During the General Priesthood session of General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson made a statement that I can’t get out of my mind.  It perfectly summarizes the desire of my spiritual quest and how I view women’s roles in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“We see faithful women who understand the power inherent in their callings and in their endowment and other temple ordinances. These women know how to call upon the powers of heaven to protect and strengthen their husbands, their children, and others they love. These are spiritually strong women who lead, teach, and minister fearlessly in their callings with the power and authority of God!”

Those words are so powerful.

The Guide to the Scriptures defines priesthood as

“The authority and power that God gives to man to act in all things for the salvation of man.”

I’ve been thinking of my heroines of the scriptures in this context.  Did these words apply to them?  Absolutely.
 

Deborah

The prophetess Deborah judged Israel.  She called Barak to her and basically commanded him to conquer their enemy.

And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.

And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

She prophesied.  She went to battle with her people and conquered the unconquerable.  She acted, in all things, for the salvation of man.
 

Esther

Queen Esther

 
Esther won the queenship and then faced the potential demise of her entire people. She told her uncle Mordecai

Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

She called on the powers of heaven to help her. A plan came.  She faced her fears and potential death by approaching the king illegally. As she stood in her power, the Lord provided a way for her to deliver her people.
 

Abish

Abish, a servant girl, and her father converted to the gospel after a special dream he experienced.  She lived truth, but waited for the time when she could share with all.  That day came. Abish sprang into action.

Thus, having been converted to the Lord, and never having made it known, therefore, when she saw that all the servants of Lamoni had fallen to the earth, and also her mistress, the queen, and the king, and Ammon lay prostrate upon the earth, she knew that it was the power of God; and supposing that this opportunity, by making known unto the people what had happened among them, that by beholding this scene it would cause them to believe in the power of God, therefore she ran forth from house to house, making it known unto the people.

As a miracle progressed among her people, she ran and invited them to the scene.  She believed that if they could witness the power of God, they would believe.

She immediately recognized the hand and power of God and raced to gather all those she loved.  She knew the Gospel would strengthen and bring light to their souls.

As contention grew among the confused observers, Abish touched the queen who immediately rose to her feet, standing in the power and authority of God and testified of Jesus Christ. The first witness of Christ most of the crowd heard were from Abish and the queen.

And thus the work of the Lord did commence among the Lamanites; thus the Lord did begin to pour out his Spirit upon them; and we see that his arm is extended to all people who will repent and believe on his name.

Mary

Mary.  How can I even write anything to adequately describe what I think and feel about her—the chosen vessel of God, most beautiful above all, sanctified, pure, holy.

Mary, who chose to transcend worldliness and seek for things of a better, received the call from an angel and said,

Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.

When I consider the absolute battle Joseph Smith fought to keep the golden plates safe, I can’t even begin to imagine what Mary must have endured from the moment she received that divine mandate. We get a glimpse of her panic when she found Jesus in the temple after losing Him for three days.

 
Mary saw Jesus through His mortal ministry from birth in a cave to death on a cross outside of Jerusalem’s walls, her spiritual strength evident throughout His life and especially as she fearlessly stood near her Son as He died. She lead, taught, and ministered to the Savior of all mankind!
 

Acting in Power and Authority

“We see faithful women who understand the power inherent in their callings and in their endowment and other temple ordinances. These women know how to call upon the powers of heaven to protect and strengthen their husbands, their children, and others they love. These are spiritually strong women who lead, teach, and minister fearlessly in their callings with the power and authority of God!”

These amazing women in the scriptures show us that it’s possible, in every diverse circumstance with unique talents and challenges, to understand the power inherent in callings and covenants.

To read more of Delisa’s articles, click here.

Like them, and so many others like them, we can call upon the powers of heaven! We can stand in spiritual strength leading, teaching, and ministering fearlessly with God’s power and authority for the salvation of men.

It’s a glorious time to be alive and a woman in the kingdom of God!

Related posts:

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