So I went to my Manhattan singles ward today for the first time since freshman year. I went with Kasey, an awesome Columbia freshmen who waited for me in the subway station for like 20 minutes because when she said to meet at 8:25 my brain turned that into 8:45, probably because being anywhere outside of my apartment by that time is inconceivable. Man, Mormons are so nice. I know, I know, generalizations and everything. But there you have it.
Okay, but here are some thoughts:
We had a relief society lesson about the fall today. The woman teaching apparently hadn't really been given advanced notice, so it was sort of just like a fun discussion of the general topic, and it's such a weird topic to discuss. I don't think anyone really gets it. And so some people try desperately to make everything work with whatever their view of the gospel/the plan is, and other people just throw up their hands, and others just read that scripture in 2 Nephi (I think--the one about how if they hadn't transgressed they could have never known joy because they would not have known misery, and never done good because they would not know sin, and then the one about men are, that they might have joy.) and skip over the rest.
Anyway, so then somebody read Alma 42:29--"...only let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance."
How awesome is that?
Anyway, it all just makes me think that maybe the gospel is more flexible than I've ever been willing to believe.
Except, am I the only one who gets really really annoyed when people say things like, "Eve was created the very last, so in a way women are the very PINNACLE of God's creations.", or the Institute teacher classic, "God loves his daughters better than he loves his sons." (jokingly, I guess.)
I dunno, what does anyone think about this stuff? I certainly have no idea what's going on.
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eva, what you wrote is really touching and profound. the church really is very flexible, and mormons kind of are consistently pretty great people. they're trying really hard most of the time.
ReplyDeletei do get annoyed by those bones they throw to women about being the pinnacle of creation; the flip side of it is a sneaky little carte blanche for men to act like dicks and be in charge of everything. but in the grand scheme of things, again, even mormon men, with all their special faults, are pretty great.
that sounds cool, and is interesting to me because it comes after several days of me reading/listening to stories from (formerly) devout mormons who were disciplined for having "divergent thoughts" (about gays, feminism, etc) and so tonight i have the impression of the church being pretty resolutely inflexible ("you're either with us or against us"). i actually have been wishing lately that mormonism were truly a "big tent" religion. they like to think they are but then find people with (imho) healthy divergent (and ultimately harmless) points of view intolerable. but maybe this is just how the utah version only???
ReplyDeletemormon mormon mormon mormon
ReplyDeletewe are the mormon girls
we wear our hair in curls
we wear our skirts down to our knees
we don't wear miniskirts
we are the biggest flirts
oh how we love those mormon boyyys
mormon mormon mormon mormon
M-O-R-E M-E-N MORE MEN MORE MEN MOOORE MEN
omg, eliza, guess what i'm going to be this summer: girls' camp leader.
ReplyDeleteWE WILL BE SINGING THIS SONG AT THE TOPS OF OUR LUNGS.
and i will be asking you for more suggestions.
when you're outside of utah, you're just trying to get everyone to come to church you can, so the tent really stretches out. for goodness' sake, they called me to the young womens' presidency. if that's not a big tent i don't know what is.
i have so many things to say about this post it's paralyzing.
ReplyDeleteI stumbled upon this post. It's quite interesting :) I'm a devout Mormon girl and I love the church, the gospel of Jesus Christ is my anchor in life. I've learned so much through all my callings in the church. And Eliza, tis' true, mormon gals are super flirts! haha!
ReplyDeleteMe too like Lara. Not even sure where to start. So many layers--mille feuille.
ReplyDeleteJulie and Em, I think you're right that the church in Utah is much more restrictive. That said, there was an awkward moment in gospel essentials (why did I go to that class?!) when some dude tried to make a vaguely unorthodox point and the teacher felt it was necessary to spend a long time trying to explain why he was wrong without hurting his feelings. When people make comments like that I really don't understand why the response can't just be, "Well, that's not exactly what the scriptures teach, but it's an interesting point of view", or something.
ReplyDeleteMom and Marni, I'd love it if you would post some of your thoughts on the topic.
Julie, what were you doing these interviews for? If you felt comfortable posting something about it, or if you've written something somewhere else and wanted to link to that I'd be really interested to read about it.