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from Introduction by Rabbi Michael Berg
LXVIII

For the fabric of Reality is exactly that: a seamless material in which every part is inter linked. No action is without its reaction; there is no cause that does not have an effect. Work is worship; performing one's duty is love; the minutes and hours of our lives are replete with both meaning and consequence. We cannot afford to waste them by remaining unaware of their vital significance, by merely waking from one form of sleep and dreaming into another. We reap what we sow, and harvest follows swiftly on the heels of seedtime. Our seasons are brief.

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The stories of Esther and Ruth are like the journey of Rosalind from "As You Like It" because uncertainty plagues the heroines and there is a desire to overcome incidental evils. The book of Ruth is my favorite because it is in essence a happy story. Esther gets really dramatic from the actions of an evil villain. Rosalind is happy merely to talk.

The bible is replete with wonderful feminist themes and that Esther and Ruth deserve their own books makes recompense for lots of awful things that can happen to women in the bible, like menstruation, which is something we can make light of, nowadays, anyways, and the rape of Tamar, which must be treated seriously.

In the Book of Mormon I scan the pages heavily for women; it is good that there is one example, although she does not have her own book but has precious four verses.

Esther 8:6 "For how can I endure to see the calamity which will befall my people, and how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?"

Ruth 1:16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God."

Abish- Lamanite woman, servant of Lamoni. Alma 19:16 converted to the Lord; 19:17 calls people to king's house; 19:28 grives because of tumult; 19:29 raises queen
16 And it came to pass that they did call on the name of the Lord, in their might, even until they had all fallen to the earth, save it were one of the Lamanitish women, whose name was Abish, she having been converted unto the Lord for many years, on account of a remarkable vision of her father—

17 Thus, having been converted to the Lord, and never having made it known, therefore, when she saw that all the servants of Lamoni had fallen to the earth, and also her mistress, the queen, and the king, and Ammon lay prostrate upon the earth, she knew that it was the power of God; and supposing that this opportunity, by making known unto the people what had happened among them, that by beholding this scene it would cause them to believe in the power of God, therefore she ran forth from house to house, making it known unto the people.

28 And thus the contention began to be exceedingly sharp among them. And while they were thus contending, the woman servant who had caused the multitude to be gathered together came, and when she saw the contention which was among the multitude she was exceedingly sorrowful, even unto tears.

29 And it came to pass that she went and took the queen by the hand, that perhaps she might raise her from the ground; and as soon as she touched her hand she arose and stood upon her feet, and cried with a loud voice, saying: O blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell! O blessed God, have mercy on this people!


Although it is the queen who speaks and her servant, we do know her name.

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