In the sequence of events as set forth in the scripture, God first created the earth,
and the earth was without form, and void.” (Gen. 1:2.)
He then separated
the light from the darkness,
and the waters from the land.
Then came the creation of vegetation of all kinds,
giving the beauty of trees and grass,
flowers and shrubs.
Then followed the creation of animal life in the sea and upon the land.
Having looked over all of this,
He declared it to be good.
He then created man in His own likeness and image.
Then as His final creation,
the crowning of His glorious work,
He created woman.
I like to regard Eve as
His masterpiece
after all that had gone before,
the final work
before He rested from His labors.
-Gordon B. Hinkley
In a day when women were generally treated as inferior,
John’s Gospel reveals that
Jesus Christ treated women with compassion and respect
and that, as Elder James E. Talmage (1862–1933)
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated,
“the world’s greatest champion of woman
and womanhood
is
Jesus the Christ.”
Mary’s Faith Preceded the First Public Miracle
Jesus mother Mary’s position at a wedding was likely one of responsibility. When the guests “wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine” (John 2:3). This passage suggests that when Mary turned to Jesus Christ for help, she may have been respectfully expecting a miracle.
In response, Jesus Christ said, “Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come” (John 2:4). In Joseph Smith’s inspired rendering of this verse, the Savior asks Mary what she wants Him to do and promises to do it. The title woman may sound harsh and disrespectful to a modern reader; however, its use here by the Savior was likely meant to convey the opposite meaning. One scholar explains, “‘Woman,’ or, rather, ‘Lady,’ is in Greek a title of respect, used even in addressing queens.” It was as though He said to His mother, “My lady, whatsoever you ask of me in faith, I will grant it unto you.” This account shows that the Savior was interested in the routine pressures that women faced. Jesus Christ honored His mother by offering to help her with her burdens and responsibilities.
The account then records Mary’s continued faith as she directed the servants to obey Jesus Christ: “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” (John 2:5). The water pots were filled, and the Savior turned the water into wine in response to Mary’s request to help provide for the guests at the wedding. What a beautiful lesson we learn from Mary: when in need, seek after and trust in Jesus Christ, who has all power. Like Mary, women today can rely on Jesus Christ in faith when they are feeling overwhelmed with their responsibilities.
Jesus Christ Showed Respect for a Woman from Samaria
Because of her faith, the Samaritan woman received a witness from the Spirit and desired to testify that Jesus was the Christ, the promised Messiah. Leaving her water pot (symbolic of her worldly possessions), she went to the city and proclaimed, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” (John 4:29). Becoming an instrument in God’s hands, the Samaritan woman’s faith and missionary zeal helped soften the hearts of others to accept Jesus Christ.
By featuring this experience, John shows that the Savior is aware of women and knows the details of their lives. Furthermore, He respects all women regardless of their background. For women who don’t feel that they have a relationship with Christ or feel like an outcast in their own society, this account shows that Jesus Christ knows each woman’s challenges and can accept and lift her. John’s Gospel emphasizes this point by teaching about Christ’s compassion for the woman caught in adultery.
Jesus Christ Showed Compassion for the Woman Taken in Adultery
He asked, “Woman [or, my lady], where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:10–11).
Again, John’s Gospel testifies that Jesus Christ treated women with compassion and respect, regardless of their sins. Inasmuch as all have sinned, we can gain great hope from the example of this woman who exercised faith in Jesus Christ. Just as the Savior showed empathy to this woman under troubled and distressful circumstances, He comforted Mary Magdalene when He found her in tears at the garden tomb.
Mary Magdalene Was Chosen as a Witness of the Resurrected Christ
This experience emphasizes Jesus Christ’s high regard for women, because Mary Magdalene was chosen as the first person to witness and then be commissioned to testify of the resurrected Savior. The Lord continues to rely on women in our day to stand as witnesses of Him. Elder M. Russell Ballard has declared, “Our dispensation is not without its heroines. Countless women from every continent and walk of life have made dramatic contributions to the cause of Christ. … My question is, ‘Will you be one of those women? And will you men who hold the priesthood answer the same call?’”
Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity.”
(Margaret D. Nadauld, “The Joy of Womanhood,”
Ensign,
Nov. 2000,15)
