LDS World: Women in the church

What does God expect of women in the world today? What does He expect of women in His Church? More critically, how do we, as women, learn what Christ would have us "be" and "do"?

A question along these lines was put to Sister Julie Beck, Relief Society General President, when she addressed members of the BYU faculty women's association recently. Her answer was simple and profound. She counseled: "Read the scriptures." But then she followed with, "Read about Moroni and think about his mother."

I love the scriptures. I love to read and study and ponder the timeless truths embedded within them. Each time I read I am reminded of the simplicity and beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I love the righteous women in the scriptures. Though many wonderful women grace the pages of the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price, I have never explicitly pondered upon those that are manifest in more oblique ways — those not specifically mentioned but who acted in their roles as wives, mothers, sisters, aunts, mentors.

Of course we all know about the mothers of the stripling warriors who, I would suggest, not only taught their sons to have faith in Christ, but set examples of living faith for their children to observe. How could we imagine otherwise when not only do these young men tell Helaman their mothers taught them to have faith in God but also affirmed, "We do not doubt our mothers knew it" (Alma 56:48).

But what about the women who influenced Moroni? We are told nothing specifically about them. We cannot even give them names. We cannot suppose they were all perfectly righteous. We cannot even presume Moroni always had good examples before him. But I will go out on a limb and wager that someone, or some women close to him, had mother’s hearts and exerted an influence for good that transformed his life.

I believe this to be so from personal experience. I have a wonderful mother. I owe her so much. But I also have been blessed in my life by the example and influence of a second "mother," sisters, sisters-in-law, friends and mentors, some married, some single, who have "mother's hearts." They set powerful examples for me as they faced life's challenges with dignity and with implicit faith in Jesus Christ. Their examples gave me the confidence to "experiment upon their words, and exercise a particle of faith" (Alma32: 27). And as I did so, my faith grew.

As we read about Moroni, not only can we learn about this great and godly man, but we can discern the character of the women who influenced him for good. I believe that like Captain Moroni, and the description of him in Alma 48:11-13 and 17, these women were "strong and mighty" in bearing testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were women of great understanding, having a knowledge of the plan of salvation and their part in the plan. But they also found "joy in liberty and freedom," and recognized that there is sometimes a price to pay to remain free from bondage and slavery.

They were grateful, praising God "for the many privileges and blessing which he bestowed upon" them. They labored "exceedingly for the welfare" of those around them, giving themselves in selfless service. They were "firm in the faith of Christ" and in defense of individual rights and liberty. They "kept the commandments" and "resisted iniquity."

Certainly there were also great men in Moroni's life. It is inconsistent with the gospel to deny the importance of both righteous men and righteous women. But we can never overestimate the power of a mother, a primary caregiver, a mentor, to influence, and teach, and to raise up a son before whom "the very powers of hell" did shake.

I would recommend to each woman in the church a simple but empowering exercise each time you open the scriptures. Although there are many wonderful stories about women, a reader can sometimes study many pages without encountering a female — or so we think. That is until we recognize that women can be seen everywhere in the pages of the scriptures once we bring women from the shadows into the light.

And this leads us to our exercise. Each time we read about a righteous man in the scriptures, begin by asking, "What character traits does this man display?" Make a mental or a written list. Next, ask yourself, "What righteous attributes did this man observe in the lives of the women who nurtured him, who taught him, and who created an environment where his faith and testimony could grow?"

We return to where we began. What does God expect of women in the world today? What does he expect of women in His Church? More critically, how do we, as women, learn what Christ would have us "be" and "do"? The answers to these questions truly do abound in the scriptures. As Sister Beck counseled, "Read the scriptures."

Recent comments

• Most Popular
• Most Commented

1. David Archuleta's dad loses 'Idol' backstage pass
2. Signs of the times? Civility may be at all-time low
3. Utah Jazz: Boozer receives helpful advice from TV analyst
4. Mormon writer proves she's . . . A novel writer
5. Utah Jazz: Okur's Achilles affects boards
6. Letter asks Bush to help FLDS kids
7. New opportunity — Utah Jazz try to even the series, something they missed against Spurs
8. Utah Republicans: Cannon hangs on for primary race
9. Osmonds have their own 'Favorite Mom'
10. MormonTimes.com: Placing intimacy in right perspective

1. Utah Jazz: Dead in the water? 183
2. Nude Utah hiker faces indecent-exposure charge 154
3. Legal experts say what FLDS can do now is cooperate 150
4. Texas says all YFZ kids at risk 130
5. David mania: Thousands turn out to salute Archuleta 114
6. Hero's welcome planned for Archuleta 107
7. ACLU weighs in on FLDS raid 92
8. MormonTimes.com: Placing intimacy in right perspective 85
9. LDS teens injured in Arizona attack 81
10. Utah Jazz: Boozer says the 's' word 77
11. (Stories published in the last five days with the most comments)

• Utah
• Sports
• Business