Blog Tag: unity
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The Illusion of Separateness
And then I realized that unrestrained, unopposed, and unquestioned oneness is unrealistic and harmful. This origin myth is less about why we speak different languages and more about moral human development: maturing from simplicity to complexity. It is about the divine need for moral diversity.
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Singles’ Wards Are Against My Religion
It's rather peculiar that in the church adults are segregated by marital status. There are entire wards (and in some more densely populated LDS areas, entire stakes) just for the unmarried. And I don't like it.
When I was a teenager at church, I noticed that there were a few elderly widows and the full-time missionaries but that I never saw any other single adults at church. I was taught in my YW lessons that a husband would be the inevitable reward for living a righteous life. It was whispered that occasionally some people might not marry, but it was...
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Guest Post: Why Heavenly Mother is Essential: Part 7
Guest Post by McArthur Krishna, McArthur comes from a pack of storytellers. And while the pack rightly insists she’s only in the running for third-best storyteller on a good day, she’s made her living in stories. Stories in words and visual art that inspire, demand, encourage and cajole us along this wild ride of life. If you know her, she will unabashedly tell your stories too (with some degree of truthiness). Look out.
This is the last of a seven-part series about why Heavenly Mother is essential.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6
Essential Fact #1:...
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Come Follow Me: Doctrine and Covenants 37–40 “If Ye Are Not...
The Church as a Cause
To the early Saints, the Church was more than a place to hear some preaching on Sunday. Throughout His revelations to Joseph Smith, the Lord described the Church with words like cause, kingdom, Zion, and, quite often, work. That may have been part of what attracted many early members to the Church. As much as they loved the Church’s restored doctrine, many also wanted something they could dedicate their lives to.—Come Follow Me for Individuals and Families, D&C 37-40: "If ye are not one ye are not mine"
What do you usually think of when you think of a cause?
When...
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Baptism, Buddha, and Eternal Bonds
My oldest child was baptized a year ago. It was a decision I struggled with the year leading up to the occasion. Having been “Mormon” in every sense of the cultural word my whole life, I very much identify as LDS and very much love my community there. And yet there are many teachings and practices that deeply trouble me. My concerns feel amplified as my children grow and I am more conscientious about what I teach them. I cannot easily ignore comments like the one from this past Sunday, warning to “beware of the false doctrine that says...
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Sacred Music Sunday: For All the Saints
I love big, bold brassy hymns, and anything written by Ralph Vaughan Williams tops my list. One of my favorites is For All the Saints, written to the tune Sine Nomine, which means "without name". It's a tribute to all of the unnamed saints. In popular culture and in some religious traditions, a saint is someone extra special and extra holy. However, in the New Testament, Paul frequently reminds us that all followers of Christ are saints. So, this hymn is for you, this hymn is for me, this hymn is for that person in the pews who...
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Lesson Plan: “Come, Follow Me” by Russell M. Nelson and A...
Since both Russell M. Nelson and Henry B. Eyring talked about eternal families at the April 2019 General Conference, I would discuss both talks together if I were assigned to teach about one of these talks.
As many of you know, our family experienced a tender separation three months ago when our daughter Wendy departed from this mortal life. In the final days of her battle with cancer, I was blessed with the opportunity to have our farewell daddy-daughter conversation. ...It was a tender, tearful moment for us. During her 67 years, we worked together, sang together, and often skied...
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Relief Society Lesson Plan: “With One Accord” by Reyna Aburto
I like this topic – I think there’s something very uplifting in the idea of people, in all their diversity, coming together to act for good in the world. This is the theme of Reyna Aburto’s talk, “With One Accord.”
Introduction
Start out the lesson with an easy question that relates to the theme of the talk.
What are your favorite examples of unity in the scriptures? Any scriptural stories of deep loyalty or friendship that you have found compelling or meaningful? Why?
Naomi and Ruth
Jonathan and David
Elizabeth and Mary
I'd personally mention Ruth and Naomi because that story of unity...
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Updated Relief Society Declaration
The lds.org website changed this last week, with an update to the Relief Society Declaration. Obviously a lot has been cut, it’s much shorter. Let’s see the differences between the old and new versions, and what was deemed to be important enough to keep.
What’s missing?
For starters, the implied reference to God being more than only masculine in gender in the first line.
The declaration no longer mentions charity, which pointed us towards our motto: Charity Never Faileth.
Following the promptings of the Holy Ghost, directly recommending prayer and scripture study.
Marriage is not mentioned in the new declaration,...
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Two Shall Be One. Or Maybe Two.
Ten years ago, my wedding photographer made sure that we had all of the usual snapshots—including the traditional close-up of the couple's hands, showing off their new wedding rings.
I look at that photo today and have to admit that it looks pretty stupid. The couples with nice hand photos show off the complementary rings they bought together. They are made of the same metal; they may have even been sold together as a set. It never even occurred to us to buy rings as a set. We were more focused on what each of us, individually, wanted from a...
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.
