Revelation For Families

Religion has often been charged that it represses women and and promotes male dominance. This idea is explicitly reinforced today by Islamic extremist governments that place women on a lower level, and it seems to be implicitly understood in the Bible, where very few women are mentioned. However, a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith to his wife Emma in 1830 shows us what the true role of women is and should be.

In Joseph Smith's time, a woman's role was very different from what we might expect today. Women were not independent beings, but completely dependent on their husbands. The husband controlled and ruled over his wife. In fact, a women could be a minor her entire life, growing up under the rule of her father and then raising children under the rule of her husband later in life. This male dominance was evident in churches and government as well, since only men could preach and vote in the religious sector, and only men could vote and hold office in the civil sector.

Emma's revelation stands in contrast to these social norms. The Lord speaks directly to Emma, instead of telling Joseph what Emma needs to do, which would have been typical in this time. She is named "an elect lady" and her calling as Relief Society President is prophecied. She is even told to study, exhort and teach in the church, and act as scribe for the Prophet Joseph, clearly roles that were typically reserved for men.

Noteworthy is that Joseph is to help Emma in taking more responsibility in these roles. The implicit command is that he is to help around the house so that Emma can have time to study and improve herself. If she doesn't have time to do it, it was Joseph's fault.

While a couple of these instructions were specific to Emma, the majority can be construed as independent of time and place. This revelation placed Emma in a learning, teaching role, on par with her husband, and so the revelation places all women on par with their husbands in their responsibility to learn and improve themselves. From the time this revelation was received forward, women participated in church, sustaining their leaders and teaching others the Gospel. Women also began participating more in government roles later on in Church history because of the implications of this revelation. Mormon women were the first to vote, first to run for office, and were the pioneers in many respects to women's rights in the country, while still maintaining their roles in the family.

The implications of this revelation follow us still today. Women are to learn, teach, and participate just as men are, and men are to help the women in their lives have the time and resources to be able to do these things. We should be forever grateful for this revelation and how it restored women to their rightful position as equals in a marriage covenant between two people. Thanks to the Lord's guidance to Emma, we no have women that are prepared to teach not just children or other women, but women teach men about the mysteries of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And that is how God always desired it.