Guest Post: It May be Legal But Is It Moral?

Guest Post by Lavender. Lavender was thrilled to discover that a few generations ago, her ancestors had the last name of Lavender. A Midwesterner who has lived her adult life in Logan and Salt Lake City, Utah, she enjoys biking, skiing, hiking in the desert, reading, eating dark chocolate, and diagramming sentences. Lavender recognizes the value of educational and professional opportunities that continually push her to grow. Most of all, she gives credit to her daughters whose questions from the time they were tiny pushed her onto the path of feminism.

On a recent Sunday afternoon a group text was sent to young women and parents asking who was planning on attending young women’s camp and youth conference this summer. As responses rolled in, I asked for information regarding covid precautions: would vaccines be encouraged and negative covid tests required? The covid vaccination rate in our area is barely over 34% with ages 12-15 only recently eligible to receive the vaccine. Young women’s camp will occur before any 12-15 year olds have enough time to be fully vaccinated.

When the young women’s president came to my home to answer my question in person, her response was startlingly unexpected. She said they were not legally required to take any precautions and so would not be doing anything. If I was uncomfortable with my yet-to-be-fully-vaccinated daughters attending, then I should plan on them staying home. She also informed me that because she feels differently about the vaccine than I do, that it is really hard for her to talk to me about it.

Picture me with my mouth agape. I still do not know how to process this; an action that was the opposite of the commandment to love our neighbors. I am stunned that a neighbor, ward member, and youth leader is fine with potentially exposing other people, including the young women in her stewardship, to a contagious virus whose effect is unpredictable. Since this conversation, I have had to pause during the day to take deep breaths, meditate, pick up a slam ball and throw it to the ground a bunch of times; whatever I can do to stay grounded. At least I have done the work to separate my relationship with God out from my relationship with the church. I can take this to God; already I have felt Heavenly Mother’s awareness of me. My daughters are Her daughters too.

The bigger picture problem, in my opinion, is lack of consistent guidance from the church. I realize this has been a problem throughout the pandemic. I also realize that since I have not had to face any issues with the church locally during the pandemic that this now seems big to me. There are others who have been dealing with frustrating leadership choices for a long, long time.

Another problem is a cultural tendency to assume that because it is a church activity, that means those in charge have made it safe. I expressed my bewilderment to a friend that while church guidance around covid is inconsistent and lacking in thoroughness, Girl Scouts across the country have made significant adaptations to camp this summer to prevent covid transmission. Our local council held an hour-long zoom call to explain the adaptations, which include testing prior to arrival along with other items, and provide an opportunity for parents and girls to ask questions. Why not the same level of concern from church leaders? I acknowledge that the church is staffed by lay people. At the same time, the church also has an office tower full of employees from nearly every professional field including risk management. Why the silence about covid precautions at youth activities this coming summer? I believe that as parents we must not give away our authority to others by acquiescing on our obligation to ensure our children’s safety. We must ask questions and establish boundaries.

So, what to do about camp and youth conference? After this encounter, my daughters will not attend. Does it do any good, though, to write to the general young women’s presidency in hope that they will at least be aware of what is happening and perhaps make guidelines to protect the youth? Just because my local government does not legally require any precautions, it is not moral for anyone in the church to not to take precautions. This is one of many experiences that has galvanized in me the desire to always speak up for the marginalized, to always think of the ‘least of these’, to remember that every other human being on this planet is my neighbor and a child of God.