Exponent II's Blog, page 129

Guest Post: Why Heavenly Mother is Essential: Part 1

Guest Post by McArthur Krishna, McArthur comes from a pack of storytellers. And while the pack rightly insists she’s only in the running for third-best storyteller on a good day, she’s made her living in stories. Stories in words and visual art that inspire, demand, encourage and cajole us along this wild ride of life. If you know her, she will unabashedly tell your stories too (with some degree of truthiness). Look out.

This is the first of a seven-part series about why Heavenly Mother is essential.

I write books and make art about Heavenly Mother. When I tell people this, they often come back with three immediate reactions. We’ll tackle them one by one in this post. 

First, almost all of us were taught the idea of the “sacred silence’ around Heavenly Mother— the concept that we were not to speak of her as she was too delicate or protected by our Father in Heaven. Frankly, this one is easily managed. In my assessment, if the Church has a gospel topics essay entitled Mother in Heaven, the world wide web is about as public as you can get. Clearly, we can speak of Her. The survey in A Mother There that clarifies no prophet or apostle has ever told us we cannot. It was cultural hogwash that got us here… which is good news. If we did it to ourselves, we can undo it.

The second reaction I hear is that there simply isn’t enough information about our Heavenly Mother to talk about. There are two parts that I consider with this concern:

I actually think there is a lot more than what people think: plenty enough for my co-author Bethany and I to write the Girls Guide to Heavenly Mother  and the  Boys Guide to Heavenly Mother  based only on quotes by prophets, apostles and female church leaders. The A Mother There article cites an additional six hundred references to Her. Not all of those are from trusted sources but it absolutely makes the case that Heavenly Mother was discussed. There is a journal entry recording a story of Joseph Smith using the existence of Heavenly Mother to comfort someone. There are scholarly pieces that lay out cases for Heavenly Mother in the scriptures and a lot of scriptures that describe god as female. A few examples: “You were mindful of the Rock that bore you,” Deuteronomy 32:18, or “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” 1 Nephi 21:15. I hear more and more of people who have rich and robust spiritual experiences with Her. I recommend the website SeekingHeavenlyMother.com to find a range of sources.The second thought I have on “not enough information” is, “THANK GOODNESS.” When I was recently reading about race in our church history, I came across quotes that were painful to my soul. The great thing about there being less about Heavenly Mother also means there is less correlating muck. Almost everything I have read that apostles and prophets have said of Her has been uplifting, expansive, and ennobling. That is something of true value.

The third reaction, if people get past the taboo and the lack of information, is that we don’t need to bother with Heavenly Mother because she is not essential. This is the one that concerns me the most because it indicates a deep lack of respect for the order of the universe and the role of women. If the mother to the Savior isn’t essential, then we aren’t either.

My art piece for the recent show “Reflections on Heavenly Mother” with Certain Women was entitled ELEMENTAL. Here’s what this piece mean to me:

“Elemental” by McArthur Krishna

Our Heavenly Mother is elemental. She is the basics of bone and wood and shell and shine. And so are all of us. We are reflected in our Heavenly Mother’s image. And though we may be battered and imperfect in our progression, we are still essential. Like Her. 

Essential Fact #1: Heavenly Mother is the Mother of our Souls

Of all the characteristics of Heavenly Mother, this is probably the least controversial: Heavenly Mother is the mother of our souls. This has been stated by numerous prophets, general authorities, and female church leaders. To quote a few:

“This divine entreaty is consistent with the fact that, as begotten children of heavenly parents, we are endowed with the potential to become like them, just as mortal children may become like their mortal parents.”

Prophet Russell M. Nelson, Perfection Pending, October 1995

“We are the literal spirit children of divine, immortal, and omnipotent Heavenly Parents.”

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, O How Great the Plan of Our God! October 2016

“You have light because you are literally spirit daughters of Deity, ‘offspring of exalted parents’ with a divine nature and an eternal destiny. You received your first lessons in the world of spirits from your heavenly parents.”

Julie B. Beck, Young Women General Presidency, You Have a Noble Birthright, April 2006

“You are literally the spirit daughters of Heavenly Parents, and nothing can separate you from Their love and the love of your Savior.”

President Bonnie H. Cordon, Young Women General President, Beloved Daughters, October 2019

“Have you ever been told you are just like your mother, or you have your father’s smile, or all of your family have the same color of eyes? The physical characteristics that we inherit from our parents are obvious. The spiritual characteristics we inherit from our heavenly parents have to be developed. You have been born with all the godlike gifts that Christ has. They are within you, but you have to choose to cultivate and develop them. Spiritual growth doesn’t just happen without our best efforts.”

President Elaine L. Jack, Relief Society General President, Identity of a Young Woman, November 1989

But, what does this knowledge matter?

I have three daughters. My co-author has three daughters. We’ve talked to lots of women about where they are in life and the fact that we all need soul development. We decided to write A Girls Guide to Heavenly Mother partially for our tweens because they needed more information and more understanding of the universe and how it worked, but also because we regularly see that women don’t make choices to invest in their own souls. 

I was speaking to a woman recently and she said, “I can’t go back and study. I want to go get this degree and I’m interested in this but I can’t go do this because there’s no return on investment. It doesn’t make sense financially to do this.” I thought about that, and thought, “You know, I take my daughter to soccer practice regularly and we invest in equipment and lessons and coaches and whatever NOT because I expect her to be a  professional soccer player and to ever pay me back– but because I know it’s good for her to use her body and learn teamwork, etc.”

I believe in developing her soul. 

Eva Whitesman said,”Our pursuit of knowledge has its own spiritual value regardless of whether we ever enter the paid labor force…Our learning is of value not only if we become mothers or workers, church leaders or community activists. We are of value because of our divine heritage and because of what will one day be our divine inheritance. Our value is not merely instrumental. It is intrinsic. Our learning is not merely instrumental. It is essential.”

Where did it come that women somehow quit thinking that our soul was worth this investment?

A few years ago I did a project on wise women in my life. One of these is a woman who taught me that her soul was worth investing in. What is amazing to me is that when she told me of her situation and choices, I was floored. My literal thought was, “Are you allowed to do that?” and then followed by a quick, “Duh.”

I know I forgot. Recently when my husband and I were planning the family budget we already had a line item for the expenses for our girls, and I looked at it and thought, “Wait. I need to embody what I have learned. I need a line item too!”

Soul development doesn’t have to be about money. A friend of mine recently called upon her family to support her so that one night a week she could hole up in her bedroom and paint. Another friend has a weekly “My Night”… where she can write or sleep or read or do whatever, where she gets to be a human developing her soul.

Both of these women fight off the guilt of taking time “away” from their family life. Guilt about doing exactly what we are suppose to be doing in this earth life: growing! 

There are serious amounts of soul development that come from service and especially the intense service we render in our families. Soul development does not necessarily have to take us outside of our families.  But as the painter friend told me, “I have strong muscles developed in one area of my life and total atrophy in almost every other.”

Detail of “Elemental”, by McArthur Krishna

Knowledge of Heavenly Mother changes us. If we know that our destiny is heavenly motherhood that means that our souls—I won’t speak for you, but my soul—have to do a fair amount of development! There’s a gap between the state of my soul and the state of Heavenly Mother’s soul, like there’s a gap between being human and god. We have to continue to grow and develop. That’s what this whole earth life is about! 

Women stall out or see their souls as not worth that kind of development. But however that looks like at the end of the day: time, energy, money, resources, using away guilt, etc, we have to understand our destinies as godhood. That means it’s going to take some vital soul development.

Sister Bingham said, “Our Heavenly Parents want us to succeed  gloriously!” One of the most beautiful take-home messages about Heavenly Mother is having another all-powerful deity in my court who wants me to succeed, who is interested in nurturing my soul. 

That’s all good.

A Spiritual Practice for All Saints Day

“Communion of Saints,” by Ira Thomas, https://www.catholicworldart.com/Welc...

On November 1, many Western Christians observe All Saints Day. Some groups will focus on those who have died, but there is considerable variety in this practice. When I think of saints, I think of all of the saints, Latter-day and otherwise, who have been part of my spiritual life and people who have been part of my church experiences. Sometimes those two categories overlap, but not always. I consider all of them to be saints.

Saints are a large and diverse group in society. The experiences of being saints are all different and there is no singular experience of being a saint that all saints share. In each of our cultural contexts there are probably some social expectations of what a saint is supposed to be. In every community, those expectations are probably a little bit different. If you are a saint, you have perhaps felt at times that you were not able to meet that ideal, that your community defined sainthood in a way that did not entirely describe you. At the same time, our communities often rely on the labor of many saints to hold them together, but that labor is often expected and not always appreciated.

Let’s take some time to reflect on the gifts and labor of saints in our communities.

Close your eyes. Take three deep breaths.

Think of a saint who has inspired you. Pause for a breath. Picture this saint in your mind. Pause for a breath. What did this person do for you? Pause for a breath. How did this person’s humanity and gifts inspire you? Pause for a breath. What words of affirmation or gratitude would you offer this person if you could speak to them now?

Pause for three breaths.

Think of a saint who has challenged you to be a better person. Pause for a breath. Picture this saint in your mind. Pause for a breath. What did this person do for you? Pause for a breath. How did this person’s humanity and gifts move you to change? Pause for a breath. What words of affirmation or gratitude would you offer this person if you could speak to them now?

Pause for three breaths.

Think of a saint who has loved you. Pause for a breath. Picture this person in your mind. Pause for a breath. What did this person do for you that showed love? Pause for a breath. How did this love impact you? Pause for a breath. What words of affirmation or gratitude would you offer this person if you could speak to them now?

Pause for three breaths.

Thank you for sharing in this practice of remembering saints. As you move through your week, I invite you to remember these three saints. If you are able, consider sharing your words of gratitude and affirmation with them.

For We Shall See Him as He Is

I loved Kristine Haglund’s recent essay at By Common Consent.

“She saw (before I did) that we needed each other, and was willing to be devoted to me and my child in ways none of us quite understood. It is precisely in such need and such devotion that we learn that Jesus did not come to offer us metaphors. When he said ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst,’ he meant that his disciples should actually feed each other. There are metaphors there, but first there is bread. Rice. Soup. Perhaps ‘come unto me, ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,’ is best translated ‘hand over the baby and take a nap.'”

Read the entire post here.

2022 BIPOC Artist & Writer Scholarship

The following is a Q&A  by Sam Layco, Co-Managing Editor of the Exponent II Magazine. This scholarship is sponsored by a new community fund. You can donate to this fund here by specifying ‘BIPOC Scholarship’ in the notes. Current fund totals are announced in the monthly newsletter.

*

What is the mission of this scholarship?
We wish to amplify the voices of BIPOC artists and writers in the LDS community by lending needed support to continue developing their work. Applicants should identify with the mission of Exponent II.

 

How can I apply for the scholarship?
Please provide your name, contact information, and a brief cover letter (500 words) about how you will use this scholarship to support your work. In addition:

Artists: Attach examples of your work through pictures of your art or relevant links to your portfolio (website, Instagram, etc.).Writers: Attach a writing sample of up to 10 pages (double-spaced).

Send all materials by April 10, 2022, to exponentiieditor@gmail.com with the subject BIPOC Artist and Writer Scholarship 2022. Recipients will be announced on May 22, 2022, and will be featured in our Summer 2022 Issue.

 

Is there an age requirement?
Applicants should be at least 18 years old.

 

What can the money be used for?
We want these funds to meet artists and writers wherever they are in their careers. The money can be used for professional development, education, art supplies, or to compensate you for your time creating. The goal is simply to help artists of color to be able to successfully work in the artistic world.

 

How much money is available?
We are starting small and hoping to grow as we solicit more donors. At the moment, we have $608.51 donated toward this scholarship fund as of October 26, 2021. We are collecting funds until April 3, 2022, and will announce the final amount on April 10, 2022.

How much applicants receive will depend on how many applications we get and our ability to grow the initiative.

If you would like to donate or know of others who are able to contribute, follow this link and note that the donation is for the BIPOC Artist & Writer Scholarship.

 

Who decides how the money will be distributed?
A panel of BIPOC people with experience in the LDS art and literary community. Panelists will be announced at a later date.

Guest Post: Why Don’t More Wards Look Like the Multicultural Choir?

Nicole is an adult convert, a woman of color, and a professional diplomat. She blogs at nandm.sbitani.com and writes microfiction @nsbitani on Twitter. The content of this post does not represent the views of the U.S. Department of State or any other U.S. Government agency, department, or entity. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and in no way should be associated with the U.S. Government.

I grew up in a part of the United States with a huge Korean American population. Yet, I’ve only met one Korean American member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in all of the four wards I lived in in my home state of Virginia. My non-member husband is Palestinian, and we’ve only met one member of Arab descent in all of our home state.

In one sense, the problem is self-reinforcing. The wards and branches I attended in northern Virginia are overwhelmingly white and wealthy relative to the surrounding population. As member missionaries share the Gospel with friends, colleagues, and neighbors – people who tend to have similar backgrounds to one another due to social and economic factors – the gaps widen. Moreover, those who feel they do not fit the mold of the individuals and groups they see in the chapel may not see a place for themselves in the Church. In the worst case scenarios, members and leaders may make investigators and new converts feel unwelcome with judgments, assumptions, or hurtful comments and behavior.

When I’ve served in callings including Young Women and Relief Society, I have noticed that the  lack of diversity is not limited to membership rolls alone. Even in auxiliaries with members of color, LGBTQ+ members, immigrants, and others on the books, I noticed that the rate of Church attendance and participation of minority members in everything from ministering to activities was disproportionately low. We must ask ourselves why that is the case.

Like many, I have had experiences with well-meaning but culturally insensitive members. Recently, I attended a Relief Society book club activity on Zoom for my English branch in South Korea. That month we had read a historical mystery set in Joseon Dynasty-era Korea written by a Korean diaspora author whom I love. Early on in the discussion, multiple sisters complained about the difficulty of character and place names. Another lamented that the characters didn’t speak in a more “American” way given that the book was in English. Several made sweeping generalizations about “Asian” culture – encompassing about 60% of the world’s population. I was the only Korean American in attendance and only woman of color until another Asian woman of non-Korean descent joined partway through the event.

Not all the sisters were offensive. But enough made ignorant comments that I spent a good portion of the Relief Society activity thinking about people throughout my life who had ridiculed the food I ate growing up, butchered the pronunciation of my Korean middle name, told me my parents were right to give me an English first name and emphasize assimilation, mocked my family’s accents, made fun of traditional Korean dress, mixed up my heritage with Chinese or Japanese or whatever else seemed interchangeable to them, and so on. I silently hoped that the other Asian woman who joined our call later had not heard the worst of the book club comments. I did not have the energy that night on Zoom to try and educate these Relief Society sisters, sisters whom I love and admire and respect. I just wish they would take the time to learn how to make Relief Society more welcoming for someone like me.

I have seen the same challenges play out in countless wards in the Western world during my travels and found it especially acute in the United States. In the Beyond the Block podcast’s Conference Recap episode, Brother James Jones commented, “We clearly have a race issue in the Church still, and even where I am in Harlem, my ward is predominantly white, despite the neighborhood being overwhelmingly Black and I can’t help but acknowledge that there’s no way that’s an accident.” Sadly, I took the relatively homogeneous appearance of members of the Church I encountered for granted. For that reason, seeing the multicultural choir singing on the October 2021 General Conference broadcast struck me like lightning.

The multicultural choir represented 39 countries and 35 languages across 180 people who choir member Thom Reed pointed out hail “from homelands on every populated continent on the earth”. It was the most diversity in appearance I had ever seen in a General Conference. From skin color to body size to age to hair texture and style, the multicultural choir showed me what I didn’t even know I was missing – what my heart ached for from my congregations and from my spiritual leadership. Choir member Benny Yamagata said, “I think it’s the start of a new era and the church, one of the multicultural and global church as opposed to just one focused here in Utah.”

In making the beautiful vision of a truly multicultural and global Church a reality, we should heed the words of Elder D. Todd Christofferson:

It breaks my heart if someone comes and is very vulnerable and says, ‘I want to try it. I want to be here,’ and then get a cold shoulder or a lack of interest. And that’s tragic. It really is tragic. We have to be better than that. The diversity we find now in the Church may be just the beginning. Frankly, I think we will see greater and greater diversity. In the ancient Church there was tremendous diversity. And it’s not just diversity for diversity’s sake but the fact that people can bring different gifts and perspectives, and the wide range of experience and backgrounds and challenges that people face will show us what really is essential in the gospel of Christ. And that much of the rest, that has been perhaps acquired over time and is more cultural than doctrinal, can slip away and we can really learn to be disciples.

It is crucial to note that he doesn’t say the offense is the fault or responsibility of the vulnerable person; rather, he urges us: “We have to be better than that.” He also recognizes that diversity benefits the Church and all its people, not just the marginalized. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf also taught, “the diversity of persons and peoples all around the globe is a strength of this Church.”

We are the body of Christ as Paul acknowledged in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. We must be one, but we don’t have to be the same to be unified. I have a testimony that the Savior loves me and all of my spirit siblings for who we are, including our differences. I look forward to the day when all the congregations I attend reflect that simple truth.

We Have Learned By Sad Experience…

Photo by Mike Hansen

I am wondering about my connection and involvement in an organization.

I have devoted much energy, time, and resources to this organization.

I have donated significant funds to it.

I have sacrificed much for it. I have endured criticism, gossip, misunderstanding, judgement and condemnation from those who do not understand or agree with this organization.

There are those close to me who just can’t understand why I would stay connected to this organization.

It is one where I have found community, support, inspiration, and learned about unconditional love.

I have served in it alongside people who have become like family to me.

My connection to it goes back almost to its beginning.

And, no, in this case I am not referring to the LDS Church.

Anyway…

Several times, in recent years, I have been concerned with changes in this organization. I am still inspired by the mission statement. But there has been a change in how leadership functions, and a shift in how resources are used to support the mission statement.

Many of the people who run this organization have experienced dissonance from past experiences with church leaders who have abused their leadership position, who have demanded loyalty for loyalty’s sake, or members who have not been inclusive, or Christlike, or who not lived in accordance with the Church mission statement. It is difficult to wrestle with that dissonance. A significant portion of these people choose to distance themselves, or sever connection with the Church, because of these painful experiences.

I can understand why people would choose to do this, and do not think there is a right or wrong way to work through dissonance. It is individual for each of us, and I would hope we can learn to listen and support each other in our individual journeys, no matter where we are led.

I wish I could say that when any of us choose to leave an organization where we have experienced pain, trauma and dissonance, we are able to escape all components of the pain, and we will no longer encounter that kind of dissonance or abuse or hypocrisy.

But the behavior that might trigger this trauma, or pain, or abuse – this is not a religious problem, or LDS problem, or a specific organization problem.

It is a human problem.

And all organizations are created and run by humans.

I am human.

I have tried to remember that when I am told by someone in this organization that I have not shown adequate loyalty for loyalty’s sake to someone in leadership, and then removed from my position because of that.

I have tried to remember that when my volunteer efforts are shut down, my voice silenced, and my contributions denied.

I have tried to remember that when financial transparency is eliminated, and I learn that my donations have not been used where I had stipulated.

I have tried to remember that when term limits for leaders are removed, when members no longer have a say in leadership, and there is no accountability.

I try to remember that when some of the most valuable, knowledgeable and capable voices are minimized, diminished and removed.

Even with the practice I have had in doing so with other organizations, I have been shaken at how much more intense these experiences have been with this one.

And I consider again the verse from one of the most powerful sections of the Doctrine and Covenants. In section 121, verse 39 – “We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men (it would be nice to blame this completely on men, but I need to be more accurate here and say “human”), as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.”

This is not the only non-church organization where I have or am seeing unrighteous dominion happening. I am an activist. I am around political groups and legislatures all the time. But it is usually not surprising to have to deal with it there.

We all want to assume that groups where we have sought support, and advocacy – where we have devoted much effort in trying to make a difference – we want things to be different. We hope things will be different.

This is a reminder that we do learn from sad experience.

We can leave organizations over and over and over. And we are still human. We are still associating with humans. There will be abuse, and hypocrisy, and trauma, and pain.

I don’t think there is only an option of leaving, or staying.

I hope we can learn how to watch for warning signs, in ourselves and others, when abuse of power or authority is taking over groups, or organizations. I hope we can learn from our own sad experience of how destructive this is, and be willing to confront ourselves, and each other in ways that can call us back to what inspires us, back to what can make a difference to a shared purpose, even when it might mean giving up some authority or control.

What if we consider an option of transforming an organization?

Again, I am not saying that is the best, or correct, or right option for everyone. Or for every organization.

There are plenty of organizations which were once inspiring, but have become ineffective or irrelevant when numbers, money or pride became more important than people.

I have had to shift how I function within various organizations. Some I have stepped away from, maybe because they have changed, or I have changed. There is nothing wrong with that.

Ultimately, the value of any group – of 3, or 7,000, or 16 million – comes down to the actions of its members. Even the most powerful leaders (no matter how righteous, or unrighteous) will be gone at some point. Members who are inspired by the mission or purpose of the group will focus on what inspires them, work to align the group to that and shift away from abusive actions, or they will find new ways, and possibly new places where they can contribute to what inspires them.

I have been contributing to what I found inspiring about this organization in new ways, and in new places, trying to make a difference where I create belonging. It is not what I expected, but transformation is not always predictable.

And, even though the human problems continue to bring sad experience, I wouldn’t give up any of the countless, indescribable, wonderful experiences I have because of the humans in my life.

That is what has and continues to transform me.

I am grateful there is no escaping that.

 

Sacred Music Sunday: As Sisters in Zion

I’ve spent most of my adult life in the church serving in Primary, interspersed by only a few brief stints in Relief Society. A few weeks ago, I was released from my calling as a Primary teacher, so I’ve been attending Relief Society again for the first time in years. I was a bit hesitant because I don’t believe in segregation, including segregation by sex or gender. I contemplated ditching out after sacrament meeting but decided to give it a fair chance anyway.

This week was marvelous. There have been several tragedies in my ward over the last few weeks, so the RS president took the first half of the meeting to discuss what needs had to be met and to create a plan for us to band together to meet them. It was beautiful. “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction”. James 1:27

I experienced pure religion this week. I still don’t see why we couldn’t include people of other genders, but I’ll take what I can get.

Come Follow Me: Doctrine and Covenants 125-128: “A Voice of Gladness for the Living and the Dead”

A Voice of Gladness

In Doctrine and Covenants 128:19-23, we read from a September 1842 letter from Joseph Smith to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) some of the most joyous, exultant and downright perky verses in our canon:

Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of agladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of btruth out of the earth; glad tidings for the dead; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; glad tidings of great cjoy. How beautiful upon the mountains are the dfeet of those that bring glad tidings of good things, and that say unto Zion: Behold, thy God reigneth! As the edews of Carmel, so shall the knowledge of God descend upon them!

And again, what do we hear? Glad tidings from aCumorah! bMoroni, an angel from heaven, declaring the fulfilment of the prophets—the cbook to be revealed. A voice of the Lord in the wilderness of Fayette, Seneca county, declaring the three witnesses to dbear record of the book! The voice of eMichael on the banks of the Susquehanna, detecting the fdevil when he appeared as an angel of glight! The voice of hPeter, James, and John in the wilderness between Harmony, Susquehanna county, and Colesville, Broome county, on the Susquehanna river, declaring themselves as possessing the ikeys of the kingdom, and of the dispensation of the fulness of times!

And again, the voice of God in the chamber of old aFather Whitmer, in Fayette, Seneca county, and at sundry times, and in divers places through all the travels and tribulations of this Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! And the voice of Michael, the archangel; the voice of bGabriel, and of Raphael, and of divers cangels, from Michael or dAdam down to the present time, all declaring their edispensation, their rights, their fkeys, their honors, their majesty and glory, and the power of their priesthood; giving line upon line, gprecept upon precept; here a little, and there a little; giving us consolation by holding forth that which is to come, confirming our hhope!

Brethren [and sisters], shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. aCourage, brethren [and sisters]; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into bsinging. Let the cdead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the dKing Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to eredeem them out of their fprison; for the prisoners shall go free.

Let the amountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid brocks weep for joy! And let the sun, moon, and the cmorning stars sing together, and let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever! And again I say, how glorious is the voice we hear from heaven, proclaiming in our ears, glory, and salvation, and honor, and dimmortality, and eternal life; kingdoms, principalities, and powers!
D&C 128:22-23

What was Joseph Smith so excited about in these verses?What excites you about the gospel of Jesus Christ?What does that metaphor about the dews upon Mt. Carmel refer to?

There are places in the world where it seldom rains. One that has been known for thousands of years was written about in the Bible. The Bible in the Old Testament says, “As the dews upon Mt. Carmel….” The dews at Mt. Carmel in the Israel, Palestine area are produced by moist air from the Mediterranean which comes in almost every night. The air is cool over the mountains. It does not rain or create fog very often, but heavy dew forms on the side of that mountain. The dew supports a heavy vegetation for an arid area which does not have rain. In some accounts, all moisture that would ever accumulate was dew up until the time of Noah and the Ark. Then it started to rain and flooded them. That was the first rain known, by some accounts, in that part of the earth. The dew had kept the vegetation alive.
—Iowa State University, Department of Agronomy, “Dew”

What does it mean for the  “knowledge of God” to descend “as the dews of Mt. Carmel”?Going Forward, Not Backward

In the recent General Conference, Elder Alfred Kyungu of the Quorum of the Seventy quoted this scripture:

In modern scripture, we read the inspired words of the Prophet Joseph Smith reflecting the Lord’s encouragement to us: “Brethren [and sisters], shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren [and sisters]; and on, on to the victory!” (Doctrine and Covenants 128:22). Let us have the courage to do what is right even when it is unpopular—the courage to defend our faith and to act by faith. Let us have the courage to repent daily, the courage to accept God’s will and obey His commandments. Let us have the courage to live righteously and to do what is expected of us in our various responsibilities and positions.
—Elder Alfred Kyungu, “To Be a Follower of Christ,” October 2021

According to Elder Kyungu, how do we “go forward and not backward”?Why does it take courage to do these things?How do we build our courage?How do you find motivation to go “forward and not backward” in the cause of Christ?Swimming in Deep Water

In another letter written in September 1842, Joseph Smith discussed adversity he was experiencing but maintained the same joyful tone:

And as for the aperils which I am called to pass through, they seem but a small thing to me, as the benvy and wrath of man have been my common lot all the days of my life; and for what cause it seems mysterious, unless I was cordained from before the foundation of the world for some good end, or bad, as you may choose to call it. Judge ye for yourselves. God dknoweth all these things, whether it be good or bad. But nevertheless, deep water is what I am wont to swim in. It all has become a second nature to me; and I feel, like Paul, to glory in etribulation; for to this day has the God of my fathers delivered me out of them all, and will deliver me from henceforth; for behold, and lo, I shall triumph over all my enemies, for the Lord God hath spoken it.

Let all the saints rejoice, therefore, and be exceedingly glad; for Israel’s aGod is their God, and he will mete out a just recompense of breward upon the heads of all their coppressors.

And again, verily thus saith the Lord: Let the work of my atemple, and all the works which I have appointed unto you, be continued on and not cease; and let your bdiligence, and your perseverance, and patience, and your works be redoubled, and you shall in nowise lose your reward, saith the Lord of Hosts. And if they cpersecute you, so persecuted they the prophets and righteous men that were before you. For all this there is a reward in heaven.
D&C 127:2-4

How  would you summarize Joseph’s attitude toward his challenges?What do these verses teach us about how we can face personal trials?What do these verses teach us about God?Have you ever felt like you were swimming in “deep water” in your own life? How did the Lord sustain you?Baptisms for the Dead

In both of these letters, in D&C sections 127 and 128, Joseph Smith discussed baptisms for the dead, a doctrine that brought great joy to early members of the Church.

In August 1840, a grieving Jane Neyman listened to the Prophet Joseph speak at the funeral of his friend Seymour Brunson. Jane’s own teenage son Cyrus had also recently passed away. Adding to her grief was the fact that Cyrus had never been baptized, and Jane worried what this would mean for his eternal soul. Joseph knew how she felt; he had wondered the same thing about his beloved brother Alvin, who also died before being baptized. So the Prophet decided to share with Jane, and everyone else at the funeral, what the Lord had revealed to him about those who had died without receiving the ordinances of the gospel—and what we can do to help them.
—Come Follow Me for Individuals and Families: Doctrine and Covenants 125-128

The manual quotes several church members who shared their feelings about this new doctrine:

Phebe and Wilford Woodruff

Phebe Woodruff was living near Nauvoo when Joseph Smith began teaching about baptism for the dead. She wrote about it to her husband, Wilford, who was serving a mission in England:

“Brother Joseph … has learned by revelation that those in this church may be baptized for any of their relatives who are dead and had not a privilege of hearing this gospel, even for their children, parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, uncles, and aunts. … As soon as they are baptized for their friends they are released from prison and they can claim them in the resurrection and bring them into the celestial kingdom—this doctrine is cordially received by the church and they are going forward in multitudes, some are going to be baptized as many as 16 times … in one day.”1 

Wilford Woodruff later said of this principle: “The moment I heard of it my soul leaped with joy. … I went forward and was baptised for all my dead relatives I could think of. … I felt to say hallelujah when the revelation came forth revealing to us baptism for the dead. I felt that we had a right to rejoice in the blessings of Heaven.”2
—Come Follow Me for Individuals and Families: Doctrine and Covenants 125-128

Vilate Kimball

Like Sister Woodruff, Vilate Kimball heard about baptism for the dead while her husband, Heber, was away preaching the gospel. She wrote to him:

“President Smith has opened a new and glorious subject … which has caused quite a revival in the church. That is, being baptised for the dead. Paul speaks of it, in first Corinthians 15th chapter 29th verse. Joseph has received a more full explanation of it by Revelation. … It is the privilege of this church to be baptised for all their kinsfolks that have died before this Gospel came forth; even back to their great-Grandfather and Mother. … By so doing, we act as agents for them; and give them the privilege of coming forth in the first resurrection. He says they will have the Gospel preached to them … but there is no such thing as spirits being baptised. … Since this order has been preached here, the waters have been continually troubled. During conference there were sometimes from eight to ten Elders in the river at a time baptising. … I want to be baptised for my Mother. I calculated to wait until you come home, but the last time Joseph spoke upon the subject, he advised every one to be up and a doing, and liberate their friends from bondage as quick as possible. So I think I shall go forward this week, as there is a number of the neighbors going forward. Some have already been baptised a number of times over. … Thus you see there is a chance for all. Is not this a glorious doctrine?”3
—Come Follow Me for Individuals and Families: Doctrine and Covenants 125-128

Sketch of Nauvoo Temple Baptismal Font

Phebe Chase

Once the baptismal font was completed in the Nauvoo Temple, baptisms for the dead were performed there instead of in the river. Phebe Chase, a resident of Nauvoo, wrote to her mother about the temple, describing the baptismal font as the place where “we can be baptised for our dead and become saviors on Mount Zion.” She went on to explain that in this font, “I have been baptised for my dear father and all the rest of my dead friends. … Now I want to know what your father’s and Mother’s names are so that I can release them, for I desire to relieve the Dead. … The Lord has spoken again and restored the ancient order.”4
—Come Follow Me for Individuals and Families: Doctrine and Covenants 125-128

(Note that the requirement that people be baptized for the dead of their same gender was not in place at that time.)

Sally Randall

In writing to her friends and family about baptism for the dead, Sally Randall recalled the passing of her son George:

“Oh what a trying time that was to me and it seems yet that I can not be reconciled to have it so, but … his father has been baptised for him and what a glorious thing it is that we believe and receive the fulness of the gospel as it is preached now and can be baptized for all of our dead friends and save them as far back as we can get any knowledge of them.

“I want you should write me the given names of all of our connections that are dead as far back as grandfathers and grandmothers at any rate. I intend to do what I can to save my friends and I should be very glad if some of you would come and help me for it is a great work for one to do alone. … I expect you will think this is a strange doctrine but you will find it to be true.”5
—Come Follow Me for Individuals and Families: Doctrine and Covenants 125-128

How an we maintain this enthusiasm for baptisms for the dead now that it is not a doctrine that is new to us?The Effects of Slavery on Redeeming the Dead

At the same time early LDS church members were celebrating the opportunity to connect with their deceased family members through baptisms for the dead, black families were being torn apart through slavery, which continued to be legal in the United States of America for another quarter of a century. Even after slavery was abolished, its legacy had long-term impacts on African-American families, including LDS families who wished to perform baptism for the dead for their deceased family members.

For LDS Church members who are more melaninated than others, family history can be extremely daunting: colonization, forced migration, and (for many of African descent) slavery have had a devastating impact on records about our ancestors.
—Sister Bryndis Roberts, “Genealogy: Melaninated Style,” January 2017, Sunstone 

In spite of these barriers, Sister Roberts went to great efforts to trace her family tree and succeeded in identifying many of her ancestors.

Recognizing the significant challenges to family history for African Americans, in 2015, the LDS Church partnered with the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Archives and Records Administration of the United States and the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society to index the digitized records of the Freedman’s Bureau. The Freedman’s Bureau, organized under an 1865 Congressional order at the conclusion of the American Civil War, offered assistance to people freed from slavery and kept records such as marriage registers, hospital or patient registers, educational efforts, census lists, labor contracts and indenture or apprenticeship papers and others. (See Freedmen’s Bureau Project: Connecting African Americans With Civil War–Era Ancestors)

I witnessed the healing and joy that African Americans experienced as they discovered ancestors for the first time in those records. Today I am humbled once again to be part of a historic announcement that can, on paper, potentially reunite the black family that was once torn apart by slavery.
—Elder D. Todd Christofferson, June 2015, Freedmen’s Bureau Project: Connecting African Americans With Civil War–Era Ancestors

Watch Freedmen’s Bureau Broadcast, Time Stamp 11:53-17:35, to hear from African-American genealogists about the importance of this project.

What stood out to you from these testimonials from African-American genealogists about the importance of family history?A Bold Doctrine

It may seem to some to be a very bold doctrine that we talk of—a power which records or binds on earth and binds in heaven. Nevertheless, in all ages of the world, whenever the Lord has given a adispensation of the priesthood to any man by actual revelation, or any set of men, this power has always been given. Hence, whatsoever those men did in bauthority, in the name of the Lord, and did it truly and faithfully, and kept a proper and faithful record of the same, it became a law on earth and in heaven, and could not be annulled, according to the decrees of the great cJehovah. This is a faithful saying. Who can hear it?
D&C 128:9

 How is the doctrine of salvation for the dead a bold doctrine?

And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their asalvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made bperfect.
D&C 128:15

Why do you think our ancestors’ salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation”?Why can’t we without our dead be made perfect?

And again, in connection with this quotation I will give you a quotation from one of the prophets, who had his eye fixed on the arestoration of the priesthood, the glories to be revealed in the last days, and in an especial manner this most glorious of all subjects belonging to the everlasting gospel, namely, the baptism for the dead; for Malachi says, last chapter, verses 5th and 6th: Behold, I will send you bElijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

I might have rendered a aplainer translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a bcurse unless there is a welding clink of some kind or other between the fathers and the dchildren, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the ebaptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the ffulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the gfoundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto hbabes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times.
D&C 128:17-18

In what sense might the earth be cursed if there is no “welding link … between the fathers and the children”?Why would Joseph Smith call baptism for the dead the “most glorious of all subjects belonging to the everlasting gospel”?

Why are Women’s Accomplishments Always Erased and Replaced By Men (like Freaking Brigham Young)?

I recently made a batch of rolls from a box of Lion House bread mix, sold at Deseret Book stores. On the back of the box is a large image of Brigham Young, who according to the accompanying bio loved to “personally taste” the bread made at the Lion House pantry, and his favorite was the bread they turned into this recipe for rolls.

My first question was, “Why is the space on the back of the box dedicated to a man who ate this bread, rather than the women who actually created, baked and perfected the recipe? Baking is hard to get right. How on earth does simply eating the bread elevate Brigham to the level where he deserves half of the packaging to be a picture and story about him?”

The answer most people would give is that he’s the most interesting and well known figure associated with the rolls, so of course they talk about him and put his picture there. The woman who created this recipe doesn’t have a prominent place in history and so no one would be interested in seeing her picture.

But why doesn’t she have a prominent place in history? I know why. It’s because men like Brigham Young are the ones who wrote the history. How do we know her story isn’t interesting? Have we tried to find out who she was or what she did? I mean, she most likely crossed the plains and lived in Salt Lake City in the early days, rubbing elbows with “important” people like Brigham Young, who apparently loved her baking. Did he make her one of his 50± wives for her breadmaking skills? Did she have kids? Did she come from Scandinavia? From England? Was she the only convert in her family and traveled halfway around the world by herself as a teenage girl in the 1800s? Did she write poetry? Sing? Dance? What was her story, her name, and her crazy life story that led her to baking bread in the Lion House Pantry on the frontier with the crazy outcast group of religious people they called the Mormons? How could her story NOT be fascinating?

Do women’s names and stories on baked goods not sell as much product? I can think of a lot of women’s names on food items, like Betty Crocker, Ms. Fields, Auntie Anne’s, Sara Lee, Little Debbie, Wendy’s, Mrs. Butterworth, Marie Callender, and Lorna Doone. I don’t know anything about any of these women. I don’t even know if they are real names of real people or not. But marketing with a female face and name seems to have worked out pretty well for those brands, so why are we marketing Lion house rolls with Brigham Young’s name?

Yet here we are. Even in the intensely female dominated arena of bread baking in the 19th century, the man who passively ate this bread is the one featured rather than the woman who actively created the bread. This is exactly what happens when history is written by men, and not women – only the men’s stories and names are common knowledge to the future generations. This box of rolls is just a small example of this enormous problem, and what are we doing in our church to fix this problem in the future? Not very much, considering we still give women almost no talks in general conference, and women hold only a fraction of higher leadership positions in the church (and none with authority). When the church looks back at 2021 a hundred years from now, they’ll probably still only see and hear the stories of men. 

I graduated from Brigham Young University, coincidentally a place with no statues honoring women for accomplishments outside of nameless motherhood, where only three out of 112 buildings on campus are named after women (and only one of those is an academic building). A few years ago a student named Alyson Adams did a guerrilla art project for her BYU Art Education class where she printed out signs asking questions like “Where’s the building named after me?’ – Female LDS Scholars and Leaders'” and taped them to campus statues, raising awareness about BYU’s severe lack of female representation on campus. She said, “It seems like (women) are almost an invisible population in terms of representation in visible manifestations around campus.  Within our BYU community and church community, we talk about all of these great men who have done wonderful things. But we forget about the women who were there too.” (You can read the Daily Universe article about her art project here.)  You can also see some of the signs she put up around campus below:

 

I have a picture with my youngest daughter and myself from a couple years ago with the statue of Brigham Young on BYU campus. I remember she wanted to stop and rest because we’d walked a long way from our car and it was a warm day, and I still needed to make it a bit further to pick something up from the athletic department for a fundraiser. We were sitting by Brigham, a man whose checkered history has given me many complicated feelings about having his name on my college diploma, and I laughed at the weirdness of the situation and took a selfie with him. It took me a minute to find this old photo, but here we are in 2019, smiling and looking up Brother Young’s nostrils. 

I just hope that by the time my daughter is strolling across BYU campus with her own daughter, they’ll stop to rest in the shade of a prominent female leader’s statue instead, like maybe Eliza R. Snow or Jane Manning James. Lady nostrils are much nicer to look up than Brigham’s, if you ask me.

Young Women Lesson: How can I access “the powers of heaven” in my life?

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Here’s how I’d approach the October 24th lesson:

Explore what the young women already know
Introduce the topic by saying that today we will be talking about the powers of heaven. Share what the phrase means to you. For me, thinking about the phrase “powers of heaven” makes me feel hope and awe and fear all at the same time. Ask the young women what they think about when they hear that phrase. Ask them if they have ever felt the powers of heaven in their life.

Once the young women have had a chance to get a sense of what that phrase means to them, address the question from the title of the lesson: How can I access “the powers of heaven” in my life? Write their answers on the board, letting the discussion grow organically from what the young women bring up and making space for them to share personal experiences if they want to. For your reference, answers from the two talks by President Nelson that are mentioned in the manual include:
• prayer
• study the scriptures
• temple worship
• making covenants
• serving others
• developing the attributes of faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly/[sisterly!] kindness, charity, diligence, and humility
• expound [explain] the scriptures
• receive the Holy Ghost
• spend time “learning much”
• fasting
• family history work
If the girls bring up keeping the commandments or obedience, gently push back and bring up a counterexample like the story of Eve: Eve used her agency wisely, and broke the commandment not to partake of the fruit. This gave her access to the powers of heaven, allowing her to be as the gods, knowing good and evil. Ask if they can think of any other examples from the scriptures where people “disobey” to a higher end (Jesus staying behind in Jerusalem to teach the rabbis; Joseph marrying Mary instead of breaking things off.)

Priesthood Power and Authority
Next, shift the discussion towards priesthood. Ask the young women what priesthood is. Priesthood is God’s power and it is also the power and authority God gives to us on earth. I liked President Nelson’s analogy between the organist with no electrical power and priesthood power. However, I wanted an analogy that better illustrated the difference between power and authority. I would say that priesthood power and authority is like a teenager borrowing their parent’s car. Maybe their parents have only authorized them to use the car to drive to and from school. They have power (gas) to drive to the mall, but they are not authorized to drive there. If the teenager is not careful, they might run out of gas while driving to school. In this case, they have the authority to drive to school, but they don’t have the power to drive there.

State that the way church leaders talk about women’s priesthood power and authority has been changing in recent years. This is part of the ongoing revelation of the gospel. I would explain that priesthood power is available to everyone as it is God’s power. We gain that power through our relationship with God and making and keeping covenants. “Every woman and every man who makes covenants with God and keeps those covenants, and who participates worthily in priesthood ordinances, has direct access to the power of God” (Nelson, Spiritual Treasures). We have to be conscious of the state of our relationship with God to maintain that power, just like we have to be conscious of the level of gas in the car. We can increase our priesthood power by doing the things we discussed and wrote on the board.

Priesthood authority is granted to women when we are set apart in our callings. “When you are set apart to serve in a calling under the direction of one who holds priesthood keys—such as your bishop or stake president—you are given priesthood authority to function in that calling” (Nelson, Spiritual Treasures). Different callings give us the authority to perform different responsibilities. In the car example, this is like the parents giving the teen the authority to drive their car to the store as well as to school.

[Optional: Priesthood Keys]
I would only teach this section if the young women question why boys and men “have the priesthood” but girls and women do not.

Being given priesthood keys is like parents giving a teenager a car instead of the teen needing to borrow the parent’s car. With the parent’s permission, that teenager can also lend the car keys to other people. Even though both boys and girls can drive cars, currently only boys can own the car and lend out their car keys.

Jesus Christ holds all of the priesthood keys. In his talk, The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood, Elder Oaks taught that the first presidency and the quorum of the twelve apostles “hold and exercise all of the keys delegated to men” Not all of the keys have been delegated to the presiding authorities of the church yet. This is like saying they have keys to the Honda Civic and the Ford F150 and the Toyota Sienna, but not the Chevrolet Corvette. Currently, they don’t have the key to change the pattern that only men can hold priesthood offices.

Tell the young women that it’s okay if they think this feels unfair. Note that many patterns in the church have changed over the years. Discuss patterns that you and the young women have seen change (women witnessing baptisms, sister missionaries can wear pants, women praying in General conference, young women being ministering sisters, etc.)

Doctrine and Covenants 121
Introduce this section by saying that this revelation was received when Joseph Smith was in the Liberty Jail. He was looking for God’s power. God comforted Joseph, said He would curse those working against His anointed, assured Joseph of His power over the earth, and taught Joseph about how the priesthood is to be used. Focus on that last topic in verses 36-46 by having the class read and discuss a few verses at a time. If time is short, only discuss verses 41-43:

41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
42 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—
43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

Ask the young women what they think this means, “no power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood”? Let them explore that a bit. Share that it means everyone’s agency needs to be respected (unless it’s dangerous), so it is not okay if their father, or bishop, or other priesthood leader always has the final say in decision making. Gentleness and persuasion need to be used until all involved can come to a consensus. In reaching that consensus, teach the young women that their voice is valuable: “As a righteous, endowed Latter-day Saint woman, you speak and teach with power and authority from God. Whether by exhortation or conversation, we need your voice teaching the doctrine of Christ. We need your input in family, ward, and stake councils” (Nelson, Spiritual Treasures). [Even though the girls haven’t been endowed, I believe this still applies if they are keeping the covenants they have made.]

If you feel comfortable, share an experience where you were blessed with the powers of heaven in your life, since it is important for the young women to see ordinary people (like you!) can and do access divine power. Did you realize at the time that God had endowed you with power? Or was it only in looking back that you could see the help of the divine? What did it feel like?

Close by expressing faith that the young women will learn to access the powers of heaven and use their priesthood power as a force for good in the world.