I am a Mormon Feminist. I don't really like MoFem, and no one asked me to vote on what we should be called...so I'm afraid that one just doesn't work for me.
There are a few things I look forward to all year:
1) The Turkey Bowl - It's the one day a year I get to push, shove, hit, and tackle people and no one takes it personally. 3 or 4 years ago, I think I tackled Brooks Smith, who is one of my favorite people of all time, probably 5 or 6 times in a "2 hand touch" Turkey Bowl football game...my favorite one of all time. I can't even remember who won...just how many tackles I made. :-)
2) Christmas - We do not do Birthdays in my family. Growing, it was SUCH a big deal. Every time I didn't remember my Mom's Birthday, it's like I didn't love her. I'm happy to say we are over that now. Needless to say, we don't do much beyond let our kids pick their meal & desert for the day and take them on a Walmart shopping spree...that's it folks. No fanfare or parties. But if we are going to celebrate someone's birthday...JESUS IS IT! Plus, can you believe they moved His Birthday to my favorite season of the year!!! It's usually snowing around Christmas (winter is my FAVORITE season of the year) and the white makes everything look clean & pure. I love to give people things and blame it on Jesus. I love how everyone seems to be happier and friendlier at Christmas. I LOVE IT!
3) Priesthood Session - I played sports growing up...mostly football (well really mostly basketball, but football is my favorite since you get to hit people and no one thinks anything of it (see #1 above)), and I really love the pregame atmosphere. There is a lot of hitting and yelling. People get fired up. Pregame speeches and all that rah rah stuff. Twice a year, men gather in the LDS Church to get semi-publicly berated in front of each other over being a lame husband, a lackluster home teacher, and a college dropout (at least compared to the number of degrees women are getting these days in higher education). It's good for us. Guys react a certain way when they are told "you suck". It's a motivator. You kind of say: "Well I'll show you what kind of man I am." It's like good machismo stuff where we "Cowboy Up" and resolve to actually do a better job being a husband, father, employer, employee, student, etc.
I was SO fired up today when I heard Carole M. Stephens talk today, right off the bat she said: "Each of us is a son or daughter of Heavenly Parents." YES! Right off the bat, 1st session, talking about having a Heavenly Mother. I mean, lets all face it folks, G_d is really a married couple and not just the "dude" 1/2. Heavenly Father refers to the male/father 1/2 and Heavenly Mother obviously makes up the female/mother 1/2. TOGETHER, they are "G_d". I dig it.
She quoted Wilford Woodruff when he said: "Every Man or Woman who has ever entered in to the Church of G_d, being baptized for the remission of sins, has a right to revelation." Preach it SISTER! I can see where you are headed and I like it!
"The Holy Ghost is not restricted to men, nor Apostles and Prophets. It belongs to every faithful, man, and woman, and child..." say more, say more!
"We need to receive the Temple Endowment." You are ALMOST THERE (I screamed at my iPhone as I listed while I drove!
She quoted M. Russel Ballard said: "When men and women go to the Temple, they are endowed with the same power. This, by definition, is Priesthood Power. The endowment is literally a gift of power." THAT'S IT!!! That's what I have been waiting for!
We have been telling Beya for weeks now that while she sees men officiating in the Priesthood outside of the Temple, BOTH genders officiate in the Priesthood inside the Temple. We have been working to teach all the kids the difference between the Priesthood Power, which is used by both Genders everywhere, and the officiating of the Priesthood, which is largely conducted by men outside of the Temple (and both Genders inside the Temple). I refused to give up on the idea that women don't hold the Priesthood. If they didn't, there would be no way for them to conduct the ordinances in the Temple (initiatories) and to pass along the sacred information in the Temple during the Endowment if they didn't possess the necessary Priesthood to officiate in the ordinance. Sister Stephens confirmed, out loud, in General Conference, that men AND women are BOTH endowed with the SAME Priesthood Power in the Endowment.
I was thrilled with General Conference today, thinking that it is amazing how "current" and "relevant" the topics are. It is clear the General Authorities are aware and listening to what people are struggling with in the Church, especially Gender Issues.
But, Saturday night Priesthood was the WORST Priesthood Session I have ever watched. It was flat, boring, didn't contain a rallying call (OK, there was a "Do your hometeaching" talk...but it wasn't the same. It left me severely lacking. Then, I found out that a large number of women got in line tonight for the Session to watch from the Conference Center. After 200 years, they broadcast Priesthood live via BYU TV and online at LDS.ORG and the SAME DAY, right after the Church made it available for anyone to watch, live, there are women who want to go that night.
I'm sorry, I am a feminist, I REALLY AM (just ask my wife). But having women at "Priesthood Meeting" is like watching a sex scene with your wife AND Mom there...really hard to enjoy. And maybe women are saying they totally agree and I shouldn't be watching that period and that's the problem with Priesthood. It's like giving birth to a Child and having your neighbor from 5 doors down that you don't know pop by just to see what it looks like down there because they haven't had kids yet. It's not that having people at these times is bad or good. But, for certain events, like Marriages, Funerals, Graduation, etc...there is always an "intended" audience for the event. Having the guy who failed and will be back next year for 12th grade again...it's uncomfortable for everyone.
If you are speaking in "Priesthood Session", do you talk to both Genders because they are both watching? Well then, what's the point of having a separate Relief Society Session and Priesthood. I LIKE that we each get talked to from "our leaders" on gender specific issues. I think it's helpful! I WANT to be a better husband, and I want to hear how to do it from a good husband. Same with someone who's a successful business person who wants to tell me how to be good at my job. Same with home teaching, being a father, etc.
Heck, it'd be nice to have someone in the Relief Society Presidency or Primary Presidency, or Young Woman's Presidency come to Priesthood to tell me how to be a good husband, father, or Dad to a teenage daughter. PLEASE COME AND TELL ME!!!
But having just one more session of general conference with everyone there...it ruins it. It's not the same. It may be tradition, but it's helpful to get gender and role specific instruction. It's available for everyone to watch online...heck, most of the men will probably watch it online now. But why do women have to BE there? I don't see what is gained? I don't see why "crashing the party" moves the cause of equality forward. Please help. I'm sad. I'm bummed. Priesthood sucked and I could have used a good "pep talk" tonight. Maybe we should rebrand it and call it something else. It's been Priesthood and Relief Society for over 100 years...it can change, no problem.
But I do find a lot of value into "splitting up" for the 3rd hour. I think both genders need it and I hope we keep it.
