Relief Society prez Julie Beck the new "June Cleaver"?

[_barrelomonkeys]

You read the papers, you watch television, you hear the radio, you read books and magazines, and much that comes to your consciousness is designed to lead you astray. … Some of the things they are telling you these days are: it is not necessary to marry; it is not necessary to marry to have children; it is not necessary to have children; you may have all the worldly pleasures without these obligations and responsibilities. … There are [many] ways to give you this loosely held, so-called freedom. They are telling you that you are manacled [chained] to your homes, to your husbands, to your children, to your housework. They are talking and writing to you about a freedom they know nothing about. …

Eve, so recently from the eternal throne, seemed to understand the way of life, for she was happy—happy!—that they had eaten the forbidden fruit. … Our beloved mother Eve began the human race with gladness, wanting children, glad for the joy that they would bring to her, willing to assume the problems connected with a family, but also the joys. …

Mothers have a sacred role. They are partners with God, as well as with their own husbands, first in giving birth to the Lord’s spirit children and then in rearing those children so they will serve the Lord and keep his commandments. … Motherhood is a holy calling, a sacred dedication for carrying out the Lord’s work, a consecration and devotion to the rearing and fostering, the nurturing of body, mind, and spirit of those who kept their first estate and who came to this earth for their second estate to learn and be tested and to work toward godhood.

Too many women spend their time in socializing, in politicking, in public services when they should be home to teach and train and receive and love their children into security.

No greater honor could be given to a woman than to assist in [God’s] divine plan. I wish to say without equivocation that a woman will find no greater satisfaction and joy and peace and make no greater contribution to mankind than in being a wise and worthy woman and raising good children.

Oh! I so do feel manacled.

Enjoying and relishing breaking my chains! Also enjoying all the socializing, politicking, and public services. And YET I still have time to raise my 'good children'. What a marvel I am!

I'll tell you what led me astray Gaz. The idea that I MUST marry a man to have the American Dream. Phooey all over that!

[_Jason Bourne]

Some LDS dude:

Too many women spend their time in socializing, in politicking, in public services when they should be home to teach and train and receive and love their children into security.

If that is so, why are so many LDS women up to their eyeballs in callings and church commitments that take them away from home?

How many LDS women do you know with callings up to their eyeballs. What are those callings and how many hours per week do their callings and church commitments take them out of the home?

[_Trinity]

No greater honor could be given to a woman than to assist in [God’s] divine plan. I wish to say without equivocation that a woman will find no greater satisfaction and joy and peace and make no greater contribution to mankind than in being a wise and worthy woman and raising good children.

No, Gaz. It's not God's plan. It is Mother Nature's plan. Mormonism has simultaneously castigated the natural man......and made him divine at the very same time. Trying to exalt certain roles that are specifically inherent to gender is limiting - exhibit Harmony who is all that and still a bag of chips. How is Harmony to go about reaching her divine potential if the scope is so narrowly defined?

I'm imagining you in a room trying to explain your agenda for life to a professional mentor of mine - Meg Whitman. It's kind of a funny scenario, if you think about it. You, arrogantly suggesting that this extremely intelligent, wise and savvy business woman forego her current career and go home and bake cookies for the kiddies (just in case they have an emergency at school or something) so her husband can go out and make 70K a year to support the family. Because that is what God wants. (I hope you didn't miss the Wiki part that states her net worth of 1.4 billion)

I don't know who would line up first to kick you in the tes........er shins. Meg, her supportive husband, or her two sons. I do know for sure she would go home and thank God she didn't have some man or organization insisting she keep an apron on instead of encouraging her to "be all she can be" in whatever realm that may be.

[cinepro]

Some LDS dude:

Too many women spend their time in socializing, in politicking, in public services when they should be home to teach and train and receive and love their children into security.

If that is so, why are so many LDS women up to their eyeballs in callings and church commitments that take them away from home?

How many LDS women do you know with callings up to their eyeballs. What are those callings and how many hours per week do their callings and church commitments take them out of the home?

From the years of 2000-2003, I held the following callings simultaneously: Stake Primary Presidency, Ward Relief Society Education Counselor, Ward Music Chairman, Visiting Teacher. Previous to that I was ward YW president, and visiting teacher to six women. The YW presidency calling was the most time consuming of them all and I averaged about 15-20 hours a week (Sunday preparation and lessons, weekday preparation and activity, weekly presidency meeting, monthly stake leadership meetings, regional YM/YW activities and camp. I did this calling with four small children, by the way)

I was released from all four of my callings in 2003 because (due to inactivity) our ward was combined with another low-activity rate ward to try to alleviate some of the functional strain on all of the active ward members. I moved shortly thereafter and was quickly called in by my new bishop and quizzed about my previous callings. At which point I informed him I was never going to accept another calling ever again in this church. And he understood. He really did.

[_Gazelam]

Some LDS dude:

Spencer W. Kimball

Too many women spend their time in socializing, in politicking, in public services when they should be home to teach and train and receive and love their children into security.

If that is so, why are so many LDS women up to their eyeballs in callings and church commitments that take them away from home?

Such as?

[_Gazelam]

I am Somebody and I'll be damned if I'll sit here and let you insult me by telling me I am out of line by being all I can be, instead of just a mother.

The bit I posted was an excerpt from the lesson given in both relief society and priesthood meeting this past sunday. I taught the priesthood class. A large portion of the class was spent sharing stories about the many amazing women in the church, including our own mothers and the current relief society president we have in the ward.

Heres another quote I borrowed from a commentary on 1 Cor. chp 11 vs.5 from Bruce R. McConkie

" Women are not one whit behind men in spiritual things; perhaps, on the whole, they are ahead of them; in the very nature of things there will be more women than men living in the state of family exaltation hereafter. And women, here and now, are as much entitled to revelation, visions, and gifts of the Spirit as are men."

The point being that women are not beneath men, as Christ is not beneath his Father, but al that Christ accomplished exalts his Father, as a righteous woman exalts her husband.

Women are encouraged to accomplish all that they are capoable of in this life. All that is being said here is that there is nothing in this world that can take the place of what needs to be accomplished in the Home.

Government cannot legislate morality in a society, that can only be accomplished in the Home by Mothers. Without god mothers in the home, society will consume itself.

[_truth dancer]

You read the papers, you watch television, you hear the radio, you read books and magazines, and much that comes to your consciousness is designed to lead you astray. … Some of the things they are telling you these days are: it is not necessary to marry; it is not necessary to marry to have children; it is not necessary to have children; you may have all the worldly pleasures without these obligations and responsibilities. … There are [many] ways to give you this loosely held, so-called freedom. They are telling you that you are manacled [chained] to your homes, to your husbands, to your children, to your housework. They are talking and writing to you about a freedom they know nothing about. …

Eve, so recently from the eternal throne, seemed to understand the way of life, for she was happy—happy!—that they had eaten the forbidden fruit. … Our beloved mother Eve began the human race with gladness, wanting children, glad for the joy that they would bring to her, willing to assume the problems connected with a family, but also the joys. …

Mothers have a sacred role. They are partners with God, as well as with their own husbands, first in giving birth to the Lord’s spirit children and then in rearing those children so they will serve the Lord and keep his commandments. … Motherhood is a holy calling, a sacred dedication for carrying out the Lord’s work, a consecration and devotion to the rearing and fostering, the nurturing of body, mind, and spirit of those who kept their first estate and who came to this earth for their second estate to learn and be tested and to work toward godhood.

Too many women spend their time in socializing, in politicking, in public services when they should be home to teach and train and receive and love their children into security.

No greater honor could be given to a woman than to assist in [God’s] divine plan. I wish to say without equivocation that a woman will find no greater satisfaction and joy and peace and make no greater contribution to mankind than in being a wise and worthy woman and raising good children.

Gag!

There are some women who enjoy the role of motherhood, and some who do not. Some who enjoy the role of homemaker and some who do not. Some whose "divine" gifts can bring goodness and healing to the world without having children. Women whose abilities and talents may have nothing to do with raising children but could find a cure to save millions of them.

My personal opinion is that the world is in desperate need of the unique gifts and talents available in women... for the past six thousand years (since the origin of patriarchy), the world has largely missed the unique contributions of women in such fields as art, literature, music, religion, science, governance, etc. etc. etc.

How anyone can think this idea to not allow women to participate in society other than as child bearers, is a nice plan, or God's plan, or good for humankind, or healthy for women, or in the best interest of life, community, or society is BEYOND me!

I guess men who need that power and control, and whose ego dictates a desire for subservient, subordinate women, will find a way to keep women from participating in society or making a difference.

I tire of hearing the, "God said," excuse.

God seems to say whatever the men in charge want "Him" to say!

~dancer~

[_Yoda]

Some LDS dude:

Too many women spend their time in socializing, in politicking, in public services when they should be home to teach and train and receive and love their children into security.

If that is so, why are so many LDS women up to their eyeballs in callings and church commitments that take them away from home?

How many LDS women do you know with callings up to their eyeballs. What are those callings and how many hours per week do their callings and church commitments take them out of the home?

From the years of 2000-2003, I held the following callings simultaneously: Stake Primary Presidency, Ward Relief Society Education Counselor, Ward Music Chairman, Visiting Teacher. Previous to that I was ward YW president, and visiting teacher to six women. The YW presidency calling was the most time consuming of them all and I averaged about 15-20 hours a week (Sunday preparation and lessons, weekday preparation and activity, weekly presidency meeting, monthly stake leadership meetings, regional YM/YW activities and camp. I did this calling with four small children, by the way)

I was released from all four of my callings in 2003 because (due to inactivity) our ward was combined with another low-activity rate ward to try to alleviate some of the functional strain on all of the active ward members. I moved shortly thereafter and was quickly called in by my new bishop and quizzed about my previous callings. At which point I informed him I was never going to accept another calling ever again in this church. And he understood. He really did.

Since Jason and Gaz both asked for examples, and Trinity eloquently provided this example from her own experience, I would like to hear their responses...preferably an "I'm sorry for asking such a stupid question" will suffice.

Let me also add that I have had similar experiences. I served as both the Stake and the Ward Girl's Camp Coordinator while I was in Utah, with two small children (and I mean SMALL...under the age of 2). I had to attend Girl's Camp for a week. My husband was kind enough to be supportive...but do you not think that the kids had to be farmed out to daycare while my husband worked?

Also, my husband helped prepare meals which he drove up to the campsite as part of the coordination of this event, since none of the parents of the girls could be bothered to help!

I have also served in multiple callings (Primary Presidency 1st Counselor, Primary Pianist, Young Women Leader, Achievement Days Coordinator).

If you think that these callings didn't add up to MUCH more than 40 hours per week, I want some of what you've been smoking!

[_Jason Bourne]

No greater honor could be given to a woman than to assist in [God’s] divine plan. I wish to say without equivocation that a woman will find no greater satisfaction and joy and peace and make no greater contribution to mankind than in being a wise and worthy woman and raising good children.

No, Gaz. It's not God's plan. It is Mother Nature's plan. Mormonism has simultaneously castigated the natural man......and made him divine at the very same time. Trying to exalt certain roles that are specifically inherent to gender is limiting - exhibit Harmony who is all that and still a bag of chips. How is Harmony to go about reaching her divine potential if the scope is so narrowly defined?

I'm imagining you in a room trying to explain your agenda for life to a professional mentor of mine - Meg Whitman. It's kind of a funny scenario, if you think about it. You, arrogantly suggesting that this extremely intelligent, wise and savvy business woman forego her current career and go home and bake cookies for the kiddies (just in case they have an emergency at school or something) so her husband can go out and make 70K a year to support the family. Because that is what God wants. (I hope you didn't miss the Wiki part that states her net worth of 1.4 billion)

I don't know who would line up first to kick you in the tes........er shins. Meg, her supportive husband, or her two sons. I do know for sure she would go home and thank God she didn't have some man or organization insisting she keep an apron on instead of encouraging her to "be all she can be" in whatever realm that may be.

I always have told my wife I would love to be a stay at home dad. Unfortunately I have the higher earning power. Still, she has had a career our entire marriage. When the kiddies were small she worked at it less and was more flexible with it. It has been hard but it has all in all worked pretty well for us. Now if she could get a 1.4 Billion net worth.....out the door HONEY!

[_Jason Bourne]

From the years of 2000-2003, I held the following callings simultaneously: Stake Primary Presidency, Ward Relief Society Education Counselor, Ward Music Chairman, Visiting Teacher.

I did not mean to imply that some women do not have busy and even multiple callings. Jersey Girl though opined as if she knows a lot and knowing she is not LDS I just wanted some examples. by the way, you must have been in a branch or low activity ward. The ward I am in is pretty solid and we make sure it is one calling per person only and we have a number of people who want callings but we do not have them for them right now.

The Church has suggested for small units or those with lower activity that they scale back some of the Church program. However, this is rarely practices well.

Previous to that I was ward YW president, and visiting teacher to six women. The YW presidency calling was the most time consuming of them all and I averaged about 15-20 hours a week (Sunday preparation and lessons, weekday preparation and activity, weekly presidency meeting, monthly stake leadership meetings, regional YM/YW activities and camp. I did this calling with four small children, by the way)

Sounds like a good bishop


Yes I agree it is one of the most demanding callings in a ward. I was a YM pres for 4 years. A few years after I was released my wife was YW pres

I was released from all four of my callings in 2003 because (due to inactivity) our ward was combined with another low-activity rate ward to try to alleviate some of the functional strain on all of the active ward members. I moved shortly thereafter and was quickly called in by my new bishop and quizzed about my previous callings. At which point I informed him I was never going to accept another calling ever again in this church. And he understood. He really did.