Wonderful Women

We just had 2 lessons in seminary about inspiring women - Deborah, Ruth and Hannah. Bro. Rasmussen talked about how us girls have a surprising amount of power over boys. And we can use the power to do good or evil. To quote Bro. Rasmussen: "Be wise, be wise". I like his voice when he's giving us a bit of council. His lessons are very powerful. My attention never goes anywhere.

And I like to read stories about these good women in the scriptures, not because I'm a feminist natzi, but because it gives me inspiration to be the best woman I can be.

First of all, was Deborah the judge and prophetess, who the Lord chose because there wasn't a righteous enough man to do the job.

Through the faith, courage, and wisdom of the prophetess Deborah and her ability to inspire her people to be more righteous, “the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed him.”

And then Ruth and Hannah that had great adversities. These righteous and faithful women could not see what the future held; yet they were faithful to the Lord and to the covenants they had made.

Ruth staying behind with Naomi showed that she was truly converted.
It is interesting to note that Hannah’s story begins with a cry of distress and sorrow to the Lord and ends with a song of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. We do not always have the option of choosing our situations in life, but we can respond with faith and trust in the Savior. We can know that He knows and loves us and will be with us. He has promised in the Doctrine and Covenants: “Ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours”. We can also know that when we exercise our faith, the Lord’s purposes will be accomplished in His own way and in His own timing, and in the end, everything will work for our good. We can play a part in blessing future generations by exercising our faith in the Lord as we move forward through trials.

Ruth loved the Lord, and her faith and hope in Him were strong. Neither she nor Hannah gave up their hope. Rather, it sustained them in their trials.

These two women possessed not only the qualities of faith and hope but also devotion and sacrifice. Hannah’s love of the Lord and love of her son are also poignant reminders of God’s love for His children.

Similarly, because of Ruth’s unselfish love and obedience to Naomi, she eventually married Boaz and had a child named Obed. Through her lineage, the Savior was born.

Like Ruth and Hannah, all of us will experience adversity. We may not always understand the Lord’s design for our lives, but we are never alone. He is ever with us, and He promises us, “Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation”