Women of the Restoration: Influence Beyond the Stand

The Lord explained in the Preface to the Doctrine and Covenants that the “power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness” would be given to “his servants” and that it would be a process of trial and error and faith. He said,

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. And inasmuch as they erred it might be made known; And inasmuch as they sought wisdom they might be instructed; … And inasmuch as they were humble they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time.

God meets man where he is, in his weakness, in his current cultural understanding and language, and then seeks to teach him more.

From the beginning of the Restoration, one of the most significant doctrines and truths that God has strived to unravel from false traditions and uninspired interpretations of the Bible is a correct understanding of women and their role in “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth.” Since the Fall, bias against women has become humanity’s oldest prejudice.

Understanding women’s role in the gospel and God’s kingdom was of great interest and concern to President Boyd K. Packer. It was a point of deep personal study and reflection for him. He believed that women and the Relief Society were akin to a rising sun. He said, “the light and the power that emanates [from them] will increase, not decrease.” It became clear from his teachings that one of the ways the Church would come out of obscurity was as the women came out of obscurity.

President Kimball’s similar prophecy is more commonly known: “Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because … women of the Church are seen as distinct and different” [italics added]. When this prophecy was given in 1979, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook were unimaginable. President Kimball never would have guessed the scope of reach or the nuanced technology that would facilitate the prophesied visibility of women in the Church.

To read the entire article: Public Square Magazine