D&C 25

Paul wrote to the Corinthians -

"Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." (New Testament 1 Corinthians 14:34 - 35)

These words may seem quite troublesome to many Christians. As the Prophet Joseph Smith received inspiration in a revised translation, the Prophet replaced "speak" with "rule". This simple mistranslation of sacred writ now makes much more sense as the it has been given to the priesthood (not men) to preside or rule in meetings. It has always been given for women the same opportunity to speak, pray, testify, and teach spiritual matters. Referencing the Prophet, the Lord said to Emma Smith -

"...thou shalt be ordained [or set apart] under his hand to expound scriptures, and to exhort the church, according as it shall be given thee by my Spirit.
8 For he shall lay his hands upon thee, and thou shalt receive the Holy Ghost, and thy time shall be given to writing, and to learning much." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 25:7 - 8)

Even saying -

"...thou art an elect lady, whom I have called." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 25:3)

She was called to be the first president of a Society of Relief. She was called -

"...to make a selection of sacred hymns, as it shall be given thee, which is pleasing unto me, to be had in my church." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 25:11)

And even to -

"...the office of thy calling shall be for a comfort unto my servant, Joseph Smith, Jun., thy husband, in his afflictions, with consoling words, in the spirit of meekness.
6 And thou shalt go with him at the time of his going, and be unto him for a scribe, while there is no one to be a scribe for him..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 25:5 - 6)

Though the Lord called her to specific callings, the calling to exhort, study, write, and learn much was given to all women as the Lord concludes -

"...verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my voice unto all. Amen." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 25:16)

Of women, Elder Neal A. Maxwell said -

“We know so little, brothers and sisters, about the reasons for the division of duties between womanhood and manhood as well as between motherhood and priesthood. These were divinely determined in another time and another place. We are accustomed to focusing on the men of God because theirs is the priesthood and leadership line. But paralleling that authority line is a stream of righteous influence reflecting the remarkable women of God who have existed in all ages and dispensations, including our own. Greatness is not measured by coverage in column inches, either in newspapers or in the scriptures. The story of the women of God, therefore, is, for now, an untold drama within a drama. . . .

Just as certain men were foreordained from before the foundations of the world, so were certain women appointed to certain tasks. Divine design—not chance—brought Mary forward to be the mother of Jesus. The boy prophet, Joseph Smith, was blessed not only with a great father but also with a superb mother, Lucy Mack, who influenced a whole dispensation.

In our modern kingdom, it is no accident that women were, through the Relief Society, assigned compassionate service. So often the service of women seems instinctive, while that of some men seems more labored. It is precisely because the daughters of Zion are so uncommon that the adversary will not leave them alone. . . .

So often our sisters comfort others when their own needs are greater than those being comforted. That quality is like the generosity of Jesus on the cross. Empathy during agony is a portion of divinity!

When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses? When the surf of the centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand, the everlasting family will still be standing, because it is a celestial institution, formed outside telestial time. The women of God know this.

No wonder the men of God support and sustain you sisters in your unique roles, for the act of deserting home in order to shape society is like thoughtlessly removing crucial fingers from an imperiled dike in order to teach people to swim. . . .

Finally, remember: When we return to our real home, it will be with the ‘mutual approbation’ of those who reign in the ‘royal courts on high.’ There we will find beauty such as mortal ‘eye hath not seen’; we will hear sounds of surpassing music which mortal ‘ear hath not heard.’ Could such a regal homecoming be possible without the anticipatory arrangements of a Heavenly Mother?” (In Conference Report, Apr. 1978, pp. 13–15; or Ensign, May 1978, pp. 10–11.)