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Show 178 MADELYN CANNON STEWART SILVER dreams into adulthood. We depart from innocence and igno rance, and experience the florescence of human nature. Maturity may bring pain to the woman and force the man to labor for his bread, but it also brings or can bring wisdom, understanding, growth, and eventually brings or can bring spir itual victory. Madelyn took the opportunity of reminding her listeners of the hallowed Mormon concept of Mother in Heaven, which establishes a female Deity. Not much is said about the Heavenly Mother, as Madelyn pointed out, but her existence demon strates the eternal equality of men and women; woman also has place of honor in the heavens. Madelyn had declared on more than one occasion that she wished she had been a boy." As Madelyn discovered after she a moved to Denver, among the ancient Hebrews the synagogue "Blessed art prayer recited at each service included the words, me a woman." Among the made hast not who 0 Lord, thou, Jews, although a good wife was appreciated, women as a group were not highly valued. Mormons also lived in a patriarchal society; in pioneer Utah the women and men sat on different sides of the meetinghouse, all public prayers were by men, all ecclesiastical positions were held by men, and women were sel dom appointed to teach in classes where there were men. But Madelyn's study of the New Testament, in preparation and Gospel Doctrine classes, indicated for her Relief Society clearly that Jesus' ministry was directed at women as well as immediate followers, men. Men and women were among His Jesus was a guest in the home of Mary and Martha. Jesus treat ed women and men as equally capable and worthy of dealing with sacred matters." Paul, who derived his own position from and conventional sources, wrote: "There is neither Jew heavenly Gentile, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3 :28) nor female, for you are all one the There is, of course, story of the woman who devotedly anointed Jesus with ointment in Mark 14: 1-9. Old Madelyn did discuss two charismatic women in her Testament classes: Deborah (Judges 4 and 5) and Huldah (2 nor Kings 22: 14-20; 2 Chronicles 34:22-28). The woman who |
