Some thoughts on the Mormon Feminist Movement

These are my thoughts.  I'm not even going to try to reference anything, since I've read so many peoples' thoughts and opinions.  In fact, it wasn't until I took a hiatus from Facebook that I was able to better identify my own thoughts as my own--that's how many thoughts I'd read.

First,  concerning the lack of knowledge in relation to our Heavenly Mother:  I keep thinking about Jesus.  He told us that everything he does is because he saw God do it first.  Link that with Abraham Lincoln's sentiment, "Everything I am or ever hope to be I owe to my angel Mother." and the belief that a man will love his wife like he loves his mother.  With no disrespect or in any way do I mean to mock or make light of the Savior when I say that Jesus was the perfect example of being what we now call "metro-sexual"....and I don't mean that he cared about manicures or knowing designer labels.  But he was sensitive.  And he had a lot of friends that were women, and those women cried to him and he empathized like women do.  And he often exuded what we have labeled "feminine" qualities.  Also, we know that he was a perfect mortal being, and as such our perfect example.

Is it not possible that we can look to Him and see our Mother?  Wouldn't it stand to reason that as a perfect (ie complete) example, we can see in Him what he learned from our Heavenly Mother, as he acted with compassion, charity, and a sensitive and empathetic ear?  I think for those who think there is no light to illuminate Her and what we can be as women, we can still look to Jesus as our complete example.  I believe that He developed his sacrificial love for us from watching (and remembering) Her; that he radiated tenderness with the children from watching Her, and the list goes on.  If you question this, look at your own father/husband/brother/son and list the things that you know he is or does because of the example or influence of his mother.

Next: What I wish I could say to all the women who have what seems to be a "list of demands" that they would like the Prophet to take to the Lord and then return with answers that align with their own personal desires:

Ladies, I understand that you feel as though you are diminished in your capacity to serve in the Kingdom and lacking credentials (or organs perhaps) that would allow you to fully participate as equal members in the church.  I also believe you when you say that you believe in Revelation and Prophets and that they speak for God.  I also agree with you that squeeky wheels get the oil, and so sometimes you need to get some noise made before things can even be considered.

HOWEVER,  I believe that your list of demands is rather short-sighted and perhaps somewhat selfish.  And before you get your boxers in a bunch (dare I offend you by saying you wear panties), I ask you first to consider this question:  were the gentiles denied anything by not having the gospel preached to them until after Christ ascended to the Father?    Really think about that.

Now, think about how women are perceived globally.  I think we can agree there is work to be done on a global level, to get women to be viewed as even close to equal to men.

I remember meeting an Iraqi woman as a missionary.  She was in Houston to escape her husband, but if she ever returned to Iraq her husband could have her passport seized so that she could never leave the country again; and if she wanted to be able to divorce him, she had to return to Iraq.  So, she was in this terrible catch 22 where she wanted to be freed of him she had to return, but if she returned she'd never be free.  How many U.S. women have that challenge?  I'm guessing very few.

In India and China and other countries female fetuses are aborted.  It's not only socially acceptable, it's encouraged.  I'd say that was a problem for all of women-kind, not just Indian or Chinese women, wouldn't you?

Now, imagine for a minute with me, that we have this wonderful gift that would change and bless the lives of Women and men in these countries and cultures where women are devalued.  And of course, the way to give this gift is through a gate guarded by men who devalue women regularly or even subconsciously.  Remember this is a gift that will drastically improve the lives of those women behind the gate.  Who do you send to get the gift through the gate?  A woman or a man?

If it were me, Id' send a man.  Are you insulted?  Are you feeling repressed because I didn't choose the woman to walk up to the guard and ask to let in so she could give a gift to the women inside so that they could have better lives?  I imagine that if I did send a woman she'd be laughed out of the place.  Or completely rejected.

I think that the church, with its accompanying gifts of the spirit, temple blessings, and reforming powers are best presented to the world  by men.  It's like playing on their field and winning.  We cannot expect for men who value no woman to suddenly value an American woman just because she's American.  And if men hold the keys to what women have access to, doesn't it seem reasonable to meet those men where they are with good, righteous men to then go in and change the system?

Back to my story, once the man with the gift is inside, he is permitted to have women come join him.  And those women go to work teaching other women, who then teach their children and do what women do best; and slowly those men who were so venomous towards women soften and change.  And slowly the men become more civil and slowly the daughters are valued more equally and wives are seen as more than subservient.  And then  families change.  And then those families change the community and the ripple effect begins.

And what might this have to do with these women who want ordination and permission to wear pants and whatever else they might want?  Well, what if the odds of a man in China accepting the invitation to listen to the gospel were related to whether or not the women in the church wore pants, were ordained priests, and the perception that women were visible major players in the leadership?   Would you be willing to stay in the background for a little while longer if it meant that a man would listen to the gospel, then allow his wife to listen to the gospel, then as a family embrace it and live the principles and teachings and begin a ripple effect with that one woman in that family?

I'm not saying that this is or isn't the reason that things are the way that they are.  But it occurs to me that as part of a global church we cannot make our first world problems the only problems of the church.  That's not to say that there should be no dialogue or even agitation for improvement.  I only submit that what may be good for one may not be good for all, and what is good for all may be made available to all by patience and sacrifice on the part of some.

When we covenanted to bear one another's burdens, it wasn't just the members in our ward or stake or even country.  It's the whole church. And we need to remember that their burdens aren't the same as ours.

I highly doubt that the gentiles were denied anything significant by having to wait to hear the gospel until after it had been preached to the Jews.  I highly doubt that a gentile person will stand before God and demand to know why he/she didn't have full access to the gospel as soon as Christ began his ministry, claiming unfairness or a feeling of repression.  I do, however, think there may be a few questions from God to the Jews about what they may have done to hinder the ability of the message to flood the earth.  And I think there may be a few questions from God to us about the same thing.

So, before you push for social change in the American version of the church, pause to consider who might be denied blessings because of what you desire and who might stand to gain blessings by holding off on your list a little longer.  I honestly believe that the women of the world will be better off if the women of America would think more about their world-wide sisterhood than their ordination to the priesthood.  And as you do wait with patience and charity you may learn a thing or two about a Heavenly Mother who taught her son how to succor and wait patiently and sacrifice personal desire for the good and the joy of the family.

The End.

P.s.  Argue with yourselves, but please not here.
P.S.s.  I am very tired as I write this, so I apologize for disjointed sentence structure, bad grammar, or any otherwise obvious logical, grammatical, or stylistic errors.