Sunday in Outer Blogness: Another Mother’s Day Edition!

Yes, it’s every Mormon’s favorite holiday again! Time to talk about moms, and how motherhood is every woman’s most important role!

In the ongoing discussion about rape policies at BYU, we have a lot of discussion about how the CoJCoL-dS’s chastity/modesty teachings contribute to rape culture (not a new observation, it turns out).

Maybe it would be better for the church to spin off its universities…?

In other victim-blaming news, the CoJCoL-dS seems a little confused as to whether they want to invite people back or kick them out. The discussion continues on Tyler Glenn’s video (here are two podcasts). Jeffrey Holland’s charming speech doesn’t appear to have helped.

I feel like the church’s biggest problem is that they want everyone to stay Mormon by simply becoming that round peg that fits into the round hole that Mormonism has preparted for them. Look at the situation for singles:

Within the church, however, some institutional and cultural pressures tend to overlay doctrines of marriage and family with the idea that one isn’t fully an “adult” until he or she is married. A common and commonly commented upon illustration of this is the singles’ activity that requires the presence of advisors or supervisors who are younger and less-experienced but are married. The implication seems to be that returned-missionary, military-veteran, graduate-degree-holding, formerly-married people who aren’t married are not “adult” enough to manage their own activities but that a husband-and-wife team of twenty-three year-olds is.

In scriptures, the Book of Mormon has some difficulty agreeing with modern Mormon beliefs. The first vision has gotten some interesting new spin, though:

In an incredible show of cognitive dissonance, Richard Maynes (presidency of the Seventy), has declared that the various differing and contradictory accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision actually lend credibility to the event rather than detract from it. Can you imagine a lawyer in court making that conclusion about a witness who changed his or her story multiple times?

In books, we have a very exciting announcement!! Holly Welker has two new Mormon-related books out: Singing and Dancing to The Book of Mormon: Critical Essays on the Broadway Musical and Baring Witness: 36 Mormon Women Talk Candidly about Love, Sex, and Marriage (I’m proud to have contributed an essay to the latter). Also another ex?mo, Galen Dara, is in the running for a sci-fi/fantasy award. Plus, the Sunstone Foundation is starting this year’s fiction contest!

Speaking of Sunstone, don’t miss this podcast with Mary Ellen Robertson!

In personal stories, we have a tale of white privilege, an exciting mission escape, a year in IT, an illness, and the church stepping on a kid’s birthday wish:

Fifteen years old and all he wants is to spend time with his dad. This is going to end badly for dad who will probably have some painful regrets. However, I prophecy a happier ending for the son who will likely become an exmo, although due to this experience, a bitter exmo.

I can relate to the dad, and one of my many regrets is the time I spent on callings which I should have spent with my kids.

How about those US elections? sigh.

For those of you in SLC, Richard Carrier will soon be speaking in a venue near you!

Folks, sorry this one is a little late — the reason is actually kind of mothering-related (though I’m not entirely sure whether it’s Mothers’ Day here in Switzerland). In the afternoon, I went with my kids to the pool, and then my son created this elaborate Minecraft universe that he really, really wanted us all to play, so I spent the late afternoon and evening playing Minecraft with my kids. Then we all went to bed. Anyway, it’s done now — happy reading!