A Mormon Woman, the News, and Fairy Tales

This is a viewpoint combining two things that have bothered me in the last year.  These thoughts and topics have been stewing in my mind.  I am a Latter-day Saint (Mormon) woman.  This post is from that view point.  It is also about trust issues with our American news media outlets.  I have recently expressed concerns about the news media lacking for actual solid news, but having lots of drama and spin.  Taking facts and making fiction.  This is a huge glaring very personal example to me.

Mr. Romney's presidential campaign put a bright white hot light on my faith for quite some time. So, while some people may perceive my views as more traditional and write off what I am about to say, you couldn't be further from the truth.  I'm not a traditional Mormon.  I wasn't raised Mormon, that came later.  I am not a Republican, but that's a strained discussion for another time. Most of my family when I was growing up were Democrats.  I was raised in a distinctly low income bracket where we relied on government services to survive for things like food and shelter.  I was the daughter of a single mother until I was almost 12.  I had an absentee drug and alcohol addicted biological father.  I believe that without trying my mother and other important female figures in my life were feminists for their times.  The woman as a strong figure was an important part of my upbringing.  So, again, I repeat, I am not a traditional Mormon.  I am not married and never have been.  I have never had any children and I am a career woman so to speak.  Not a traditional Mormon, but a Mormon nonetheless.  Taking all of that non-traditional-ness into consideration please read my words and digest them for what they are worth.

I had problems with a newspaper article that peeved me.  The article that really set me off is from the New York Times, which I often like to read online.    It is about women wearing slacks or pants to church.  Here is the link to the article - http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/us/19mormon.html?_r=1&

I was angry and frustrated when I read it.  I know I shouldn't let it make me angry, but that is who I am - I am an emotional responder and I'm being honest when I say I was angry. Let's dissect that article because I have many a bone to pick with this one. 

First, the death threats thing was like screen worthy drama.  This is one of those, "Really?  Are you kidding me? Who believes this sh, uh stuff?" moments.  I wondered if they could make Mormons seem more weird if they tried.  I've gone to so many different Mormon congregations in different states and even in different countries that I really can't count them all.  I've seen women dress in many types of clothes, even clothes I thought were a little to revealing for church, but never a death threat.  Although when I could see that 17 year old girl's underwear through her dress I did want to smack her on the back side of her head and say, "Could you look more like hooker at church?"  I'm from the school of thought that if you are messed up in any other part of your life the least you can do when you go to church is show some respect.  I mean you took the time to go to church in the first place, at least pretend to be good for that hour or more.  Anyways, I think this article was total B.S. and I don't mean the college degree.  Told you, not a traditional Mormon.

Second, when it says, "Others said they could not participate because they were fearful of ridicule or reprimand."  Again screen worthy drama.  Where are these people?  I want to know what congregations they attend so that I can tell someone to straighten this out.  This is not normal "Mormon" behavior to ridicule or reprimand unless you are 17 and the dress is totally like a hooker dress.  Again, could they make Mormons seem more weird?

Third, the comment, "Organizers hope the dialogue will now expand to include issues like the ordination of women, or women taking on more responsibilities at church events."  Holy Priesthood Batman!  These women don't need ordination to be whole.  How have they missed this?  For fear of my message getting lost in this one piece of doctrinal deep water, let me express this as simply as possible.  The Latter-Day Saint woman is whole and glorious in the sight of God without being ordained.  If I am whole in the sight of God without it, why would I want it?  For personal, selfish, or self-aggrandizing desires. Not for good or God.

I must express my strong feelings on the part of the quote about women taking on more responsibilities at church events.  Are you kidding me?  Does the person who wrote this do ANY research before spouting this nonsense?  What congregation are these women attending, because a congregation where men take on more of the responsibilities at church events is perfectly fine with me, but I doubt that it exists.  In the congregations I have attended all over the U.S. and Europe women do a minimum of a third to half of the responsibilities at church events.  Depending on the event sometimes women perform 100% of the responsibilities.

Fourth, the statement, "They also cited the pronounced role of the Boy Scouts in the church — boys routinely become troop leaders in the organization, but girls have no similar outlet with the Girl Scouts."  Duh, if you want to put your daughters in Girl Scouts, do it.  No one is stopping you.  In addition, there are activities and programs geared specifically for young women called the Personal Progress program.  It is based on LDS doctrinal beliefs and is structured with developing leadership, goal setting and achievement for the young women only.  There is also the young women camping activity every summer.  Obtaining the Young Womanhood Recognition is the equivalent of the Boy Scout Eagle Scout award within the church.  I received mine at 17 and I knew I was special for this unique achievement.  So, again my response is, "Did this guy do any research at all?"

Fifth and this is my most anger-worthy sentence from the whole dang article, "the fact that young men are expected to go on two-year missions to spread the faith, but young women are not. The result: the vast majority of Mormon missionaries are men."  I served an honorable mission for my church.  I knew at the ripe old age of 16 this is what I wanted for myself.  At no point in time in the 5 years between 16 and 21 did anyone ever discourage me from wanting to serve or from going.  If anything it was the reverse.  I was encouraged.  Yes, young men are ‘strongly’ encouraged to go, but not one person is stopping the young women.  After last year's announcement lowering the age for women to go from 21 to 19 more and more young women have started submitting papers and begun serving missions turning that male female ratio to almost 50/50.  Get outta here with this junk.

Those recently expressed concerns about the news media lacking for news?  Well, doesn't this just say it all?  This is not a reporter of information; it is a writer telling a fictional story.  And just think if this is what they say about Mormons, what are they spewing about people of other faiths, other lifestyles, other societies, or other cultures? 

Lest you think I am condemning the New York Times, fear not I’m not a conservative picking on a liberal newspaper.  That would require me to be conservative, which I am not.  I’m a moderate looking left and looking right and seeing nothing but polarization and fairy-tales.  You cannot trust the American news media to give you the cold hard facts.  They expect others to look through glasses with a prescription so wrong that you can never see clear reality or find intelligent objectivity.  To heck with that.  Not this Mormon woman.