“Awake, and arise from the dust . . . put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion; and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.” ( Moroni 10:31)
I for one love watching Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, and the many other female superheroes defeat the evil doers. But the message of the true strength of women and what the original superheroes stood for, seems to have gotten lost in translation; the translation of what it means to be strong. Visual images of women physically overpowering men, monsters, and villains may give the impression, especially to our youth, that woman are equal or even superior to men in physical ability, as the many TV series suggest where mere mortal women easily toss men aside with a punch or kick. This became particularly apparent to me while attending a self-defense class with my niece.
My niece, at the time, lived with me and asked if I would be the needed chaperone for a few female high school seniors to attend a self-defense class. During the class the former Navy Seal instructor, showed some simple maneuvers on how to defend themselves in certain situations. He emphasized many times to the girls some basic principles of safety, such as being aware of their surroundings, avoiding bad situations, and always giving parents or trusted people specifics where they would be going. He told them that no matter how proficient they became in the several, self-defense moves, their best chance of survival was to flee, screaming if possible.
After the class my niece’s excitement gave me the impression she really wanted to try out her new self-defense techniques. She referred to how empowered she felt several times. This really bothered me; so, I tried to squelch her enthusiasm to conquer with a story from my youth.
Being the seventh of nine children and sandwiched between four of my five brothers (2 immediately older and 2 younger), I grew up playing army, cops & robbers, dinosaurs, and exploring the acres of woods behind our home. I would rather go searching for turtles or tadpoles than play Barbie dolls. And I much preferred playing football in jeans and a t-shirt, barefoot in the snow, than that of jump rope, jacks or hopscotch.
I always possessed great strength and speed for my small frame. By age twelve I could out sprint all of my siblings, even my three older brothers. I also took Tae Kwon Do learning how to punch, kick, and move with power to protect myself.
None of these attributes helped me when at age twelve, a young man about fifteen unexpectedly grabbed me and forced me to the ground with foul play in mind. Just moments before, I had felt safe being surrounded by six friends, three of them being males. I was angry and yelling for them to get him off me. All of them froze, but one. After several minutes of struggling to get free, Tracy, being one of the smallest girls in the group, picked up a school book the young man had dropped and clocked him hard in the head knocking him off of me.
This one experience taught me how much physically weaker I was than even a young man much less than an adult male. Being in the middle of four brothers also brought that point to light on many occasions. I explained all of this to my niece, but the many visual scenes of fabrication where women beat up men seemed to overpower my real story.
So, I ask, what truly empowers women giving them the strength and courage to confront the dangers that surrounds them?
As I contemplated answers to this, I turned to the women of my heritage as I often do. I believe their example and grounding in the gospel of Jesus Christ has influenced me, giving me the needed tools not only to survive, but to thrive in my life. They have taught me who I really am, to serve others, have charity, and be faithful to God.
Olivia “Libby” Farley Anderson – My Mother
My mother truly possessed charity, the unconditional, Christlike love we all strive for. Over the years several friends have commented to me how our home was a place of refuge for them. They could come and be themselves and feel my mother truly loved them no matter what “naughty” things they had done. Ours was the neighborhood house and she was the neighborhood mom. The doors were literally unlocked day and night, open to all. Many knew that and took advantage of the offer when they felt in need whether it was a bed (if they could find a vacant one), meal, or listening ear.
From early on, I wanted to be just like Libby. I wanted to grow up, get married, have children and be a mom. I wanted to attend family reunions, do genealogy and help others. I wanted to love my nieces & nephews, my friends & my neighbors and serve God. I remember reciting this in my mind as a young child. My mother’s example was significant in shaping my life as I have been greatly blessed to be able to do many of the things I had hoped.
Rachel Gillie Henderson – My Maternal Grandmother
Ever feminine and stylish, Rachel was considered a great beauty of her day with her dark hair and eyes accentuated by her high cheekbones and lovely smile. Though my memories of my Grandma Farley are few considering I was only seven when she died, her presence in my life has been great. She reflected inner beauty through her love for the Savior and His gospel. I remember her always humming a tune, reading the scriptures, and doing family history. Where I was raised in the Church with parents who cherished it’s teachings, Rachel’s father, Herbert Henderson, would not let her be baptized. She and my Grandfather, John Dewey Farley, were baptized two years after they were married.
My father wouldn’t let me join the church, but in my heart I knew it was true. After we had been married about 2 years, we were both baptized at Salem, Va. in the Roanoke River, and our eldest daughter, Margaret, was blessed that day (24 Aug, 1924.) My father was very bitter, but as time went on he could see there was something to Mormonism. He was converted in Nov. 1946, and passed away in July 1948. We were so happy and thankful that he did accept the gospel. (excerpt from “The and History of Rachel Henderson – 9 March 1957” by Rachel Henderson Farley)
Having known Rachel and Dewey’s children (my mother and her siblings), there seemed to be a sense of great love between them. When they got together it was always a time of laughter and rejoicing. In Grandma’s life history, she reflected on raising her children, being sealed, and family history.
We have much to be thankful for. . . We were very happy. Our children were obedient and well behaved. My friends and neighbors ask me how we raised such good children, we taught them the gospel the best that we knew. They loved it. All of them have a testimony for which I’m, very thankful. It was by me their Dad became interested in the church. . . In 1947 we decided to take a trip west. . . We went to the temple in Salt Lake City, Utah, were sealed in the temple for time and eternity and had four of our children sealed to us. . . I am busy doing genealogy work. I have been blessed many ways in getting information.
Osceola “Ocie” Ferguson Henderson – Rachel’s Mother
Great-Grandma Ocie Henderson outlived my Grandma Rachel (her daughter), by almost a decade. When we would visit Grandma Ocie, I loved being on the porch with her, swaying back and forth in the rocking chairs. During these rare moments I liked asking Great-Grandma about her life. I knew she bore 13 children, worked the land, and served those around her. I recall asking her about the death of her two young children, Roxie, who died at 10 months old and Ernest, who died while hunting with his cousin at 15 years of age. I wanted to know them better like I did my many great aunts and uncles. Solemnly, she told about each of them; not just about their passing, but about who they were and the beauty each possessed.
Even though Grandma Ocie was quite old, I do not remember her ever idle. She was always busy cooking, sewing, or working in the garden. Two of her favorite hymns which she lived by, were “Have I Done Any Good” and “Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel.” Ocie’s life seemed to encompass hard work, serving others, and quiet faith.
My connection with her extends from the familial relationship of great-granddaughter and great-grandmother, to sisters who married outside of the Church. When I married my husband, Joe, I had long known the story of my progenitors who married non-members; so marrying outside of the Church seemed quite natural to me.
Ocie’s parents, who had joined the Church in southern Virginia in the late 1800s were told to stay and build the Church. Knowing their children would marry outside the Church, they were given this promise.
Grandpa Harrison Ferguson and Grandma Margaret Rachel Owens Ferguson (Ocie’s parents) would never have considered it a sacrifice to pull up stakes and head west. When told, ‘Brother Harrison, the Church has pioneered the West. Now it’s time for the East to be pioneered.’ Grandpa said, ‘But I have all these children. I don’t want them marrying out of the Church. I want them to be married in the temple!’ The Mission President said, “Brother Harrison, of course your children will marry out of the Church. But I promise you, in the name of the Lord, that if you will stay here and do your part to build up the kingdom of God, the Lord will do His part. Your children will see the day when their companions will come
into the Church. (excerpt taken from “The Heritage They Left Us” by Betty Jean Henderson McBride)
Grandpa Harrison Ferguson and Grandma Margaret Rachel Owens Ferguson (Ocie’s parents) would never have considered it a sacrifice to pull up stakes and head west. When told, ‘Brother Harrison, the Church has pioneered the West. Now it’s time for the East to be pioneered.’ Grandpa said, ‘But I have all these children. I don’t want them marrying out of the Church. I want them to be married in the temple!’ The Mission President said, “Brother Harrison, of course your children will marry out of the Church. But I promise you, in the name of the Lord, that if you will stay here and do your part to build up the kingdom of God, the Lord will do His part. Your children will see the day when their companions will comeI, too, have a promise from the Lord in my Patriarchal Blessing that I cling to at times, just as Ocie must have done. Her husband Herbert did join the Church at age 74. He died less than two years later in 1947. Ocie traveled out west to the Logan, Utah where they were sealed in the Temple 23 August 1950.
Margaret “Maggie” Rachel Owens Ferguson – Ocie’s Mother
My Great-Aunt Ruth Henderson Blunck whom I knew, wrote this about her grandmother: “In the year 1887, the missionaries came through the area. . . Grandmother heard the Joseph Smith story and reflected on it on the way home. She thought the Elders spoke the truth and expressed a desire to be baptized. Then, the persecutions began to be great. It was rumored around that anyone joining the Mormon Church would get their home burned down. Grandmother went ahead, in spite of all the persecutions, and was baptized in the fall of 1888. She said she told grandfather they could destroy everything, even to taking her life, but they could not destroy her soul. Grandmother said this before she was baptized. She loved to tell the Joseph Smith story. . . The things I most remember about my grandparents are; they never ate without giving thanks for the food and they never went to bed without family prayer. . .They fed many missionaries and loved to talk about the Gospel.” (excerpts from “Reminiscences of My Life and Heritage” by Ruth Henderson Blunck)
My Great-great-grandparents, Harrison and Maggie Ferguson, “did their part”. they stayed, built up the Church where they were, and donated the land to build the first Latter-day Saint Church in their area which was used until 1941. When I think of them speaking to me and giving me counsel, this is what I hear them say:
Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness, . . . and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot. ( Moroni 10:32-33)
Even though I am not a superhero or a woman who beats up the bad guys, through the lives of my progenitors, I feel true strength lies elsewhere. My Patriarchal Blessing mentions “the power of [my] example will be undeniable within your family and [my] love . . . of the gospel will lead to unity.” It also speaks of me being a “guide, help, and beacon” to them as I fulfill my callings and remain faithful. The words in this blessing has given me hope that perhaps in some small way, my example and love for them, and my love for the Savior will affect my posterity to know where true strength is found.
Conclusion
I wish to conclude with the opening of an article from the newsroom of the Church entitled “Women in the Church“.
Latter-day Saint women draw strength and inspiration from their identity: they understand themselves to be daughters of God with a purpose in life, and they strive to cultivate the attributes of divinity—such as holiness, wisdom and charity—within themselves. They honor their bodies and minds as sacred gifts, rejecting anything that demeans them. They seek to fulfill their potential and their capacity for joy through worship, study, service and earnest efforts to live a Christ-centered life. They believe that by divine design, women and men experience the most growth, joy and fulfillment together, not in isolation. Through collaborative and unique efforts, they each provide indispensable contributions at home, at church and in the community.
Latter-day Saint women embrace their heritage as female disciples of Jesus Christ. They consider it an important mission to reach out to those in need and to care for the best interests of their families, congregations and broader communities. (Newsroom; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Women in the Church.)
