Women in the Scriptures

I recently studied women in the scripture as preparation for a Relief Society lesson. I enjoy finding unusual things to learn from our sisters in the scriptures and likening them unto myself. Here are some of my thoughts . . .

I love Mother Eve. Sometimes I just like thinking about Eve, and the phrase “the mother of all living”, makes me feel connected to her. I read in a book entitled, Eve and the Garden, and the author referenced a finding that each of us females have DNA that can be traced back to Eve. I like what she teaches us by word and example from the scriptures in Moses.
1. Have children.
2. Find joy in your children
3. Taught her children the gospel
4. Pray with your husband
5. Work beside (not against) your husband
6. Rejoice in the plan of salvation, accept and keep the commandments, makes sacrifices
7. Never stop praying and then listen for the voice of the Lord
8. Mourned with her husband at the death of a child

Eve is a woman of great faith, why else would she have been chosen first? As a woman of faith she could set an example for each of us daughters. She had vision and understood exactly what our Heavenly Father wanted her to do and then found a way to make things happen. She never once whined or complained that the way was too hard or plain impossible, but instead, with faith and courage went forward. Her top two priorities marriage and family. Granted, back then there weren’t many alluring things to distract her, but she easily could have got caught up in herself and had one big pity party, but she didn’t.

Esther
In the Bible Dictionary, under Esther, it says that the Book of Esther contains no direct reference to God, but is everywhere taken for granted as the book infers a providential destiny and speaks of fasting for deliverance. There have been doubts at times as to whether it should be admitted to the canon of scripture. But the book has a religious value as containing a most striking illustration of God’s overruling providence in history, and as exhibiting a very high type of courage, loyalty and patriotism. While I sometimes get lost in the many details of the Esther story, with Mordecai, the king and all the other names that get mixed up in my head, but I’d rather focus on the most important things I learned from her.

Fast and Pray
Have Courage and follow the spirit.

As I deal with my teenage children who are really good kids with an occasional bad day here and there, I sometimes wonder if the Lord knows what he is doing allowing me to be their mother. The words from Mordecai to Ester come to mind, “Who knoweth whether thou art sent to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Words of Ezra Taft Benson say that we were saved and sent to bear up the kingdom of God in the last days. I know I was saved and sent, so I’m glad they didn’t leave her story out of the scriptures, it inspires me to have courage and conviction to stand for what is right.

Dorcus
I first learned of Dorcus, or Tabatha when I was a college student at Utah State. I was the Interchapter president of the LDS sorority Lambda Delta Sigma. As the USU representative I was assigned a large speaking role in the model induction ceremony to be given at the Western States Sorority Convention. Dorcus was referred to as an example of a sister who did many almsdeeds. Not having done in further research at the time, I only new she was a good woman. Upon further exploration, I learned what the “good works and almsdeeds” were. She would sew clothes and coats for all the widows she knew. She died and these widows went and got Peter and asked that he bring her back to life. He prayed over her and told her to arise. She did and went forth as a testimony, many believed in the Lord because of her.

We have so many options to serve and do good works in the time in which we live. My biggest obstacle is just getting something, anything done. As we serve and do any kind of service we glorify God and many will brought to believe in the Lord because of us.

Lehi’s Daughters
While it may seem odd to talk about Lehi and Ishmaels’ daughters they offer us real life examples to grasp onto.
First, we know that Lehi and Ishmael were very wealthy families. They and their families left their wealth behind and went and lived in tents in the dangerous Arabian desert . I’m sure there was weeping and wailing, complaining and cursing, but eventually we learn that they learned not to complain, they bore their children in the wilderness nursed them and were strengthened so much so that they were strong as the men, raw meat was made sweet unto them. With the Lord nothing is unbearable, impossible or intolerable.