DOCSLIB.ORG

Lds Women's Temple Rituals and the Politics of Religious

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Lds Women's Temple Rituals and the Politics of Religious ABSTRACT Title of Document: ―PRIESTESSES UNTO THE MOST HIGH GOD‖: LDS WOMEN‘S TEMPLE RITUALS AND THE POLITICS OF RELIGIOUS IDENTITY Nazneen Kane, Ph.D., 2011 Directed By: Professor Patricia Hill Collins, Ph.D., Sociology This study enters into broader debates surrounding the study of women in traditional religions by examining the ways in which LDS women utilize temple ritual in the ongoing construction of religious identity. In-depth interviews with eighteen LDS women are explored to highlight themes in LDS women‘s perspectives regarding temple rituals. I demonstrate that LDS women‘s perspectives on these ceremonies reveal that LDS women draw from an amalgam of competing dominant, alternative, and oppositional discourses to define their religious experiences and identities. These self-definitions revealed that the women in this study drew from ritual symbols, gestures, images, and dialogue to shift normative definitions of LDS women as mothers who bear and raise children to more expansive identities of LDS women as ―priestesses unto the most high God.‖ I argue that examining the practices of women in traditional religions reveals hidden layers of their experiences, identities, and ways of knowing. ―PRIESTESSES UNTO THE MOST HIGH GOD‖: LDS WOMEN‘S TEMPLE RITUALS AND THE POLITICS OF RELIGIOUS IDENTITY By Nazneen Kane Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2011 Advisory Committee: Professor Patricia Hill Collins, Chair Associate Professor Jeffrey Lucas Professor Deborah Rosenfelt Professor Bonnie Thornton Dill Associate Professor Katie King © Copyright by Nazneen Kane 2011 Dedication Lovingly dedicated to Imani Bea and to my father, who rooted in me a sociological imagination. ii Acknowledgements Many individuals have contributed to this dissertation in a variety of ways. I express gratitude to the eighteen LDS women who made this study possible by willingly sharing their personal life stories and intimate portraits of their ritual experiences. I also gratefully acknowledge the warm mentorship and ongoing support of Patricia Hill Collins. I am grateful for her invaluable insights, countless revisions, and critical commentary. Her mentorship has stretched and compelled me to improve my skills as a researcher and teacher. I admire and hope to exemplify the ways in which she embodies social justice in her everyday teaching, research, and mentoring. I also thank the committee of stellar scholars who provided feedback along the way. Jeff Lucas, Katie King, Bonnie Thornton Dill, Deborah Rosenfelt and Melissa Milkie all contributed constructive insights that have helped me to develop and improve my scholarship. I feel fortunate and so grateful to have had such a remarkable committee and positive dissertation experience. I also wish to acknowledge several othermothers who cared for my daughter Imani as I carried out this study. Thanks to Marya Myslinski, Tina Lindsey, and my DC home school momma friends—Mary Porter, Molly Langer, and Elizabeth Hulet. I owe an ocean of thanks to Debby Kane for providing uncountable hours of loving care for Imani. I also wish to acknowledge the encouragement of my parents, who sacrificed in many ways to help me accomplish this goal. I am forever grateful to my partner Jeff for his many unsung acts of love and for his encouragement throughout every moment of a very long academic journey. iii Table of Contents DEDICATION ......................................................................................................... II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................... III TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................... IV LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................. VI CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .............................................................................. 1 Statement of Research Questions ........................................................................... 3 The Latter-day Saint Context ................................................................................. 4 Demographic Profile of U.S. Mormons .............................................................. 5 A Brief Histor(ies) of the Mormon Church ......................................................... 5 Church Government ........................................................................................... 7 LDS Priesthood.................................................................................................. 9 LDS Women‟s Institutional Roles ..................................................................... 10 Motherhood ..................................................................................................... 11 The LDS Temple Ritual System........................................................................... 14 Purpose ........................................................................................................... 15 Temple Ceremonies .......................................................................................... 16 Gender ............................................................................................................. 18 Sacred/Secret Rituals ....................................................................................... 20 Organization of the Study .................................................................................... 21 CHAPTER 2: RETHINKING WOMEN IN TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS............. 28 Part I: Theorizing Women in Traditional Religions .............................................. 29 Structure: The Dominant Approach to Women in Traditional Religions ........... 30 Agency: Alternative Approaches to Women in Traditional Religions ................ 32 “Lived Religion”: An Integrated Approach to Women in Traditional Religions 37 Part II: Mormon Women and The Politics of Identity ........................................... 40 Mormon “Correlation”: Centralizing Priesthood Power and Authority ........... 40 Priestesses: Mormon Women‟s Enactments of Spiritual Power ........................ 43 The Suppression of Mormon Women‟s Self-Definitions .................................... 46 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................ 54 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH DESIGN ...................................................................... 56 Description of Methodology ................................................................................ 56 Feminist Standpoint Methodology .................................................................... 57 Methods and Data Sources ................................................................................... 59 Reflexive Ethnography ..................................................................................... 60 Managing Researcher Subjectivity ................................................................... 62 Fieldwork and Participant Observations .......................................................... 67 In-depth Interviews, Interview Questionnaire and Procedures ......................... 69 Sampling and Recruitment Procedures............................................................. 69 Interview Procedures and Questionnaire ......................................................... 70 Data Analysis................................................................................................... 72 Introduction To The Interview Participants .......................................................... 73 A Profile of Eighteen LDS Women ................................................................... 74 Pathways to Mormonism .................................................................................. 77 iv Pathways to the LDS Temple ............................................................................ 77 Ongoing Participation and Affiliation with the LDS Church and Temples ........ 79 Chapter Conclusion ............................................................................................. 81 CHAPTER 4: THE TEMPLE INITIATORY ........................................................... 84 Ritual Setting: Description of the Initiatory Ceremony ......................................... 85 Ritual Change .................................................................................................. 88 LDS Women‘s Perspectives on the Initiatory Ceremony ...................................... 89 Experiencing Women in Ritual Roles and Practices ......................................... 92 Initiatory Ritual and Self-Concept .................................................................... 95 Initiatory Ritual as a Mechanism for Negotiating Religious Authority ............ 100 ―Priestesses Unto the Most High God‖: Rethinking Mormon Women ................ 108 CHAPTER 5: THE TEMPLE ENDOWMENT ..................................................... 110 Ritual Setting: Description of the Endowment Ceremony................................... 112 Ritual Change ................................................................................................ 117 LDS Women‘s Perspectives on the Temple Endowment Ceremony ................... 118 Eve‟s Role in the Creation: Imagining Goddesses .......................................... 120 Eve and the Covenant of Obedience:
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Doctrine and Covenants Section 110: from Vision to Canonization
    Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 2010-07-07 Doctrine and Covenants Section 110: From Vision to Canonization Trever Anderson Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the History of Christianity Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Anderson, Trever, "Doctrine and Covenants Section 110: From Vision to Canonization" (2010). Theses and Dissertations. 2120. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/2120 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Doctrine and Covenants Section 110: From Vision to Canonization Trever R. Anderson A Thesis submitted to the faculty of Brigham Young University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Religious Education Richard E. Bennett, Chair Robert C. Freeman Kip Sperry Religious Education Brigham Young University August 2010 Copyright © 2010 Trever R. Anderson All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT Doctrine and Covenants Section 110, From Vision to Canonization Trever R. Anderson Religious Education Master of Religious Education This thesis answers the question of how a vision recorded in Joseph Smith’s journal found its home in the Doctrine and Covenants and become recognized as canonized scripture. The April 3, 1836, journal entry became known as Section 110. Section 110 serves as a foundation for the current practices and doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, involving temple building and temple ordinances. Thus it is important to understand the history of this Section from journal entry to canonization because it is an example of recovering revelation.
    [Show full text]
  • GENERAL HANDBOOK Serving in the Church of Jesus Christ Jesus of Church Serving in The
    GENERAL HANDBOOK: SERVING IN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS • JULY 2020 2020 SAINTS • JULY GENERAL HANDBOOK: SERVING IN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST LATTER-DAY GENERAL HANDBOOK Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints JULY 2020 JULY 2020 General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Salt Lake City, Utah © 2020 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Version: 7/20 PD60010241 000 Printed in the United States of America Contents 0. Introductory Overview . xiv 0.0. Introduction . xiv 0.1. This Handbook . .xiv 0.2. Adaptation and Optional Resources . .xiv 0.3. Updates . xv 0.4. Questions about Instructions . xv 0.5. Terminology . .xv 0.6. Contacting Church Headquarters or the Area Office . xv Doctrinal Foundation 1. God’s Plan and Your Role in the Work of Salvation and Exaltation . .1 1.0. Introduction . 1 1.1. God’s Plan of Happiness . .2 1.2. The Work of Salvation and Exaltation . 2 1.3. The Purpose of the Church . .4 1.4. Your Role in God’s Work . .5 2. Supporting Individuals and Families in the Work of Salvation and Exaltation . .6 2.0. Introduction . 6 2.1. The Role of the Family in God’s Plan . .6 2.2. The Work of Salvation and Exaltation in the Home . 9 2.3. The Relationship between the Home and the Church . 11 3. Priesthood Principles . 13 3.0. Introduction . 13 3.1. Restoration of the Priesthood .
    [Show full text]
  • THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE, MORMON WOMEN's SEXUALITY, and the VAGINA MONOLOGUES Jill Marie Peterfeso A
    GIVING FAITHFUL TESTIMONY: THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE, MORMON WOMEN’S SEXUALITY, AND THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES Jill Marie Peterfeso A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment for the requirements for the degree of Master in the Department of Religious Studies. Chapel Hill 2008 Approved by: Laurie Maffly-Kipp Randall Styers Thomas Tweed ABSTRACT JILL PETERFESO: Giving Faithful Testimony: Theatrical Performance, Mormon Women’s Sexuality, and The Vagina Monologues (Under the direction of Thomas A. Tweed) This thesis rests at the intersection of women’s studies, performance studies, and Mormon studies. Using two case studies—a performance of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues at Utah Valley State College and a Sunstone magazine conference session known as The Mormon Vagina Monologues—this thesis explores how Mormon women have used the theatrical medium to explore their sexuality. By staging or scripting their sexual lives within a community of actors or playwrights, and for a public audience, these women give faithful testimony—not about their religious faith, but about their sexual selves. This public testimony has generated, but it also has enabled the women to find healing, foster empowerment, and reconstitute community. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I. INTRODUCTION:SETTINGTHESTAGE........................1 Staging and Scripting: Different Uses of the Theatrical Medium . 6 A Need for Healing and Empowered Community: The Vagina Monologues and the V-Day Movement ......................12 Mormon Patriarchy: Restricting Women’s Voices .....................14 A Need for Healing and Empowered Community: Mormons and Sexual Abuse ...................................... 20 II. “THE VAGINA DIALOGUES”: STAGING MORMON WOMEN’S SEXUALITYATUVSC...................................
    [Show full text]
  • Rhetoric in Mormon Female Healing Rituals During the Nineteenth Century
    Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Plan B and other Reports Graduate Studies 5-2016 Rhetoric in mormon Female Healing Rituals during the Nineteenth Century Carrie Ann King Johnson Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports Part of the American Studies Commons, and the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation King Johnson, Carrie Ann, "Rhetoric in mormon Female Healing Rituals during the Nineteenth Century" (2016). All Graduate Plan B and other Reports. 865. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports/865 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Plan B and other Reports by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Rhetoric in Mormon Female Healing Rituals during the Nineteenth Century A Thesis By Carrie Ann King Johnson Department of English Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, American Studies July 2016 ABSTRACT Using the minutes of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo, journals and diaries kept by early Mormon women, and letters written about healing blessings, this thesis looks at how nineteenth-century Mormon women used rhetoric in healing rituals to build community, claim power, and comfort one another thorough illness, death, and birth. Claudia L. Bushman points out that “Mormon women were much like other American women of their day, but their allegiance to the faith led them in some new directions.” Instead of retreating to acceptable standards of femininity, Mormon women claimed and used godly power and authority.
    [Show full text]
  • Can't Keep Sweet Andrea Mary Marshall
    ANDREA MARY MARSHALL ANDREA MARY MARSHALL Can’t Keep Sweet Andrea Mary Marshall Artwork and Interview Andrea Mary Marshall Text Alexandra Weiss A few years ago, artist and self-portraitist Andrea Mary widespread abuses within the community. As part of her research, Marshall was walking through the Tudor Room in the National she met former FLDS member Sarah Allred, and Tonia Tewell, Portrait Gallery when she came upon a painting of King Henry the founder of Holding Out HELP, a non-profit in Utah that helps VIII. Standing before the image, she began to think about its those trying to leave polygamist communities. Allred, who was subject and his six wives. Quickly, her mind jumped to the married to a polygamist at 18 and had her seven children taken Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, away from her before being excommunicated nearly seven years a controversial Mormon denomination, and a photo she’d ago, became one of the many voices Marshall hoped to amplify seen of its now-incarcerated leader, Warren Jeffs. In it, Jeffs is through her project, the title of which emphasizes “individuality surrounded by his doting wives—over 50 of them—wearing of expression over conformity,” she says. “I am not just another their traditional FLDS uniforms of modest pastel dresses over face in the crowd, I am not easily replaced with another wife, I four to five layers of undergarments, their long hair brushed am not interchangeable as a woman. I am a woman with rights, sweetly into conservative buns. and not vice versa.” That image, in a weird way, then reminded Marshall of ANDREA MARY MARSHALL—What was your life like in Versace’s iconic Fall/Winter campaign from 1994, in which the FLDS? supermodels including Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Stephanie Seymour and Christy Turlington, posed in their SARAH ALLRED—Women were there to serve their husbands own long-sleeve pastels.
    [Show full text]
  • Ss Lesson 5 Prepare for Blessings of Temple Russell Nelson
    23- “The fundamental principle ought to be to wear the garment and not to find occasions to remove Anyone who is willing to prepare well may enter the temple it. Thus, members should not remove either all or part of the garment to work in the yard or to lounge 11- Because a temple is sacred, the Lord asks that it be protected from desecration. Anyone may enter around the home in swimwear or immodest clothing. Nor should they remove it to participate in who is willing to prepare well for that privilege. The concept of preparation prevails in other fields of recreational activities that can reasonably be done with the garment worn properly beneath regular endeavor. I remember when I was but a young boy, I told my parents I wanted to attend the university. clothing. When the garment must be removed, such as for swimming, it should be restored as soon as They said I could, but only if I worked hard in preliminary schooling and met all the requirements for possible. admission to the university. Similarly, we must qualify for admission to the temple. We prepare 24- “The principles of modesty and keeping the body appropriately covered are implicit in the covenant physically, intellectually, and spiritually. Eligibility is determined individually for each person applying for and should govern the nature of all clothing worn. Endowed members of the Church wear the garment a recommend. as a reminder of the sacred covenants they have made with the Lord and also as a protection against 12- Those who hold keys of priesthood authority and responsibility help us prepare by conducting temptation and evil.
    [Show full text]
  • WHY WE STAY Samoan Temple Burns Down; Book Stirs Controversy; FIVE PERSPECTIVES New LDS Films; More! (P.74) J
    Cover_129.qxd 10/15/2003 10:05 AM Page 2 MORMON EXPERIENCE SCHOLARSHIP ISSUES & ART THE MAKING OF IMMANUEL: SUNSTONESUNSTONE Brian David Mitchell and the Mormon Fringe by John-Charles Duffy (p.34) NEBULA an England essay contest winner by Mari Jorgensen (p.46) Experience the YEAR OF THE CICADA a story by Joe Peterson (p.52) Surviving BYU and Berkeley by Joanna Gardiner (p.57) IN MEMORIAM: Dean L. May and Stanley B. Kimball (p.6) 2003 Salt Lake Sunstone Symposium Report (p.68) UPDATE Conference news: Church members arrested after confrontations with street preachers; LDS leaders speak out on same-sex marriage legislation; WHY WE STAY Samoan temple burns down; Book stirs controversy; FIVE PERSPECTIVES New LDS films; More! (p.74) J. Frederick “Toby” Pingree, October 2003—$5.95 MaryAnne Hunter, Bill Bradshaw, Grethe Peterson, & Thomas F. Rogers ifc.qxd 10/15/2003 10:08 AM Page 1 Washington MOLLY BENNION—ORGANIZER ROY BENNION LEVI S. PETERSON RICHARD DUTCHER MARNI CAMPBELL ARMAND L. MAUSS THERESA ROTH CHARLOTTE ENGLAND TOM MUMFORD SUSAN PALMER JULIE MUMFORD DAVID HUNTER DAN PINGREE SAGE JOHNS LEAH SMITH pecial thanks to this year’s fall regional symposium volunteers! S Tape order form, page 73 Texas STEVE ECCLES—ORGANIZER MARGARET BLAIR YOUNG ROBERT H. BRIGGS DARIUS GRAY DAVID FEATHERSTONE ARMAND L. MAUSS CLIFTON JOLLEY VICKIE STEWART EASTMAN PAUL H. SMITH DARRELL FLETCHER LAEL LITTKE 01_toc.qxd 10/15/2003 11:19 AM Page 1 MORMON EXPERIENCE, SCHOLARSHIP, ISSUES, & ART OCTOBER 2003 Issue 129 FEATURES 22 J. Frederick “Toby” Pingree, . WHY WE STAY MaryAnne Hunter, Bill Bradshaw Grethe Peterson, Thomas F.
    [Show full text]
  • Student Manual Religion 261
    Introduction to Family History Student Manual Introduction to Family Religion 261 Introduction to Family History Student Manual Religion 261 Introduction to Family History Student Manual Religion 261 Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Salt Lake City, Utah Comments and corrections are appreciated. Please send them to: Seminaries and Institutes of Religion Curriculum 50 E North Temple Street Salt Lake City, UT 84150-0008 USA E-mail: ces-manuals@ ldschurch .org Please list your complete name, address, ward, and stake. Be sure to give the title of the manual. Then offer your comments. FamilySearch is a trademark of Intellectual Reserve, Inc., and is registered in the United States of America and other countries. © 2012 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America English approval: 1/11 Contents Introduction .......................................................................................1 1. The Family Is Central to the Plan of Salvation .......................................................3 2. The Mission of Elijah ...........................................................................13 3. Getting Started with Family History Research .......................................................21 4. Gathering and Recording Family History Information ................................................29 5. Personal Revelation and Family History ............................................................39 6. Computers and Family History Research ...........................................................49
    [Show full text]
  • James and Isabelle Dayley
    B EAUTIFUL UPON THE MOUNTAINS Pioneer Journals, Letters, and Discourses Testimonies of Obedience and Sacrifice Compiled and Edited by HEATH & MELISSA PARKER Copyright © 2010 by Heath Parker Beautiful upon the Mountains Publications Seattle, Washington All Rights Reserved First Edition Printing Family Heritage Publishers Salt Lake City, Utah Title Page Illustration: Wagon Tracks on the Prairie PIONEERS OF THE GOOSE CREEK VALLEY 671 JAMES DAYLEY & ISABELLE MCBRIDE Jacob Dayley 1787 – Feb. 11, 1811 James Dayley B: Bedford, Pennsylvania March 26, 1811 – July 23, 1905 D: Little Pigeon Roost, Ohio B: Little Pigeon Roost, Ohio D: Basin, Idaho Elizabeth Baker Dec. 12, 1791 – 1834 Enoch Rhodes Dayley B: Bedford, Pennsylvania Sept. 19, 1837 – Nov. 13, 1892 D: Licking County, Ohio B: Grand River, Missouri D: Basin, Idaho Thomas White McBride March 12, 1776 – Oct. 30, 1838 Isabelle McBride B: Loudon County, Virginia March 28, 1816 – Jan. 18, 1861 D: Hauns Mill, Missouri B: Lancaster, Ohio D: Grantsville, Utah Catherine John 1778 – July 27, 1841 B: Frederick County, Maryland D: Nauvoo, Illinois JAMES DAYLEY Eleven children were born to this union: Elizabeth, 1835; Enoch Rhodes, 1837; Isaac Morley, 1840; Sarah Ann, 1841; George, 1844; Heber Chase, 1845; Thomas John, 1847; James Carlos, 1850; Jacob, 1852; Isabelle Rebecca, 1853; and Nancy Vilate, 1856. Born March 26, 1811, at Little Pigeon Roost, Belmont County, Ohio, James was the only child of Jacob and Elizabeth Baker Dayley.675 His father tragically drowned shortly before James was born while the former was en route to Ohio. Elizabeth and her son remained in Ohio, leaving behind their ancestral lands in Pennsylvania where the Dayleys had held residence since colonial times.
    [Show full text]
  • An Outward Expression of an Inward Commitment
    An Outward Expression of an Inward Commitment MARY C. HALES This address was given, May 2, 2003 at the BYU Women’s Conference © 2003 by Brigham Young University, Women’s Conference All rights reserved. For further information write: BYU Women’s Conference, 352 Harman Continuing Education Building, Provo, Utah 84602. (801) 422-7692 E-mail: [email protected] Home page: http://womensconference.byu.edu At April general conference I looked around as the Conference Center filled with twenty- one thousand people. I was impressed by how good they looked—they were cleaned up, covered up, and well behaved, no one’s appearance screaming for attention, no loud strident voices or profane language, just decency, modesty, and cheerfulness. From what we generally see in the world, one might think a modest person is a lone voice crying in the wilderness, but here were twenty-one thousand—and, with each succeeding session, twenty-one thousand more until there were one hundred thousand—all great examples of modesty in its complete sense. What is modesty in its complete sense? The Encyclopedia of Mormonism defines modesty as “a quality of mind, heart, and body, modesty is an attitude of humility, decency, and propriety that may be evidenced in thought, language, dress, and behavior. Modesty or immodesty is reflected in almost every aspect of human life.”1 Our prophet President Gordon B. Hinckley, in his book Stand a Little Taller, said this: “Of all the creations of the Almighty, there is none more beautiful, none more inspiring than a lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue, with an understanding of why she should do so, who honors and respects her body as a thing sacred and divine, who cultivates her mind and constantly enlarges the horizon of her understanding, who nurtures her spirit with everlasting truth.”2 You will notice he did not say she walks in virtue, period.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 “If the Savior Stood Beside Me, Would I Wear the Things I Wear?”
    “If the Savior Stood Beside Me, Would I Wear the Things I Wear?” Carol F. McConkie ______________________________________________________________________ This address was given Thursday, May 2, 2013 at the BYU Women’s Conference © 2013 by Brigham Young University Women’s Conference. All rights reserved For further information write: BYU Women’s Conference 161 Harman Continuing Education Building Provo, Utah 84602 801-422-7692 E-mail: [email protected] Home page: http://womensconference.byu.edu ______________________________________________________________________ Why is modesty so important? Why would a hemline, a neckline, or a T-shirt matter to the Lord? I am the mother of five daughters and two sons, and as you can imagine, the topic of modesty has come up in our home once in a while! But, over the years, I have learned that modesty is taught best by teaching the doctrine and setting a positive example. The doctrine will help our children understand why modesty is so important. Our example will demonstrate the blessings of modesty in happy ways. What is modesty? Modesty is a God-given principle to help us learn to use our bodies appropriately here in mortality. The definition of modesty I will use today comes from True to the Faith: “An attitude of humility and decency in dress, grooming, language, and behavior.”1 Modesty is the opposite of boastfulness or vanity. Modest people do not use their bodies or their behavior to seek approval from the world or draw attention to their own real or supposed accomplishments or desirable attributes. As we talk about modesty today, please remember that these principles apply to both men and women, and that even as we teach and exemplify modesty for our young women, we never condemn those that choose short skirts or “rainbow hair and the many splendored rings.”2 Always, we exemplify compassion and Christlike love for the individual while we remain loyal to the standards the Lord has set.
    [Show full text]
  • Eternal Marriage Student Manual
    ETERNAL MARRIAGE STUDENT MANUAL Religion 234 and 235 ETERNAL MARRIAGE STUDENT MANUAL Preparing for an Eternal Marriage, Religion 234 Building an Eternal Marriage, Religion 235 Prepared by the Church Educational System Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Salt Lake City, Utah Send comments and corrections, including typographic errors, to CES Editing, 50 E. North Temple Street, Floor 8, Salt Lake City, UT 84150-2772 USA. E-mail: [email protected] © 2001, 2003 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America English approval: 6/03 CONTENTS Preface Communication Using the Student Manual . viii Related Scriptures . 31 Purpose of the Manual . viii Selected Teachings . 31 Organization of the Manual . viii Family Communications, Living by Gospel Principles . viii Elder Marvin J. Ashton . 32 Abortion Listen to Learn, Elder Russell M. Nelson . 35 Selected Teachings . 1 Covenants and Ordinances Abuse Selected Teachings . 38 Selected Teachings . 3 Keeping Our Covenants . 38 Abuse Defined . 3 Our Covenant-Based Relationship with the Lord . 40 Policy toward Abuse . 3 Wayward Children Born under Causes of Abuse . 3 the Covenant . 47 Avoiding Abuse . 4 Covenant Marriage, Elder Bruce C. Hafen . 47 Healing the Tragic Scars of Abuse, Dating Standards Elder Richard G. Scott . 5 Selected Teachings . 51 Adjustments in Marriage For the Strength of Youth: Fulfilling Selected Teachings . 9 Our Duty to God, booklet . 52 Adjusting to In-Laws . 9 Debt Financial Adjustments . 9 Related Scriptures . 59 Adjusting to an Intimate Relationship . 9 Selected Teachings . 59 Related Scriptures . .10 To the Boys and to the Men, Atonement and Eternal Marriage President Gordon B.
    [Show full text]