The Women of Mormondom

by Edward W. Tullidge

This is the very subject of Mary the mother of Jesus. But here enlarged. This is Zion, who shall be mother of many Messiahs, for she shall bring forth many sons, with the anointing of their Lord's spirit upon them, to exalt his reign.

"Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; for thou shalt bring forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited."

'Tis the divine mission of woman to the race; oracled by lofty souls; her holy apostleship on earth pronounced. She is to be incarnated in a civilization on whose tables shall be written, "Thy Maker is thine husband."

The mission of woman could not prevail in the barbaric periods of the race; 'twas man's work to chisel the rocks of the temple. Not even had her time come in the days of Christ, though no one has so distinctly foreshadowed it as he.

Paul is not to be unqualifiedly reproached for bidding woman be silent in the church. The time had not then come. Not as potent then as now the thought: "Show me the women of a nation and I will tell thee its civilization." And there is still a deeper meaning in this than the popular thought. How beautifully has Jesus himself kept up the symbols of the coming woman. With him the woman—Zion—becomes the "Lamb's bride:"

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom."

And this was to be in the age "when the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him."

At his first coming the kingdom of heaven was likened to twelve fishermen—not ten virgins—and he said unto them, "Take up your nets and follow me and I will make you fishers of men."

But when the cry shall go forth, "Behold the bridegroom cometh," commotion is to be among the virgins of the earth—the virgins of Zion and the virgins of Babylon. Each will trim their lamps. Each will have their "five wise" and "five foolish." Every one will have her familiar spirit. But the God of Israel will send his spirit to inspire Zion, for her Maker is her husband. And the daughters of Zion shall trim their lamps to go forth to meet the bridegroom, who is the Lamb of God.

The age of Messiah's coming is the woman's age! or there is no sense in the utterances of prophesy, nor meaning in the most beautiful parables of Christ.