LYNNE HILTON WILSON

Introduction The last chapters of each of the four Gospels focus on Jesus’ resurrection and His commission for all disciples to spread this ‘good news’ (the original root word for gospel).1 Jesus’ triumph over death is the greatest news ever given on earth. The Gospels unitedly proclaim that the first witnesses of this truth were women. The Lord deliberately and repeated called His female disciples to act as the first voice for this message. They saw angels and the Lord Himself who commissioned them to carry this message to the brethren and apostles. (This order was also seen in the birth narratives, and we will continue to find other similarities between the two accounts.) This empowering call set a standard of change in Christianity whereby both women and men were called to mutually serve by testifying, preaching, and prophesying to build Jesus’ church on earth.2 The message of Jesus’ redemption and resurrection is the central theme of Christ’s restored church and scripture, including the Book of Mormon.