DAY 35 - GENERAL CONFERENCE PROTESTORS

There are a few things that I truly enjoy about living in Utah: the variety of seasons throughout the year, the beauty of the fall colors, the pleasant nature of people in general, and being able to attend General Conference. Yesterday morning I drove up to SLC and spent the day on Temple Square and at the Conference Center.

   It was a beautiful day, with blue skies, gentle breezes, and happy and friendly people filling the streets of Downtown Salt Lake. I took my laptop along, did a little scripture reading, a bit of journaling, and a short nap on the lawn near the Tabernacle. Lots of families with young kids running around, hordes of teenagers traveling en masse, and older couples walking along hand-in-hand – everyone just enjoying a beautiful day.

   General Conference is always uplifting and cup-filling. Words of hope and affirmations, gently encouraging us all to be better people and live better lives. And I have been blessed in my life to know a few of these outstanding leaders, and they truly live the types of lives that they compel us all to live. And it really is simple: just do good things with good hearts every single day.

   Along with the spiritually buoying messages of conference is the simple comfort of being part of something of such positive influence in the world as the LDS Church. When you sit there in the Conference Center among 21,000 other Mormons, you realize just how big an organization the now 15 million member LDS Church has become.

   Regardless of your religious affiliations or opinions, organized religion has a dynamic power around the globe. No one can discount the power for good that Mother Theresa had – not only because of her good-natured heart, but because of the strength of organized religion that she was able to rally.

   Which is why I don’t understand the zealots that stand on the street outside of General Conference bellowing their dissent. Did Mormons show up outside of his peaceful religious gathering and shout unkind words about his beliefs? I find it offensive that people would intrude on an event that brings me such peace and happiness. It baffles me that people can be so offensive, and claim their acts in the name of God. That is not the God I know – the God I know is a God of love, who welcomes all and allows us each to honor Him in our own loving ways.

   Quite honestly, I think that some of them show up to protest – just to protest. From their rants it's obvious that they haven't done their homework and they know nothing about the Mormon Religion. These radicals have the gall to tell me that I'm not Christian and I don't believe in the Holy Bible and other such nonsense. Really? Because I AM Christian, I DO believe in the Holy Bible, and I am a Mormon. If you're going to stand on the street corner and raise a ruckus, at least get your facts straight.

   How grateful I am for the Spontaneous Choir that gathered, standing against the walls of Temple Square, and beautifully sang hymns in peaceful retort. These Mormons (mostly Young Adults) did not confront the zealots, did not respond with taunts about the beliefs of the protestors, did not try to Bible-Battle there on the sidewalk. They simply sang. They stood there with hymnals in hand and sang songs of praise to God. And singing hymns of love is the perfect response to the hatred being shouted.

   Now THAT is the type of protest I can get behind. Maybe next Conference I will grab a hymnal and stand on the street corner and sing hymns.

DAY 27 - WOMEN AND THE PRIESTHOOD -- or "Ladies, keep your pants on."

Tonight was the General Women’s Broadcast for the LDS Church – basically the “Kickoff Session” to the Semi-Annual General Conference that happens next weekend.

   The past few years there has been an organization of Mormon Women that have been trying to pressure the leadership of the Mormon Church into making a change that would allow Mormon Women to hold the Priesthood. Their demonstrations have included: trying to “break” into the Priesthood session, the highly publicized “Wear Pants to Church Day”, and this year (next weekend) they are organizing to break into Priesthood sessions again – but this time into the Local Sessions instead of the big one in Salt Lake City.

   Really???  These women just don’t get it. First, as a Mormon Woman, I can hold the Priesthood any time I want to – and snuggling in front of a movie on a Friday evening, I typically do.  OK, all joking aside – do you see Mormon Men trying to break into the Women’s Session?  No, not one. Why? For the same reason I don’t attend Gambler’s Anonymous Meetings or attend Physics Symposiums at the UofU – because they aren’t relevant to me. Tonight was targeted specifically to a female audience, and the speakers were mostly women. Women talking to women about women. Hmmmmm, I sense a theme here. 

   So what’s the big deal about attending the Priesthood Session???  NOTHING! There’s nothing secret that happens there – heck, it’s even televised, posted on YouTube, and broadcast regularly on KBYU. And they’ve published the talks in a magazine for decades (and make them all available online within days). And men go to the Priesthood Session with men – especially fathers and sons. There’s fabulous tradition of generations of men attending together, often including ice cream together afterward. It’s men talking to men about men. That’s all.

   Honestly, I don’t want to hold the Priesthood. It’s not that I’m some passive woman that believes that women should come second place or be subservient – HECK NO! I am a strong-willed and independent woman, and I do believe in equity between the genders. But this whole “equality” view is wrong. Men and Women will never be equal – we’re just built differently, inside and out – and that’s a good thing. We balance each other out, and it’s about the give-and-take, the yin-and-yang, the partnership and working together. Equitable, but never equal.

   And my personal philosophy is that men get the Priesthood as a Consolation Prize. Admittedly, this isn’t Church Doctrine – but think about it. Women are given the greatest, most God-like gift in this life: the Gift of Creation. OK, admittedly men play a small part in that – but women are granted the amazing opportunity of feeling life create within them. And there is nothing that a man can experience in this life that even comes close. And that’s why, in my opinion, men are given the Priesthood. Where women have the opportunity to feel the Godly Act of Creation within their wombs, men are given the opportunity to Act in God’s Name. And God knew that by dividing the responsibilities, that men and women would have to work together – and that really is one of the great joys of this life.

   Besides, women in general tend to be more nurturing and service-oriented than men anyway – and working within the Priesthood compels men to nurturing and service-oriented acts. Because acts of service come more spontaneously to women, men have an organization that encourages them to do what comes to women naturally.

   So this weekend I was happy to go to the General Women’s Broadcast with the women in my family – and we had a great time, dinner and all. And next weekend I will NOT be trying to break-in to the Priesthood Session – because not only do I not agree with those women, but that I understand that I already have a higher place in God’s plan: As a Woman.

   Again, not doctrine – but my personal philosophy. So, no, I didn’t participate in Wear Pants to Church Day – but if there’s ever a Wear Pajamas to Church Day, then give me a call.

Priesthood is the means whereby 

the Lord acts through men to save souls. 

-- Elder David A. Bednar