Responding to the Church’s Instagram Snafu

Post by Anonymous. Wife + Mother. Working towards bringing abuse and inequality in the church towards women and children to light. 

(The following guest post is in response to a controversial post on the Church Instagram page on Sunday, March 17, 2043. As of today (March 19th) there are well over 7,000 comments posted, the overwhelming majority of which push back on the assertion that Latter-day Saint women are given power and authority in the church.)

The Mormon church is getting dragged for this and rightfully so. 

This first image was shared with ONLY this sentence before the rest of the talk was given. That’s a PR realm that I won’t talk about. 

I did want to talk about my experience being a woman (and a mother of daughters) in the LDS church. 

Let’s start with their greatest document, shall we?:

Marriage between a man and a woman is essential and ordained of God…Children are entitled to both a father and a mother. (Family proclamation).

Growing up I was taught about this divine plan (the plan of salvation). I was taught about a plan that God designed. Two other big name players: Jesus and Satan. 

Growing up I heard whisperings of Heavenly Mother, but I also saw how church authority responded: Don’t pray to her. We don’t talk about her. 

My entire life: who I was as a woman (what I should wear, how I should act, gospel lessons taught) was all dictated by men. When I went to the temple (a ceremony the church claims has the most truth and knowledge in its purest form) there wasn’t a single mention of women. In fact, God’s entire plan is created, designed, enacted and fulfilled solely by men. The only woman we do get is Eve, who is cursed because she did what God wanted her to do (which was eat the fruit) so the plan would be set in motion. 

Now for the facts: 

We know the Mormon church is comparable to the sexual assault (SA) statistics that the Catholic Church has. We also know that women are more likely to be physically, mentally, emotionally, financially abused in a patriarchal society. Add a patriarchal church to that and women are now at risk of being spiritually abused too. 

So we have this unspoken woman in the godhead, a mother that every child (according to the church) is ENTITLED to and yet her children cannot find her. She’s not in any part of any Mormon doctrine. And the response is simply: she’s too precious to talk about. 

Did you know that the most valuable painting in the world is the Mona Lisa? She’s not hidden away, people aren’t allowed to not look at her, not study her, not emulate her in their art and creativity. She is set on display for anyone in the world to view. She’s behind a glass wall but she’s still there. She’s still present. She’s not locked in some attic or basement because of her value. It’s her being displayed that makes her valuable. 

I’m so sick of the church gaslighting its women into thinking we’re equal or we’re so blessed when all we are receiving is breadcrumbs, and when men fail to get any revelation on the expansion of the role of women. Until a year ago I only existed in the temple or in my relationship with God via a husband. I’m sick of seeing young girls burnout and have low self esteem. I’m sick of seeing women torture themselves to fit into the box designed for them by a man. 

How different (and healthier) would women in the church be if they actually saw examples of men and women working equally together? If they knew of their Heavenly Mother (a mother they’re entitled to)? If they saw equal partnerships based on love and mutual respect? How fewer marriages would we have with a wife being the victim of spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, financial abuse? How much more confident would young women shine?

Girls are also more successful in life when they have female leadership at church. 

And don’t our men want that for us as women and as their daughters? Don’t our husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons desire the success, health and happiness of the women they love? 

I’m so tired of being told I have all this power and authority yet also told I cannot use it. 

So yes, this statement is laughable at best and thousands of women are being vocal about it, as they should be. It’s insulting and it’s completely false. Especially since the church just made $192,000,000 purchase from a church with a female prophet. Even Christ had female apostles, yet the modern-day church tells us “Don’t run faster than you are able”.

Below are some samples of comments left on this post. Go check out the Instagram post and add some of your own!

This post is part of a series related to the March 2024 debacle where 8,000+ comments, largely by women, responding to the LDS Church’s Instagram post quoting Sister J. Anette Dennis appeared to have been deleted for several hours. Though the comments were restored, Sister Dennis’ talk and the Instagram post have inspired significant thought and conversation.