So, what’s up with Heavenly Mother? What do Mormons even believe about Her? Here’s an interesting theory (and rebuttal):
Recently, it was suggested in another blog post featured in Young Mormon Feminists that Heavenly Mother was Lucifer and that Heavenly Father viewed her as narcissistic and attention seeking. As a result, Heavenly Father turned against all those who were made in Heavenly Mother’s image- namely her daughters. Consequently, Eve was demonized once partaking of the “apple”, and all her female children would be barred from the Priesthood. Man would now rule over us.
The Zelph folks have isolated the root problem of the CoJCoL-dS. I agree that’s the central point, and yet there’s so much more! Take this fascinating and chilling bit of history for instance:
No acknowledgment or reply was ever received. Four months later came the excommunication of several vocal members of the Mormon academic and intellectual community in September 1993–The September Six. Among those excommunicated were some members of the Mormon Alliance. So perhaps, an answer to this letter was actually received, although in a way which reinforced the message of its warning.
Another effect of the lack of transparency is that people are stuck trying to piece together cryptic clues to figure out the CoJCoL-dS’s positions on central issues:
Senior Mormon apostle Russell M. Nelson gave the LDS Church’s hotly debated policy about gay couples and their children extra emphasis when he declared the action came as the result of a revelation from heaven to the faith’s prophet.
[…]
A spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has confirmed that the Nelson illustration has been removed from the lesson on “prophets and revelation” — as Mormon authorities continue to develop the new online training for teachers who instruct Mormon high-schoolers.
What the deletion means remains an open question.
For those members who want to see borderline members stay in the fold, there are good approaches and bad approaches:
Others were visibly so uncomfortable to be talking undies with a middle age sweating bro, they’d just checked out. Trying to drum up enthusiasm for the topic, he asked us to share how we are blessed by keeping our covenants to wear the garment appropriately. Sweet sweet awkward silence ensued. The sole comment was from an 80 year old lady who laughingly said “wearing too little hasn’t even crossed my mind the last two decades.” The RS women roared. Our stake is old as sin. Active young families are few and far between, we’ve got REAL problems, and THIS is the special message the stake delivers? Are they polling, carefully observing, or using peep(ing) stones to determine our inappropriate under-wearing? I could feel the RS president sitting next to me face palming with every fiber of her being.
In Mormon culture topics, we have Mormons and suicide, blaming girls for getting raped, and (not entirely unrelated) Mormons convincing themselves that sexual orientation is made up. Contrary to popular Mormon belief, sex addiction is not a thing.
Then there were a few lighter Mormon culture topics: Do Mormons really believe some of the wilder stuff in their scriptures? And that odd custom of using “Brother” and “Sister” as titles:
My personal favorite comes from when I was a small-town cop.
Weeping suspect: “Why won’t you give me a blessing, Brother Kirby?”
Me: “Because, dumbass, you’re under arrest for punching your wife. This is jail. You get a phone call but no blessing.”
And in life journeys, iGenIvy is celebrating the modern opportunities to make a positive change in the world and Monica has been falling in love again.
What a week! Happy reading!