Staying Anchored While Still Keeping Hope for Change

This past year, I have been addicted to reading anything related to Mormon feminism.  And in the past 24 hours I’ve somberly watched the discussion from being interesting, provoking and a little controversial to extremely emotional.  Many of my close friends are updating their Facebook statuses using words like, “Sad,” “heart-broken,” “irritated,” “disappointed.”  Some are criticizing the Church’s handling of the situation, and others are justifying their inactivity in the church.

I hope to provide a little comfort, sympathy, and also hope for those who feel like they’re on an spiritual  roller coaster.  

 

This is NOT the first faith hurdle that church members have had to confront.

And it’s not the first time that church leaders have made incredibly unpopular decisions.  Many of these decisions have been inspired, and in my opinion, a couple of them were not.  This only makes sense if you believe that Heavenly Father has given us free agency in order for us to learn and grow.  He hasn’t excluded church leaders from these opportunities. 

But popularity and my personal rationale is not a good measurement of divinity.  Moses comes to mind as a Prophet of God, who was very unpopular among the Children of Israel, but called of God nevertheless.  Anyway, each of these instances in Church history (polygamy, priesthood being withheld from blacks, the church’s stance on the Equal Rights Amendment, Prop 8, etc, etc, etc,) seem to present a fork in the road.

  We can choose

1. To follow Prophets blindly and brush discomfort under the rug

2. Follow our own desires, thoughts, and passions and ultimately lose our faith, or

3. To dig deep, do some soul searching, and humbly search for inspired answers from God through scripture reading and prayer. 

I’m obviously a big fan of the 3^rd option.  It takes the most effort and time, but results in the most amount of sustainable peace.    

Looking for Answers in the right places

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Matthew 7:7

Where we look for answers is just as important as the questions themselves.  When our faith is shaken, or our testimonies seem turned upside-down, are we searching for answers in the great bloggernacle of philosophy, or are we knocking on Heavenly Father’s door?  Recently I’ve found myself nudging towards the “lose faith” track, and tried to counter the embarrassing amounts of time I spend reading opinion blogs, with even more time reading scripture and praying.  The results have been great amounts of peace and hope when it comes to gender equality in the church.  I have since received specific inspiration that has helped me feel comfort and even empowered as a woman in the LDS church. And more importantly, I’ve felt closer to Heavenly Father and happier.

Gender Equality from here

Now, I have always considered myself a feminist.  I remember arriving at BYU as a little 17 year old and realizing within my first few days that almost everyone I was surrounded by considered feminists to be faithless, bra-burning man-haters.  I was baffled since the gospel and Christ himself have always seemed to respect women just as much as men, and hey!  Who doesn’t believe in equal pay for equal work?

There are those who probably believe than seeking for any change within the church reflects a lack of faith.  But change happens all the time among the Latter-day Saints.  That’s why we have a living Prophet!  And I believe that there is room for progress in the church when it comes to gender equality.  I think some of our negative emotional reactions to Kate’s excommunication have to do with a fear that all opportunities for growth will be stamped out and all conversation on equality in a general sense will die.  But I highly doubt that this will be the case.

In fact some of these changes are happening now.  Leaders in my state of Michigan have recently been urged by General Authorities to include women in their counsels and to stop calling men “the Priesthood.”   Three weeks ago, as I was sitting in Primary with my class of 4 year-olds, a Bishopric member came in to discuss the Priesthood during Sharing Time.  He said, “little boys and little girls can grow up to hold the Priesthood.”  And this last Sunday, a Sister Missionary gave a talk in Sacrament meeting on the topic of Priesthood and spoke about the priesthood authority that she has and exercises as a servant of the Lord.  Are these members in danger of losing their membership in the church?  No way.  And the reason is, that this fork in the road that's been placed before us can take us to some beautiful realizations when we keep our focus on Christ.  

I’m quite sure that some of these changes may come because OW has forced the topic onto the table.  And I’m grateful that although the outcome isn’t what Kelly would prefer, that greater light and knowledge is coming to members who seek to understand the priesthood authority that women already have.

Don’t lose hope

I remember asking my mom about dinosaurs and the Creation or something as a kid, and her response was, “Don’t give up what you do know, for what you don’t know.”  This has always stuck with me.  What do I know?  Jesus is the Christ.  He restored his Church in these latter-days through Joseph Smith.  The Book of Mormon is True.  I don’t know if Kate was justifiably excommunicated.  I don’t know her heart, or her Bishop's heart.  But I do know that I’m in the right place.

“The standard of truth has been erected.  No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”  

-Joseph Smith Jr.