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Women of Faith in the Latter Days {Giveaway}

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My favorite types of books to read are biographies. Seeing how a person’s choices and actions affected their lives, whether for good or ill, is fascinating to me. Reading how they faced certain situations that arose makes me think how I would have reacted. Would I have been prone to look for the blessings around me like Betsy & Corrie ten Boom in a concentration camp? Would I be able to keep my mind sharp and my spirits high in solitary confinement like Nien Cheng? I don’t know! We can’t ever really know how we would act in certain situations. That’s why it’s so important to look at others with compassion and love when we see their lives.

Of all the biographies I have read my favorite are those about women. They are always there in the background, moving and shaping the world. Their influence is felt through generations. Learning about the women ancestors in my own family tree have helped me in my daily life.

I am so excited about a new series of books {so far SEVEN volumes are planned!} about the Women of Faith in our church. “Although approximately half the people in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been women, their lives of faith and dedication are just beginning to receive the attention they merit. This series, Women of Faith in the Latter Days, aims to enhance awareness of these women through inspirational accounts written for a general readership.” (from the introduction of Volume 1)

The volumes are arranged to cover women born in certain time periods. This volume covers those born from 1775 – 1820. There are 35 women featured in volume 1, some well-known like Emma Smith and Eliza R. Snow, others are not well-known. Ever heard of Maria Parker or Martha Heywood? Me neither. 

I was most excited to see Desideria Quintanar de Yanez included in this book! She was the first woman baptized into the church in Mexico. She was born in 1814 and a direct descendant of Cuauhtemoc, one of the last Aztec emperors in the late 1500s. Her life was that of a typical Mexican woman at the time – focused on helping to provide for her family by raising maize and vegetables, making endless numbers of tortillas, and tending to her children. Her town, Nopala, was burned when Maximilian invaded Mexico in the 1860s.

Early in 1880 when she was about sixty-six years old, Desideria had a dream. The central image of the dream was a pamphlet called La voz de amonestacion {A Voice of Warning} which she learned in her dream would aid her spiritually. She also saw that the pamphlet was being published by men in Mexico City. Because her health was too poor to travel the seventy-five miles from Nopala to Mexico City she sent her son, Jose Maria Yanez to find these men and that pamphlet in early February. Through a series of inquiries Jose was finally able to find missionary James Z. Stewart. Elder Stewart noted in his journal on February 17 that he was correcting the printer’s proofs of thepamphlet when he “had a very interesting conversation with Senor Jose M. Yanez, Nopala de Estado de Hidalgo.”

Even though the pamphlet was not published yet and it would be another month until final copies were made available it was astonishing to the missionaries that a Mexican woman of great faith had received a dream about their work. Jose traveled back to his mother with the news that missionaries would come as soon as the pamphlet was printed. She, Jose and his daughter, were all baptized on April 22, 1880. Later Desideria would be the first person to receive a copy of the Book of Mormon in Spanish. Though she lived far away from other members of the church she remained true to her faith.

What I love about this story is Desideria ACTED upon her dream. She wasn’t content to wait and see if the pamphlet in her dream would come into her life but rather sought it out in the best way she could. I also love that her son knew his mother and trusted and loved her enough that he was willing to travel so far to seek out what she knew she needed in her life. What an amazing mother she must have been!

And there are many more lessons to be learned from all these Women of Faith. I can’t wait to read each and every volume….and write my own through my daily actions.

Would you like to  win a copy of Women of Faith in the Latter Days: Volume 1 courtesy of Desert Book? Just follow the directions on the rafflecopter to enter.

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Comments

  1. Wow! That is awesome!!! After Sister Beck promised us that as women we would be strong in the face of calamity in the last days by understanding the history of Relief Society and then receiving Daughters in my Kingdom, I am very interested in learning more about the faithful women that lived in that time period! I am SO getting a copy of that even if I don’t win it!

    Reply

  2. I would LOVE to win a copy of this book! I already have it on my wish list. How exciting that it will be in a series of seven books!!

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  3. Oops! I guess I’m supposed to write about a woman of faith in my life to enter too… Honestly, aside from my mom…you, Jocelyn from We Talk of Christ and Heather from Women in the Scriptures are the women I first think of right now when I try to think of “women of faith” in my life! You guys always have such inspiring and uplifting things to say. 🙂 Thank you for that!

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  5. OOh, I love biographies too! Benjamin Franklin’s, President Monson’s, President Kimball’s, President Hinkley’s, etc. These look so interesting.

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    • Oops- and to mention a woman of faith in my life- I’d have to say my great grandmother. She lived to be 105 years old and was a widow from time she was 40. She was an incredible, loving woman. As a side-note to that, have you ever seen the movie “Tyler, A Real Hero”? It’s a neat story about Tyler Wilkerson who who had it all and was an amazing football player and then had a tragic accident. Someone has put it on You Tube and if you watch part 2 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwdhWzLIXVQ&feature=related
      You can see my great grandmother. She’s the one giving the little boy a hug when he delivers the paper. So cute!

      Reply

  7. I am collecting “hero” books for my children. This would be a great collection for my girls (and boys–yes they will read it too).

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  11. What an amazing book! A “woman of faith” who has had a great impact on my life is my grandmother. I have learned much from her through the years about faith and life in general. She and my grandfather are my heros. 🙂

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  19. My sil’s are great examples of faith to me. Two of them have suffered the lose of young children and they continue foreward with great faith.

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  24. I just thought of Heather over at Women in the Scriptures. I bet she would love this. 🙂

    I would, too! I also love biographies 😀

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  26. I honestly don’t have many women of faith in my life (other than of course the amazing ones I see at Church every week!) But I do have a family history full of faithful women and their stories continue to inspire me.

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  28. I love reading biographies as well!! I think my favorite is of my ancestor Jane Johnston Black and how she traveled across the plains by herself because her husband was serving a mission. I would love to have a copy of this book!

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  30. I have always admired my Great-Great-Great Grandmother, Mary Jane Dilworth Hammond. She was the first school teacher in Utah and she followed her husband on his missions to the Sandwich Islands where she cared for everyone with her reach of influence. She was stalwart, faithful and compassionate and I hope by following her example, she will be able to proudly number me among her posterity.

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  31. I think this book is a great testimony builder.Unlike you non-fiction is hard for me to commit to (unless it is the Hiding Place!). This sounds like something easier to digest. Thanks for the opportunity!

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  33. I didn’t realize this was going to be 7 books in all. That is awesome.
    I wrote about my grandma’s R.S. experience with Sis. Camilla Kimball. My grandma continues to be an example of service and love even though she’s passed on now.

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  38. My mom is the supreme woman of faith in my life. Joined the church in Finland, came to the US to teach Finnish at the LTM in Rexburg, met my dad at BYU and stayed in this far-from-her-homeland country to raise her family. Truly a modern-day pioneer and example of so much love and faith to me.

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  40. I’ve seen this book in a catalog, and it’s one I’d love to check out. Sometimes people complain that there aren’t a whole lot of women in the scriptures, but I think that maybe it’s because we have so many great examples in real life. Not that that’s the reason, but we’re certainly not without an abundance of wonderful women to turn to as mentors and examples.

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  41. Thinking about the women of faith who have served as my Relief Society presidents over the last 20 years. They may not know it, but they’re why I have the testimony I have today, because they cared, loved and shared. They’ve become who I want to be when I grow up (… without having that calling).

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  42. Thinking about the women of faith who have served as my Relief Society presidents over the last 20 years. They may not know it, but they’re why I have the testimony I have today, because they cared, loved and shared. They’ve become who I want to be when I grow up (… without having that calling).

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  43. I have found so much strength from the experience of the pioneer wives who spent so much time separated from their husbands as they served the Lord. It makes my separations from my husband because of the military seem easier. What a treasure to have stories of so many of these amazing women compiled together!

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  45. That story of the Mexican woman’s faith was SO TOUCHING! Thank you so much for sharing it! I’m also so excited to learn about this book series! Thanks a million!
    Corine 🙂

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  46. A woman of faith in my life is my Grandma Jane – no matter what has happened to her, her faith in the Lord has been solid. She shares her testimony and faith in her everyday conversation – it is just a part of who she is. I receive so much strength just by talking to her, what a blessing she has been to my life.

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  47. My two youngest daughters, ages 16 and 20, are women of faith in my life. They both have testimonies of the power of prayer, and of the tender mercies of the Lord. They are forever saying just the right thing to help me through our latest challenge. Thanks for the opportunity to win this book!

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  49. I saw this book on TOFW the other day and I really wanted to get it until I looked at the price and than I knew a book like this would be more of an investiment so Id thought Id wait! I am excited you are giving it away I love books about church history and I have not read a lot about the women in the church!

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  50. This book sounds fantastic. I am moving into a phase of life where I am inspired by the fantastic abilities of others instead of overwhelmed. I’m ready for some great inspiration!

    Reply

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