Book Review: Divinity of Women by Heather B. Moore & S. Kent Brown

Divinity of Women, by Heather B. Moore & S. Kent Brown
2014, 136p, LDS, Inspirational
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: Received copy from publisher for an honest review



From the moment woman was created on Earth, she served a divine purpose. History is filled with accounts of women who have overcome incredible odds and accomplished great deeds. We can read about some of them in ancient scriptural texts—prophetesses, priestesses, queens, wives of prophets, and daughters of kings.

Most women will not obtain any such title, and they may easily conclude that they’ll never have these types of responsibilities while on earth. But even if they’re not numbered among the higher profile women of past or present, women must understand that they have a calling that supersedes any who’s who list and tops every worldly accolade or prestigious title: They are divine women. They are noble daughters of God.

As we study the divine women who have gone before us and how they handled their various callings and duties, both small and lofty, women will soon recognize the divinity within themselves. The choices that may seem insignificant today have eternal importance, in which a woman’s daily tasks and decisions create the warp and weft of their own souls, and the souls of those they influence. As the nature of divinity slowly weaves itself together through faith and endurance, women will come to understand just how noble and precious their heritage is and how they might serve best in the divine roles with which each has been entrusted.

I loved this book! Along with an introduction and conclusion, there are five sections, which are as follows:

Section One: Visionary Women
Section Two: Prayer and Worship
Section Three: Prophetesses
Section Four: Crossing the Line
Section Five: Education of Ancient Women

Each section has an introductory page and then goes on to discuss the lives of different women in the scriptures. There's a brief summary of each of their lives, with scripture references at the end of each story. What I especially loved is the personal application that's also included so we see how the lives of the women in the scriptures can help us in our lives today.

There were stories I was familiar with and others I wasn't. I like that the scriptures are given so I know where to go to read more. Each story is short, too, so it's easy to read and ponder one or two and then pick it up again later.

In the Introduction, they state: "Divinity is ours for the taking. We can become exalted through Christ too. By remembering the challenges of women who precede us throughout the ages and studying how they have overcome those challenges, we are reminded that how we deal with our own challenges is what creates our divinity." We are all on different paths and will each have trials and we are blessed to be given examples of how other women have overcome challenges so that we can, too.

This is a beautiful book with beautiful artwork and is a perfect book to put on display. But even more important, the message is beautiful so it needs to be opened and read. This is a book I will read and ponder again and again!

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author, with ten historical thrillers written under the pen name H.B. Moore. Latest is Finding Sheba. Under Heather B. Moore she writes romance and women’s fiction. She’s the co-author of The Newport Ladies Book Club series. Other women’s novels include Heart of the Ocean, The Fortune Café, the Aliso Creek Series and A Timeless Romance Anthology Series.

Visit her blog for writing and book signing updates: http://mywriterslair.blogspot.com.

S. Kent Brown is a professor of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University and is the current director of Ancient Studies on campus. He served as the director of the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies from 1993 to 1996. His degrees include a B.A. in 1967 from the University of California at Berkeley in Classical Greek, with a minor in Near Eastern languages, and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Brown University in 1972, with an emphasis in New Testament and Early Christian Studies. He is married to the former Gayle Oblad; they are the parents of five children and the grandparents of sixteen grandchildren.