Blog Tag: authority
3060
Written by
12
Responding to the Church’s Instagram Snafu
"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."
607
Written by
When Our Sons Put on Priesthood Blinders
After our sons enter the young men's program, the scales shift dramatically. It's as if they are handed a pair of priesthood blinders, allowing them to see and experience the world differently.
1876
Written by
When the Church Won’t Say Sorry: Mormon Doctrine
All of this avoidable pain, suffering, and confusion from McConkie's Mormon Doctrine just to save one man from “embarrassment” and “lessened influence." This is what happens when the Church won’t say sorry.
1158
Written by
Playing Sacrament
I could not conscientiously prohibit my daughter's actions. I want her to explore a world where she has the power to create meaningful spiritual experiences. I want her to experience a connection with God in the way that is most intuitive to her. I want her to experiment with the ways she can use her mind and body to connect with divinity.
1617
Written by
LDS Culture, Power Posturing, and Stunted Spiritual Development: The Dangers of...
About twenty years ago, I was lucky enough to come into the orbit of the great LDS sociologist Armand Mauss. We were a group of young adults connected to UC Irvine, and we invited him to come to our weekly study group. Those were fantastic years. We loved how he modeled a kind of mature, nuanced discipleship that embraced the fallibility and humanness of our leaders and church institution.
Mauss mentioned a number of times how different contemporary church discourse is compared to discourse when he was growing up. “When I was young, there was only one prophet. And that...
735
Written by
The Chosen Man
Guest Post by Jamie Stokes. Jamie is a reader, runner and writer based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The idea of a “chosen one” abounds in today’s pop culture. The growth of the Marvel Universe speaks to how much we like stories about human beings who are special, endowed with powers to use for good or evil. “Stan culture”, in which fans follow celebrities so closely it amounts to devotion, is also evidence of our belief in singular, extraordinary individuals.
In the secular landscape, the chosen can be male, female or non-binary, trans or cis, any race. Beyonce, Harry Styles, LaVerne...
902
Written by
Embracing My Own Spiritual Authority
September 2014. I am 8 months pregnant and feeling simultaneously vulnerable and brave. Kate Kelly’s words after her excommunication in June keep coming to me: “Don’t leave. Stay, and make things better.” (Reaction to Kate Kelly's Excommunication ~ Ordain Women). I’m tired and discouraged, but emboldened to find a compromise within my church. I decide to discuss holding my baby during his blessing in October with my Bishop, feeling that this request falls short of my desire to bless my son, but still allows me to participate in a meaningful way.
While some friends advised we simply "bless him at home" without permission or that I just walk up with my baby the day of the...
1997
Written by
Guest Post: Art, Authority, and Institutional Sexism
by Mindy May Farmer
When someone excitedly shared Anthony Sweat’s painting, “Relief Society Healing” in the Exponent II Facebook group a couple of weeks ago, I only wanted to feel joy. The image depicts Mormon pioneer women laying hands on a woman in her bed, comfortable under a patchwork quilt. This is not a simple picture of comfort; one woman confidently pours oil in clear preparation for a blessing. Even more lovely is a small boy in the corner looking at the women in admiration and recognizing their God-given authority. These women represent power to heal and administer in God’s...
1356
Written by
Does a Primary President Have Any Real Authority?
Earlier this year, my ward got a new bishopric. Not long after that, the former bishop and his first counselor were called as primary teachers. Not long after that, my husband was asked to substitute teach in our daughter's primary class. He came home that night very happy to share with me his observations from the day. Not only is our junior primary now dominated by male teachers, but ⅔ of the recently released bishopric now answered to the authority of the primary president - a woman. He said, "Wow! Isn’t it kind of amazing that people switch roles...
585
Written by
How does the priesthood apply to women?
The priesthood is something I’ve found incredibly confusing ever since I was in Young Women’s. Whenever people talk about the priesthood, it always goes in one ear and comes out the other. I don’t retain the information because I don’t feel it applies to me. And, it seems that the priesthood is only about men. After all, the men’s quorum is always referred to as “Priesthood.” The men are referred to as “the priesthood.” And the men’s session of general conference is also referred to as the “Priesthood session.” Then there’s always all the talk about priesthood keys, priesthood...
What is Exponent II?
Exponent II provides Mormon feminist forums for women and gender minorities across the Mormon spectrum to share their diverse life experiences in an atmosphere of trust and acceptance. Through these exchanges, we strive to create a community to better understand and support each other.
Exponent II was founded in 1974 by a group of Mormon women in Cambridge, Massachusetts. These women were inspired by the original periodical, “The Woman’s Exponent,” to create a forum “posed on the dual platforms of Mormonism and Feminism.”
For 50+ years, Exponent II has shared women’s voices in its quarterly magazine, and members of the community have convened at an annual retreat. Our reach has expanded as technology has advanced: the blog, founded in January 2006, has reached millions. As we look to the future, we are focused on growth and building a more inclusive community.
