The following is a recounting of Joan of Arc's story by Elder James E. Faust: “Your Light—A Standard to All Nations.”
“A few years ago I stood on the
spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. Young Joan of Arc, one
of the great heroines in history, became the unlikely standard-bearer for the
French army in the Dark Ages, long before the gospel was restored. Joan had the
Light of Christ and also the courage to follow its promptings and make a
difference. Joan was a peasant girl who could neither read nor write, but she
was bright. Long years of war with the English had impoverished and divided her
country. At 17, sensing her life had a purpose, she left home, determined to
help liberate her oppressed country. Naturally, people scoffed at her ideas and
thought she was a little crazy, but in the end she persuaded them to let her
have a horse and an escort to go and see the king.
“Young King Charles VII of
France had heard about Joan and decided to test her. He slipped into the ranks
of the army and let one of his trusted associates occupy the throne. When Joan
came into the room, she barely acknowledged the man on the throne, but promptly
walked up to Charles and curtsied to him as her king. This so impressed the
king that he gave her command over his 12,000 troops. At first the French
soldiers did not want to obey her, but when they saw that all who followed her
succeeded and all who disregarded her failed, they came to look upon her as
their leader.
“Clad in a suit of white armor
and flying her own standard, Joan of Arc liberated the besieged city of Orleans
in 1429 and defeated the English in four other battles. Twice she was wounded,
but each time she recovered and went on fighting. Her orders seemed to be those
of a military genius. She marched into the city of Reims and stood with sword
and banner in hand while Charles was crowned king. She fought in the Battle of
Paris until she was captured at Compiègne by English allies, who sold her to
the English for 16,000 francs. She was imprisoned, tried as a heretic, and then
burned at the stake in 1431.
“Although this is a sad ending,
it does not take away from Joan’s greatness. She was courageous enough to
follow the personal inspiration to which all of us are entitled. As the Lord
said to the Prophet Joseph Smith, “I am the true light that lighteth every man
that cometh into the world.”4
“To other girls in the fifteenth
century, Joan of Arc seemed to be very different. Sisters, don’t be afraid to
be different in our century!”
I'm honored to be on your list and I know that anything positive I have ever done for you, you would have done the same for me. You're a good woman.
ReplyDeleteOh, it's you Kristy! I just read your "about me" section. Haha! And that proves my point. : )
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