In honor of the six month anniversary of the women in the scriptures challenge Karin, a life long member of the LDS faith in Denmark, sent me this about how learning about the women in the scriptures has impacted her. Thanks Karin! I’m still accepting post for those of you who are thinking about it.
I found your blog by incident one day I was googling something (can’t remember what it was) and your site came up and I “got stuck”. Read one post after the other, day after day and about a month ago I came upon “The challenge”. I just knew the very second I saw it that I had to take it. I felt the Spirit so strong; just like my chest was too small for my breath. I couldn’t not do it after that. The full challenge.
It literally has been years since I’ve been so exited about the scriptures. I love reading, pondering, searching and last but not least talking about them. It feel like I have “a crush on the scriptures”. Last time I heard myself babbling on and on like that was when I first met my husband.
I’ve started out with Doctrine & Covenants for two reasons. First, there aren’t too many women in that book so if I read it last I would probably think it was a little boring (well, that’s how I thought) and second, we’re going to Palmyra and Kirtland this summer and I wanted to brush up on the things that happened there.
When I study I look for women and Heather, you were right! Women or the mentioning of something related to them jump up from the pages as I go along. And I get so excited about it every time. Also I get many other wonderful insights and teaching from what I read as well. I have my notebook with me – a big one, of course – and write down what I learn, what I know, what I think and what I feel.
So far I have especially noticed and learned that women are equal to men – both in personal responsibility, worth and potential. We are different, but equally loved. Well, I knew it before, but I feels fantastic to “discover it” all over again.
I still need to learn how to find all sorts of historic material on the women I “meet” but for now I enjoy what I can find.
This challenge not only gives me great joy for the women of the scriptures, me (and all women) and my responsibilities, worth and potential, but I experience so many things about the personality and ways of God too.
Heather, thank you for challenging me and for writing your fantastic blog.
