Read our series of blog posts on by Mormon feminists across the spectrum of belief
Relief Society
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Introducing our Heavenly Mother’s Day Series
CW: Suicidal thoughts
I moved to Oakland five years ago. One of my first outings in the Bay Area was a gathering at Carol Lynn Pearson's house where she gave each of us copies of her play, Mother Wove the Morning. It sat on my shelf for months because I didn't want to open up Heavenly Mother-less wound I had.
When I finally read it, half a year later, I discovered that I was right in that it was an intense experience. I loved reading it and yet I ached. I wanted a relationship with Heavenly Mother, but I didn't know how....
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March 2015 General Women’s Session: Bonnie L. Oscarson
It is no small task to prepare an address for a worldwide sisterhood with varying experiences and privileges, let alone one tasked with defending the Church's doctrine and teachings on the Family. There were some powerful moments in this talk where long past due truths were acknowledged and new possibilities were presented to women. But there were also times when President Oscarson fell back into the tired rhetoric so often present in Church discourse on the Family.
President Oscarson started her talk by telling the story of Marie Madeline Cardon, an early Italian convert to the Latter-day Church. This is...
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The 5th Sunday Project
In today’s world of internet communication, we Mormons have access to a lot of information about our faith. Some of this information is troubling and difficult to absorb. Many are concerned. These concerns range from authenticity questions about LDS scripture to race imbalances.
My concern is for women in the church. I am concerned that in our patriarchal structure of governance, women have limited visibility and voice. I am concerned that in the exclusivity of male-only Priesthood, women have a reduced development in spiritual gifts and inadequate outlets sacred expression.
There are many questions and few channels for discussion within...
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Auxiliaries Aren’t Designed to Address Women’s Concerns
The theme of the most recent General Women’s Meeting was temple worship, a topic that is fraught with anxiety for many women because the roles, covenants and promised blessings of the temple are different for female worshippers than for male worshippers and, in the opinion of many, much less affirming. (See Endnote.) When the meeting began, I was hopeful that female leaders would take advantage of this opportunity to address women’s concerns about the implications of temple ceremonies for women. Instead, the speakers talked about women who enjoy the Mormon temple experience without acknowledging that women who feel differently...
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The Great Divide
I’m 25. I’m not married. And I’m a Mormon. (Wouldn’t that make a great ad?) There are very few of my LDS friends who are my age and still unmarried. In fact, I did a quick review of my Facebook friends and found that all of my friends from high school are married, and about half have at least one baby.
As a young-but-old-enough-you-should-be-married-by-now lady, I would like to ask my fellow humans who are married to be aware. The following are all things that have been said to me at some point:
“It’s ok, if you don’t marry someone in...
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#VisibleWomen Series: Please consider Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary Stake...
Here is the letter I'm sending to general and auxiliary authorities, and (slightly revised) to my local leaders:
Dear Leader,
I've been a Relief Society member for almost 20 years. During that time I got married, became a mother, graduated from two universities, began working in my profession, and held several callings in Relief Society, always including that of Visiting Teacher. I've taught and been taught by my fellow sisters and received support in life transitions, and have appreciated the company of my peers and the wisdom of women farther along in life than I am.
I have learned something from each...
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New Series: #VisibleWomen: You can’t be What You can’t See
My years in the Young Women's organization were rough on me. Part of it was just teenage awkwardness and the rest was teenage cliquishness. As soon as I turned 18, I switched to Relief Society. I have a December birthday, so I spent the last half of my senior year out of Young Women's. For me, Relief Society was a level playing field filled with a rich history of strong women. Age didn't matter, we were all women together.
I was called as the Relief Society pianist and paired with one of my seminary teachers as visiting teaching partners. We...
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Relief Society Lesson 5: Principles of True Repentance
Traduction en français/Click for French Translation
Relief Society lesson #5: Principles of True Repentance
A pdf of the references used in the lesson is attached to this post. It includes the General Conference accounts given by Sister Marriott, Sister Reeves and Sister Pingree as well as scripture references. Where possible, a photocopy of page 1 could be made for each class participant. For convenience of printing, this lesson plan is included on pages 2-3 of the same pdf.
Introduction
As the teacher, be sensitive to the variety of unspoken feelings your class may have regarding repentance – some may have very negative...
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Hard Mormon Conversations at Church
I recently had a conversation about conversations. I wondered aloud if there was a (safe) place in a church-sponsored environment where members could have open, honest conversations about hard Mormon topics - such as homosexuality, women's priesthood, birth control, chastity for older singles, excommunication, temple marriages, etc.
I maintained that it could happen, but the 5 other people in my group said, "no way".
What do you think?
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Come Follow Me: Matthew 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12...
It is easy to “privately” love the Lord (reading scriptures, praying, going to the temple), but it is another to “openly” love the Lord by showing the love He gives to us, to others.
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.
