The place to begin to improve society is in the home….We are trying to make the world better by making the family stronger.

President Gordon B. Hinckley, 1997

Temporal Responsibilities and Eternal Roles

The title of this chapter invokes a powerful image, one that hearkens back to ancient Roman times where priestesses kept ritualistic hearths in service to the gods. Women have always played an important, yet often unrecognized role in keeping and protecting hearth and home. In fact, the lesson gives examples of women throughout the scriptures who have done exactly this.

Faithful women and men have been true to this theology of the family and followed these standards, doctrines, and practices whenever the gospel has been on the earth. “Our glorious Mother Eve” and our “Father Adam” were leaders for their children, teaching them “the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.” Rebekah and Isaac ensured that priesthood covenants and blessings would not be lost for their family. A widow in the city of Zarephath was able to take care of her son because she had faith to follow the prophet Elijah. Two thousand sixty young warriors fought valiantly to protect their families, trusting their mothers’ promise that “God would deliver them.” As a young man, Jesus Christ “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man,” nurtured by the love and concern of His mother, Mary, and her husband, Joseph.

It does not matter if we are single or married, mothers or childless, each of us makes up an important piece of our mortal and human families. We will perform our roles differently depending on our individual circumstances but each of us does so in good faith.

The word on the street is that some bishops have learned about Wear Pants to Church Day and are scrambling to deal with the situation. Some are coming up with plans like taking down the names of women who wear pants in order to call them in later for personal worthiness interviews.

Mormon leaders, if you are reading this, pay attention. Please do not do this. Do not call these women in and question their righteousness. Do not give them the stink eye. Do not treat their pants as a personal attack on your ward.  Do not insist to them that the Church really does treat women as equals.

Instead, this is a golden opportunity to show these women that they are loved. When you see a woman wearing pants this Sunday, and particularly if you suspect the woman is wearing pants because of Pants Day, consider doing some of the following:

• Diffuse with humor and love: Go up to her and give her a hug or a handshake and a smile. Say, “Wow, you’re wearing pants! Is it because of Pants Day? I didn’t know our ward was this interesting!”
• Show sincere interest and sympathy: Tell her, “I understand that some women are wearing pants today because they are concerned with gender inequities at church. I don’t know if that’s why you are doing it, but if you are, I would love to talk to you sometime about this. I can’t promise I can do anything — my hands are tied in a lot of ways —  but maybe there is something I could do. And anyway, I’d be grateful to learn more about these issues.”
• React with pure love: Tell her, “I am so glad you came today. I’m glad you came wearing pants. Come every week wearing pants.  You are loved and you are wanted.”
• Be Practical And Affirmative: “I like your pants. I don’t know why more women don’t wear pants to church, particularly in the winter when it’s cold. And besides, it’s great for investigators to see women here wearing pants. Then they won’t feel out of place if they are wearing them.”

What are some other good ways leaders or just regular ward members might react? What should they definitely not do?

One of the more interesting aspects of this presidential election has been to view Mitt Romney through the lens of Mormonism. Having been born and bred in this culture myself, it has been fascinating to see how Romney exudes Mormonness even when not engaging with it. Like it or not, we are all products of our culture and Romney exhibits both the best and the worst that Mormonism has to offer. This post isn’t so much about Romney as it is about the culture of Mormon men that Mitt Romney embodies.

The following post includes my notes and thoughts on President Stephens’ first address for the General Relief Society meeting.

The theme for President Stephens’ address was a quote taken from Zina D. H. Young:

“Sisters, it is for us to be wide awake to our duties.”

It was an excellent way to start her talk as quotes from our early women leaders are used so sparingly and it is always thrilling to hear their powerful words. President Stephens shared that Sister Young’s words and those she also quoted from the scriptural prophets Paul and Alma caused her to consider what being wide awake to our duties should look like today. She started with the baptismal covenant that Alma spoke about and how the decision to be baptized causes us to change. 

by Descent

(Descent blogs at http://jenneology.blogspot.com. She is a mostly stay at home mother to three young children 5 and under. While they sleep, she runs off in the night to serve as a doula and midwife’s apprentice to laboring mothers.)

Clarissa Estes in Women Who Run With the Wolves tells the story of Bluebeard and uses Jungian psychological analysis to draw a parallel between the character of Bluebeard and a common theme in women’s dreams–that of the dark man preying on them.

As I read her analysis, I recalled a vivid dream that I had of a man preying on me. It occurred within the last year after my feminist awakening and I became aware of the pitfalls of patriarchy in my church culture. While the patriarchy I most often experience is of the benevolent kind, this dream was my subconscious hitting against the more threatening aspects of a patriarchal church culture.

The dream took place in an LDS church building during an evening activity.