The Sacredness of Women

Today I read Judges 4 where the Israelites are facing off against the Canaanites.  At this point the Israelites are being led by Deborah, a prophetess.  I've always found that term to be interesting.  A prophet is generally someone with the priesthood who speaks to God.  However, technically I have never seen anything that says a prophet has to have the priesthood.  Truly a prophet is someone who speaks to Heavenly Father and is chosen to be his, or her, spokesperson.  There is no reason it can't be a woman.

Heavenly Father can call whomever He wants to be His spokesperson here on earth.  At this point in Israel's history the Israelites are being led by judges.  They also have prophets and as it would seem, prophetesses to lead them.  In this case, Deborah is the judge and the prophetess together.  It makes me wonder about our history and how things have changed in the world.  For example here in our society, women were not considered to be on equal footing with men until the 1900's.  There were hundreds of years where women were considered second class citizens by Western Societies.  But obviously it was not always that way.  If a women could not only be God's spokesperson here on the earth, but also be the judge of all Israel, there were obviously societies in the history that did not consider women the same way.

It is nice to know that honestly.  Just like it is ridiculous to thing that people would be different or less than other people because of the color of their skin.  It is also silly to think than women would be less than men because they are women.  Yes there are more difference between men and women than just their sexual organs, however, it is ridiculous to think that they are less than anyone else and I have never understood why some societies treated them as less.  Now, there are of course many differences between the sexes and men are far better at certain things than women, just like women are much better than men at some things.  I'm personally grateful that I live in a time where we understand that just because you are a woman, or a man or you have skin that is a different color than others, it doesn't make you less than others.  It's just sad that societies used to not understand this true.  We are all equal in the sight of God.  He doesn't care if we are black, white, yellow or red.  Doesn't care if we are men or women, and quite honestly in my opinion I think he likes women a little better than He does men.  He certainly goes out of His way to ensure they are cared for and I firmly believe will punish those who do not take proper care of the women in their lives! 

The feminists of the world will cry out that they don't need to be taken care of and that chivalry is dead, but I promise that God believes in chivalry.  He is pleased when men take care of women and treat them with respect, which is really what chivalry is all about.  It does not lessen anyone to be treated with respect.  Feminists make me laugh with such notions.  But as always, it doesn't matter what others think, it only matters what God thinks.  Joseph Smith learned that lesson a long time ago, the hard way.  It's a lesson we all need to learn on our own and if we don't learn it on our own we will be taught it.  That will not be enjoyable I promise.  Until tomorrow.