Courage and Vision of Mother Eve - April 2022
What does it mean to have the courage and vision of Mother Eve?
In the October 2015 General Conference, President Nelson said the following: "We need women who have the courage and vision of our Mother Eve." What does that mean to you?
We played a portion of President Nelson’s conference talk with the statement. This paragraph leads very directly to his statement in the last sentence:
“Attacks against the Church, its doctrine, and our way of life are going to increase. Because of this, we need women who have a bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ and who will use that understanding to teach and help raise a sin-resistant generation. We need women who can detect deception in all of its forms. We need women who know how to access the power that God makes available to covenant keepers and who express their beliefs with confidence and charity. We need women who have the courage and vision of our Mother Eve.”
Would like to understand the story of Eve.
Transgression - https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1993/10/the-great-plan-of-happiness?lang=eng
Do situations or consequences have to be set up to start the process of progression?
Did Eve's action start opposition in all things?
Is the Garden of Eden a transitory place like being inside the veil between two places?
Courage: always keeping our focus on the purpose and the effect of the plan
The garment of the holy priesthood will help us “detect deception in all of its forms.”
A patriarchal blessing is an eternal document
“We know that the culminating act of all creation was the creation of woman! We need your strength!” We struggle with balancing strength with grace. And sometimes do not claim our own access to God.
President Nelson has given us so much instruction including homework assignments to do this. He has been focused on covenants and women learning and declaring the doctrine.
To have confidence in our knowledge we have to learn the doctrine and to know the difference between doctrine, policy, and application
Elder Bednar - doctrine doesn’t change - policy and application do change
We have to understand the doctrine in order to move forward and not wait for instruction
It doesn’t generally benefit us to NOT speak up
Speak up about: Our love for Jesus Christ, our love for Mother Eve, our love for Heavenly Mother, and oppression in all its forms, - always bring it back to the doctrine of Jesus Christ
Are we leading others to Christ?
Be confident but be kind
Express our beliefs with confidence and charity.
Additional materials mentioned:
Melinda Wheelwright Brown - Eve and Adam: Discovering the Beautiful Balance - https://www.amazon.com/Eve-Adam-Discovering-Beautiful-Balance/dp/1629727288
The World and Everything In It
Interesting insight from priests in Russia about their congregation—starts at the 6:18 mark.
Transcript: https://wng.org/podcasts/united-in-faith-divided-by-war-1649734795
All-In Podcast with Elder Bednar
CES Fireside with Bednar - January 2020
Book mentioned: Celebrating Passover by Marianne Monson-Burton