The mission of the Sunstone Education Foundation is to sponsor open forums of Mormon thought and experience. Under the motto, "Faith Seeking Understanding," we examine and express the rich spiritual, intellectual, social and artistic qualities of Mormon history and contemporary life.
I was in charge of the priesthood lesson today. It took me a long time to get it together. In fact, I had to write it down to get it out. So I thought I’d share.
Getting ready for this lesson was very difficult. I couldn’t quite get a grasp on how to present it. After three or four hours of thought, I remembered something I read recently by Carl Rogers, a psychologist who was very famous back in the 1950’s. He said,
I find that one way of learning for me is to state my own uncertainties, to try to clarify my puzzlements, and thus get closer to the meaning that my experience actually seems to have.
So, to state my own uncertainty, I often find myself cut off from people when my goal is to help them join the church. I first started to see this while I was on my mission in Toronto. One of the main ways we had of contacting people was to hang around at the busy bus stops. Read the rest »
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how I have to “play the game” in order to move forward in my profession (to be specific, my current ‘game’ involves writing grant proposals and getting to know the ‘right’ people who can write letters of recommendation on my behalf).
There’s a part of me that just hates the game. I want to stop playing along. Then there’s this other part of me that’s willing to jump through particular hoops if it gets me what I want in the long run.
Similarly, I think there are many ways we “play the game” of Mormonism. Such as wearing the right clothes on Sunday, saying the right things to the Bishop, having the right hairstyle, and following the letter of the law.
So what I’m wondering is this: when is it worth playing along at Church and when is it time to just step out of the game? There are sacrifices involved either way, so how do you decide if/when the game’s over? Or do you think my analogy is flawed and the Church is never about ‘playing along?’
Thanks (in part) to those of you who were able to contribute during our midyear fund-raiser, we (the staff plus a few gracious volunteers) have been working very hard over the past several months on 2 major initiatives for your benefit (in addition to the regular delivery of magazines and symposia):
Sunstone Magazine Digitization Project: Much like Dialogue and BYU Studies have already done, we are working overtime to digitize all past issues of Sunstone Magazine — to make them accessible for you (and others) via the Internet. We are scheduled to have this project completed within the next few weeks.
Sunstone Web Site Renovation: In addition, we have heard your cries, and are working hard to update the look, feel, and functionality of the Sunstone web site.
Why am I sending you this email? For 2 main reasons: Read the rest »
My spouse and I married 15 years ago in the temple–a ceremony that reinforced differing gender roles for men and women. However, my marriage has been fairly egalitarian from the beginning. For example, my husband (John) and I both wore engagement rings–simple gold bands on the appropriate finger. When we married we each added another band with the words “vous et nul autre” (you and no other) inscribed on it. While wearing the same rings might seem a small token, I believe it did start our marriage off with symbols that reinforced our ideals.
Some other ways that we have incorporated equality into our marriage:
–We both take responsbility for household chores and childcare. We’ve chosen to live simply so our home can be tidied quickly and efficiently. We both enjoy cooking and take turns making dinner. We’ve taught our children to join us in housework (for example, they take care of most of the laundry).
–John told me his temple name.
–Both of us volunteer in our kids’ school classrooms, attend their events, etc. We both know their friends and their friends’ parents.
–Neither of us ‘presides’ in spiritual decision-making. We discuss and practice religion together.
–For us sex is not about coercion or ‘favors’ given to the other partner.
–We believe that either of us can be the primary breadwinner (even though in practice it has generally been John).
–John and I both know how to use powertools, to troubleshoot computer problems, and change the oil in our car.
What are your ideas about equality in LDS marriage? In what ways have you seen egalitarian ideals practiced in marriage? Does the ideal of equality ever cause friction with the notion of men ‘presiding’ in marriage as discussed in the Family Proclamation?
My question:
Does anyone know of any groups/movements within Mormonism that’ve tried ordaining women to the priesthood? If there are such groups and there was any public demonstration of such (as accompanied the Catholic ordination), I would imagine that the women would be speedily excommunicated. However I’m surprised that I’ve never heard of any underground groups ordaining LDS women to the priesthood. Am I just clueless or has this never happened?
A new pamphlet about homosexuality appeared on the church’s website in late July, 2007. The pamphlet is entitled God Loveth His Children, and, among other things, says that the Church does not know what causes same-sex attractions but does not believe sexual abuse and sexual experimentation in childhood are responsible. It declares that same-sex attractions are not considered sinful but affirms that acting on those attractions is incompatible with God’s plan for families in the afterlife. It urges same-sex attracted LDS members to remain active in the church and asks other members to treat them with love and respect.
This presentation was recorded at the Sunstone 2007 Seattle symposium. The panel discusses this new pamphlet and welcomes a wide-ranging and frank discussion of this important topic. The full set of interviews (audio and video) can be located at Mormon Stories podcast. A written version of the presentation by Ron Schow may be found on the blog at www.LDSResources.info.
Panelists
RON SCHOW, Pocatello, Idaho, is a professor of audiology Panelist at Idaho State University and is co-editor of the book, Peculiar People: Mormons and Same Sex Orientation. He will address progress in the Church since its 1992 statement on homosexuality: “Attractions alone do not make you unworthy.”
CLARK PINGREE, Salt Lake City, Utah, is the Utah Pride chairman for Wells Fargo. He will address, “The Plan of Salvation as an LDS Gay Man.”
DAN PINGREE, Seattle, Washington, will offer, “My Response to My Brother, a LDS Gay Man.”
In the most recent issue of Commonweal Magazine, a lay Catholic publication, Mathew N. Schmalz writes about his experience relating to Mormons through Sunstone, and teaching about other religions in his capacity as associate professor of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross. The article, Meet the Mormons, can be found here.
Also, Dan Wotherspoon, editor of Sunstone Magazine, last week lectured at the College of the Holy Cross as part of the Deitchman Family Lectures on Religion and Modernity series. His address, titled “Of Golden Plates and Global Warming: Translating Mormonism in the Twenty-first Century,” was reportedly well received. It was also allegedly recorded, and if I can get my hands on a copy we’ll try to make it available.
Having been twice excommunicated in such a way as to embarrass my youngest son at BYU (see this recent Mormon Stories podcast) and win the Clifton Jolley award for “Most naïve person of my acquaintance,”, I should like to nevertheless offer a recent insight into one of Joseph Smith’s most famous and unique teachings: becoming saviors on Mt. Zion for each other and our families. How is this possible? Did Joseph really mean that Jesus’ sacrifice was not sufficient for us all? Consider this:
For almost three years now, the local stake president and I have been having a lively dialogue. He initiated it by approaching me one evening at a public concert to invite me to talk. Knowing that I’d been excommunicated years earlier, he believed I was in spiritual distress and wanted to help me find peace. What resulted has been anything but “peace” in our relationship. I don’t believe he has had anyone talk to him as straightforwardly as I have, and he hasn’t liked it. Until a week ago we hadn’t spoken to each other since the past January. But I have not felt good about that. Then, inspired by Dan Wotherspoon’s recent Sunstone editorial, “Namaste,” (June 2007 issue), I resolved to remedy the impasse. Read the rest »
Kottke.org, one of the best-known blogs out there, links to an interview of two Mormon teens in Idaho. It’s funny and a wee bit sad to see how much these girls feel stifled by their religious culture….
An excerpt:
What is the craziest thing about Mormonism?
The craziest thing about Mormonism is the garbage that supposedly educated and intelligent people will believe. Take, for example, the concept of Patriarchal Blessings. There is an officer in every area of the Church who is known as the Patriarch. His job is to give Patriarchal Blessings. He lays his hands on his victims’ heads one at a time and tells their fortunes. These fortunes rarely come true, but that is the fault of the victims, not of the Patriarch. The problem — if the fortune and the reality fail to match– is that the victim sinned and denied himself or herself the promises of the blessing. The Patriarch also declares what tribe of Israel from which you descend. Usually they say the person is from the tribe of Ephraim, but once in a while one of the more senile Patriarchs blurts out a really obscure tribe. I’m supposed to be from the tribe of Dan, while everyone else in the history of my family has been from Ephraim. Some people might question whether or not my parents picked up the wrong baby at the hospital. I look just like my little sister except older, and our eight brothers look as much like us as males can look like females. No baby swap occurred. Neither did my mother have a fling with the Maytag repairman. She is what you would kindly refer to as frigid. She had 10 kids. It is therefore safe to assume that she has had sex exactly 10 times in her life. I know that all kids think this of their parents, but it is the gospel truth in my mother’s case.
Why are Mormons so nice?
Mormons are nice?!?!?!?!? Where in hell are these nice Mormons? I’ve never met a nice Mormon over the age of 21 except for [Lucy Latter-Day Saint]’s mother, who doesn’t really count because she’s a convert. If they seem nice, it’s an act. They have ulterior motives.
