MORMON MEN ARE MALE CHAUVINISTS (!!! - ???)

I just read THIS awesome article on Meridian Magazine online.

It made me think several things, many of which were awe-inspiring!

But being the opinionated, non-politically correct, in-your-face-and-my-own-face-about-the-truth kind of person, the thing that I can't shake is this thought:

I find it ironic that MANY, if not most, of the other "Christian" religions in this country teach as part of their theology that WOMEN are to be SUBMISSIVE unto their HUSBANDS.  Granted, most of those churches have some kind of clause thrown in stating that the wife does not have to submit if the husband is telling them to sin.  However, humand nature being what it is... there are way too many husbands that take that submissive thing and RUN with it.  I've known many personally.  (I've even known some in the LDS church, though by percentage they are way fewer!)

Now, when I say that many, if not most, of other "Christian" religions, I say it from experience.  Not because I read it somewhere, though I certainly have many times.  I've known couples from just about every single "Christian" religion there is, and in all the cases I can think of, the wife is to submit to the husband.  And in MANY of those cases, it's not a pretty, righteous thing.

The IRONY is this:  They ALL point an accusing finger at the CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, accusing the church of preaching and raising male chauvinists who do nothing but command their wives, and that the wives are all some kind of "slave".  I have personally had a therapist ask me, upon finding out I was LDS, if my religion taught me to be subserviant unto my husband.. insinuating that perhaps that was part of my problem!  I couldn't believe it!!

So... as I read this article, all those thougths came flooding back to me.  Having been practically raised in the CATHOLIC church, having attended MANY other "Christian/Protestant" churches, having known many people of other "Christian" faiths, and some of non-Christian faiths, having studied world religions (beginning in College, and henceforth), and having been active in my own LDS faith the past 27 years, I can say with 100% certainty that I believe that NO ONE teaches the DIVINE, ROYAL, SACRED, HALLOWED, SPECIAL, and EXEMPLARY role of WOMAN as does the CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.

I remember when I was dating Bob back in the day, and our Church's World General Conference was about to take place, I had the thought that I wanted to attend the General Priesthood Meeting.  Mind you, this is a meeting that only those who hold the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood usually attend.  It is intended as a World General Conference Session for the men of the church throughout the world, where they are lovingly counseled in the ways of better-manhood, better-husbandhood, better-fatherhood, better-sonhood, better-brotherhood and all other "hoods".  I have not known of a woman to ever attend a General Priesthood session before or after this time.  (That's not to say there hasn't been in the history of the world, only that it is unheard of and very rare.)

So, I attended.  Bob was cool about it, thought he thought, in a nice way, that I was being weird.  But that's exactly what I am - unconventional.  Well, in the 27 years of my being active in the Church I have attended 27 World General Women's Conferences, and while I have been inspired by each of them in different ways, I say to you that I have NEVER felt held higher, on a higher pedastal, than I did coming out of that General Priesthood Meeting!  Now, I know they don't always focus on just women, but that year I felt that all of the talks were about how to "see" your wife, daughter, sister, mother, aunt, grandmother, etc. as the Daughter of God that she is.  How to TREAT her like the Celestial Daughter of God that she is, how to support her, inspire her, uplift her, and NEVER command her, rule over her, uninspire her, or do harm to her either mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, educationally, or any other "-ally" way!  I came away from that meeting feeling like I had a lifetime of living and learning to do before I would ever be worthy of the ETERNAL and HIGH ESTEEM with which the prophet and brethren of the Church held women; the SPECIAL, eternal and BEAUTIFUL role of WOMAN/WIFE/MOTHER/SISTER, and the way they were trying to get the men and boys to think about women!

Being an LDS woman, I have been counseled by my husband, prophet, and Church leaders, all of these 27 years, to be the best Daughter of God I can be, to be the best Mother/Sister/Friend in Zion I can be, to get all the EDUCATION I can possibly get, to make sure I lovingly remind my husband to be of help around the home and with the kids, and to make sure I do all I can each day of my life to keep my "lamp" filled with "oil" (and that "oil" might be different things on different days!)

My husband has been the archtype of husbands.  Not only is he the world's greatest "Mr. Fix It" and fixes everything in our home and cars himself, but he sacrifices every single day to support the kids and me, he puts God first (which in turn makes me trust him more, and feel safer with him), he has never once pointed out my faults and weaknesses, he has never once said anything unkind in terms of "I wish I'd never married you/etc".  He has been nothing but supportive and loving, and self-sacrificing for our family and me.  Aside from God, he puts me first.  He has taught our children, and especially our son how to honor womanhood, first by example, then by word and teachings.  He has forgiven the most horrible weaknesses of mine, and put up with a TON of doo-doo from me over the years.  And he does not hold any grudges over it nor recall it to my memory even ONCE.  He has led our family by EXAMPLE first and always.  He has maintained his faith, has always been meek and submissive to the Lord's teachings and life's trials, he has kept all of his Temple Covenants, and he has always strived to choose the right in every aspect of his life.  If anything he has suffered through terrible times when I was the one who was "bossing" him around, or telling him of HIS faults and weaknesses, or to have put up with my weaknesses and stubbornness!

My husband is the reason behind my strong desire to improve every day of my life.  Of course I want to improve for Heavenly Father, for the Savior, and for myself and my children.  But my husband is the inspiration behind my greatest desires to improve and "be perfect even as {Christ is} perfect".  I want to be the best I can for HIM.  Because he has loved me UNCONDITIONALLY and ETERNALLY.... very much like my Savior has!  More than anything I want to make my Savior happy, and second only to that  I want to make my husband proud of me and happy!  He has never cheated on me, even in thought!  He has always come straight home to me after work, and looks forward to spending time together with me and our family.  His greatest desire has always been, and remains, to be with ME eternally.

HOW can anyone possibly think, much less accuse the Mormon church of teaching such heresies!  And what's more, how can anyone who used to be a member of this Church (or might still be) accuse the Church of such terrible things!?  Well, for the ex-members, it's not hard to figure out how or why they'd do such a thing.  But for those who are still members, perhaps they would do well to double check themselves.  I am confident if they did so in the true light of the Spirit, that they would find that it's not the CHURCH that is teaching such chauvinistic ways, but rather their church, their family, or the husband, or perhaps they themselves that are causing the issue.  The LDS Church has never, and will never teach such false doctrines.

As for people who are not members of the Church, all I can say is that they should give the Church a trial run before believing what their pastors, family, friends, teachers, or "experts" are telling them about the LDS Church.  "By their FRUITS ye shall know them."  I feel pretty confident in stating that, percentage wise, the LDS church has produced more "good fruits" than any other.

No where in the world will you see a Church honor womanhood to the heights that the LDS church does!  No where in the world will a woman be respected and honored and put on a pedastal higher than in the LDS Church.

I am thankful that this brave, inspiring sister wrote this article!  I am sad that she had to suffer through the chauvinistic trials that her husband and church forced upon her.  I pray for her, that the Lord will continue to bless her and her children, that they may always lean on the simple, eternal, and beautiful truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as found in the one and only true Christian Church - even the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

(I know, I know... I'm passionate, politically/religiously incorrect, I sound jugemental, and I need to be more Christ-like!  I know!!! I'm working on it... )