Christ in the Red Robe
Washington Utah East Stake Relief Society Women’s Conference, April 20, 2023
Keynote Presentation by Debi Gilmore, 2nd Counselor in the Washington Utah East Stake RS Presidency
On March 8, 2000, President Gordon B. Hinckley was interviewed by Jack Cushman, an editor in The New York Times’ Washington Bureau and president of the National Press Club at the club’s Headliner lunch in Washington DC. The interviewer implied that women who were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were considered and treated as second-class citizens. If that question was posed to you, how would you answer? It is hard to imagine being asked that question in front of millions of people and being expected to remain composed while representing a world-wide Church.
True to President Hinckley’s brilliance and gracious composure, he answered the question by explaining that the Relief Society is one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the world. He followed that introduction by saying:
“People wonder what we do for our women. I will tell you what we do: we get out of their way and look with wonder at what they are accomplishing.”
His response was a delightful glimpse into his genuine love and respect for women everywhere. It was consistent with his leadership style and confirmed by those who worked with him during his years in serving as a General Authority and then Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
We Are Loved and Valued by our Priesthood Leaders
Sisters, I want you to know that as a member of our Washington East Utah Stake Relief Society Presidency, we feel that same love and respect from our priesthood leaders, our Stake Presidency, and those with whom we serve. I know they love and respect us, and I am so grateful for that sense of support and love as it allows us to have confidence in the promptings and impressions we receive based on our mantle and stewardship. It allows us to do the Lord’s work and to be able to have powerful influence for good. It allows us to have confidence that we are doing what the Lord would have us do as women of faith.
Each of you, gathered here tonight, are a part of this worldwide Relief Society group of extraordinarily ordinary women. I feel compelled to begin with my personal expression of love, admiration, and a deep desire to know you. Over the past several months we have had the privilege of meeting with you during ward conferences, and we have had the delightful opportunity to get to know you.
There are some important things I know about you, and I want to share those things through a quote by Spencer W. Kimball:
“Some of you have lost your husbands through death, others through divorce. Some of you have not yet had the great privilege of marriage. Others of you are experiencing the anguish that often goes with aging. Still others of you now know the uncertainty of being young as you ponder your place in the eternal scheme of things. But real as these challenges are, [I invite you] to drink in deeply the gospel truths about the eternal nature of your individual identity and the uniqueness of your personality.”
I would like to pause before reading the rest of his quote, and remind each of us that our prophets, seers, and revelators are representatives of our Savior, Jesus Christ. When they speak, they are speaking for the Savior. With that in mind, I invite you to close your eyes for a moment, and as I read the rest of President Kimball’s quote, I want you to imagine that you are sitting alone with the Savior by your side. Imagine that He is speaking only to you...
“You need, more and more, to feel the perfect love which our Father in Heaven has for you, and to sense the value he places upon you as an individual. Ponder upon these great truths, especially in those moments when ... you might otherwise wonder and be perplexed.”
(The Role of Righteous Women, Spencer W. Kimball, October 1979)
Think about what it was like just now... to imagine the Savior lovingly and personally reminding you of who you really are. Did you allow yourself to feel His love and concern for you? Did you allow it to fill your mind, your heart, and your soul?
Extraordinarily Ordinary with Power Beyond Measure
No one attending this meeting tonight is perfect... but sisters, each of us, gathered here are extraordinarily ordinary with a very special power beyond measure.
You may be surprised by my repetitive use of the phrase extraordinarily ordinary. It is in the title of our theme for this Stake RS Women’s Conference. Within my message tonight, I will help you understand what that phrase means, and I hope that when you go home tonight, you will bear that title with glory and a new understanding of who you really are.
Recognizing, Interpreting, and Acting on Promptings
Before I go into my main message, I would like to impress upon each of us the importance of recognizing and interpreting promptings from the Holy Ghost. As I prepared for this presentation, I plead with the Lord that we would each be blessed with a revelatory experience. It is the Spirit who reveals to us our true identity, and bears witness of truths about who we are and who we have always been. I invite you to listen for the whisperings and promptings customized for you... messages that The Lord would have you receive, and messages that will bear you up and strengthen your faith.
When we become aware of, understand, and exercise courage to act on the promptings from the Spirit, Sister Sheri Dew said:
“There is nothing more vital to our success and our happiness here than learning to hear the voice of the Spirit. It is the Spirit who reveals to us our identity—which isn’t just who we are but who we have always been. And that when we know, our lives take on a sense of purpose so stunning that we can never be the same again.” (Knowing Who You Are—and Who You Have Always Been, BYU Women’s Conference, May 4, 2001)
CHRIST IN THE RED ROBE, Painting by Minerva Teichert
I want to draw your attention to this beautiful painting by Minerva Teichert titled, “Christ in a Red Robe.” Notice the woman on the lower left of the painting, reaching up to touch The Savior’s robe. There is remarkable symbolism in this moment in time, and a brief moment that marks one of the most spectacular miracles of our Savior’s ministry. However, it is so briefly mentioned, I am left longing for more detail.
This is a woman that I would like to consider extraordinarily ordinary with power beyond measure. This story is found in two places in the New Testament. Mark and Luke both have similar accounts, but Mark has just a few more details. I wanted to know more about the circumstances surrounding this period of time so that I could more fully understand what it was like for this woman. So, I decided to do some research, and tonight I will share with you what I found.
This unnamed woman had suffered for twelve long years with a complicated health issue involving chronic hemorrhaging. She had spent all her money and resources on treatments from many doctors, however, none of them could offer her answers or relief. They each sent her on her way telling her there was no cure for her health issue.
It is helpful to spend a moment understanding the challenges for those who suffer from chronic bleeding. Over time, the body becomes depleted of necessary levels of iron, with a decreased ability to replenish, causing severe anemia. Patients with anemia typically present with vague symptoms such as lethargy, weakness, and tiredness. They often develop shortness of breath and have reduced tolerance for any exertion whatsoever. This causes muscle loss and with continued lethargy, the body continues to decline which often results in the person suffering deep clinical depression.
An Unnamed Woman, Ousted by Society—Isolated from Others
At this time, Levitical law was in place and very strictly imposed. Jewish Law declared her to be ceremonially unclean due to her bleeding issue (Leviticus 15:25-27). This meant that anything or anyone she touched would also be declared unclean, and that person or persons, would have to go into isolation for 5 days or more to ensure their complete cleansing. This woman was rejected by society, isolated from everyone, and not permitted to enter the temple or participate in Jewish religious ceremonies.
Take a moment to imagine not being allowed to attend the temple due to a health condition. Imagine being told you could not attend Church on Sunday to worship and partake of the Sacrament with loved ones! Not only was this woman prevented from worshipping with others, but she was also ousted from society and not allowed to socialize with others. Over time, those who live in isolation suffer emotionally, physically, and often spiritually, and science tells us they typically die at a younger age.
Imagine what this might have been like for her... imagine her heartache. Imagine her embarrassment. Imagine her longing to be fed by the spirit and dwell in the temple to feel closer to her Heavenly Father. Imagine her sadness, loneliness, and grief after twelve long years of suffering in isolation. She must have been desperate for peace, desperate for healing, and certainly desperate for release from the bondage of this disease.
Jesus is Summoned to Save a Dying Girl
The story takes place within a larger story. Jesus has been summoned to the home of a Jewish synagogue leader to heal his dying daughter. Time was of the essence, and Jesus must make haste to get there in time to save her. By this time, people in the area had either witnessed or learned about the many miracles Jesus had performed. Many of them had attended his sermons, and many had heard about the powerful principles he taught. When the people heard He would be coming into the city, he became overwhelmed by crowds of people wanting to be near Him and wanting to witness yet another miracle. Of course they wanted to witness what He might do to help the dying little girl.
A Prompting Requiring Courage and Faith
The woman learned that Jesus was in the city. What happened next is so remarkable to me! She received a strong prompting from the Spirit... a witness that if she touched the Savior’s robe, she would be healed. The reason this is so remarkable to me is that the Spirit was prompting her to do something that went against everything she had been taught. If she chose to act on the prompting she would have to betray the law, and risk touching others in her haste to get to the Savior.
Most of the Jews at this time would have screamed out in public if the woman touched them, because it would have caused them to be considered unclean. Her decision to act on this prompting would cause them to be required to be isolated for 5 days or more. There was a risk of punishment, and public humiliation, which would result in increased embarrassment and further rejection from society.
However, there was an even greater risk that she would be touching Jesus, causing Him to be considered unclean. This would result in Him being halted from his quest to save the dying girl and forced into isolation.
Hearing Him, Knowing Him, Longing to be Near Him
It is useful to pause here and ponder on what happens when we learn more about the Savior. As we come to recognize Him in our daily lives, and as we come to know him more deeply, we naturally long to be closer to Him. We learn He is our Advocate, our Redeemer, our Healer, and our loving elder brother.
I believe she knew the language of the Spirit. I believe she “knew” the Savior. I believe that she had unwavering faith that the prompting she received was a witness of truth and that she could indeed access His healing power.
The scriptural account tells us she decided to follow her faith and found courage to push beyond the unimaginable obstacles. This unnamed woman whom we might label ordinary, and whom society labeled offensive, decided to act on her prompting and made her way out into the crowds.
The Touch of Unwavering Faith
Now, we come to the moment she touches the robe of Jesus. Instantly, she knows she’s been healed. Imagine her joy! Imagine her overwhelming witness from the Spirit that likely filled her body at the cellular level. Think about a time when you were overcome by a beautiful tender mercy, a personal miracle, or a moment of blessed personal revelation. Think of a time when you had a spiritual experience so moving you could never forget it. Can you recall the feelings you had, and what that experience meant to you at the time?
In an instant, the power of her unwavering faith provides what no doctor could offer. Her miracle of true healing. The account by Mark tells us Jesus stopped!
“And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.” (Mark 5:30)
The scriptural account tells us she was frightened. Imagine her fear of the unknown... as she wonders what will happen to her now that Jesus has stopped, and the crowds are realizing something significant happened. What she did in that moment is so moving for me and suggests to me that this woman not only was filled with unwavering faith and powerful integrity, but she was willing to account for what she did and accept whatever consequence might be delivered.
“But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.” (Mark 5:33)
Faith + Action = Access to Power
At this moment, the Savior pauses to teach a beautiful and powerful principle, which is the purpose of my message tonight. I would like us to take notice of what Jesus did next. He could have just kept on walking to His original destination because he was on his way to save the life of a little girl. He could have left her to be dealt with by those who would condemn her. He could have said nothing and gone on His way. Then, only He and the unnamed woman would have known about the miracle.
I imagine that even though she professed to be healed, there may have been those who would have been skeptical and questioned the validity of her claim that her 12-year struggle with the disease that caused her so much suffering was gone.
The Savior said unto her:
“Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace and be whole of thy plague.” (Mark 5:34)
Apparently, it was important to the Savior that those who witnessed this miracle be taught a very important principle of:
FAITH + ACTION = ACCESS TO THE SAVIOR’S HEALING POWER
Covenant Language
This miracle required the unnamed woman to stretch and reach to connect with The Savior through touch. The word “touch” comes from the GREEK root word “Hapto” --“to fasten to, or cling to.” A binding or an attachment. Recently, I was conversing with a dear friend about this beautiful story. My friend suggested: “Maybe what Jesus was really asking when he said ‘who touched me?’ was:
"Who clung and fastened themselves to me with their whole being in unwavering faith? Who is binding themselves to me?”
Sisters... this is Covenant language! This is symbolic of our quest to hear, know, and become like the Savior. This extraordinarily ordinary unnamed woman’s act of courageous faith is symbolic of our covenants we make with The Lord. It is a reminder that we too, can fasten ourselves to Christ with faith such as hers, and hope in His power to heal.
Cure versus Healing
The scriptures never mention a “cure.” When doctors offer us a cure, the disease is eradicated from our body. Sometimes the disease causes deficits in our body and may cause residual limits to our full overall health. However, The Savior’s healing offers us powerful change. When we are healed through the Savior, we are better, different, stronger, and gain greater wisdom, insight, and knowledge that can and will inform our next steps in our lives.
This extraordinarily ordinary woman was changed through this miracle. The Savior’s willingness to stop and highlight the moment, and to turn around and connect with the woman, teaches us the importance of recognizing and pointing out significant moments. However, even more important is the new understanding that the power is within us if we are willing to exercise our faith and act swiftly on promptings from the Spirit when they appear in our hearts and our minds.
Our Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, spoke about Minerva Teichert’s exquisite painting and how we can apply this to our daily lives. He said:
“This faithful, focused woman needed to stretch as far as she could to access His power. Her physical stretching was symbolic of her spiritual stretching. When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air... power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do.
“It is no wonder that we, like the woman in Minerva Teichert’s glorious artwork, stretch with longing and adoration toward the Savior, for we know He extends “the arm of mercy towards them that put their trust in him.” Because this glorious promise is true, where else would we look... where else would we reach... where else would we come but to Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, the Lamb of God, our Messiah?” (Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives President Russell M. Nelson, April 2017)
I bear witness that the Savior is available to us, in every aspect of our lives. He wants us to stretch and reach for Him. He wants us to fasten our soul to Him so that through our faith, we can access power beyond measure, and find healing in our souls. In His sacred name, even Jesus Christ, Amen.
