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Apr 2006 Issue
by Camille Fronk Olson
Mary, Martha and Me is an “. . .engaging work on Jesus’ interactions with Mary and Martha of Bethany…it deserves a wide readership for its fresh and thoughtful rendering of familiar New Testament stories. –Publishers Weekly
Women familiar with the scriptural story of Mary and Martha in the New Testament will tell you that Mary chose “the better part,” and that Martha was chastised by the Savior. In a pioneering new look into the well-known biblical story of Mary and Martha, author Camille Fronk Olson sheds light on the two sisters in the book, Mary, Martha, and Me: Seeking the One Thing That Is Needful (Deseret Book, Hardcover, $15.95).
Olson, a professor of ancient scripture at BYU, sets the traditional biblical story in modern day by comparing her grandmother, a “Martha” who was constantly busy serving others, to herself, a “Mary,” a student of the gospel. Olson explains that the Savior graciously accepts all gifts, be it service to one another or devotion to Him. This book is for all those who have confused “Mary’s part” or “Martha’s part” as the one best thing, rather than “the one needful thing.” Olson says, “The message of Mary and Martha is not a generic, black-and-white answer to align me with one or the other of them. On the contrary, they give me the confidence to ask God directly what He wants me—specifically me—to do.”
