Read our series of blog posts on by Mormon feminists across the spectrum of belief
Relief Society
Written by
9
Relief Society Lesson 14: How to Share the Gospel Effectively
This lesson has some real gems. My focus will be on truly loving our neighbors and respecting their religious traditions like we want them to respect ours, with a secondary focus on how this helps us share the gospel with those who are seeking. This lesson will be on the heels of Lesson 13: Doing Our Part to Share the Gospel, which could lead to redundancy if it isn't framed in a unique way.
Opening Story: When I visited Vienna last fall, I toured St. Stephen's cathedral, one of the most famous and beautiful in the world. The architecture and religious...
Written by
RS Lesson #9: Open Your Soul to the Lord In Prayer
Opening Reflection
Prayer. It’s the earliest lesson in primary (“Fold your arms and close your eyes”) and yet as we grow older, the conversation grows richer, deeper -- or perhaps more painful and confusing. How do we speak to God? How does God speak to us?
Spencer W. Kimball said, “The Lord answers our prayers, but it is usually through another person that he meets our needs.” That someone can be a Relief Society teacher. I am a teacher by trade, and if I have ever felt God’s guidance in my life, it has been in finding ways to reach my students. “Help...
Written by
Men Crossing into Women’s Realms: Where’s the Reciprocity?
In my ward over the last few months, there's been a noticeable push from the bishop and stake president to encourage the fathers in our ward to step up and take a more proactive role with their kids. Apparently there's been a sense that too often the mothers bear the burden during Sacrament meeting of quieting small kids, taking them out to the foyer, etc.
I personally haven't noticed any particular decline in men's involvement with their children in my ward. In fact, I often see a good number of dads, as wells as moms, entertaining their babies in the...
Written by
ERA: The Past
This picture was taken at the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum, home to Alice Paul and the early suffragettes, during the 40th anniversary of the March 22, 1972 passage of the ERA through Congress. I was so inspired by this program that I decided to create a series of posts dedicated to the ERA’s past, present, and future. In this post I give some back ground information on the amendment, in the next post I will outline my personal journey from knowing nothing about the ERA, to reading “Housewife to Heretic,” to becoming a National Council for Women’s Organizations Mormons...
Written by
Poll: Women on the Stand
When my sister and I recently discussed her release as Relief Society President, she remarked, “I don’t think the women (or men) in my ward realize the work that the Bishop and I accomplished together.” And I said, “You should have been on the stand with him.”
I have often felt that ward and stake Relief Society Presidents (and/or their counselors) should be on the stand. I can think of five positive things it would do for the ward/stake:
It would show respect and regard for the calling.
It would allow ward members to see that the Bishop and the President are...
Written by
Mormon Women Oral History Project
AKA The best thing I did in Vienna, Austria while my husband and I were studying (architecture and philosophy, respectfully).
Have you ever sat down with someone, and asked them to tell you all about themselves? I have done this. In fact, I have spent days and weeks doing this in a foreign country, right before I was about to say goodbye. I wanted to do it the whole time I was in Vienna, because there is a project I believe in that is comprised of such asking and such listening. It is called the Mormon Women Oral History Project,...
Written by
Do Women Disappear When Women and Men Integrate? A Mormon Case...
Pulitzer Prize winning historian, Harvard professor, Mormon feminist, and founding member of Exponent II, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, recently gave a talk in which she examined the history of theLDS Relief Society. In her talk she documented the rise and decline of this organization, originally developed in 1842 as a parallel to the men's priesthood quorums. In the late 1800's and early 1900's, this organization opened hospitals, published its own newspaper/magazine, developed its own curriculum, participated in promoting women's suffrage, managed the Church's social services program, and engaged in various economic endeavors. However, as the 20th century wore on, the...
Written by
A Feminist Christmas
Double gifting? At WAVE we encourage it! Give a gift to all the women in your lives and at the same time give a gift to WAVE. Buying a Words of Wisdom quote book this season for $8 on our website will make a great gift for conservatives and liberals alike (how many gifts can you say that about?) as well as help us raise funds to incorporate as an official NPO.
LDS WAVE (Women Advocating for Voice and Equality) has created a book full of quotes from female leaders and quotes directed specifically towards women from female and male...
Written by
General Relief Society Broadcast Review
Two weeks ago, I trekked the small drive to our stake center, armed with some yarn for my daughter's mittens and a notebook for the General Relief Society Broadcast. Today, I share with you my reactions.
President Julie B. Beck
President Beck started her talk stating that her topic was, "What I Hope My Granddaughters Will Understand about Relief Society," a beautiful and personal way to address her audience. She began with something of a history of women in the Church, starting with the Primitive Church with a reference to Mary and Martha, though technically, Christ didn't start a church while...
Written by
Confessions of a Relief Society President: How the Sister Missionaries Drove...
Today's guest post comes to us from Claire, as part of the Doves & Serpents and The Exponent Blogger Swap.
Turning 30 means you have SOME life experience. And therefore, if you live in the 'mission field,' you have met the first (and sometimes only) requirement that puts you on the short list for Relief Society President.
And so I found myself the Relief Society President in a large urban ward far, far away from church headquarters. A few things I didn't know when I accepted the calling- 1, most of my time would be acting as a social worker, 2,...
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.
