women and the Priesthood , Sheri Dew “Eliza R. Snow said that Latter-day Saint women have greater and higher privileges than any female on the face of the earth. I absolutely know that is true. We could talk about the issues of trying to work with priesthood leaders. I’m like everyone else: I’ve had glorious experiences working with priesthood leaders, and I’ve had terrible experiences working with priesthood leaders. I get that whole picture. But I also believe that when you look at the spiritual privileges we have, it’s just astonishing. The saddest imaginable thing is if we don’t realize what God has given us. And if we don’t realize it, we are in no position to learn how to draw upon the power of God and how to draw that power into our lives to bless us. Imagine how sad to get to the end of your life and find out that you had it all along, but didn’t access that power.” The Shining Light of Oakland , Betty Stevenson “When I started attending church, I became very militant. I wanted to know, “Where are the black people?” I knew they had to have some. So I went looking in Church history for black Saints, and I found them. Elijah Abel was the first black man that Joseph Smith ordained to the priesthood. His posterity held offices in the Church.” Other Related Women’s Voices Rise Up in Strength, Sisters in Zion , Bonnie L. Oscarson “All women need to see themselves as essential participants in the work of the priesthood. Women in this Church are presidents, counselors, teachers, members of councils, sisters, and mothers, and the kingdom of God cannot function unless we rise up and fulfill our duties with faith. Sometimes we just need to have a greater vision of what is possible.”

Gospel Doctrine Lesson 9 We live in times of extreme contention and confusion. We seem to be flooded with information of all sorts, with many versions of the “truth” being fed to us by world leaders, news agencies, and other people around us. But is it any more difficult to seek out and find the truth in this day and age than any other? (See Isaiah 29:14 .) My mother’s conversion to the LDS faith occurred during a tumultuous and confusing time. I remember her relating to me the context of the era in which she lived when she was approached by two LDS missionaries. My Mom was in college in the late 1960’s. It was a time when people were fighting for the civil liberties of black Americans and equal rights for women. She had two brothers fighting in the Vietnam War and was concerned about them dying for a cause many did not support. At this time, my mother considered herself to be very educated and liberal in her views. As she worked with the missionaries she found it difficult to accept a church that did not allow blacks to have the priesthood. She also found it difficult to accept that God had spoken to a young boy in New York little more than a century earlier. She went to the library and began to research everything she could find about the Mormon religion. Of course, what she found was negative literature written in opposition to the LDS faith. The missionaries encouraged her to pray about her concerns and so she skeptically began to pray. My Mom’s experience reminds me of a vision recorded by Abigail Calkins Leonard, who also lived during a tumultuous and confusing time. She lived during the “Second Great Awakening” – when various religions were fighting over who was right and who was wrong, when slavery was an issue of contention, and women were fighting for the right to higher education. “I saw a great multitude of people in the distance, and over their heads hung a thick, dark cloud. Now and then one of the multitude would struggle, and rise up through the gloomy cloud; but the moment his head rose into the light above, the minister would strike him a blow, which would compel him to retire…” ( The Witness of Women , p.10). Unlike the skeptical prayers my mother had offered, Abigail had been praying sincerely and fervently about the differences between the various religious denominations. Later on, Abigail heard of the Book of Mormon. She prayed about it without ever having laid eyes on it. Abigail felt the presence of the Holy Ghost as it witnessed to her of the divine origin of that book. She later joined the church ( D&C 21:6 ). My mom’s conversion took a little more help from some wise Elders. While the missionaries encouraged her to question and study for herself, they also reminded her that she should read both sides of an argument, not just the opposition. They encouraged her to pray sincerely for an answer from God ( D&C 20:14-15 ). In Enos-like fashion my mother attempted to pray all that night until she got an answer. The next morning she arose with a divine sense of peace about the state of affairs in the world. She felt that she needed to be patient about the things that she didn’t understand yet and knew that the Church was true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God ( D&C 20:10-12 ). How I relate to these two women! I see the world as in Abigail’s vision where people, who find a little bit of light, are condemned by the darkness of half-truths, anger and fear. I see the church portrayed as my mom first saw it, where history, doctrines and policies are taken out of context or seen through the lens of worldly philosophy instead of through the spiritual eyes required for eternal perspective. It’s hard sometimes, to deal with the contention and rhetoric around us. But the beauty of being a member of the living church of Christ is that we know He still communicates with his children through modern day revelation, just like he did with my mother and with Abigail. He answers our questions in a profound way that becomes incontrovertible truth, not just a collection of information and facts. The difference between the world’s answers and revelation from God is that His answers can and will bring peace to our souls ( D&C 20:17 ). Related Mormon Women Project Interviews The Priority is Family , Annie Bush They told me, “In order to have a response, you must pray and ask if Joseph Smith was a true prophet and if this church is true.” And I said, “Okay! If it’s as easy as that, I’ll do it.” So I did it, and I found out quickly through a feeling that it was true. I was baptized when I was sixteen years old. My mother was baptized a few months later. I was baptized in April, Mom was baptized in June, and Dad was baptized a few months later. We were very active in the church. If you want my testimony of the church, it was that when the missionaries presented to me their message, I truly had the impression of discovering something I had already known. I felt perfectly at ease, everything made sense, everything corresponded with what I imagined a church should be. Trail-Blazing in Belgium , Linda Vergauwen At that time in Europe, Americans were regarded with a bit of suspicion. I thought, “Why must the gospel be restored in America and not in Palestine or Israel?” So it was strange to me and I just couldn’t accept Joseph Smith as a prophet then. But we followed the discussions with the missionaries, and my husband and I were always thinking, “If what they’re saying is true then we must change our lives.” So with that attitude we followed the discussions. We didn’t start with searching; we weren’t sad and we were good in our own religion. We were young people and the thought of changing our lives was very scary for us. Other Related Women’s Voices Fulfilling the Purpose of Relief Society , Julie B. Beck Just as the Savior invited Mary and Martha of New Testament times to participate in His work, women of this dispensation have an official commission to participate in the Lord’s work. From the earliest days of the Restoration, women were active in helping build up the Church by supporting missionary efforts, contributing to the construction of temples, and establishing communities where the Saints could worship together. The organization of Relief Society in 1842 mobilized the collective power of the women and their specific assignments to build the Lord’s kingdom. Making Faith a Reality , Janette Hales Beckham One of the miracles of the Restoration of the gospel and the organization of the Church in these latter days is that the plan allows growth and change to come to the members. We each have available to us the experience that will help us change—to become spiritually mature. Through our own repeated efforts, our faith can become a reality.

The Gospel Doctrine lesson #10 ; D&C 25   When I was roughly 15, I said to my Mother in reference to Emma Smith, “Yeah, Emma was pretty cool except for that whole leaving the Church thing and starting her own.” Now, my Mother took the permissive approach to parenting. Up until that moment the only thing I was forbidden to do was watch The Exorcist. So you can imagine my surprise when my fun-loving and warm-hearted Mother snapped her head toward me and said pithily, “You do not speak about Emma in that way. You have no idea what that woman went through. You have no right to judge her.” I was shocked and my teenage arrogance was curbed. I wanted to know more about this woman my Mother passionately defended. Emma’s life was profoundly difficult. She was 23 when she married Joseph. They lived a life of service and poverty – often relying on the generosity of friends and Church members for their basic needs. Of their eleven children, only four lived to full adulthood; they lost four infants in four years. After losing a set of twins, shortly after birth, the Smiths adopted infant twins whose mother had died. Emma suffered the persecution inflicted on the Saints. Joseph was repeatedly arrested and attacked. Many nights she would sit alone or with friends in prayer pleading for the safety of her husband. She was widowed at the age of 40. Nevertheless, Emma was faithful to the Lord and devoted to her husband. She was one of Joseph’s scribes during the translation of the golden plates. She was entrusted with organizing the woman to address the needs of the early church – the Relief Society. Emma, also, edited the first hymnal for the church. Emma’s mother-in-law, Lucy Mack Smith said of her, “I have never seen a woman in my life, who would endure every species of fatigue and hardship, from month to month, and from year to year, with that unflinching courage, zeal, and patience, which she has ever done; for I know that which she had had to endure. … She has breasted the storms of persecution, and buffeted the rage of men and devils, which would have borne down almost any other woman.”1 In July 1830, when she was 26, she received a revelation that would later become known as Section 25. Wherein the Lord says, “thou art an elect lady, whom I have called” (v.3). At the first meeting of the Relief Society, Joseph read this revelation and explained that Emma was an elect lady because she was “called to preside.”2 She was, also, instructed be a comfort Joseph, “…in his afflictions, with consoling words, in the spirit of meekness” (v.5). And to, “[c]ontinue in the spirit of meekness, and beware of pride. Let thy soul delight in thy husband, and the glory which shall come upon him” (v.14). Now, she was also told not to fear because, “…thy husband shall support thee in the church…” (v.9).” This echoes of Eve’s directive to be a helpmeet unto her husband. The lesson focuses on the ways that we need to be supportive of our spouses. I suggest reading it and this Ensign article by Valerie Hudson and Richard B. Miller. I, however, am going to focus on meekness. Emma is told twice to be meek. Often meekness, is thought of as being subservient, demure, quite. Emma was anything but. She was assertive, passionate and articulate. Her conflicts with Brigham Young are well documented . So, was the Lord asking Emma to adhere to the social expectations of women of the time? I don’t think so. In ancient Greek, meekness referred to a horse that was ready for battle. A meek horse’s power and energy had been channeled for purpose deemed necessary by its master. It is not the diminishing of power, it’s the focusing of it. I love this definition of the word meek, particularly in religious context. I believe that when the Lord was asking Emma to be meek, He was asking her to dedicate her assertiveness, passion and energy to the building up of the early Church. She needed all of her attributes to fulfill her callings. In this section, she is called to be Joseph’s scribe, “..thou shalt be ordained under his hand to expound scriptures, and to exhort the church, according as it shall be given thee by my Spirit” (v.7) and to create a hymnal “…which is pleasing unto me, to be had in my church. For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me…” (v. 11 & 12). In this exchange, we learn of the Lord’s love of music. We, also, see the nature of His and Emma’s relationship; it is in the realm of familiarity and affinity that one expresses delights. The manual states that the purpose of this lesson is to learn how to apply the revelations given to other people to ourselves. Last year, part of Emma’s revelation was revelatory for me. At the time, I was struggling with a decision. I felt compelled to chose a course of action that was contrary to guidance I’d been given. As I plead with God for discernment, I read an essay that referenced this verse 13, “Wherefore, lift up thy heart and rejoice, and cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made.” I instantly had the clarity I longed for – all I needed to do was keep my covenants and find the joy in the experience. This course of action gave me immense joy and was in keeping with my covenants. I moved forward as I felt compelled and a year later I have no regrets. This scripture is a wonderful resource in those moments of indecision. We can ask ourselves two simple questions – 1. Is this thing in keeping with my covenants? 2. Is this something I can rejoice in? If so, then move forward with faith. I’m grateful for that day when my Mother advocated for Emma. My life has been enriched for having studied her life and words. I’ve developed a great admiration and love for her. She inspires me to dig deep and persevere. 1 History of Joseph Smith, ed. Preston Nibley [1958], 190–912 “Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book,” 9, josephsmithpapers.org .   Other Related Women’s Voices “Daughters in My Kingdom”: The History and Work of Relief Society , Julie B. Beck “Our faithfulness and service are signs of our conversion and commitment to remember and follow Him. In July of 1830, at the beginning of the Restoration of His Church, the Lord selected His first female leader of this dispensation, and in a revelation to her, He said, ‘I speak unto you, Emma Smith, my daughter; for verily I say unto you, all those who receive my gospel are sons and daughters in my kingdom.’ The history of Relief Society teaches us that our Heavenly Father knows His daughters. He loves them, He has given them specific responsibilities, and He has spoken to and guided them during their mortal missions. Additionally, the history of Relief Society elevates and validates the standing of women and demonstrates how they work in companionship with faithful priesthood leaders.” Ripples , Virginia U. Jensen “One significant event in particular propelled Dan Jones from a careful observer to an active investigator of the Church. He wrote this: ‘Purely by accident, there fell into my hands … a letter which [Emma Smith] had written. … I shall never forget the feelings which that … letter caused me to have. I perceived clearly that not only did [she] believe the New Testament, the same as I—professing the apostolic faith, and rejoicing in the midst of her tribulations at being worthy to suffer all … for a testimony of Jesus and the gospel—but also it contained better counsel, more wisdom, and showed a more … godly spirit than anything I had ever read!’ (Ensign, Apr. 1987, 50, 52). Inspired by Emma’s words and example, Dan Jones sought to learn more about this church. In 1843 he was baptized in the Mississippi River and became one of the most influential missionaries in the history of the Church, bringing hundreds of people to the gospel in his native Wales. In a very literal way, Emma Smith’s influence continues to ripple through generations. Who can say how many hundreds, even thousands of the descendants of those Dan Jones introduced to the gospel may be listening to this meeting at this very hour? Each of us can act in ways that can ripple through a life as powerfully as Emma Smith’s words did in the heart of Dan Jones.”

Gospel Doctrine Lesson 11 The texts in this week’s lesson have a common subject: mission calls directed to dozens of people, some with familiar names like Hyrum Smith and some who subsequently fade from church history. There are no women mentioned in our reading. In those first decades of the church, women were not formally called to be travelling preachers or proselytizers, but women and missionary work do have a long and influential history within the church, one that is the subject of ongoing research. For a glimpse of some of this groundbreaking female missionary work, including stories of the first women set apart as proselytizing missionaries in the 1890s, read this series published by the Church History department. In LDS missions today, the training and daily routine for men and women is nearly the same. With the change in age requirements, the percentage of women missionaries has increased, though their numbers are still far behind the young men. The Mormon Newsroom reports that single women are currently 26% of the missionary force, single men between the ages of 18 and 25 make up 66%, and older couple missionaries make up the remaining 8%. Having more significant numbers of female missionaries gives me hope for increasingly informed and confident Mormon women. I think of what a mission taught me: A working knowledge of how wards and branches function. Opportunities to learn how to take authority with a grain of salt while still remaining loyal and supportive. Listening skills for the frequent times I was called upon to be a confidante. A recognition of the need for consistency and discipline within the church, tempered by a recognition of the need for flexibility and forgiveness within that same church. A strong dose of humility, balanced by a confidence in my own talents. The ability to persist in the face of rejection, criticism, and doubt. Appreciation for diverse people. And most importantly, a witness of the liberating effect of the gospel in people’s lives. A crucial asset of missionary service is that it helps foster an ecclesiastical empowerment — the feeling that the church is run by us, not by some confusing bureaucracy made up of people who know more than we do. This is the kind of confidence that every woman in the church needs to feel. In the Doctrine & Covenants, nearly all of these mission calls contain a familiar metaphorical image: the white field, ready to harvest. Missionaries are called upon to thrust in their sickles and join the “great and marvellous work,” urged to act with haste, to seize the day, to preach while the people were ripe for listening. These mission calls were issued in 1829 and surrounding years, so for these long-dead missionaries, their field is already harvested. But there is also a timeless relevance to this call. Every woman has an individual mission, one particularly suited to her talents and situation. Whether within or without the church, whether in formalized missionary service or in everyday good works, there is a particular urgency to begin now, not to procrastinate. Queen Esther was given a similar admonishment, called upon to act quickly on behalf her imperiled Hebrew countrymen. Although she was a queen, Esther felt uncertain and insecure about her potential to do good. Responding to her doubts, her uncle begged her to speak for her people, “For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esth. 4:14). What time was her uncle talking about? Esther straddled two worlds, one the vulnerable world of covenants and family, one the confusing world of state affairs and political maneuvering. She was privileged to be favored by both, and she was possibly the only person who could have achieved peace between the two. Her mission call was pointedly personal, but it affected many. Our own contemporary calls to missionary work may not be as life-or-death as Esther’s, but our time shows a similar need for peace, and our calls will inevitably serve similar purposes: to build bridges of peace, to share knowledge and resources in the hopes of giving people a better chance at life and happiness, to serve outside of one’s comfort zone and be enriched in the process, and to make the gospel relevant for our own time. Related Mormon Women Project Interviews 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.” To Always Serve and Love , Berengere Doby “During my mission, I learned more about myself. And I learned who I didn’t want to be once I got married. I learned that I have a special nature. I learned that could be a very good friend and have very good friends. One of my companions came from Mongolia. The customs and the relationships between people are completely different there, I realized. I saw this during one little experience. We took photos all the time on my mission, and one day I was looking through some photos. There were some of the two of us, but my companion didn’t think she looked pretty. The next day, I found my photos all cut up and I said, “Sister!” I was so angry that we had a fight. She explained to me that for her, in Mongolia, her picture and her body belonged to her, so she had the right to cut up the photos. I was so angry that I yelled. But then I said to myself, “Oh my, I don’t want to ever to that again, especially when I’m married.” That experience was an enormous help in understanding how to try to change from the natural man and truly be someone more humble, submissive, and closer to the Spirit.” Other Related Women’s Voices Defenders of the Family Proclamation , Bonnie Oscarson “I recently read the story of Marie Madeline Cardon, who, with her family, received the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ from the first missionaries called to serve in Italy in 1850. She was a young woman of 17 or 18 years of age when they were baptized. One Sunday, while the family was holding a worship service in their home high in the Alps of northern Italy, an angry mob of men, including some of the local ministers, gathered around the house and began shouting, yelling, and calling for the missionaries to be brought outside, I don’t think they were anxious to be taught the gospel—they intended bodily harm. It was young Marie who marched out of the house to confront the mob. They continued their vicious yells and demands for the missionaries to be brought out. Marie raised her Bible up in her hand and commanded them to depart. She told them that the elders were under her protection and that they could not harm one hair of their heads. Listen to her own words: ‘All stood aghast. ….God was with me. He placed those words in my mouth, or I could not have spoken them. All was calm, instantly. That strong ferocious body of men stood helpless before a weak, trembling, yet fearless girl.’ The ministers asked the mob to leave, which they did quietly in shame, fear, and remorse. The small flock completed their meeting in peace. “Can’t you just picture that brave young woman, the same age as many of you, standing up to a mob and defending her newly found beliefs with courage and conviction?”