Blog Tag: women
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When Did You Realize How Low the Bar Is?
Was there one moment when you realized how low the bar is for men in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? For me, there were a number of such moments - snapshots scattered throughout the past almost-decade of my membership in the Church since I decided to join in 2013. I sometimes wonder if these examples stood out more to me as an adult convert, especially since they so often arose in conversations I had with fellow female members where they didn’t appear to bat an eye.
When I joined the Church as a young adult, I was...
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The Story of He
I posted this poem a little over a year ago. Not publicly, of course. Instead, I posted it in a Mormon Feminist group, where it could safely reach some without creating discomfort for others.
How I felt at church today:
She listened
To hear "her" named;
The "I" narrating Her own life.
Her's.
A mother.
A sister.
God, in, of, and through women.
The story of She.
But she found only"Him" named.
The "I" narrating His own life -
- And hers;
All his.
A father.
A brother.
God in, of, and through men.
The story of He.
I came across it today by accident while searching for something totally unrelated. In light of...
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Guest Post: All Glory, Laud and Honor
Guest Post by Kimberlee. I am the proud grandmother of 3 incredible adorables. The proud parent of two amazing adult children. Celebrating 47 years with the love of my life. We love to read, hike, travel, and eat good food together. I have graduate degrees in Art History (MA 2001), Women's Studies (MA 2003; PhD 2013) from the University of Maryland. We live in northern California where we serve in the Oakland Temple.
All glory, laud, and honor to Mother God, the Feminine Divine, the Divine Feminine, the Goddess, Mother in Heaven, Heavenly Mother. Her names are endless and endless...
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Seeking Her Even When Others Won’t
I had an experience with Her before I had language.
I woke up while in my crib. It was dark, and I was crying. I turned and saw a picture of a woman holding a baby. She was sitting on a pile of straw. People and animals were around her, watching. I felt her comfort. I laid down, and went back to sleep.
By the time I was 9 years old, I was reading mythology and legend from several cultures. I couldn’t get enough of it. I loved seeing the similarities of the stories from different civilizations, even if they were...
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White Mormon Moms (and Others) Turn Red Over ‘Turning Red’
Have you seen the new Disney movie ‘Turning Red’? The movie features a Chinese Canadian family and stars a 13-year-old protagonist who tries to navigate puberty, friendship, and her relationship to her family - especially her mom - while battling a secret, hereditary quirk: when she gets emotional, she turns into a red panda. Although my teen years are well behind me, I thought the film perfectly captured so many of the feelings of adolescence: excitement, humiliation, awkwardness, and more.
And although I am Korean American rather than Chinese Canadian, I found so many cultural elements relatable as a second...
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Dear Eliza, Is it Okay to be a Cafeteria Mormon?
Dear Eliza,
All of my life, being a member of the LDS Church has meant being "all in" and "exact obedience." I've been all in by attending church, reading my scriptures, and praying about revelation give to church authorities. I married in the temple and followed a traditional path for an LDS woman. Despite this, I have doubts. I don't always agree with what is taught over the pulpit. I'm not comfortable with fully embracing every part of the LDS faith. I'm at a place where I can no longer just put these questions or concerns on the proverbial...
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The Atlanta Shootings: One Year On
Today, March 16, 2022, marks the one year anniversary of the Atlanta spa shootings where eight people, including six Asian American women, died. Do you remember where you were when you heard of the murders? How you felt when the news reached you and your loved ones? Like many Asian Americans, I remember feeling a visceral pain at the news. After a year of increasing anti-Asian hate and violence during the pandemic, especially against our community’s most vulnerable members such as women and the elderly, it heightened an already existing sense that our families’ safety and security were more...
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This Bridge Called My Back
You didn’t think I was going to stand on that corner by myself(arms and legs like board, mouth full of cement) forever, now did you? To Be Continued by Kate Rushin
I told my husband once, in the midst of little children and their constant, unsatisfiable needs, that I could go entire days without seeing another woman. I felt, often, like I was standing on a corner, stiff and silenced, unseen. In those days, Relief Society provided some respite, if only for a moment between dropping children off at nursery and taking the baby out for a diaper change. But...
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The Power Of White Tears
I’d like to think that at some point we can turn these white tears off and remove the tap of white fragility that allows these encounters to be normalized as acceptable forms of dealing with conflict.
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Mormonism and Matriarchy
As a late-twenties-something Mormon woman, I sometimes proclaimed that I couldn't wait to get older, say whatever I wanted, and bully everyone. This was (partly) tongue-in-cheek, but also revealed real frustrations and hurt. I often felt deeply conflicted at church. Intelligent, witty, talented, loving women surrounded me, cared for me, mentored me, and, yet, sometimes I felt small and powerless around them.
I recognized the chain of authority and the benefits of age (I'm a youngest child after all), but I resented my place in it. While I made jokes about my future role in a patriarchal system, I...
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.
