Secret Weapon~Excerpts from Meridian Magazine article on Women

"It has been said that the “secret weapon” of Mormonism is the individual testimony of its members. But it can equally be said, I think, that the underlying strength, an “invisible” cadre in each ward and stake throughout the church, is its awesome women."

Read article by Davis Bitton---->

Think about the thousands of women who work quietly and patiently in the church throughout the world. In a sense they may be “invisible.” Yet they are there in Arizona and Idaho (I know because one such a woman happened to be my mother), in Louisiana and Tennessee, in Chile and Brazil, in Ghana and Mongolia. They are indispensable to the morale and proper functioning of branches and wards. They are also the most powerful shapers of the next generation, raising children of faith and commitment.



A recent gospel doctrine lesson was on the “sons” of Helaman, the “stripling warriors” who in the Book of Mormon account fought valiantly against the Lamanite aggressors. “They had been taught by their mothers,” we read. After recounting some of their mothers’ teachings, they added, “We do not doubt our mothers knew it” (Alma 56:47-48).

A contingent of about 200 sister missionaries serves on Temple Square, the majority of them non-Americans. As I look at these energetic young sisters of joyful countenance, I think of an assembly line. New sister missionaries arrive. Others complete their missions and, cohort after cohort, return to their home countries. These are the great women who during the next thirty, forty, or fifty years will serve in their communities and in the church and who will raise the next generation of “sons of Helaman.” (A similar process occurs in seminary and institute programs, in church colleges and universities, in each mission, and elsewhere.)

I imagine myself in a conversation with someone from another faith tradition who is proud of its strong women. “Strong women?” I reply. “You haven’t seen anything yet. No group on earth–repeat, no group on earth–has women of more spirituality, dedication, and power than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

It has been said that the “secret weapon” of Mormonism is the individual testimony of its members. But it can equally be said, I think, that the underlying strength, an “invisible” cadre in each ward and stake throughout the church, is its awesome women. Davis Bitton





You can go online and read many more LDS articles by this same author. He was a popular contributor to the magazine. Discovery of this site was like finding gold or diamonds in a mine. I highly recommend this site meridianmagazine.com for a resource in teaching the gospel or preparing lessons, talks etc. A treasure trove at the least. I first read about it about five years ago. I hope some will take the time or have in the past. You don't know what you are missing.