Esther (Aug 3–9)

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Segment 1

Scriptures:
Esther 1:1-9 (The party of Ahasuerus)
Esther 1:11-12 (Vashti refuses the king)

Words of the General Authorities:
We, your brethren, need your strength, your conversion, your conviction, your ability to lead, your wisdom, and your voices. The kingdom of God is not and cannot be complete without women who make sacred covenants and then keep them, women who can speak with the power and authority of God!
President Packer declared:
“We need women who are organized and women who can organize. We need women with executive ability who can plan and direct and administer; women who can teach, women who can speak out. … “We need women with the gift of discernment who can view the trends in the world and detect those that, however popular, are shallow or dangerous.” (Russell M. Nelson, “A Plea to My Sisters”, October 2015 General Conference; quote from Boyd K. Packer from “The Relief Society”, October 1978 General Conference)

Quotes:
Easily celebrated as a “woman's woman,” Vashti defiantly stood up for her rights–but at what cost? She was stripped of her royal rank for her haughty example, deposed as queen, and possibly even executed for her bold refusal to obey the king's command. Could Vashti have found a better way to avoid compliance with her husband's inappropriate demands and at the same time retain her position of rectitude and royalty? Was Vashti’s approach the best choice to preserve her principles, or was she too rash? Where Vashti was assertive and confrontational, Esther was passive and malleable. Vashti was defiantly unbending to demands that violated her sense of right and wrong. (Camille Fronk Olson, Women of the Old Testament, p. 163)

Segment 2

Scriptures:
Esther 2:15 (The father of Esther)
Esther 1:13-14 (The seven princes of Perisa poorly advise the king)
Mosiah 17:11-12 (The priests of King Noah sway him)
Esther 2:21-23 (Bigthan and Teresh are killed)
Esther 6:1-11 (The king honors Mordecai)

Translations:
Abihail = My father is strength/virtue/courage (Hebrew)

Segment 3

Scriptures:
Esther 4:14 (Come to the kingdom at this time)

Words of the General Authorities:
My first recommendation is to learn for yourselves who you really are. Ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, how He feels about you and your mission here on earth. If you ask with real intent, over time the Spirit will whisper the life-changing truth to you. Record those impressions and review them often, and follow through with exactness.
I promise you that when you begin to catch even a glimpse of how your Heavenly Father sees you and what He is counting on you to do for Him, your life will never be the same! (Russell M. Nelson, “Becoming True Millennials”, Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults delivered on January 10, 2016)

Translations:
Come to the kingdom - naga = To touch or strike (Hebrew)

Segment 4

Scriptures:
John 15:13 (Greater love)
Esther 4:16 (If I perish, I perish)

Segment 5

Scriptures:
Exodus 20:7 (Don’t take the name of God in vain)
Esther 2:9,17 (Esther demonstrates covenantal love)
Matthew 5:16 (Let your light shine)

Words of the General Authorities:
Hesed is a special kind of love and mercy that God feels for and extends to those who have made a covenant with Him…Because of our covenant with God, He will never tire in His efforts to help us, and we will never exhaust His merciful patience with us. (Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant”, from a message at general conference leadership meeting March 31, 2022, recorded in October 2022 Liahona)

My plea to you this morning is to find rest from the intensity, uncertainty, and anguish of this world by overcoming the world through your covenants with God…I call upon you, my dear brothers and sisters, to become this righteous people. Cherish and honor your covenants above all other commitments. As you let God prevail in your life, I promise you greater peace, confidence, joy, and yes, rest. (Russell M. Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest”, October 2022 General Conference)

Quotes:
Live in such a way that people who know you but don’t know Christ will want to know Christ because they know you. (Author unknown, quoted by H. David Burton, “Courage to Hearken”, April 1994 General Conference)

Translations:
hesed = God’s lovingkindness (Hebrew)
nasa = To carry, lift, or bear (Hebrew)

Segment 6

Scriptures:
Esther 2:7 (Esther’s Jewish name, Hadassah)

Quotes:
Even if the book of Esther is a work of historical fiction as many claim, it underscores how Esther and her exiled people specifically, and anyone who feels marginalized or powerless in society generally, can significantly influence the world for good. Using one’s talents, wisdom, and divine inspiration, any woman or man can bring change by enlightening those who hold power and have the authority to make better laws. (Camille Fronk Olson, Women of the Old Testament, pg. 164)

Study Helps:
It may be that your calling is not to save a nation, or to lead one. But one thing is certain: you are here now not by chance but by design. If you will, you have a role to play in building the kingdom that will eventually produce Zion and prepare for the Second Coming of Christ. (Old Testament Institute Student Manual 1 Kings–Malachi, Chapter 31: Esther: Queen of Persia and Advocate for Her People)