|
|
Website © 2005-2011 Compiled With: Caligra 2.0.2  |
|
Containing 4,827 Articles Spanning 341 Topics Ex-Mormon News, Stories And Recovery Online Since January 1, 2005 |
|
PLEASE NOTE:
If you have reached this page from an outside source such as an
Internet Search or forum referral, please note that this page
(the one you just landed on)
is an archive containing articles on
"WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3".
This website,
The Mormon Curtain
- is a website that blogs the Ex-Mormon world. You can
read
The Mormon Curtain FAQ
to understand the purpose of this website.
|
|
 | Tuesday, Mar 24, 2009, at 07:51 AM As A Devout Mormon Woman, Did You *feel* Equal? Now That You Look Back, *were* You? Original Author(s): Punky's Dilemma WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3 -Guid- | ↑ |
| The blog that Jim Huston was posting on has got me thinking about times in my young adulthood where I was bewildered that *anyone* would see LDS women as disempowered.
Of course, I was 19-21ish, going to school, and unmarried. After getting married, the more years that passed where my peers were bearing children, while I was still childless and in school, the more I understood what outsiders could already see. All of these 20 something women dropping out of school while their husbands stayed in, living at the poverty level and raising children. And always, *always* putting a good face on it, despite private expressions of depression, despair, and regret. Which, of course, got externalized at *me* from time to time. Other women wished that *they* were still in school, or that they had finished their degrees, and some of them dealt with it by asking pointed questions about when I would have a baby. I wasn't very open about my fertility issues. Left to my own devices, I would have joined them and prematurely ended my education. I almost did at several points, but those pregnancies did not result in living children. By the time I had my first living child, my friends all had 2-3 children, and were at home. I remained in school, and finished my Ph.D. Following that, I "opted out" and became a full-time SAHM. Which was a *disaster* I was intellectually unstimulated, depressed, and unchallenged. People can and likely will politicize this comment, but caring for one child all day in a tidy little house in the suburbs in mind-numbingly boring and relatively easy. I was going crazy slowly. I was planning meals out a month in advance, and had Martha Stewarted the hell out of my life. I had too much time, and not enough challenge. Soon after, for entirely different reasons, I left the mormon church, and found my way back into the world of work. My husband remarked that I had returned to "normal." I was happy, energetic, and enthusiastic again. I became pregnant with our second child. I continued working in different capacities and at a couple of different positions. And, what I found in my personal experience is what many vocational psychologists already empirically knew. Vocation is a primary source of self-esteem and self-competence in people's lives. If my vocation had been as a homemaker, I may have been much happier as a SAHM. But it wasn't for me (or for my kids, for that matter. And, as I got better, everything else got better. I work a compressed week, so that I can spend more time with my children. At this moment while I am typing, I am listening to them laugh and play in the next room. I do not feel depression, regret, or doubt about my decisions to work. I'm not here to say what other people's choices should be. All families are different, and have different needs and different resources/opportunities. But, I do know that if I had followed the "counsel" of the mormon authorities and traditions of mormon culture, by this point in my life I would be an emotional wreck, and trying desperately to portray the opposite. I know that I got to this point through a great deal of luck, and due to some unconscious part of me that constantly sought to preserve my self-hood in the middle of enormous pressure to deny it. And I know, without a doubt, that had I allowed the LDS church and culture to exchange my inner voice for the voice of the "spirit" I could not have survived my LDS experience intact. |
| | Wednesday, Jun 17, 2009, at 07:46 AM "Avoiding The Appearance Of Evil." Now I'm Offended. Original Author(s): Sandie WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3 -Guid- | ↑ |
| Years ago, I could not get a ride to the location where the temple bus was located, 5 miles from home. The bus trip took 3 hours one way.
I called around and found out that only males were going; the mothers had Mom duty. But, I could not get a ride to the pick up spot because the males could not take a female alone in their car. Finally, in despiration, I called the bishop for a ride. He was going, but couldn't pick me up either. I explained, "But I'm going to miss the temple trip!" He replied, "God will understand." Me: "But I *really* want to go. Bishop: "I cannot take you." No one offered to pay for cab fare. I certaintly wasn't going to pay for it since one of the brothers going lived one street over. Here we are at the present situation: I signed up to help out at the Christian youth camp. I'm going to be driving alone for three hours because the other person scheduled to go and serve the youth is a male. OK.... So...We can't travel in the SAME car together. The male's response: "I (meaning him) don't drive alone in a car or be anywhere with a woman. If I don't, I don't put myself at risk. If we don't travel together, then I am not at risk." I responded, "See you there!" At risk for what? What offends me is that I have more respect for MYSELF and the other person to NOT put him (anyone else for that matter) in a compromising position. I even explained the need to avoid the appearance of evil, but that my DH and I have no problem with me picking up ANYONE in route to the camp. The person in question is nearly 70 years old. I haven't had any wet dreams about humping the guy. He lives one parallel road off the main drag through town, and it wouldn't take 5 minutes to get to his home. I'm venting. I respect his decision, but there are times when these types of situations have that "stupidity factor." This is one of them. |
| | Thursday, Jun 25, 2009, at 09:50 AM You Want To Know What It's Like To Be Single In Mormondom? Original Author(s): Deenie, the dreaded single adult WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3 -Guid- | ↑ |
| The first time someone ever told me "It's okay if you're not married; heavenly father will assign you a husband in the CK!"--I was 19 years old.
Yes, 19. With a "1" in the front. Nine-TEEN. And they thought I needed to be consoled because of my unmarried status. I should have gotten the big clue and run like heck, but I didn't. After all, I was dating. A lot. With long-term relationships, and everything. I wasn't worried. So I just blew it off. I wish I'd run... Rather than go back through all of the stories I've recounted on this board (don't worry; I'll repeat them if they're topical), I'll give a big summary: The mormon church treats all unmarried members as if they are children. (Note: In my stake, that refers to 'never-married' only; divorced folks, unmarried moms--both are higher up on the 'have a right to live' scale. I've heard otherwise from some folks, but in my stake, never-married meant "lower than a snake's belly.") Amusing anecdote: A 15-year-old girl in our ward became pregnant. I was home from college (where I'd been baptized) and working full-time. The ward held a baby shower, but I didn't feel that I ought to attend; I'd never met the girl, personally, and wasn't making a ton of money, myself... The Sunday after the shower, I was accosted by a woman in the ward: "Why didn't you come to Betty Boop's shower, and bring a gift?" I was caught completely off-guard, and stammered, "Well, I...I...I don't even know her, or her family, really, and I didn't think I'd be missed...she doesn't know me..." "Nonsense!" the woman thundered, "since you're both the same age!" I was 25--ten YEARS older than the teen! But, as an unmarried woman, I was deemed her equal. Ward and stake singles' activities are planned and held the way Primary and YM/YW activities are: Everyone meets at the church building; rides are arranged by the "leader," (or the event is held at the church building); all events must be on a 'calendar' a year in advance--which eliminates most seasonal or community events, since the dates can't be determined before they're announced. During my stints as singles' ward activities chair, or stake singles' activity coordinator (before we had the singles' ward), I tried to inject some life into the same old grind of board game night, movie night, dance, Fast-Sunday dinner...and again the next month...and again the next month... (Even the movies had to be Disney or old, old classic...'Wuthering Heights' from 1939 had to be stopped in the middle, so we could be admonished that Cathy Earnshaw should *not* be drinking an alcoholic beverage to ward off a chill, when she's brought into the Linton's home, injured...) We had one bishop who delighted in bringing his family's home movies of their vacations for all of us to watch, as a "fireside" or "FHE." I made sure I was on the refreshment committee for those nights, with lots and LOTS to prepare...!! Anyway, all changes that would make the activites more age-appropriate and fun were either complained about or totally forbidden... Meet at a theater, to buy tickets to a current movie? No way! Schedule an all-day outing to Point Pelee Park in Canada (not very far...and long before 9/11...)--shocking! (but we did it!) I was met with opposition at every turn, until I was finally released when I flat-out refused to comply with a bishop's demands. Activities such as decorating the inside covers of copies of the BoM for missionaries--with crayons, markers, glitter, and Polaroid photos of ourselves...and testimonies, of course (I'm in doing refreshments, again!); making love-bombing cards or treat plates for inactives; "parties" where you're not allowed to sit and converse, but must play long games like "Trivial Pursuit" or "Pictionary" in teams all night; museum "field trips," where we all walk together in a big lump from one exhibit to the next; putt-putt golf (again, in big, clumpy teams)...all things you could easily do with a Brownie or Cub Scout troop--these were the activities the singles were supposed to enjoy. Our comments and opinions were not respected in RS; rolled eyes, and even audible comments like, "What does SHE know? She's not even MARRIED!" were common. Lack of respect for college-educated women who were supporting themselves: Weekly comment in the 'family' ward (I'm not kidding!), "So, do you still work at that...uh...PLACE?" Me: "Yes; it's called a school, and I am the teacher..." They persisted in treating me as if I were some migrant fruit-picker, who roamed from job to job as the seasons turned. I worked at the same job for 23 years. I swear to God, *every week* in the family ward, that dialog played itself out. As the years went on, and I wasn't married (and was eventually booted out of the Singles' ward that I helped create), my self-esteem eroded until I no longer recognized myself. I was, one day, shocked to realize the difference between the 'me' I saw on Friday and Saturday night, singing in coffeehouses or at jams with non-mo friends (who I found after being kicked out of the singles' ward...but that's another story)--and the 'me' of Sunday morning, directing the music, then shuffling off with my head down (often out the back door, to get a bagel and herbal tea durning Sunday School!), slinking into RS (if I came back), and then hopping out the back door before anyone noticed me--and made a crack about why I was single, or why I didn't do this, that, or the other thing; why I didn't donate more money/time/free music lessons/whatever to their cause-'o-the-moment... As I said, I was shocked. And scared. If I kept going to church, would the real 'me' disappear altogether? It seemed likely. So I left--and never looked back. Whew!! That was a long one! |
| | Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009, at 07:38 AM The Church Damages Women Original Author(s): Kaleidoscope WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3 -Guid- | ↑ |
| As I distance myself from the church I am finally able to really see the shit I accepted as reality. I am really seeing the damage I allowed the organization to inflict on me through my choices which I based on following the prophet. And I am pissed.
For example…when I had our first kid I quit my job and stayed home because that is what the prophet said I should do. We definitely could have used my income since DH was in school full time. I stayed at home for at least 13 years…my only friends were ward members, I mostly read church books, saw no R-rated movies, we even had church leaders saying not to watch the news. I had totally shut myself off from truly normal society. Don’t get me wrong, staying home with my kids was wonderful and I am glad I was there for them, however I am seeing the damage… time for myself lost, friendships lost, personal growth lost. I think women in the church are damaged unless they are able to break free of the cloning mentality and really expand themselves beyond the church, which is so hard to do because being a good mormon woman totally controls your whole life. I am realizing that as I leave the mormon lifestyle behind I really didn’t have as many true friends as I thought, it is a sad realization that this organization had such a negative effect that I am still just figuring out how deep it really goes. I am so glad to be putting all the bullshit behind me! |
| | Friday, Oct 1, 2010, at 08:54 AM Scamming The Young Women Original Author(s): Willy Law WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3 -Guid- | ↑ |
| Maybe some of you ladies that went through the YW program can chime in and agree or disagree with my wife and I.
We were having a conversation at lunch today about our wedding. Even in our TBM days we used to joke about what a horrible day it was. The only slot we could get in the assembly line that is the SLC temple wedding machine was 8AM. Which means we had to be at the temple at 6AM. Neither of us are morning people and it made for a groggy morning that got worse as the morning went on. Anyway we started talking about how that temple wedding is built up to the YW from the time they are 12. They are indoctrinated to believe that their temple wedding will surpass any wedding they could imagine outside of the temple. To us this is a complete scam. Most of these girls have been to civil weddings and seen how beautiful they are and what a special day it is for the bride, their families and friends. They are then told how much more wonderful their wedding will be inside the temple. We estimated that 90% of women married in the temple have never seen a sealing before, they really have no idea what they are in for and take their leaders words as gospel that it is far and away more special than a civil wedding. Then they arrive at the temple at 6AM, too tired to comprehend what is going on. They are dressed in strange clothes and escorted into room where their husband to be is dressed like the bastard child of a masonic french baker. The ceremony itself is devoid of any expression of love or affection for your spouse, instead you are given some instruction by some old guy dressed in white that neither of you know and then you answer yes to something read directly from D&C. This is a classic bait and switch. For now these YW are magic underwear wearing members of the masonic endowment club. The day most of them have been dreaming of becomes, like my wife, just a blur of confusion and let downs that you cannot discuss with anyone. |
| | Tuesday, Nov 2, 2010, at 07:49 AM Testimonies The Church Would Rather Have You Not See Original Author(s): weeder WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3 -Guid- | ↑ |
| There were two things that really made me look closer at the church with a critical eye as a TBM. I was really and UBER-church-history buff and for several years I spent two or three days of my work week in the Church Historian's office looking at old documents (this was well before the serious security crackdowns on those materials).
The two items of historical interest that I think EVERY mormon should read are these:
Her works taught me (as a TBM) the beauty of the Adam-God doctrine (which is very, VERY un-Christian if you ask me) and what is more, in Women of Mormondom, her voice isn't the only "testimony". These books illustrate how thinking mormons thought about their religion in the late 19th century -- and it is a far FAR cry from ANYTHING being taught in the church today (which is pretty easy now-a-days now that the message is: pay tithes and hate gays and vote GOP). The Church has taken considerable efforts to make sure these materials are very hard to come by -- and I witnessed those efforts first hand. Fortunately the "Women of Mormonism" is such that one can still find copies, -- the volumes of poetry, unfortunately, is quite completely in control of the church and so one would be very hard pressed to gain access to these collected poems today -- the Church just doesn't want you to go there. I feel happy (for myself) that I was able to see and read these things and know how much the Saints of the 1890s believed Adam was God -- Heavenly Father, and how their notion of creation so differs from what is taught today. |
| | Monday, Nov 8, 2010, at 07:49 AM What Patriarchal Nonsense? Original Author(s): MsJack WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3 -Guid- | ↑ |
| 1. The church teaches that husbands "preside" over their wives. See the Proclamation on the Family. The Dictionary definition of "preside" is "to exercise authority or control." My husband does not exercise authority over me or control me.
2. The church teaches that wives are to "hearken" to their husbands. See the endowment ceremony. Prior to 1990, the wording was "obey." I do not "hearken" to my husband nor do I obey him; we mutually and lovingly submit to one another according to each others' needs. 3. The church teaches that only men hold priesthood authority. There is no such thing as equality without equal access to authority. I don't believe that my husband holds any power or authority that I cannot hold. 4. The church teaches that leadership in the home is supposed to be "patriarchal." "Patriarchal" means "rule by men." My husband does not rule in my home at all, let alone by virtue of being a man. 5. The church teaches that women should choose homemaking and childrearing over having a career. I am in graduate school training for a full-time career with my husband's blessing and he nurtures and cares for our daughter every bit as much as I do. There's even a possibility he will be a full-time SAHP someday. I agree that many, many individual Mormon families functionally ignore what the LDS church teaches about male headship in the home. That is because our society is trending towards egalitarianism and they are following society's trends, not because the LDS church is leading the charge. Many LDS church manuals still contain quotes about male headship and female submission. |
| | Friday, Dec 17, 2010, at 07:39 AM Bishop Treated My Rape As A Law Of Chastity Violation Original Author(s): Anonymous WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3 -Guid- | ↑ |
| I’ve never been good with change, and any decision for me takes a long time to think over. Even while I am making purchases, I will agonize on whether I should actually buy something for weeks before I take the step to actually make the purchase. I am very calculated and I study and read constantly, so to this day, my conversion to Mormonism is shocking and can only be attributed to the fact that I was still suffering from a personal trauma.
I experimented in Mormonism in high school because I had lots of Mormon friends and it was a great place to be social, plus it was very interesting to me. As I continued to read into Mormonism I became more and more turned off by the sexism, the racism, and the homophobia, just to name a few. I was also sick and tired of lessons with the missionaries and I was sick of them asking me to be baptized, but I went off to college in the fall and with that I left Mormonism behind me. I thought I was done forever when I got to school, and for the entire year, I was right. I had friends who I could be my liberal-non-modest self with and I was very happy. My year seemed to go very well until I was brutally attacked and raped by a close friend. When I returned home early from school I was a wreck and the only people home were all my Mormon friends, so naturally I flocked right back to the church ,and when I was asked if I would commit to be baptized I said yes and was baptized a week later. I was so in need of being in control of my life, having control over something, I chose to be baptized and little did I know, that the church would not help me get over my rape, or help me regain control over my life. I should have known though. My friends could tell that something was wrong with me, I was no longer the girl accepting dates left and right, I was no longer the loud, energetic, adventurous and lovable Caitie they used to know. So finally I broke down and told one of my friends whom I was very very close to. Things started to get better and as the summer went on I started to become my normal self, so much in fact that I was distraught and almost caught off guard to see myself in the church again, in fact actually a member of the church. For the rest of the summer the Bishop kept me on a watch of some sort due to my associations that were “troubling”. I volunteered at Planned Parenthood and I worked for two gay men, and I was a vocal supporter of Gay rights on Facebook and social events outside of the church. When everyone left to go back to school, I stayed home. I was not ready to return to my college yet and I was in no rush to do so. But once all my friends left, I stopped attending the church. In my absence I was often love bombed with cookies and scripture quotes and candles and assorted methods many Relief Societies tend to utilize. I left the church alone, but they didn’t leave me alone. Two weeks ago I received a call from my Bishop asking for an appointment to meet with me, and wanting him to call off the love bombs I consented. When I arrived at the meeting he began with the typical small talk and then started asking me if I was following the law of chastity, the WoW and all of those regular questions. I was caught off guard but I answered all truthfully, that yes, I was following all those rules, because naturally they come to me, not because I was a practicing Mormon. His face grew angry and then he started to admonish me for lying to him, that he has heard from a reputable source that I have broken the law of chastity and have engaged in an abortion. He listed off such personal details I started to cry. He was reciting my rape experience, except in a way where I was the party to blame, the loose one. I was in complete shock that my friend had betrayed me so much, but also that my Bishop was blaming me for my rape. He was trying to tell me how I have disgraced my good name when I got up and left the meeting. So far he has tried to contact me since that meeting, but I am furious. At the moment I am in a state where I am not sure how to react to the church but I can’t say I am too surprised. |
| | Friday, Dec 17, 2010, at 07:41 AM I Was Raped At 15 By My 30-Year-Old, Priesthood-Holding Stepbrother Original Author(s): Anonymous WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3 -Guid- | ↑ |
| And now you know why I resigned.
I was raped at 15 by my 30-year-old, priesthood-holding stepbrother. He was never prosecuted. He was excommunicated. I was also put through a bishop's court (as a minor, with no parental guidance or supervision) and disciplined by the bishop. I believe I was put on probation (half a step down from disfellowship) for six months. After six months, I approached the bishop to ask to be reinstated. He told me he didn't think I'd forgiven myself yet and he'd reinstate me in a few months when he thought I'd properly repented. I remember blinking at that a few times and then asked, "Forgive myself for WHAT, exactly? I didn't take advantage of anyone; what do I have to forgive myself for?" Because there is no reasonable answer to that question, he told me to pray for the answer to it, and left me standing there, boiling furious. I left the church as soon as I turned 18. When the Elizabeth Smart case came up, I heard Ed Smart say her bishop told her she was still pure and chaste. The double standard -- a cute, blonde, high-profile Utah mormon vs. a "mission field" kid who was the child of nobody parents -- the inconsistency in church policy, all of it brought back every bit of that white-hot livid rage at being blamed and punished for my own rape and made to feel like a filthy whore for not fighting to the death. So yeah. It happens a lot. I'm sorry. Go to www.rainn.org, find yourself some counseling and if you think it's right for you, leave the church. Do not allow the bishop to try and convict you for this. He will. I would even consider retaining an attorney, if you can, and sue him for... something. Too bad "blame the victim" isn't against the law. You could sue for slander if you hear anything about your case from the ward grapevine. Or libel if you can get a copy of anything he wrote down and distributed (like copies of his notes from the interview). |
| | Wednesday, Jan 12, 2011, at 08:05 AM The Truth - Reasons For Female Grass Roots Opposition ERA In 70's Original Author(s): anagrammy WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3 -Guid- | ↑ |
| This is what I experienced. The reason women opposed the ERA were very personal and they were made personal by the fears of Mormon housewives. I was living in Pleasant Grove and it was 1973 and I was a single mother raising five children.
Word came through Relief Society that a woman in Richfield had done some research and formed a PAC called the Hot Doggers. She claimed that women were being offered a "hot dog" instead of a "steak." She was exposing the truth behind the Equal Rights Amendment. The Richfield group distributed mimeographed sheets (purple ink) listing the various reasons this proposed Equal Rights Amendment was BAD for women--and that we MOrmon women had to stand up and save the family. We were being tricked by feminists. A group of us drove down to Richfield and met with these women. It really was just a bunch of housewives who were pretty worked up. There argument was that women had a privileged place in society and this ERA was going to tear that down and make us the same--they were going to take away our privileges: *the privilege of the presumption of custody of children going to the mother in divorces. *we would have to compete with men on equal footing as to who could provide the best home for the children. Women are plunged into poverty after divorce and we can't earn as much, so they could show a judge that they could afford a live-in nanny and could afford to keep the children in the same home. Divorced women would all be replaced by professional nannies. *history has shown that equality means the lowest common denominator. We would lose the couches that employers are required to provide in women's restrooms in the workplace. Now no one, men or women, would have a place to lie down. *unisex bathrooms means you would have to take your children into a men's bathroom. Men are pigs--have you ever looked inside a filling station men's room? Its where they have that homosexual activity. *men will stop opening doors for women. *the ERA is unfair UNTIL wages are equal. Women shouldn't be saddled with the same responsibilities without an equal ability to meet those responsibilities financially. *our young girls will be drafted into the military. *mothers with babies will be drafted and since there's no preference for the female as a caregiver, the father can choose to care for the baby and avoid going to war that way. *our young women will be forced into combat. *our daughters will be raped in the military. *our daughters would risk becoming POW's and living the live of a sex slave, if not killed or mutilated outright. These are just the ones I remember off the top of my head. The Richmond group and our Pleasant Grove group met at the Eagle Forum for their next monthly meeting and Phyllis Schlafly was there. She had basically appropriated all these arguments and added the over-arching "This threatens the family" title and the mobilization began in earnest. The Richfield woman's name faded into the dust and Phyllis became the spokesperson for the preservation of preferential treatment for women. I hope this explains some of what has dimmed over time and why so many women, including me, opposed the ERA. It appears to be irrational from today's perspective, but it was just your basic cult fear mongering. |
| | Tuesday, Feb 1, 2011, at 07:38 AM The "Young Women" Program Is Just The Frosting On The Cult Original Author(s): villager WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3 -Guid- | ↑ |
| Of all the programs in the LDS church, I have to rate the YW as the absolute worst. I am biased because I have daughters who have participated to some degree.
The new young women's president in our ward called me one day when my youngest daughter was laurel age. She knew I wasn't active and I am sure it took some courage on her part to call me and be upfront about the church. We were friends before her calling and hopefully still are. I appreciate her call so that we could have a truthful conversation about my daughter and the mormon churches desire to indoctrinate her. She asked me what I wanted my daughter to gain from the Young Womens Program. I told her we are part of the neighborhood and I want the girls to be friends and that is all. On the occasion my daughter wants to attend it will be her choice, but there really isn't anything that YW offers that I want for my daughter. Nada. I told her I am especially bothered by the church encouraging young marriages and not encouraging girls to get an education before getting married. I don't care if my daughter marries in the temple or not, I would just as soon she didn't. I certainly don't want her to feel like a failure if she doesn't. She admitted that LDS girls are getting married awfully young and that there are a "few" lessons on marriage. (She has a graduate degree and is very talented.) I told her I had looked at the personal progress book and noted that the main objective of the program was to prepare teen girls for early temple marriages. This starts at age 13 and it isn't really what I want for my daughter. My daughter attended a few times but then came home one night and said she wasn't going anymore. I asked what happened. She said they always call and tell her they are having a super fun activity, she decides to go and then it turns into something like scripture reading or a church lesson. She isn't familiar with BOM scripture so she just feels stupid. It was just bait and switch and it wasn't ever very fun. So please if you are considering letting your daughter attend this creepy toxic YW program get all the materials and read through them first. Here is a link that is just an example what they are being taught. http://www.suite101.com/content/lds-mutual-activity-on-temple-marriage-a136556 Thanks for letting me rant. |
| | Monday, Apr 18, 2011, at 08:43 AM I See This As A Huge Stumbling Block To The Future Of LDS Inc Original Author(s): Brother Of Jerry WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3 -Guid- | ↑ |
| Not that there aren't plenty of other stumbling blocks, but this is going to be a biggie.
I knew a woman in Utah who worked as an engineer for Rocky Mtn Power. Her job was to work with companies building factories to determine what power they needed and how it should be delivered - 110V, 220V, two phase, three phase, how many transformers, feeder lines, that sort of thing. She said it drove her nuts to work with Mormon corporate officers, particularly in Utah County (south SL County and central Utah were her primary areas) because many of them had no idea how to interact with a woman. Some were completely incapable of making eye contact, and the concept of asking for advice from a woman and then taking it just made their brains freeze up. Of course, inside LDS Inc, you will never see a woman "preside" at any meeting containing any priesthood members - i.e. any male over the age of 12 that is minimally active in LDS Inc. Contrast this to the outside world where having a female supervisor, shift manager, project manager, general manager, lawyer, doctor, or coworker with authority and responsibility equal to a male coworker is the norm, and in some cases is the more likely case, rather than exception, these days. Most people born after 1970 or so are going to look at the social organization of LDS Inc and think WTF. LDS Inc is a lot like the Amish, except instead of freezing itself culturally in the early 17th century, they have frozen themselves at 1957. It didn't look that odd at first to be frozen at 1957, but as that time recedes farther into the past, we are starting to reach that WTF moment. As in: "Women have to wear dresses to services, and can never be in charge of a group unless it is 'just' other women and children? WTF?" There are a lot of academically and athletically talented women at BYU. Why their heads just don't explode from cognitive dissonance is beyond me. |
| | Tuesday, Apr 19, 2011, at 11:05 AM Woman Make Me Donuts Or Lose Your Salvation! Original Author(s): JoD3:360 WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3 -Guid- | ↑ |
| "Tonight I am attending with a son, sons-in-law, and grandsons. Where are their mothers? Gathered in the kitchen of our home! What are they doing? Making large batches of homemade doughnuts! And when we return home, we will feast on those doughnuts. While we enjoy them, these mothers, sisters, and daughters will listen intently as each of us speaks of things he learned here tonight. It’s a nice family tradition, symbolic of the fact that everything we learn and do as priesthood bearers should bless our families."
- Apostle Russell M. Nelson, "Our Sacred Duty to Honor Women," Ensign, May 1999 Brigham Young would surely sustain Nelsons words, and chastize any woman not pleased with her lot: Sisters, do you wish to make yourselves happy? Then what is your duty? It is for you to bear children... are you tormenting yourselves by thinking that your husbands do not love you? I would not care whether they loved a particle or not; but I would cry out, like one of old, in the joy of my heart, ‘I have got a man from the Lord! Hallelujah! I am a mother...’” - Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 9, p. 37 Outrage you say? Surely the woman who loves her children and her God would stand by her man and feed him donuts and give him his props for being her ticket to the Celestial Kingdom: Do you uphold your husband before God as your lord? "What!—my husband to be my lord?" I ask, Can you get into the celestial kingdom without him? Have any of you been there? You will remember that you never got into the celestial kingdom without the aid of your husband. If you did, it was because your husband was away, and some one had to act proxy for him. No woman will get into the celestial kingdom, except her husband receives her, if she is worthy to have a husband; and if not, somebody will receive her as a servant. Author: Erastus Snow Source: Journal Of Discourses Volume: 5 Page: 291 Perhaps this seems harsh dear sisters, but do you really deserve the love of your Priesthood holder? And what of you, you holders of the Priesthood, do you deserve to be loved by your wife? No, not unless you provide her with salvation in the heavenly kingdom: When the wife secures to herself a glorious resurrection, she is worthy of the full measure of the love of the faithful husband, but never before. And when a man has passed through the vail, and secured to himself an eternal exaltation, he is then worthy of the love of his wife and children, and not until then, unless he has received the promise of and is sealed up unto eternal lives. Then he may be an object fully worthy of their affections and love on the earth, and not before. Journal of Discourses Vol.3:360 Brigham Young So wives, make those donuts for your lord, and men, be faithful so that you can get your wife into heaven and eventually earn her love. And may we find true future happiness in the next world as a reward for following the words of our prophets and giving up our happiness in this world... |
| | Friday, Apr 22, 2011, at 08:00 AM Young Womens Camp Is Just Mormon Indoctrination Camp Original Author(s): CA girl WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3 -Guid- | ↑ |
| My daughter's YW leader dropped by her information for camp - not that my daughter has expressed the slightest interest in going away with the Mormons for a week. But of course, the leaders don't let that stop them. But since daughter has a couple of friends going, I thought I'd let her decide if she wants to go and hold my breath that she'd decide not to go. No worries. Daughter was completely turned off of camp when she saw that 6 of the first 8 items on the packing list were:
Scriptures - Personal Progress Book - Strength of the Youth Book - May 2011 Conference Ensign - Journal - Pen. Geez, they aren't even subtle about it. Right off the bat, you know you are going to get trained in Mormonism. Camping is secondary. If you are a YW, the church leaders are just taking you off into the wilderness, away from your family, to have Mormonism pounded into your head. And, they are only going for 3 nights - Tuesday p.m. to Friday a.m. The Boy Scouts (i.e. Young Men) go from Monday a.m. to Saturday afternoon. |
| | Monday, May 16, 2011, at 08:00 AM Teaching Our Youth To Fear And Shun. A Lesson In Faith For The Young Women. Original Author(s): The Man in Black WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3 -Guid- | ↑ |
| When looking for proof of the indoctrination of Mormon youth to ostracize, shun, and live lives of intolerance, one need look no further than the official lessons.
Here are a few gems of enlightenment from a the young women's manual. "What will people be doing throughout eternity?http://lds.org/manual/print/young-wom... If it's not already obvious what does this teach a young woman? It teaches her that her marriage is trash if she's not married in the temple. It teaches her to prioritize her wedding location over the qualities of her spouse. It teaches a young woman that if she marries a non-Mormon she is doomed. What an uplifting little message! Also, the lesson doesn't say it directly (but it implies it), an unworthy or non-believing spouse is not worth having. Teach em while their young and you can get em to believe all kinds of great stuff. You know, like, "Youth, trained girls as physically fit future mothers and homemakers." And of course, "Youth leaders used tightly controlled group activities and staged propaganda events such as mass rallies full of ritual and spectacle to create the illusion of one national community..." http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.p... http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/o... |
| | Friday, Jun 24, 2011, at 08:06 AM Bare Shoulders Are Not The Same As A Double-Pierced Ear Original Author(s): Elder Berry WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3 -Guid- | ↑ |
| I love how Mormons draw the most attenuated links to fit their standards.
http://www.mormontimes.com/article/21... "Whether you agree with her stance or not, you have to respect and admire her commitment to her faith, especially when it would be so much easier for her to give in to pressure, living half a world away from home."I don't have to respect and admire her at all. So, if a religion doesn't allow a woman's face to be uncovered and she wants to play basketball, Team Burka will appear on the scene? I admire her dedication and commitment to basketball, not her religion. I think she is silly. Why did Steve Young play football on The Sabbath Via? Huh? No article about me having to respect and admire him in his sports playing? "The young man made the observation that someone who didn't heed the prophet's counsel on something so seemingly trivial as earrings may be a portent of one unwilling to make more important sacrifices as a future spouse."I do admire and respect people with firm convictions religious or otherwise, but when you mix them together with obvious contradiction and you do it willingly like the woman playing basketball and requiring her whole team to adhere to her standards for their team to play is just a silly contradiction. It is like a musician with a religion that prohibits the playing of music just not the creation of it. All of the sudden I HAVE TO respect his not attending a debut concert of his own music for fear he would hear it? Why people admire the absurdities human life creates in following its various and often nonsensical beliefs is beyond me. I admire their personal convictions when they are personal. when they become public spectacles I do not admire them. I actually admire the young man who is willing to follow his prophet in a totally ridiculous standard more than I would ever admire a young woman forcing her team to ape her for her religion. |
| | Tuesday, Sep 13, 2011, at 12:50 PM Top 5 Ways To Know You Are An LDS Young Woman Original Author(s): Lost WOMEN AND MORMONISM - SECTION 3 -Guid- | ↑ |
| 5. The Relief Society President came to your Beehive class and handed out copies of Daughters in my Kingdom, 'cause its not too long before you turn 18.
4. The SP's son, who just got his mission call to Africa, wants you to hold his "quad" for him until he returns. 3. All your Mogas (mormon girlfriends) are exited about the "Temple Dress Tryouts" coming up next week. 2. You feel especially virtuous after the Licked Cupcake lesson in YW & very rigorous worthiness interview with the Bish on Sunday. Drumroll please: 1. You got the "Dog Food" gift from the Young Woman yesterday. |