Extraordinary Courage: Women Empowered by the Gospel of Jesus Christ

by Kristine Wardle Frederickson

History is full of women who have stood up and made a difference to others and to society, who have demonstrated great strength, and who, by their example, teach us how to tap into the courage that lives within each of us.Extraordinary Women Empowered by the Gospel of Jesus Christ shares the life stories of eleven women from history whose unparalleled courage is worthy of study and Vienna Courage to Exercise Faith; Mary, the Mother of Jesus Courage to Obey God; Josephine Courage to Believe in Yourself; Ellis Courage to Seek Knowledge; Mary Fielding Courage to Choose Wisely; Lucy Mack Courage to Be Charitable; Courage to Act with Integrity; Courage to Be Virtuous; Priscilla and Courage to Bear Testimony; Mary Murray Courage to Convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsFilled with spiritual and inspiring stories, this book highlights gospel truths that can help us overcome the challenges we face in our everyday lives.

231 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2013

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are several women highlighted in this book whom I have never heard of as well women in the scriptures and history whom I don't always take much time to think about. I loved that each woman found her unique mission--even (or especially) if it wasn't the norm for her time--whether it was leaving three children behind to go off to medical school as with Ellis Shipp, caring for prostitutes and fighting against legalized prostitution in a time when such subjects were taboo for women as with Josephine Butler, boldly proclaiming testimony as with JoAnna, or standing firm but simultaneously hiding who they were until the time was right to share as with Esther and Abish. Each woman sought God's will for her and was strong in difficult times. Though the stories of these women are old, modern women can definitely appreciate and learn from these examples. Just as women today may each find different paths to bearing testimony and standing up for what is right in today's day of moral decline, women in past times also found different paths as they sought to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Each woman's story is unique, though the common threads of faith bind them together.

At first, the book was slow for me. It is very essay-ish. Because some of the women she chose to write about have very little known about them, the author often had to add a lot of side notes about other people and circumstances of their times. The background history is fascinating, but it also means that sometimes there is not a clear story-line. However, once I stopped trying to plow through the book at my usual rate and instead read one chapter a night, appreciating each chapter as an individual essay, I found myself really enjoying the stories.

P.S. It was nice to meet the author at our book club. I love your passion and enthusiasm. I could tell as you talked that you really think of these women that you wrote about as friends. I hope you go far in your quest for making the world a better place for women today!