Exponent II's Blog, page 150

Family Home Evening: Discussion of Amanda Gorman’s Poem, “The Hill We Climb”

As Ms. Gorman’s poem focuses on unity and inclusivity, this lesson outline is meant to include all sorts of families that might gather together for a lesson, whether they be Mormon or not, friends who become family, American or not, and is meant to include all ages who want to feel the Spirit through the emotions that are stirred during the reading of “The Hill We Climb.” Please take what is helpful and provide your own suggestions for a more robust lesson in the comments.

Opening Prayer

Opening Song: “For the Strength of the Hills” (LDS Hymnal pg 35) or pick what moves you from our playlist for this lesson

Introduction to the Author

Start with this video about Amanda Gorman’s background.

What values do you think she learned from her family?
Do you think her speech impediment affected her ability to write and perform? Why?
In this interview, Ms. Gorman says (paraphrased) “poetry can make the ideas that are known, felt and said.” We see poetry used a lot in scripture. Do you have a favorite poem in scripture? How does it illustrate ideas that you know be felt in your heart? 

                  A favorite example of mine is seen Isaiah 1:18 (sins as scarlet becoming white as snow) has touched me ever since I was a six-year-old worried about my sins as I imagined my sins as dark red becoming pure as freshly fallen snow. 

Experiencing “The Hill We Climb”

Consider playing this video of Ms. Gorman’s performance at last week’s Presidential Inauguration. It is also helpful to have the transcript as your family discusses.

Feel your feelings
Before playing Ms. Gorman’s performance, ask your family to consider the following questions:

How do you feel at some parts of this performance? Do your feelings change during this poem?
How does it feel to see a young black woman read this poem?*
What makes you uncomfortable about this poem? How does that discomfort sit? How will you take action?

I played this performance twice for my family. The first time, they watched it; the second time, I had them color this picture (click on image to the right to download the JPG), so they could concentrate on the tone and feeling of the spoken words. In retrospect, I would play the poem again while they colored and have them also consider the anti-racist work questions below.

Anti-racist work and discussion

What does the poem tell us about race and racism in the United States? 
Why is Amanda Gorman highlighting race and racism in this poem? 
What do we need to learn and do to address racism in ourselves?
What do we need to learn and do to address racism in our community?
What is one thing that we are going to do this week on our journey to become antiracist?

Light textual analysis
Remember there are no right or wrong answers. This is simply an way to look at the words chosen and think about why they are there.

What phrases stood out to you? Why? How do they make you feel?

If “textual analysis” sounds scary, stop here. You’ve already done it!


Given the title of the poem and where it was being performed, what did you expect this poem to be about? 
What religious images do you see in this poem? Do you think this is intentional?

suggestions: “dawn,” “lay down arms” (who else has done this in scripture?), “vine and fig tree,” “hill,” “burdens,” “legacy,” “forefathers,” “brave”


How might the audience impact the message of this poem? How might the moment in time frame it? 
What poem would you write with this title (“The Hill We Climb”)? Who is the “we” and what is the “hill”? Write your own poem to this message and metaphor.

Compare and Contrast “The Hill We Climb” to “For the Strength of the Hills”

Refer to our opening song.
What image of hills do you have as you sing “For the Strength of the Hills?” How is it similar or different from the hills Ms. Gorman references in “The Hill We Climb?”

possible thoughts: both pieces talk about the eternity contained in hills and the generations who came before and after us


Are there hills (metaphorical or literal) that you climb in your life? What do they look like? How can we as a family “climb” those hills with you and support you?

Closing

Close with your testimony about the importance of unity and accountability. How can we become better as a community? How can we hear each other’s pain and grow? What does unity look like when we often fall into the trap of choosing “quiet” over “peace”?

Closing Song and Prayer

This is a great time to pick your favorite song from our playlist. These songs are full of hope, focusing on unity and God’s love.

Khumbaya sung by the Soweto Gospel Choir with lyrics here. An interesting history of the word, “kumbaya” is found here.
Kanisa Litajengwa (Oh, Who Will Build the Church Now?), a Swahili hymn that is found in Community of Christ Sings #338, but the words are also on page 2 of this link.
Light Dawns on a Weary World (Community of Christ Sings #240), sheet music here and a video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swSQwU5z8p4
For the Strength of the Hills sung by Harmonious Choir in Ghana with lyrics here.

 

This Family Home Evening plan is a team effort. Thank you to my sister, Rachel Clyde-Jones, for creating a coloring page to go with the lesson plan; music selections by my fellow perma-bloggers, Ramona Morris and Nancy Ross; and Nancy again for her inspired questions to further anti-racist work. Also, this plan is based on Kate Steven’s PBS News Hour Extra Lesson Plan for teachers to lead a discussion on Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb.”

*As we strive to continue our anti-racist work, it is important to make Family Home Evenings centered around anti-racist work. If this is new for you, like me, Exponent II has a wealth of resources here on our blog and saved on our Facebook Exponent II Discussion Group. 

Lady MacFacebook

In Shakspeare’s MacBeth, Lady MacBeth’s “Unsex me” soliloquy has always intrigued me. As a high school student reading this speech, I wondered if there was something -outside of religion, of course- in my female design that limited me. Within Mormonism, I was always taught I was completely different to males: sweet, righteous, obedient. And yet, the idea of removing something perceived as natural or natively in tune with gender, something that is powerful enough to prohibit or allow one to commit murder, stayed with me. Is this the power that makes harness in order to become kings and leaders? Does priesthood somehow come from this power? Is there a masculine, internal … something…  that allows for, or takes life away?

 

When Lady MacBeth calls to “unsex me here,” she is calling upon calls upon the supernatural to remove any femininity from within her soul. In this, she is hopes that as a member of the “fairer sex”, she will lose her compassion, ethics, patience, motherliness and everything conceptually feminine so she can carry out the murder of Duncan. Duncan is of course, the king, but his benevolence is too much of a feminine characteristic for the MacBeths to revere. To the MacBeths, Duncan’s kindness and humanity emasculate him, and make him unfit to rule. Annihilation is how they choose to deal with this situation, and for Lady MacBeth, she feels powerless as a female. Her “divine female nature” is what renders her powerless to perform murder.

 

 

This makes me think about the sense of powerlessness that I, and I think most humans have, in regard to taking the life of another. Frankly, I do not believe I have the conviction or depth of hate to murder someone. I think in reality, few people do. And yet, this is where, “unsex me here,” haunts my mind.  Am I unempowered because I am female? Do I need to call on strengths to quash femininity in order to progress and protect myself? “Unsex me here,” particularly strikes me when I see someone on Facebook declare “Unfriend me now!” For me, it invokes the same sense of powerlessness I feel when I conceptualise taking the life of another- I can’t bring myself to “murder” or end a friendship. Am I too feminine empower myself, even when relationships are utterly toxic?  Do I need to demand that someone else write me off because I do not have the strength?

 

Perhaps that is more reflective of my Mormon background. Sacrifice is of Christ- it is what He did for us. The prophets sacrificed, the pioneers sacrificed, our grandparents sacrificed in World War II, and so on. We are taught to sacrifice for tithing, sacrifice in serving others and more. So, in the days of Facebook, we are berated by keyboard warriors who would never endeavour to speak so crudely to us in person, to the point where we are so weak that we offer Facebook friendships up for sacrifice.

 

Most certainly when someone declares “unfriend me now” on facebook, it is out of complete emotional anguish. I have seen it several times over the past twelve months by American friends who are exhausted with COVID, Trump, the US election and everything else in-between. Frustrated from afar, I found myself wondering if I should  –or if I could-  post something like that. Would I feel the sting from the loss of friendship? Would my discomfort with individuals of vastly different perspectives be relieved with the end of the friendship?  Should I continue to patiently “turn the other cheek,” even though I have whiplash and my cheeks are both blistered? Is this what sacrifice really means?

 

*Sigh.* What would Jesus do? Resign to the pain? Not speak to the Pilates who only really want to type clever remarks they have stolen from other places on the web, feigning intelligence and self-righteousness?  What would Jesus do?

 

Almost a year ago, proud of my mask-making, I posted a photo of a few of the hundreds of masks I had made. An American man, related by marriage (feel the distance already?), commented, “cute.” Cute. His posts and comments were in favour of the far-right, so the “cute” was a dig. And I felt it.

 

After some interaction regarding politics, I pulled out a figurative Olive Branch and privately asked, “What are three things that Trump has accomplished, and affected you, which have earned your vote for this next election?” Family first, right? If I am with him in eternity even by distance, I am going to have to figure out how to get along. That is the feminine thing to do. I would sacrifice myself and try to amend and create family love. Just like I learned as a beehive to become a peacemaker. This would surely be worth it.

 

He replied, I like “the reversal of the majority of Bammies attempt to destroy our nation.”

 

I felt physically ill when I read his response. And I felt powerlessness. Those minuscule, repulsive, antediluvian words sickened me.

 

Pick your battles, I told myself.

Families are forever, I breathed. And then,

Maybe I can change his mind, I lied to myself.

Sacrifice brings forth blessings.

 

This man’s grasp of the English language was a rudimentary reflection of his willful resistance to partake in the socialised education system that is one of the most beautiful parts of the United States’ Bill of Rights. Thus, I tried to infantilise the interaction, looking for some kind of common ground. “What are Bammies?” I wrote, pretending I was unaware of the use of the plural vs. possessive ‘s’, pretending I was unaware of his racism, Pretending that I was unaware of his seething hatred towards fellow Americans who did not mirror his skin or genitals. “I wasn’t aware of a group by that name aimed at US destruction.”

 

He didn’t catch it. Or maybe he did? I really do not think he did. His grotesque response was flatly littered amoung other literary and conceptual atrocities. “Bammy is Obama,” he wrote. I knew that he meant that. Cue the banjos’ musical chords as they hyper-strum themselves in nooses around the necks of children of God.

 

James Parker (British, London 1750–1805 London)
Lady Macbeth (Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 5), 1800
British,
Etching and engraving; Plate: 22 5/16 × 16 in. (56.7 × 40.6 cm) Sheet: 27 13/16 × 21 3/4 in. (70.7 × 55.2 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gertrude and Thomas Jefferson Mumford Collection, Gift of Dorothy Quick Mayer, 1942 (42.119.538)
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/...

UNSEX ME HERE. Mormonism taught me to bow to family- extended and otherwise, i.e. “family first.” Mormonism taught me to bow to the priesthood power of men. Mormonism taught me patience is a virtue. Mormonism taught me to be a doormat.

 

UNSEX ME HERE. Free me from those feminine foot bindings so I can walk away from ideologies of hatred and danger, coming within or without the realms of family.

 

This family member’s additional responses, which were equally perverted, showed no openness, desire, or capability of seeing beyond the length of his own short, red neck. In “the world”, I would not choose to be employed, related to, or friends with this person. And he? He clearly did not care. We’re family and so—he, being male, was not beholden to peacemaking, compassion and tolerance. He had no desire to reconcile because he had been taught that he was always the leader. My leader.

 

Maybe going the obtuse route was the best way out of this, I pondered. “Does Trump have a nickname like Obama? Maybe Rumpy?”

 

He did not respond privately. I believe he was offended by the term “Rumpy.” I hope so. I hope it offended the hell out of him. I hope that I elicited some kind of emotion in him that showed my displeasure. My words were not Lady MacBeth, but they were the words of my 12-year-old Beehive self, when after being assigned to clean up after another mixed activity I said, “Why can’t the boys clean?”   At that time, I was laughed at. “Get used to it,” said a 17-year-old boy, like that was all I could ever hope for- compliance. I was, in my small way, showing him a tiny mirror.

 

Instead of responding, this relative increased his posting of many hateful things against “liberals,” whom he only saw as radical for reasons that were untrue. Is it that radical to believe that a woman can think academically? Is it liberal to recognise that some people are born gay? And that melatonin production has nothing to do with curses? He commented angrily on many of my facebook posts, most of which I deleted. Because I don’t need more hate in my life.

 

And I thought about declaring, “unfriend me if…” hoping he would get the hint and go away.

 

But I didn’t write that. I didn’t offer the relationship for un-friending sacrifice. I think he would have laughed and belittled me, saying, “get used to it.” And I had no intention of “getting used to it.” Because I deserve better.  Quite frankly, I think it likely that he would have NOT unfriended me because he is a bully- especially to Mormon women.

 

Instead, I took care of myself. I un-friended him. Poof! And when I did that, the Holy Ghost rushed over me, healing me from this man’s hate.

 

So maybe I am more powerful than Lady MacBeth. I did not need to call on the spirit to give me power. Maybe my femininity is more powerful than hate, because I remove as much hate as I can from my life. After all, I “murdered” an unhealthy, unChristlike, family relationship. But I don’t feel powerless. I feel free and at peace.

Sexism in the ExMormon Community

Image: Apes (detail) in the Northumberland Bestiary, about 1250–60, unknown illuminator, made in England. Pen-and-ink drawing tinted with body color and translucent washes on parchment, 8 1/4 × 6 3/16 in. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Ms. 100, fol. 15v. Digital image courtesy of the Getty’s Open Content Program

Guest post by Anonymous. Anonymous was born and raised Mormon, served a mission, married in the temple, raised a large family, and has held various ward and stake callings. She wrote for Exponent previously, before having her records removed from the LDS church.

I formally left Mormonism two years ago, and the experience has taught me some startling things about exMormon life.

The first shocking discovery is that I will never be able to fully leave the church, not really. I did officially leave Mormonism–I went on QuitMormon.com and the attorney there was my mediator in asking church leaders to stop contacting me and please remove my name from church records. But only those who live in a country with GDPR compliance are allowed to truly leave, because the record-keepers at LDS, Incorporated do not delete names; they simply deactivate your records in case you return. This upsets me. Mormons in the UK are entitled to an actual record data wipe because they own the rights to their names. Americans like me do not, so I will never truly be free of the religion that I never chose, but which my parents chose for me when I was too young to consent to it.

I don’t like to talk about the reasons why I left Mormonism. They involve abuse that nobody believes, so I keep those details to myself these days. But now that I am finally free and rebuilding my life, my attempts to find support in the exMormon community constitute a strange and noteworthy journey—
First of all, I don’t live in the Utah corridor, so I found a lot of support from people around me when I left the church. That was wonderful. But nobody around me understood what I was going through. Most of the people I know talk about coming and going from their various churches like it is no biggie. They have no grasp of what it is like to exit a religion so controlling that even the very underwear I donned everyday was decided by central authorities thousands of miles away from me, and I had to meet with men at church on a regular basis and answer their questions about what underwear I had on, just to make sure I was still compliant. My dietary habits, media choices, daily activities, finances, sexuality, and marriage venue were all decided by a small cadre of old cishet white men living in Utah, whose commands for my life changed depending on which of the old guys lived and which ones died. The lapsed Catholics in my neighborhood who report for church only at Christmas and easter—and this is enough for their devout Catholic grandparents!—have no clue what me leaving Mormonism did to my temple marriage and extended family.

So I sought support from a few exMormon support groups both locally and online, with the hope that talking to others like me would help me better navigate the ways that my Mormon friends and family were treating me in the wake of my decision to leave the church. I assumed that others who had walked in my shoes and who knew what it was like to leave such a high-demand religion would be able to help me endure this experience. I imagined that everybody there would be like me: disgusted with systemic oppression, in the process of healing, and thus able to help others heal.

Looking back and considering the demographics that make up the majority of LDS culture, I now realize that I should not have made so many assumptions. Because what I found in the exMormon community was almost the polar opposite of what I expected.

Most exMormons would consider me a traitor for what I am about to say here, but it is the truth—
Most of the exMormons I met are replicating Mormonism outside of the church.

The exMormon community mostly follows (and funds) three prominent white men who they regularly refer to as first presidency of exMos, and they don’t seem to see the irony in that. Sure, there are female voices in the exMormon media sphere, but they are about as prominent (and paid as well, comparatively) as are the female auxiliary officers of the church in comparison to the brethren.
ExMormons hold conferences in Utah, just like in Mormonism. They have t-shirts, stickers, and other car insignia so that they can identify each other in the wild the way BYU sweatshirts and “RULDS2” license plates used to do. They have a “one true” meetinghouse, the exMormon subreddit.

One of the most frequent accusations I hear about exMormons is that they left Mormonism because they were appalled by the religion’s human rights violations (polyandry, pedophilia, racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc). But in the exMormon community, I have experienced sexism galore and seen such subtle racism that exMormons rarely admit to because they refuse to see it. They have lived in all-white sexist communities for so long that they just don’t and won’t listen when those of us outside the Utah corridor call them out on it. I am done talking to them about it, but I have a strong feeling that Mormon women will believe me.

I stopped attending in-person exMormon support group meetings because, during the usual icebreaker period when everybody states why they left the church, I was always getting trolled whenever I said that sex abuse was my reason for leaving. Turns out many exMormon men think #MeToo is just group hysteria, even though most of them left because of “underage polygamy coverups.” After a while I realized a possible reason why: I was the only non-Utahn/non-Idahoan at these gatherings, as well as the only person citing abuse as the reason why I left the church.

The largest hub of support for recovering from Mormonism is the exMormon subreddit. With close to 200K followers, they are THE largest space online for exMormon discussion, but because they are open to anyone, they also leave the door open for Mormon and DezN*t trolls, too. Whenever I tried discussing Mormonism in general, it was pretty easy to spot the trolls and just ignore them. But discussing women’s issues in general, I got downvoted all the way with pretty much no support. I reported gender-based harassment and downvoting parties to the moderators, who reiterated their laissez faire approach, because the exMormon space is not supposed to be as regulated and stifling as Mormon sites. I had to delete my account several times and start over as a result. Most recently, I made a post about discovering a hospital named “Brigham and women” and the visceral reaction that elicited in me as a woman who was raised to worship a man named Brigham but who later came to revile him once I discovered who he truly is. The moderators took down my post, told me that it violated the rules of the subreddit because “it doesn’t pertain to Mormonism.” I argued, “yes it does—it pertains to my experiences as a woman who survived Mormonism and was triggered by this hospital’s name” but they fired back, used my words against me to show that they were right (when I admitted that the hospital had nothing to do with the church) claimed victory, and I remained silenced. And these are the “EX”mormons.

On another occasion, I pointed out how few exmormon female voices are enjoying the patronage (funds, donations, free advertising) that white exmormon men are getting. exMormons keep posting links (ie, free advertising), to white male podcasts, blogs, books, etc but very little space is given to advertising the content of exMormons from other demographics. As I am sure you can imagine, they downvoted the hell out of my comment.

Also, in all online forums there is a weird war going on between Br!ghamite and pro-Joseph factions. Apparently there is a cult up in Rexburg that worships one branch of Mormonism and then the Church of Christ is branched off too, and then DezN*t I think might be Br!ighamite (I have lost track!) but they all have alerts out on these names so if you slip up and mention those names without using asterisks or dashes they will troll and harass you HARD and send you death threats until you need to delete your account and start all over. I could never figure out if these were exMormons, Mormons, another religion, or all three attacking me but it was distressing, triggering, and exhausting to not be able to get support while recovering from religion without getting hounded by male Internet trolls like that—all because I happened to use one of two men’s names. The exMormon community is where these attacks occurred, every time, and where I reported them every time, so even if they were infiltrator trolls from inside the religion, the fact that exMormon spaces is where this was allowed to happen says so much.
This is just a small taste of what it is like trying to navigate exMormon spaces as a woman—one of many.

What I am learning is that even after men leave Mormonism, they still think like Mormons, especially in how they view women, based on the way I am treated when I try to raise my unique perspective in the sea of Utah/Idaho white male exMormon groupthink.

If I want to be treated fairly and magnanimously, I find I am in the best company among people who never attended a high-demand patriarchal religion. Luckily, I live in a geographic region where there are many such folks. But my heart goes out to former Mormon women in the Utah corridor, who think that post-Mormon life among exMormons is all there is. I hope that they make it out one day, out to live among people who treat all humans equally. Because, based on my experience in the exMormon community, religious affiliation does not determine a man’s treatment of women as much as the culture in which he was raised. Actually, this applies to women too, so let me rephrase that: Based on my experiences in the exMormon community, religious affiliation does not determine a person’s treatment of women as much as the culture in which they were raised.

Belonging and Connection Help Prevent Suicide

Photo by Mike Hansen

I have led many QPR Suicide Prevention Trainings to various groups. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, Refer. It is a science based, practical training designed to help anyone who wants to learn how to prevent suicide. At every training, I can sense the deep, urgent desire many people feel to know what to do, to have the answer for those they love who are feeling despair.

They attentively listen to the science based research, soaking up any and all information that could help them understand what commonalities there might be in the diverse groups that are at high risk.

Learning that suicide is not about someone wanting to end their life, but instead it is about them wanting to end overwhelming pain, is often a crucial moment of understanding for those in the training. And in that moment of understanding, I see many of them find some hope of being able to help their loved one.

It is hard for any of us to understand why anyone would want to end their life. We, as humans, are made to survive, to fight to keep breathing even against great odds. And we, as humans are also made to avoid pain. We go to great lengths to minimize the risk of experiencing pain. Sometimes, someone is experiencing so much pain, and they do not know how they can stop it. Sometimes, the only option they see for ending pain is to end their life.

It might be difficult for any of us to understand why someone would want to end their life, but we can all relate to how it feels to be in pain.

Learning to recognize the warning signs that someone is in pain of this kind is an important part of prevention. Practicing asking someone if they are considering suicide is the next step, and we include that in the training. I urge people to practice asking this question with everyone. And they are often surprised at the difference it makes to say it out loud… “Are you thinking about suicide?” They find when they can say it, it creates a connection of hope where, a moment before, there was fear and despair.

In my experience, what happens next is the most complex, confronting, challenging, but also the most important part of suicide prevention. It is also where I have experienced the profound presence of God’s love. That is what calls me to keep practicing this, no matter how imperfectly.

That moment after asking someone if they are considering ending their life, that is the moment we need to practice intense listening, with no agenda.

This is extremely difficult for us. We are people who not only want to have an answer, we want to have THE answer. We want to help, and fix problems, and figure out what to do, and make sure no one is hurting. We have learned this from an early age, and we carry it through our lives and the many roles we take on.

This is when I ask people to recognize our desire to fix the problem, and then set that aside.

When someone is in deep pain, anything you say that suggests they need to do something different, or feel different, or think differently about their life – it comes across as judgement, and it increases their despair. This is not the time to suggest that they pray more, or exercise, or change their diet, or get outside more often. This is not the time to give them the self help book that changed your life.

If they tell you it hurts so much they don’t want to live, this is not the time to argue with them. A friend doing graduate work in counseling told me of studies where they measure the heartrate of someone who is upset (person A), and what happens when they talk with someone about it (person B). Person A usually has an elevated heart rate as they share their thoughts with person B. If person B tries to talk person A out of feeling the way they do, the heartrate of person B usually increases as well. Person B will feel anxious about trying to convince person A to feel better, and anxious about trying to fix the problem. As person B’s heartrate increases, so does the heartrate of person A. And the anxiety is elevated. The pain increases.

When person B listens intently, and just sits with person A without trying to fix, or convince, or argue, their heartrate tends to stay level. And the heartrate of person A tends to slow down as well. The anxiety tends to lower. The likelihood of feeling hope and accepting help increases.

How do we learn to listen to someone so intently that we can hear of someone’s pain, and be a place of such peace that they can begin to find hope again?

How can we practice being at peace when we might not know how to help someone?

What is the first thing we tend to think when we meet or see someone? It is human to look for differences, and to hold back until we find similarities. How often do we hesitate engaging in a relationship, or a conversation, because we want to know if we have something in common? Do we look the same, or go to the same school, or vote the same, or agree on issues? We might wonder how we can listen to someone’s need if we don’t have details about their life, or past, or if we don’t have special training to understand their particular situation.

I ask you to consider something.

All of us are human.

All of us desire to be loved. To belong.

And all of us have felt pain. I know each of you have. It is likely that each of you have, at times, experienced so much pain you are not sure how you are going to get through the day, or maybe even the next hour.

That is what you have in common with everyone.

So when you wonder how you will be able to just sit, and listen, and be one with someone who is hurting and not sure how they are going to be able to keep breathing – please consider that you share this human experience of wanting to belong, of needing love, and of feeling pain. You are connected in that way. Breathe deep. Let your heart beat steady. Feel with them. Listen, then listen some more. Even if they are not saying much, listen more. If you have to say something, try saying “I am here. I am with you.” Then listen some more. It is in those moments that I hear the echoes of how God is there with me in my darkest moments. If someone trusts us enough to let us sit with them in their pain, it is a moment for us to practice being Godlike. Let your love and compassion be stronger than the habit of trying to fix them.

When their anxiety lessens, and they feel hope, that is when they might let you help them get to professional care. This is another part of the suicide prevention training.

I hope all will seek that training. And I hope you will look for each opportunity to overcome despair by listening, and creating connection.

If you or anyone you know is considering suicide, please seek help. Call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255.

Sacred Music Sunday: In that Great Gettin’up Morning

Sunrise – Photo by Konevi from Pexels

I was a late teenager on Y2K, and I was a college junior on 9/11. Suffice it to say, my teenage and early adulthood years were full of apocalyptic rhetoric. Most people were expecting the end to be nigh. Many greeted that expectation with fear or dread.

I had a different take on things. The book of Revelation is one of my favorite books of scripture because I see it as a hope-filled discussion of what awaits us. People get stuck on the death and destruction in Act 2 but fail to look to the peace and joy in Act 3.

While I don’t think the Second Coming is imminent (stay tuned for a future post exploring that in more detail), I also don’t think it’s anything to fear. The dead will rise, peace will reign, Jesus will live among us. John the Revelator describes the state of the righteous after Jesus returns:

They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Revelation 7:16-17

A better day awaits us, free from division, free from sin, free from disease and despots, free from hunger and thirst and sadness.

In my high school choir, we sang In that Great Gettin’up Morning, and I think it captures the joyous expectation clearly. It’s upbeat and catchy. No matter what the world is like now, there’s a better day coming.

When Sedition Looks Like (Religious) Sexual Violence

Guest post by Sabrena. Sabrena is a founding member of Pillows for Prisoners (www.pillowsforprisoners.org), an organization dedicated to expanding awareness about the realities of female incarceration. P4P raises funds to gift pillows for the women at the Salt Lake County Jail. She’s worked in public relations and crisis communications for twenty years, and is married with two children. 

This month marks the one-year anniversary of our Area Authority losing his shiz. It happened après sacrament meeting when I called him out for his failure to address the sexual violence that had occurred in our stake and ward for years.

Following a stern handshake and some back-and-forth about his failure to respond to numerous letters I had written to him, he lost it:

“I don’t answer to YOU,” he bellowed at me, face red and hands shaking. “I answer to the Lord!”

He was upset I had the audacity to tell him it hurt that he would visit our ward and not make mention of the trauma we had been through. He instead pontificated on a gospel principle that (while I’m sure important) was certainly not relevant in our ward’s tender state.

See, in August of 2019, just four months earlier, a member of our Stake High Council—who also happened to be our ward’s former Bishop—was arrested for taking pictures of a woman without her consent at an H&M dressing room in Tennessee. The story made its way to our little corner of Salt Lake via Reddit, LDS Facebook groups, the local news and some investigative reporting from John Dehlin.

Overtime the horrific facts piled up: he had not only been fired from multiple jobs for sexual harassment/assault, he had also harassed multiple women inside of our church community. Many had seen the red flags but written them off. Some of our leaders had been warned but chose to punt. There had been coverups, and denials of coverups.

Early on, came a call from the pulpit to not discuss the “incident.” Victims were told the perpetrator’s return to church was a priority. Many looking for answers and accountability were labeled as agitators.  It was a horrible time for our community.

Certainly, everyone just wanted to feel better about things — but it was, (er…) complicated.

This was a man that many could point to as having done “a lot of good things.” He was charismatic, a natural leader…but also a narcissist and a con. Many were of the opinion that it was best not to discuss what had happened. (“It’s just gossip.”)

That the way to heal and move forward was to forgive and forget. (“After all, judge not that ye be not judged!”)

Indeed, they were of the opinion that Jesus himself would’ve wanted us to put it all behind us and work towards…. UNITY.

“At one point you just need to rip off the Band-Aid and move forward,” one leader’s wife told me.

But the thing is, sexual violence isn’t a paper cut. Really, it’s more like a cancer—and ripping off a band-aid does nothing, except waste a Band-Aid I suppose. Because like cancer, trauma (in our ward’s case: sexual violence and r*pe culture,) don’t go away just because you don’t talk about it/them.  People aren’t miraculously healed and no longer suffering just because the trauma is ignored.

Like cancer, it metastasizes if left unchecked.

There’s a reason the repentance process asks for a recognition of the problem (sin) FIRST, and THEN you work to make amends/restitution. They are critical steps in the healing process.

Removing the cancer is hard. But if your doctor won’t actually tell you there’s a problem, there’s no way to heal and be whole again.

Yes surgery, chemo: all those treatments are painful and horrible in their own right. But they are done so wholeness, wellness, and healing can ultimately be achieved.

 

 

 
 


 
 

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A post shared by Bernice A. King (@berniceaking)

So what does sexual violence and the repentance process have to do with Seditious Insurrections and the United States’ current state of affairs? 

Following the storming of the US Capitol on January 6th, a popular storyline began to emerge from the wreckage: that impeachment/25th Amendment/removal from office would just make things worse. Such actions would not only solve nothing, but just enrage Trump supporters and further divide the country. Funny how those conversations never seemed to take into account how the rest of the country would feel if there were no consequences or repercussions (clearly outlined in the constitution) for years of the president’s rhetoric inciting violence and leading to an insurrection.

Those calling for unity without consequences for seditious actions fail to see the reality of our situation. (Or they see it and don’t care.)

Truly we cannot have any unity in this country until we address the realities of our two Americas — and that starts with accountability for those in power.

My church community still hasn’t fully healed from the violence and trauma we experienced and I don’t think it ever will. Ours is a culture steeped in patriarchy that has repeatedly shown it prizes polite comfort (no matter the amount of shame) over safety and authenticity. The power structure and the institution must be preserved at all costs. So while the casualties may be unfortunate, they can also be tolerated in the name of a greater good (however that’s defined by those with the power.)

And such is the crossroads facing the United States.

Certainly, there should be consequences for a leader who exacerbates and stokes racial tensions, has consistently undermined the peaceful transition of power in a fair election, and incites violence by calling on his acolytes to wage war on dissenters. Because of Trump’s lies, so many of his followers believed their seditious acts and insurrection were justified (e.g. “We love you. You’re special.”)

It has been said before that Trump is not ultimately the problem, but a symptom of the problem—and I concur. But who is made whole by turning a blind eye right now?

“It not just about punishing the guilty party,” a fellow ward member shared with me, connecting the dots of our shared trauma and the post-election insurgency. “It’s about engaging in shared meaning about what happened, why, who is accountable and what can be learned from it.”

Removing the cancer plaguing our nation will not happen simply by taking one man out of the White House. Addressing systemic racism, white privilege, the “othering” of our sisters and brothers is at the heart of the reckoning and restitution (i.e. repentance) we need if we are to have any chance of our country moving forward in unity. Impeachment was a necessary step in acknowledging something is wrong. Accountability is the harder path, but ultimately the only one that leads to any chance of a more perfect union.

Not Written with the Finger of God

Moses with the Ten Commandments by Rembrandt

After Moses communed with God on Mount Sinai, he returned to his people carrying two stone tablets listing the Ten Commandments, which were “written with the finger of God.” (Exodus 31:18)

This story is unique. More often, God keeps His fingers in His heavenly pocket and allows mere mortals to translate His infinite wisdom into written human language.

The life of Christ is recorded by his disciples. The four works that survived and are recognized as scripture by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) are written by four different people with different personalities and perspectives. Their humanity shines through.  While they all report on the ministry of Christ, they have different perspectives; they emphasize different events and teachings. (The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)

Book of Mormon prophets described translating godly inspiration into human words as a difficult process. The first author of the Book of Mormon, Nephi, discussed how he chose content and occasionally fretted about how his human weaknesses would affect the power of the narrative. (1 Nephi 19:6; 2 Nephi 33:1-4, 11)

The last prophet to add scripture to the Book of Mormon, Moroni, vented his insecurities to the Lord in prayer:

Lord, the Gentiles will mock at these things, because of our weakness in writing; for Lord thou hast made us mighty in word by faith, but thou hast not made us mighty in writing… Wherefore, when we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall mock at our words. (Ether 12:23-25)

In the Joseph Smith papers, we see that revelations that became our modern Doctrine and Covenants often went through a series of drafts, as Joseph crafted the impressions he received into human language. (https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/)

In our modern times, mere mortals continue to interpret the will of God as they translate it into conference talks, church manuals, policies, ceremonies, hymns and other human parchments.  I respect their work. I believe that often, this sacred writing is inspired. 

However, I do not believe that every word they write or say channels God directly as if it were dictated verbatim. God does not usually write on stone tablets with His own finger.

When some of us question the absolute correctness of a church speech or document, defenders of the faith may call us to repentance for criticizing God’s words. But God did not write the words, personally. We question human translations of His will. We challenge our faith community to continue to revise our drafted religion until it comes as close to godliness as we mortals can make it.  Sometimes we are right. Sometimes we are wrong. We are only human. But then, so are the ancient and modern prophets who wrote the texts we study. We, too, are defenders of the faith.

Unity and healing do not occur in the absence of accountability

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we are asked to repent of our sins and our mistakes. Those of us who have gone through the repentance process know it is painful, it is humbling, and can often strengthen our relationship with Jesus Christ. Repentance is one of the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel, according to the Fourth Article of Faith.

The process of repentance is taught to us as early in our Primary years and reinforced throughout our lives. The process if first, we must feel sorrow for our sins. We must acknowledge that we have done wrong and feel grief over our mistake. Second, we must confess our sins to Heavenly Father, an ecclesiastical authority, or to the person or entity we have wronged. Third, we promise that we will never commit that sin or transgression ever again. We must commit this to the entity we caused harm and to ourselves. Finally, we must make restitution for the harm we have caused and commit to living a better life. Restitution is varied but requires an apology.

The process of repentance has been on my mind a lot lately. A dear friend of mine has been in recovery from alcohol addiction for the past few years. She has worked the 12 steps meticulously and thoughtfully. She is committed to admitting her mistakes, making restitution for the harm she has caused others, and living a more honest, healthy life. I know that several of the steps have been personally painful for her as she has experienced feelings of shame and regret, but she knows it is necessary to complete those steps in order to remain sober. She is now showing up in her life instead of hiding from it.

Her strength and vulnerability have inspired me immensely. I’m in awe of her courage and fortitude. It’s been an honor to witness as her friend the commitment she has for holding herself accountable and making changes in her life for the better.

That is why I am so shocked that so many want to skip over all the necessary steps of repentance and get right to reconciliation. On January 6, 2021 citizens of the United States witnessed a violent mob attempt to stage a coup at the United States Capitol with the express goal to overthrow our democracy. Many people have made demands that we forget what happened just 2 weeks ago and unite and heal. They have no felt sorrow, confessed no wrongs, and have not made any restitution by apologizing. Utah’s own US Representative Burgess Owens, and LDS church member, called for unity while still blaming “the left.” This is what I have to say about that:

Unity and healing do not occur in the absence of accountability.

Jesus Christ knows this. The founders and administrators of addiction recovery programs know this. Why don’t we, who have learned the process of repentance since our childhoods and had it reinforced numerous times in our lives, know this? What it is about us that seeks to heal wounds without accountability? I have seen it in my own family as a relative who molested another family has demanded that we forgive him without ever apologizing or acknowledging the harm to his victim(s). I’ve seen it currently in my country where those who don’t want to be held accountable have demanded that they be forgiven instantly, and we “unite” with them.

When will we learn that there is no healing without accountability?

Image courtesy of Foundry Co from Pixabay 

Come Follow Me: Doctrine & Covenants 3-5 “My Work Shall Go Forth” & 10-11 “That You May Come Off Conqueror”

The Come Follow Me manual is organized to follow the page order of the sections of Doctrine and Covenants, which do not follow the chronological order of the historical events they discuss. However, I find it much easier to discuss Doctrine and Covenants Sections 3 and 10 together, rather than several weeks apart, as they cover the same topic: the loss of the manuscript of the Book of Lehi, which would have been the first 116 pages of the Book of Mormon. This lesson plan may be used for Sunday School or home and family study on the dates scheduled for either Section 3 or 10 or both.

The Loss of the Manuscript

[image error][image error]Describe the circumstances surrounding the loss of the Book of Lehi. You might paraphrase the following account from the book Saints, which is a narrative history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) published by the LDS Church.

In time, Martin [Harris] returned from Palmyra [New York] to [Harmony, Pennsylvania] and took over as scribe [for Joseph Smith, who was translating the Book of Mormon], giving Emma [Smith, who had been serving as the scribe] a chance to rest before the baby came.25 [She was pregnant with her first child.] 26 …Lucy [Harris, Martin’s wife] was suspicious of Martin’s desire to support Joseph financially. …After Joseph refused to show her the plates, she started searching the house, rifling through the family’s chests, cupboards, and trunks. 27

Emma Smith serving as a scribe as Joseph Smith translates the Book of Mormon

…Soon it was time for Emma’s baby to be born. The pile of manuscript pages had grown thick, and Martin had become convinced that if he could let his wife read the translation, she would see its value and stop interfering with their work.32 He also hoped Lucy would be pleased with how he had spent his time and money to help bring forth God’s word.

One day, Martin asked Joseph for permission to take the manuscript to Palmyra for a few weeks.33 Remembering how Lucy Harris had acted when she visited the house, Joseph was wary of the idea. Yet he wanted to please Martin, who had believed him when so many others had doubted his word.34

Unsure what to do, Joseph prayed for guidance, and the Lord told him not to let Martin take the pages.35 But Martin was sure showing them to his wife would change things, and he begged Joseph to ask again. Joseph did so, but the answer was the same. Martin pressed him to ask a third time, however, and this time God allowed them to do as they pleased.

Joseph told Martin he could take the pages for two weeks if he covenanted to keep them locked up and show them only to certain family members. Martin made the promise and returned to Palmyra, manuscript in hand.36

After Martin left, Moroni appeared to Joseph and took the interpreters from him.37

The day after Martin’s departure, Emma endured an agonizing labor and gave birth to a boy. The baby was frail and sickly and did not live long. The ordeal left Emma physically drained and emotionally devastated, and for a time it seemed she might die too. Joseph tended to her constantly, never leaving her side for long.38

After two weeks, Emma’s health began to improve, and her thoughts turned to Martin and the manuscript. “I feel so uneasy,” she told Joseph, “that I cannot rest and shall not be at ease until I know something about what Mr. Harris is doing with it.”

…The sun was rising when he arrived at his parents’ home in Manchester. The Smiths were preparing breakfast and sent Martin an invitation to join them. By eight o’clock, the meal was on the table but Martin had not come. Joseph and the family started to grow uneasy as they waited for him.

Finally, after more than four hours had passed, Martin appeared in the distance, walking slowly toward the house, his eyes fixed on the ground in front of him.41 At the gate he paused, sat on the fence, and pulled his hat down over his eyes. He then came inside and sat down to eat in silence.

The family watched as Martin picked up his utensils, as if ready to eat, then dropped them. “I have lost my soul!” he cried, pressing his hands on his temples. “I have lost my soul.”

Joseph jumped up. “Martin, have you lost that manuscript?”

“Yes,” Martin said. “It is gone, and I know not where.”

“Oh, my God, my God,” Joseph groaned, clenching his fists. “All is lost!”

He started pacing the floor. He did not know what to do. “Go back,” he ordered Martin. “Search again.”

“It is all in vain,” Martin cried. “I have looked every place in the house. I have even ripped open beds and pillows, and I know it is not there.”

“Must I return to my wife with such a tale?” Joseph feared the news would kill her. “And how shall I appear before the Lord?”

…His mother [Lucy Mack Smith] tried to comfort him. She said maybe the Lord would forgive him if he repented humbly. But Joseph was sobbing now, furious at himself for not obeying the Lord the first time. He could barely eat for the rest of the day.42

…When Joseph returned to Harmony in the summer of 1828, Moroni appeared to him again and took the plates away. “If you are sufficiently humble and penitent,” the angel said, “you will receive them again on the twenty-second of September.”1

–Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, Volume 1: The Standard of Truth, Chapters 5 and 6, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2018

Trusting God Rather Than Fearing Man

The Lord chastened Joseph Smith for losing the manuscript, but he also offered encouragement. Invite the class to silently read D&C 3:1-15 and look for ways the Lord rebuked Joseph and ways the Lord encouraged him.

List on the board (or chat box, if the class is online) phrases from verses 1–15 containing the Lord’s rebukes.List phrases containing encouragement. 

1 The aworks, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be bfrustrated, neither can they come to naught.

2 For God doth not awalk in crooked paths, neither doth he bturn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his ccourse is one eternal round.

3 Remember, remember that it is not the awork of God that is frustrated, but the work of men;

4 For although a man may have many arevelations, and have bpower to do many mighty works, yet if he cboasts in his own dstrength, and sets at naught the ecounsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and fcarnal desires, he must fall and incur the gvengeance of a hjust God upon him.

5 Behold, you have been aentrusted with these things, but how strict were your commandments; and remember also the promises which were made to you, if you did not transgress them.

6 And behold, how aoft you have btransgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the cpersuasions of men.

7 For, behold, you should not have afeared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and bdespise his words—

8 Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and asupported you against all the fiery bdarts of the cadversary; and he would have been with you in every time of dtrouble.

9 Behold, thou art Joseph, and thou wast chosen to do the work of the Lord, but because of transgression, if thou art not aware thou wilt afall.

10 But remember, God is merciful; therefore, repent of that which thou hast done which is contrary to the commandment which I gave you, and thou art still chosen, and art aagain called to the work;

11 Except thou ado this, thou shalt be delivered up and become as other men, and have no more gift.

12 And when thou deliveredst up that which God had given thee sight and power to atranslate, thou deliveredst up that which was bsacred into the hands of a wicked cman,

13 Who has set at naught the counsels of God, and has broken the most sacred promises which were made before God, and has depended upon his own judgment and aboasted in his own wisdom.

14 And this is the reason that thou hast lost thy privileges for a season—

15 For thou hast suffered the counsel of thy adirector to be trampled upon from the beginning.

D&C 3: 1-15

What truths do we learn from Doctrine and Covenants 3:1–15 that can help us remain faithful to God when we feel pressured by other people to do something we know is wrong?What does Joseph’s experience teach us about how the Savior helps us overcome our mistakes?

In D&C 10, Joseph Smith received the revelation reinstating him to his work of translation.

3 Nevertheless, it is now arestored unto you again; therefore see that you are faithful and continue on unto the finishing of the remainder of the work of btranslation as you have begun.

4 Do not run afaster or labor more than you have bstrength and means provided to enable you to translate; but be cdiligent unto the end.

5 aPray always, that you may come off bconqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may cescape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.

D&C 10:3-5

What advice does the Lord give Joseph as he return to work? How can we apply this advice to our own lives’ work and callings?How do we “pray always”?The Lord’s “wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.”

Although Joseph Smith had been forgiven by the Lord, there were still natural consequences for his actions. The Lord warned Joseph that he would not be able to retranslate and publish the book of Lehi now that the unpublished manuscript was in someone else’s hands.

16 And then, behold, they say and think in their hearts—We will see if God has given him power to translate; if so, he will also give him power again;

17 And if God giveth him power again, or if he translates again, or, in other words, if he bringeth forth the same words, behold, we have the same with us, and we have altered them;

18 Therefore they will not agree, and we will say that he has lied in his words, and that he has no agift, and that he has no power;

19 Therefore we will destroy him, and also the work; and we will do this that we may not be ashamed in the end, and that we may get aglory of the world.

D&C 10:16-19

This was a great loss, but remember that the Lord said:

1 The aworks, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be bfrustrated, neither can they come to naught….

3 Remember, remember that it is not the awork of God that is frustrated, but the work of men;

D&C 3:1,3

More than 2,400 years in advance, the Lord anticipated that Joseph Smith and Martin Harris would lose the Book of Lehi, and had prepared by inspiring Lehi’s son, Nephi, to write his own book which covered much of the same subject matter. Nephi’s record replaced the lost manuscript is now found in 1 Nephi through Omni.

38 And now, verily I say unto you, that an account of those things that you have written, which have gone out of your hands, is engraven upon the aplates of Nephi;

39 Yea, and you remember it was said in those writings that a more particular account was given of these things upon the plates of Nephi.

40 And now, because the account which is engraven upon the plates of Nephi is more particular concerning the things which, in my wisdom, I awould bring to the knowledge of the people in this account—

41 Therefore, you shall translate the engravings which are on the plates of Nephi, down even till you come to the reign of king Benjamin, or until you come to that which you have translated, which you have retained;

42 And behold, you shall publish it as the record of Nephi; and thus I will aconfound those who have altered my words.

43 I will not suffer that they shall destroy my awork; yea, I will show unto them that my bwisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.

D&C 10:38-43

While Nephi did not know the particulars about what would happen to his father’s record, Nephi indicated that he knew the Lord had a plan and a reason for asking him to create a similar record.

5 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a awise purpose in him, which purpose I know not.

6 But the Lord aknoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all bpower unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen.

1 Nephi 9:5-6

How does the Lord compensate for humans’ sins and mistakes?What evidence of the Lord’s wisdom and foreknowledge have you seen in your life?How have you seen that the Lord’s “wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil” (Doctrine and Covenants 10:43)?How does this knowledge strengthen our faith in Him?

Invite the class to silently read D&C 10:55-70 and find phrases that begin with “I am” or “I will.”

What do we learn from the “I am” phrases about who Jesus Christ is and what He is like?What do we learn from the “I will” phrases about what He does?

55 Therefore, whosoever belongeth to my church need not afear, for such shall binherit the ckingdom of heaven.

56 But it is they who do not afear me, neither keep my commandments but build up bchurches unto themselves to get cgain, yea, and all those that do wickedly and build up the kingdom of the devil—yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, that it is they that I will disturb, and cause to tremble and shake to the center.

57 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the aSon of God. I came unto mine own, and mine own breceived me not.

58 I am the alight which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.

59 I am he who said—aOther bsheep have I which are not of this fold—unto my disciples, and many there were that cunderstood me not.

60 And I will show unto this people that I had other asheep, and that they were a bbranch of the house of cJacob;

61 And I will bring to light their marvelous works, which they did in my name;

62 Yea, and I will also bring to light my gospel which was ministered unto them, and, behold, they shall not deny that which you have received, but they shall build it up, and shall bring to light the true points of my adoctrine, yea, and the only doctrine which is in me.

63 And this I do that I may establish my gospel, that there may not be so much acontention; yea, bSatan doth cstir up the hearts of the people to dcontention concerning the points of my doctrine; and in these things they do err, for they do ewrest the scriptures and do not understand them.

64 Therefore, I will unfold unto them this great mystery;

65 For, behold, I will agather them as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if they will not harden their hearts;

66 Yea, if they will come, they may, and partake of the awaters of life freely.

67 Behold, this is my doctrine—whosoever repenteth and acometh unto me, the same is my bchurch.

68 Whosoever adeclareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is bagainst me; therefore he is not of my church.

69 And now, behold, whosoever is of my church, and aendureth of my church to the end, him will I establish upon my brock, and the cgates of hell shall not prevail against them.

70 And now, remember the words of him who is the life and alight of the bworld, your Redeemer, your cLord and your God. Amen.

D&C 10:55-70

 “Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.”

Because the stern rebuke of Martin Harris found in Doctrine and Covenants sections 3 and 10 is so prominent, and recorded out of context with the other events of his life, there is an unfortunate tendency among modern church members to vilify him. However, both Joseph Smith and Martin Harris moved on from this incident, were forgiven by the Lord, and continued their missions as leaders of the church.[image error][image error]

Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.
– Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy

Having a special interest in Martin Harris, I have been saddened at how he is remembered by most Church members. He deserves better than to be remembered solely as the man who unrighteously obtained and then lost the initial manuscript pages of the Book of Mormon.
– Dallin H. Oaks, The Witness: Martin Harris, April, 1999

Here are some facts about Martin Harris that Dallin H. Oaks presented when he defended the legacy of Martin Harris in General Conference in 1999.

“This prosperous and upright older man befriended the young and penniless Joseph Smith, giving him the $50 that permitted him to pay his debts in Palmyra and locate in northeastern Pennsylvania about 150 miles away.”“There, in April 1828, Joseph Smith began his first persistent translation of the Book of Mormon. He dictated, and Martin Harris wrote until there were 116 pages of manuscript.”“About nine months after Martin’s rebuke [for losing the 116 pages], the Prophet Joseph received a revelation declaring that there would be three witnesses to the plates and if Martin would humble himself he would be privileged to see them (see D&C 5:11, 15, 24). A few months later, Martin Harris was selected as one of the Three Witnesses.”“One of Martin Harris’s greatest contributions to the Church, for which he should be honored for all time, was his financing the publication of the Book of Mormon. In August 1829 he mortgaged his home and farm to Egbert B. Grandin to secure payment on the printer’s contract. Seven months later, the 5,000 copies of the first printing of the Book of Mormon were completed.”“Later, when the mortgage note fell due, the home and a portion of the farm were sold for $3,000. In this way, Martin Harris was obedient to the Lord’s revelation: ‘Thou shalt not covet thine own property, but impart it freely to the printing of the Book of Mormon. …Pay the debt thou hast contracted with the printer. Release thyself from bondage.’” (D&C 19:26, 35)“He was present at the organization of the Church on April 6, 1830, and was baptized that same day.”“A year later he was called to journey to Missouri with Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Edward Partridge (see D&C 52:24).”“In Missouri that year—1831—he was commanded to “be an example unto the church, in laying his moneys before the bishop of the church” (D&C 58:35), thus becoming the first man the Lord called by name to consecrate his property in Zion.”“Two months later he was named with Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, and others to be ‘stewards over the revelations and commandments’ (D&C 70:3; see also D&C 70:1), a direction to publish and circulate what later became the Doctrine and Covenants.”“In 1832 Martin Harris’s older brother, Emer, who is my great-great-grandfather, was called on a mission from Ohio (see D&C 75:30). Emer spent a year preaching the gospel near his former home in northeastern Pennsylvania. During most of this time Emer’s companion was his brother Martin, whose zeal in preaching even caused him to be jailed for a few days. The Harris brothers baptized about 100 persons.”“Back in Kirtland, Ohio, after his mission, in February 1834 Martin Harris was chosen by revelation to serve on the first high council in the Church (see D&C 102:3).”“Less than three months later, he left Kirtland with the men of Zion’s Camp, marching 900 miles to Missouri to relieve the oppressed Saints there.”“One of the most important events of the Restoration was the calling of a Quorum of Twelve Apostles in February 1835. The Three Witnesses, including Martin Harris, were appointed to “search out the Twelve” (D&C 18:37), to select them and, under authority granted by the Prophet and his counselors, to ordain them.”Amid conflicts among church leaders in Kirtland, Ohio, “he was released from the high council in September 1837 and three months later was excommunicated,” yet he never “deviated from his published testimony or said anything that cast any shadow on its truthfulness.”“He was rebaptized by a visiting missionary [from Utah] in 1842…[and became] a “Mormon preacher.” evidence of his continuing loyalty to the restored gospel.“During part of his remaining years in Kirtland, Martin Harris acted as a self-appointed guide-caretaker of the deserted Kirtland Temple, which he loved.”Finally, in 1870, Martin’s desire to be reunited with his family in Utah resulted in a warm invitation from Brigham Young, a ticket for his passage, and an official escort from one of the Presidents of Seventy. A Utah interviewer of the 87-year-old man described him as “remarkably vigorous for one of his years, … his memory being very good” (Deseret News,31 Aug. 1870). He was rebaptized, a common practice at that time, and spoke twice to audiences in this Tabernacle.”– Dallin H. Oaks, The Witness: Martin Harris, April, 1999

Awakening the Dream

By Melissa -Malcolm King

Dear America Citizens,

Today is the day that our country has set aside to recognize, and honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy. In the past few years, I have become deeply disturbed by the trend that makes this day about false appearances. Individuals who wear the world’s silent blinders of hate acting with privilege ignoring others’ suffering suddenly overload social media with images and quotes. Others use this opportunity to publicly point out the need for peace but within close circles hide in the shadows . Yet, others fall into the commercialized version, donning apparel, and buying into a system that does not profit the Black community. I have had several associates tell me that this day is set aside for service and not for remembering the past.

To this end, I wish to address these sentiments today with the hope of both building bridges and doing my part to uphold Dr. King’s mission.  This list is in no way the full weight of my experience. It does not tell the full story, it is merely a resume of a situation that I cannot ignore or wish away. It is a glimpse of reality beyond the blinkers of privilege and into souls of those suffering in forced silence.

Until individuals can embrace all aspects of history, and the truth can come to light, systemic racism and whitewashing will continue to evade where peace and justice should be.

I hear you say:

 Dr. King had peaceful protests and demonstrated to the world how to stand up for truth without violence. 

Truth is –

While Dr. King followed in Gandhi’s footsteps, the protests were not peaceful. Dr. King and others who fought for human rights endured being attacked by dogs, sprayed with hoses, having their homes torched, and many hung and beaten to death. Dr. King’s assassination alone demonstrates that the battle was not peaceful because, just like today, Black people are at war with a system that attempts to make them a permanent underclass.

2. I hear you say – This holiday is to do service projects and help the needy. After all, Dr. King served other people, and that is what this day is all about.

Truth is – This day is a sacred commemoration of the sacrifices of those who fought for freedom and civil liberties. It is also a day to recognize Dr. Martin Luther King, JR, and realize that his dream is still not fulfilled today. Black people still are impacted by systemic racism and being killed because of their skin color. If you do not believe in Black Lives Matter but goes to a service project on MLK day, you must internally reflect and come to terms with your biases.

3. I hear you say – I am colorblind, and everyone is just the same to me….

    Truth is – One of the worst things we can do in society is to become a people of erasure to have a more comfortable seat at the table. Our unique images and beautiful cultures should be celebrated and honored, not tolerated. Please do not erase me. Please do not wash away the blood that sits on your hands and act like I am not wounded. See me. Hear me and do not just walk from me or cross to the other side. If I am truly your brother, sister, and sibling then treat me like part of the family with honor instead of ignoring all the significant aspects of me.

4. I hear you say – Martin Luther King, Jr had a dream that one day we will be one. I love everyone, and that is how I fulfill the vision.

Truth is – 

 Dr. Martin Luther King began his speech by saying:

 “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. “

This is a call to action, not to make positive affirmations or catchy slogans. Dr. Martin Luther King ,Jr gave many speeches and spoke out publicly against things that were not popular and that many deemed to be an atrocity to society. In his speech, Two Americas, he explores the constructs of systemic racism , an experience Black People still endure still today. (see link below to read the address).

Freedom does not ring with lack of ongoing action and the inability to recognize that in America we have built a system of inequality that has created a people of privilege and a people that have to continually fight to survive at the same table. It is not so much the people who wave the flags and shout profanities that intimidate and give me pause. It is all those stand in the shadows and sidelines silently supporting and watching the suffering that says the most and gives power to many.

Please do not dilute this man’s sacrifice and mission to a single day or an less than empathic attitude that does not include an action plan of genuine and honest ally ship. Likewise, please do not minimalize Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s memory to a mere birthday party or a single day of service. Please take a never-ending commitment to fight against injustice, racism, and the acts of violence that continue to plague my people and community.

That after all, that is how the dream becomes a reality.

Signed,

A Mad Queer Black Person living in America

Microsoft Word – mlk-gp-speech-final.doc (gphistorical.org)