“Women of Faith,” Liahona, May 1998, 42
Women of Faith
President Wilford Woodruff observed that those women “who are called to take part in the great latter-day work” should be “women of faith, valiant for the truth, … women of integrity to God” who do “not permit houses and land, gold and silver, nor any of this world’s goods to draw [them] aside from pursuing the great object which God has sent [them] to perform” (Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, compiled by G. Homer Durham [1946], 130).
The following pages feature art representing the kind of women President Woodruff spoke of—women of faith who valiantly seek to do God’s will with full integrity of heart.
The art was part of a recent exhibit at the Museum of Church History and Art in Salt Lake City. Except for the scriptural citations, the quotations come from text written by the artists to accompany the displayed art.
Puah and Shiphrah Defy Pharaoh, by Sallie Clinton Poet, oil on canvas (121 cm x 89 cm). (Courtesy of the artist.)
Seeking Inspiration
“The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. … Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart” (Prov. 4:18, 21). We seek inspiration from the examples of women in the scriptures. Whether it be the courage of Ruth or Esther or the steadfastness of Mary or Sariah, all show us that it is not enough to have faith in God; we must also constantly seek his guidance.
Midwife: Thy Path Her Chosen Way, by Crystal Haueter, oil on canvas (61 cm x 56 cm)
“Who will remember her passing on?
Who will follow her timeless whisper?”
Cultivating Spirituality
“Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (D&C 88:63).
Only through study and prayer can we come to understand the gospel—to gain a deeper knowledge of the plan of salvation. As we cultivate our spirituality, we become more like God.
Reverence, by Laura Lee Stay Bradshaw, cast bronze (91 cm x 33 cm x 20 cm)
Turning toward the Light (Repentance), by Lee Bennion, oil on canvas (112 cm x 81 cm). (Courtesy of the artist.)
Rites of Passage, by Quirl B. Myers, oil on canvas (158 cm x 114 cm)
Living by Faith
“Blessed are they who are faithful and endure, … for they shall inherit eternal life” (D&C 50:5).
Life is both a journey and a test. We are here to show how well we choose to live. When we choose to live by faith, to righteously meet the challenges of everyday life, we set our feet on the path to true joy and eternal exaltation.
Mary Ann Savage, by Dorothea Lange, silver print (39 cm x 39 cm)
The Earth Is Full of the Goodness of the Lord, by Jeanne Leighton-Lundberg, oil on canvas (152 cm x 112 cm). (Courtesy of the Springville Museum of Art.)
Reading the Bible, by John Taye, carved wood (58 cm x 28 cm x 46 cm)
Mother and Child, by Walter Rane, oil on canvas (71 cm x 40 cm). (Courtesy of Linda Rane.)