I stumbled upon this phenomenal talk entitled “Here I am,
Send Me” given by Elder M. Russell Ballard at BYU in March 2001. In it, Elder
Ballard quoted Elder James E. Talmage who stated “the world’s greatest champion
of woman and womanhood is Jesus the Christ”[1].
Why is it important to recognize the Savior as not only a defender of women,
but the greatest? I believe it is
significant because it tells us that Christ is no respecter of persons, it
indicates that we will receive equal divine attention regardless of gender, and
it shows that within Christ’s church there is to be no hierarchy or degrading
of another, especially based on sex. We
know from the restoration of the gospel that the pre-mortal and mortal natures
of men and women were specified by the Lord himself, and it is not within “His
character to diminish the roles and responsibilities of any of His children[2].”
Elder Ballard substantiates Elder Talmage’s pronouncement by
stating “The first time the Lord acknowledges Himself to be the Christ, it was
to a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. He taught her about living water and
proclaimed, simply, “I… am He” (John 4:26). And it was Martha to whom He
proclaimed: “I am the resurrection, and the life… And whosoever liveth and
believeth in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26). It is also interesting to
note, as Elder Ballard did, that “during His greatest agony as He hung on the
cross, the Savor reached out to one person—His mother” and sought out John the
Beloved to care for her (John 19:16-17)[3].
I think it pertinent to include comments by Jolene Edmunds
Rockwood into this discussion. Rockwood states
that many women were numbered among Christ’s closest associates, including:
Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and others (Luke 8:1-3). She stated that
“Christ deliberately paired men-women examples in his teachings, as if to be
sure that women also saw his teachings as relevant.”[4]
For example, Christ taught to the male shepherd the importance of one soul by
asking which of them would not leave their ninety and nine in search of the one
and asked the women in the audience if one of them had lost a coin would they
not search the whole house until it is found and rejoice in the finding. It is
interesting to note that these two parables are told sequentially in the text. There are many more examples: Christ heals the
centurion’s servant and immediately afterwards raises the widow’s son. He
equates the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed which a male farmer would have
planted in his garden and to some leaven which a woman would have put into her
dough. The examples continue throughout the synoptic gospels. The following is
a brief outline of some of the most vivid examples[5]:
Luke 10:29-37: Christ teaches a man (Good Samaritan parable)
à Luke10: 38-42: Christ
teaches a woman (Mary and Martha to “choose the better part”).
Luke 13:10-16: Jesus heals first a woman on the Sabbath à Luke 14:2-6: Jesus
heals a man on the Sabbath
Luke 17:35: One man shall be taken from two who are in the
field à
Luke 17:36: One woman shall be taken from two who are grinding.
Mark 7: 24-30: Christ heals a Gentile’s daughter à Mark 7: 31-37: Christ
heals a deaf man
Matthew 9: 20-22, 23-26, and 27-34: Christ heals a woman,
raises a girl from the dead and then heals two blind men.
Evidence of Christ's attention and love toward the female sex
is not solely found in the New Testament among Christ’s mortal ministry but
present in the Book of Mormon in Jacob. In which, Jacob conveys revelation from
the Lord who talks of the wickedness and the abominations of the Nephites
(Jacob’s people) and says ultimately they will be destroyed and their enemies (the
Lamanites) would remain because the Nephites had broken the hearts of their
wives and lost the confidence of their children (Jacob 2:35). The Lord
continues by saying that He had heard the prayers of the women and it was
because of them that the Lord would visit them with a sore curse, and
ultimately destruction (Jacob 2:33).
We know from these examples that Christian doctrine made
woman full participants in conversation, miracles and in Christ’s gospel. With
this fundamental understanding it is clear that we, as Latter-day Saints,
originated from gender equality taught and expressed by the Savior.
I echo Elder Ballard when he stated “of this you may be
certain: The Lord especially loves righteous women.”
[1] Jesus the Christ. 1956. Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book. p 475.
[2] M.
Russell Ballard. 13 March 2001. Here Am
I, Send Me. BYU Speeches.
[3] M.
Russell Ballard. 13 March 2001. Here Am
I, Send Me. BYU Speeches.
[4] Sisters in Spirit ed. Maureen Beecher
and Lavina Anderson. University of Illinois Press:1987, 6.
[5] Sisters in Spirit ed. Maureen Beecher
and Lavina Anderson. University of Illinois Press:1987, 30-31 (footnote no. 25).
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