The chur
ch is full of individual teachings and stories. Despite attempts to correlate lessons plans and teachings, everyone has their own understanding of lessons and doctrine. It’s one of the things I love and struggle the most about the church. I’ve been taught lovely interpretations and been given uplifting lessons by individual teachers. I’ve also been taught scary things that I pray no one takes to heart but I know that they do.
This has been true for my of my experience in the church, including the Young Woman’s program. I loved many of my leaders, but was annoyed by what felt like a constant discussion of marriage. As someone who planned to go to college and have a career, I felt like my goals were not addressed. I’ve heard other women express similar feelings about their experience in Young Women’s, and other women say they never experienced that kind of push in their programs. i find the difference between individual programs and experiences interesting. Apparently, I”m not the only one. Recently, a survey was created to examine the experience of those who went through the Young Women’s program.
The thing I find most interesting about this survey is that more participants feel they were taught that marriage is their main objective than those who felt that they were taught that their main objective was to live the gospel, get an education or form a relationship with God. I find that a bit sad; finding a relationship with God is something everyone can do, whereas not everyone has the chance to get married.
This survey is fairly representative of my Young Women’s experience. But that’s just me. What about you? What is interesting to you about this survey? Does it resonate with you?
I think it is sad that so many have been taught that fornication is next to murder. I think this is a fear tactic and an incorrect interpretation of scripture. I think it is good that most did not discuss masturbation at YW. I think this is a personal matter that should be discussed within the family or with competent health professionals, not volunteer clergy. It is sad that so many report being taught myths to justify polygamy or the priesthood ban of women but it is understandable. People want explanations fir these things and we don’t have good ones.
I just glanced at the survey, but the results that I did see are sure disturbing.
I actually can’t remember much about my YW experience. (And I was Laurel president! the acme of my church career, I’m sure.) I know we definitely had lessons about getting married, and there was one unforgettable YW night thing about putting on makeup, from a woman whose husband thought she was ugly, so she got a makeover and it changed her life.
But I also know there was no discouragement of college. College for YW was expected in my area. Not much mention of career, I believe, though.
1300 is such an impressive sample size! And, I see they’re still doing surveys if people didn’t get a chance the first time around.
I’d love to see the age ranges of the participants and how/if that affected their answers.
Thanks for posting this, DG. I think it’s fascinating!
Thanks for bringing this up, DefyGravity. A couple that stuck out to me:
62) If a man becomes aroused (gets turned on) by what a woman wears, it is:
The woman’s fault 446 (40.7%)
Partially the woman’s fault 534 (48.7%)
Not the woman’s fault 117 (10.7%)
Elder Oaks’s walking porn view of women is alive and well.
46) A person’s virtue can be forcibly taken in situations like rape or abuse.
True 466 (41.8%)
Sometimes true 191 (17.1%)
Not true 459 (41.1%)
And so is President Kimball’s view on rape.
Yuck yuck yuck! How long before we get past these absurd, hurtful ideas?
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