women

The Unsung Hero of the Nativity

December 16, 2008
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The Unsung Hero of the Nativity

As I was setting up our nativity scene this year, I noticed the wisdom and cultural/racial diversity of the Magi, the docile farm animals (not minding the afterbirth on their food despite being herbivores), the grace and adoration of the Madonna with outstretched arms (and nary a stretch mark) toward the cooing babe, the aloof Boticelli-like angel who frankly doesn’t look like she’s that into it, and then I noticed Joseph’s face, searching vainly for some family resemblance as he peers down at Baby Jesus.  Often pushed aside in favor of the other players, Joseph is clearly the unsung hero of...

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Virtual RS/PH #20 – A Heart Full of Love & Faith: The Prophet’s Letters to His Family

November 9, 2008
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This lesson discusses the written correspondence Joseph sent to Emma during his frequent absences.  IMO, this is a tough lesson for many reasons, so read on to see how you would make the most of it. 

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5 Cool Things I Wish the LDS Church Were Doing

October 15, 2008
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This post is another installment in my “5 Cool Things” series. Today I’m giving a list, again in no particular order, of some things I would love to see happen in the LDS Church (which I attend actively). I’m not presenting this list as a set of demands or to declare what is wrong with the church. Its just a handful of things I think would be pretty cool.

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5 Cool Things About the 2008 Presidential Campaign

October 8, 2008
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This post is another installment in my “5 Cool Things” series.  Today I’m giving a list, again in no particular order, of some things that are cool about the 2008 race for President of the United States.  I have tried to make the list from the angle of not knowing or anticipating which candidate will win.

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The Other Half of the Circle

August 21, 2008
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The Other Half of the Circle

I am an over-analyzer. As a musician I listen to music in a different way than a lot of folks. I pick apart each instrument and criticize the cleverness of lyrics (or lack thereof). I was briefly interested in screenwriting and read some books about it, and now I pick apart the plotlines of movies. Things that many people enjoy in a simple way become an exercise in academic frustration for me. This is the blessing and curse of humanity. We think. Recently I heard Robert Kirby say, “Humans are the only species than can actually think themselves stupider.”...

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I’m Okay; You’re Okay

July 27, 2008
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I’m Okay; You’re Okay

I have one component to my life that prompts little discussions from the lowliest church member to most recently the temple president and I really wish everyone would drop it. You see, I did the unthinkable five years ago, I married someone that is not LDS.

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Paul: Apostle, Misogynist?

July 8, 2008
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Paul: Apostle, Misogynist?

“I’m not bad.  I’m just drawn that way.”  Jessica Rabbit Plenty of criticism is heaped on post-restoration church leaders.  There seems to be a tendency to hold them up against an impossible and inaccurate standard of perfection while giving a pass to figures in the Old and New Testaments.  But is that fair?  Wouldn’t OT & NT leaders have the same shortcomings when viewed from our “enlightened” modern perspective?

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How My Wife Exercises Her Priesthood

July 3, 2008
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Tired of talking about gay marriage?  How about women and the Priesthood? In all seriousness, let me share with you a recent experience that has had a profound impact on the way I view the concept of Priesthood, and that has convinced me, once and for all, that I am not the sole Priesthood bearer in my family.  I believe it’s high time we recognized the service rendered by faithful LDS women as more than simply the fulfillment of a Relief Society assignment, or being a good visiting teacher.  Such efforts constitute the righteous exercise of Priesthood power.

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A letter from my sister…

June 28, 2008
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Perhaps our feelings about tomorrow’s letter were abreacted in last week’s multifarious and sporadically acerbic discussion. My purpose here is to highlight some of the feelings and perspective of one who is connected to many aspects of the Church’s political action regarding gay marriage. My sister Emily is a lawyer in California, and gay (also kind, witty, and sagacious, but that is beside the point). Her journey through life has had a positive and profound impact on my family and I. I have learned a lot from her, but this issue specifically has inspired me to be more thoughtful and considerate...

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Gender Roles Debunked!

June 14, 2008
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Gender Roles Debunked!

What can we learn about gender roles in marriage from committed gay couples?  Is equity the ideal?  Is it possible?  With less than 24 hours until Father’s Day, here’s some food for thought.

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When Moral Issues Become Political Issues

June 11, 2008
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When Moral Issues Become Political Issues

Should our political views always align with our moral views?  When and if they don’t align, why not?  Guest blogger Ray explores this idea in today’s Guest Post:

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The Fallout Story

May 29, 2008
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The Fallout Story

The Fallout Story is a rule of etiquette (that I made up) that I hold sacred for discussing breakups.  The rule is:  the dumpee owns the fallout story.  The dumper is prohibited from making any disparaging remarks (henceforth and forever) about the dumpee, as a matter of courtesy.  As a friend put it:  “She keeps the ring; she tells the story.”  This is where we get the phrase:  “It’s not you; it’s me.”  We all know that’s not true (c’mon, if it wasn’t them, why are you dumping them?), but it is good etiquette.  The Fallout Story rule applies...

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Men: The Weaker Sex?

April 28, 2008
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Men: The Weaker Sex?

There is a common belief among LDS that wonderful women are sometimes saddled with mediocre men or sometimes no man at all, which will result in a surplus of women in the Celestial Kingdom.  So, are Mormon women really so much better than men?

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The End of Polygamy (Again)?

April 17, 2008
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The raid in Texas is interesting (and differs from AZ and UT prosecutorial efforts) in that polygamy is being attacked directly.  So, will this shift in approach result in the end of polygamy (again)?

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Women’s Retreats — Slumber Parties for Grownups

March 14, 2008
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I always loved a good slumber party when I was a kid. The unlimited unhealthy snacks, eardrum-splitting music and endless giggling held enormous charm to my 13-year-old self. But it was the element of “naughtiness” that really appealed to me. The rumors of spiked punch and illicit visits by boys. The silly games, risqué jokes and secrets shared at midnight. I still like all those things and find an outlet for them at retreats for Mormon women. (Okay, no spiked punch. And these days, there’s a firm No Boys Allowed sign tacked to the door). 

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The Jagged Little Pill We Call Mormonism

March 8, 2008
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. . . . there I was writing my ex-wife a letter trying to explain what a Temple Marriage and Sealing is and what it means regarding our son. You see my current wife and I wanted her daughter, my older son, and our younger son, to all be sealed to us in the Mormon Temple. One of our many obstacles was my son was only 15 and needed the consent of both of his living parents. The other obstacle was my wife’s daughter was 18 and needed the same consent from her bio-father (even the Bishop had to...

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Cultural Doctrines: The Unsaid Sermon

February 21, 2008
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In 1991, Dr. Robert F. Bohn gave this great talk at the Sunstone Symposium titled “Cultural vs. Gospel Doctrine and the ‘Unsaid Sermon Phenomenon’”. I recently listened to the recording and found it poignant, practical, helpful, and encouraging. As an illustration of the topic, here’s an example: Original quote from a sermon: “When that earthquake hit when I was on my mission, there were many deaths, but I felt calm because I knew that God protects his faithful missionaries.” The false notion, or Unsaid Sermon: “My son was killed on his mission. I wonder if he was unfaithful.“

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LDS Myths about Reorganized Latter Day Saints

January 27, 2008
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My uncle emailed me the other day. The bishop in his ward gave a talk about the Kirtland Temple and explained how the LDS church donated $100,000.00 per year to the Community of Christ for its upkeep. My uncle wanted to know, “is that true?” I knew it wasn’t. My work with the John Whitmer Historical Association for the last few years has allowed me to form close connections with a number of Community of Christ leaders. But since this had been preached from the pulpit as a fact, I wanted to respond with definitive facts. So I talked...

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Got Gender?: A Modest Proposal

January 22, 2008
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Men don’t understand women very well. I understand them even less because I grew up with brothers. No sisters. This may have contributed to my girl-craziness in high school and college. Getting to know my wife better has helped me to begin to understand women and their motivations, but I’m still learning. I work with women. My boss is a woman. The majority of my co-workers are women. Such is a career in education. I really like it, because I’ve been able to see that women are no different from men in very fundamental ways. We are all capable...

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Episode 4: Mormon Feminism, Women, and Claudia Bushman Part 1

July 2, 2007
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Today we release part 1 of a 2-part conversation reviewing the recent Mormon Stories series on Women in the LDS Church (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5). This includes a discussion of my introduction, the 3 waves of Feminism in the USA, and a 3 part interview w/ Claudia Bushman. Today’s brilliant panelists are: Taryn Nelson-Seawright: Taryn lives in the Chicago area with her husband. She is a researcher in the medical social sciences. She is a passionate amateur scholar of the Book of Mormon. In her spare time, she blogs for By Common...

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