Sarai/Sarah....


Genesis 17 tells a lot about her. Here her name is changed from Sarai to Sarah, which means 'princess'. Abraham is also told that she shall be a 'mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.' (vs 16)


At this stage, Sarah was 90 years old, certainly way past the normal time for child bearing. She had been barren up to this point, so if she was to have a child it would certainly be a miracle.


I know that Sarah would have felt great sorrow in not being able to have a child. She would have come to accept the fact, but it would have always been there in her mind and heart. To imagine her great joy and surprise when she heard Heavenly messengers telling Abraham that she would have a son is not surprising.


Sarah was an amazing woman, and I love reading her story. I am astounded by her faith and courage, and her incredible fortitude.

I have been away, so my study has suffered as a result. But, now I can get back into it :-)

Sarai was an amazing woman! I guess it was incredibly hard for her to give her handmaid, Hagar, to Abram as his wife, so that she could have the child/ren that she could not (Genesis 16). Can you imagine it? I can't, even if it were legally and culturally possible. According to D&C 132:34, "this was the law". It was to allow many other peoples to emerge.

Now, Hagar was not really appreciative of Sarai's sacrifice. When she gave birth to Ishmael, she despised Sarai. I really feel for Sarai. But again, I think that I feel badly for Hagar as well. She was the second wife, and that only so as to provide an heir. However, this did not justify her treating Sarai the way she did.

Poor old Sarai....she fell very badly because of Hagar's scorn. She complained to Abram, who told her "thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee." (Gen 16:6)

Sarai obviously gave Hagar a taste of her fury, because Hagar "fled from her face." (vs 6) She was found by a well by an angel, who informed her of the son she was carrying, and how he would be the foundation of the Arab nations. He also commanded her to return to, and submit herself to, Sarai. To her credit, she did this.

Hagar bore Ishmael, who would fulfil all that the angel told Hagar.

Thinking again about the daughters of men and the daughters of God. Once the latter married the sons of men, they would probably become more like the former, as they would have found it more difficult to live the gospel and to raise their children in the gospel. If course, there would have been some who would have succeeded, just like there are some today, and maybe their husbands might have even become men of God eventually. But what a hard thing to do. I couldn't do it!


Genesis 11 - Sarai and Milcah.


How I can relate to Sarai...."But Sarai was barren; she had no child.' (Genesis 11:30) Not until her twilight years did she become a mother, long after she would have thought it possible.


Abram and Sarai had not had an easy life. Abram had been sorely used by his father; indeed, his father, Terah, had tried to have him sacrificed to idols. They had also moved several times, finally going at the Lord's command to Canaan, then on to Egypt when there was a famine. Abram at this time was 75 years old....Sarai would not have been young either.


However, she was still fair to look at, and we read about Abram's ruse to protect him from the Egyptians, by telling them that she was the sister of Abram. This was not deception, as they were indeed related, and this relationship was also referred to by the term of brother or sister in that time and place.


Pharoah thought she was fair as well, and desired her. The Lord plagued Pharoah, and he realised his mistake, and sent them away.

I have been away and busy for the last few days, but have had time to think upon Eve. She amazes me. I am astounded by her. She is truly a woman to be admired and emulated. 


I wish I knew more about her.


Just doing some more research, and found this:


"The concept of interdependent, equal partners is well-grounded in the doctrine of the restored gospel. Eve was Adam’s “help meet” (Genesis 2:18). The original Hebrew for meet means that Eve was adequate for, or equal to, Adam. She wasn’t his servant or his subordinate. And the Hebrew for help in “help meet” is ezer, a term meaning that Eve drew on heavenly powers when she supplied their marriage with the spiritual instincts uniquely available to women as a gender gift. 

As President Boyd K. Packer, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has said, men and women are by nature different, and while they share many basic human traits, the “virtues and attributes upon which perfection and exaltation depend come [more] naturally to a woman.” ⁴

Genesis 3:16 states that Adam is to “rule over” Eve, but this doesn’t make Adam a dictator. A ruler can be a measuring tool that sets standards. Then Adam would live so that others may measure the rightness of their conduct by watching his. Being a ruler is not so much a privilege of power as an obligation to practice what a man preaches. Also, over in “rule over” uses the Hebrew bet, which means ruling with, not ruling over. If a man does exercise “dominion … in any degree of unrighteousness” (D&C 121:37; emphasis added), God terminates that man’s authority.

Perhaps because false teachings had twisted original scriptural meanings, President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) preferred “preside” rather than “rule.” He said: “No woman has ever been asked by the Church authorities to follow her husband into an evil pit. She is to follow him [only] as he follows and obeys the Savior of the world, but in deciding [whether he is obeying Christ], she should always be sure she is fair.” ⁵ In this way, President Kimball saw marriage “as a full partnership,” stating, “We do not want our LDS women to be silent partners or limited partners” but rather “a contributing and full partner.” (Crossing Thresholds and Becoming Equal Partners, Elder Bruce C Hafen, Aug 2007 Ensign)

Well, that sure puts some more perspective on Eve's role, and mine as well.

But I must move on to see who I find next.....

Genesis 6 starts by saying that the sons of God married the daughters of men. These women would not have been faithful followers of Christ. The sons of God would have been compromised in their faith by marrying these women. Living up to their covenants would have been difficult, and their children would have been less likely to grow up with faith. These women are an example to me of the importance of marrying under the covenant to one who will work side by side with you to live the Gospel, and teach your children the importance of such.

Now, in Moses 8, we also read about the daughters of the sons of Noah, who married the sons of men. Same story, only in reverse.

It is a shame that we often only see women referred to as the wives of the men referred to. Such is the case with the wives of Noah, Ham, Shem and Japheth. These women must have been amazing! We don't know much about them, as the Bible doesn't say much, but I would imagine that they were definitely the women behind the men.

For a start, Noah's wife supported him through 120 years of preaching. I wonder if she travelled with him, or stayed home looking after the family and home. I am sure she didn't nag him to stop. I am sure she didn't ridicule him when he built the ark and loaded the animals. I feel she would have been a very faithful, supportive wife. What a lesson that is for me!

The daughters-in-law must have been similarly faithful to board the ark with their husbands. No doubt they were leaving behind their families, maybe even children? 

This was no pleasure cruise, either. They were travelling with a zoo. I am sure that the Lord had great control over the animals on the ark, but what an experience it would have been to have been enclosed in the ark with them for all that time. Then to have to start from scratch once the flood subsided...what a job!!

Yes, I think these were women to be admired!!

So, what of Eve?


As I think of her, I am led to believe that she must have been such a faithful spirit in the Pre-existence to have been chosen for this role. Could I have done it? I doubt it...that is why the first woman was not called Linda :-)


Eve was the mother of all those who would inhabit the earth. I wonder what she thinks of us now as she looks upon us? 


Eve had no female examples to look to and be taught by. She gained her knowledge from the Lord, and by personal experience. She had none of the conveniences that we enjoy today. In fact, she and Adam had to really start from scratch. They had nothing except the natural resources around them, with which to set up a home for them and their family. How inventive they would have had to be!!!!


Eve is unique...there is no doubt about it!! To be the first woman on the earth makes her such. Even the wife of Noah had her 3 daughters-in-law after the flood. Eve didn't have any girlfriends to share things with, to get advice from, to babysit for her while she went to the shop....oh wait, there were no shops :-)


I look forward to meeting Eve. How humbling it will be to be able to hug her, and thank her for her strength and dedication. I imagine her to be very Christlike in every way. I know she will be compassionate, because she had to endure much during her mortal life, including the loss of children, physically and spiritually. She will have a strength that comes from her many earthly experiences. She will be close to perfect....of that I am sure.


What can I learn from Eve?


I can learn to never give up, to be faithful no matter what, to realise that life was not meant to be easy, but to be a period of learning and testing.


I can learn that my role as a mother is vitally important, that I need to teach my children and be the best example to them that I can be (even though they are now grown men). Then I need to understand that they have their own free agency...like Cain. Oh Eve, how I mourn with you over him. How heartbreaking it is to watch your children stray from correct paths! Yet how you must have rejoiced over your children who did make the right choices...like Abel.


I wish there was more knowledge available to us about Eve. How wonderful it would be to know more about her so that we would have a greater understanding of our first mortal mother.


Eve is heroine in every way. I feel so sad for those faiths that malign her because of their inaccurate views on the Fall. She did what was necessary, and stands tall forever more, up there with the most valiant of our Heavenly Father's children.

The Old Testament is missing some important messages that we can find in the book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price. I love this added insight!!


Moses 5 gives us these points:

• Eve worked alongside Adam, providing food and shelter for their family
• They both prayed to God, and received personal answers
• Verse 11 is one of my favourite verses in all scripture:

'And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.'


          Eve was fully aware of the Plan of Salvation, and saw the Fall as it really was....a blessing
          and an opportunity to progress.

• Verse 12 continues:

And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters.

          Eve was a righteous mother, teaching her children in righteousness, and no doubt being 

          a wonderful example to them.

• The beginning of verse 16 tells us that Adam and Eve 'ceased not to call upon God'. 
• We learn in verse 17 the hope that Eve had upon the birth of Cain......she said 'I have gotten a man from the Lord; wherefore he may not reject his words.' How he broke her heart!! In verse 27 we read 'And Adam and his wife mourned before the Lord, because of Cain and his brethren.' Obviously Cain was not the only one of their children to go astray.

Moses 5 and Genesis 4 mention briefly another woman....she is the granddaughter of Adam and Eve, and becomes Cain's wife. Nothing is told about her except that she left with Cain when he was shut out from the presence of the Lord and went to the land of Nod.

Cain's great-great-great-grandson was Lamech. His 2 wives are mentioned in verse 19 of Genesis 4, and also in Moses 5:44. Their names were Adah and Zillah. Zillah had a daughter, Naamah. Adah and Zillah did not support Lamech in his wicked ways. In fact, they let the wider community know of the evil he was perpetrating. Truly they are to be an example to us of our own approach to evil in our day. We should spurn it, and warn our neighbours.

Back to Eve.....Seth was born, and must have been balm to her aching heart. Genesis 4:25 records her words on his birth - 'For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.'

We read no more of Eve, I think. I don't even think that her death is recorded. I will look for it as I continue my studies.

My next post will give my thoughts on this most noble of women.

Today I am beginning the Women in the Scriptures Challenge. 


My goal is to read the entire Standard Works, taking note of the women mentioned therein. I will keep a journal on this blog recording what I learn about them. I will also conduct further research into their lives and deeds.


As I do this, I will be looking for new truths about what it means to be a daughter of God.
This can be an enlightening process, if I allow it to be...and that is my goal. I will endeavour to study every day, and to record herein what I learn, and how I feel that I am growing from the experience.


I am not setting a time limit for this challenge, as I do not want to have to rush and miss out on golden nuggets of wisdom. Instead, I will strive to dedicate myself to deep and meaningful study of these women.


The scriptures tell the stories of many men.....women are not mentioned as often. However, I know that there are many women, both faithful and otherwise, within their pages, from whom I can learn many valuable and lasting lessons.


So, to begin....with the Old Testament!