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Blogger Abby Maxwell Hansen writes, "What were the best (of the worst) Young Women's activities from the 1990s? Priesthood Appreciation night, book club for The Miracle of Forgiveness, STD awareness/sexual shaming night, free babysitting for ward members, or wash and iron the Sacrament tablecloths while the boys explain to you how their priesthood powers work?"
A knitting pattern is a beautiful promise. With just the right tools and materials, it says, you can make exactly what I have made. The pictures, at just the right light and angles, promise perfection.
"So here I am, in a semi-similar situation as my mother, that of a stay-at-home mom who put off her career long enough that starting over feels fruitless. There are so many avenues to take now that the path forward feels very daunting. That’s the sticky side of comfort. There is no one with a sword at my back forcing me to jump off a plank. I am not my family’s sole provider. But I’ll be damned if I lay on my couch and resent what could have been. I will choose to do my life differently now."
Blogger Nicole Sbitani writes, "It's Immigrant Heritage Month! So why do so many Mormons laud their European immigrant pioneer ancestors and then bemoan modern-day immigrants?"
"Teachings that my religion was superior and also a signal of God’s favor proved harmful; these things are what constructed my walls. I now see these ideas as contrary to Christ’s teachings, including his commandment to love our neighbors just as we love ourselves. I assume the people who taught me these things did so because they wanted me to feel special, empowered, and safe and confident in my faith. I don’t want to blame them, but now I can see the blind spots and hazards that come with such approaches. It’s something to move forward and away from."
What did I want?...I wanted the whole of the meeting to be a space created by the Relief Society presidency...I wanted for the Relief Society president to use her own power and authority to make changes to the organization.
A few years ago, kneeling by my bed at night, I asked Heavenly Father if it was OK to pray to Heavenly Mother. I remember an immediate, visceral sense of dis-ease as soon as I’d uttered those words. It took years to realize that discomfort wasn't a sign of something wrong; it was a part of my conditioning.