Compass

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Sometimes I feel like I am walking in a hazy place where everyone has turned into zombies. Zombies that for some reason or other are deaf to my logic, reason and screaming and jumping to get them to return back to their former selves.

Sometimes I wonder if we've become so immersed in the world, in conventional thought that we have forgotten why we are here. Do you remember? Do you know why you're here? Do you remember that you have a mission? Do you know how powerful you can be for good or ill? Will you wake up and focus on the goal?

I've mentioned my intelligent, brilliant friend Jon Wilson before. He recently wrote a post about "Why the New Mormon Feminism Will Fail". The title was intriguing. It referred to another post by Tresa Edmunds titled, "The Next Generation of Mormon Feminism". I read Edmunds post and was incredibly disappointed, and concerned.

Her whole premise is that women should continue to do the things they feel is right, even if it goes against what inspiration our Prophet has taught, because if we keep going against them for what we want - eventually we will wear them down and what we want will become acceptable.

Can I get a homie say what? What?

Apparently there are women sitting at home fuming that they don't have the priesthood. Seriously? Are they still beating that horse to death. For some reason these women still determine equality as what the world defines it, what is popular in our culture. They can't seem to see the perspective of eternity because their line of sight is only as far as what the media and pop culture tell them it should be.

In a more thoughtful manner, Wilson's post, he says:

"Trying to receive the priesthood by rejecting the guidance of the Lord’s authorized servants is a contradiction because the oath and covenant of the priesthood itself requires that we receive his authorized servants."

It strikes me as arrogance to assume that we know God's will better than God does. The attitude that Edmunds is displaying is a blatant demonstration that she doesn't support, believe in or sustain the Prophet and leaders of our Church.

I see this attitude more and more in the Church. Where people really do think they know better than God. That God's will, his Church/Kingdom will bend to their conventional wisdom and "modern" thinking. Really? Really?

In Edmunds post she writes about the YW she interacts with:

"Many of them have become adept at interpreting statements from general authorities to fit their viewpoint, secure in themselves and what they want out of the world, and assuming that everyone else feels the same way."

First of all - each of us is incredibly powerful with our ability to influence and guide. I take this role incredibly seriously with the YW. I prefer to turn the girls I work with over to God's will and not mine - because, to be frank - I make a lot of mistakes. So it worries me that according to Edmunds, "her YW" are all feeling her own discontent.

It strikes me as completely contrary to the gospel when we, as Edmunds states her YW are "...adept at interpreting statements from general authorities to fit their viewpoint..."

I believe we are here for a mission - to become like God - to seek His will - not to distort statements and bend them to fit OUR will. Isn't this life about submitting to God's will?

Robert L. Millet once taught in one of my leadership meetings at BYU - that when we come to recognize our own insignificance, and how incredibly vast that chasm is between us and God, that is when we humble ourselves, submit ourselves to Him - and that is when we become close, become one with Him. The whole thinking in Edmunds post is about power grabbing, taking over, being in charge - taking the priesthood power by any means possible - defining equality by the world's standards and not God's. Gee whiz - does this remind you of anyone's way of thinking at say... the grand council of heaven in the preexistence? Anyone, anyone, Bueller?

Edmunds also talks about the choice she believes the YW have to make:

"Do they shrink themselves down and become less to fit in the prescribed role, or do they turn away from what they have been taught?... I am firmly of the belief that it's because the vision we give them of their future is not a future they want."

Shrink? Does Edmunds not understand the plan of salvation? Does she not understand the new and everlasting covenant? I believe that if she did understand it she would not belittle it. It is an honor. A divine calling. Righteous mothers and fathers play a symbolic role of Christ in a gospel-centered home.

I recently spoke about exaltation, families, the kingdom of God and it is mind-boggling that the very basic principles of the gospel, of our purpose here on earth is lost on Edmunds. That she is so caught up in the eyes of the world she's forgotten the perspective of eternity. I truly hope that her thinking is only a small percentage of women in the Church ...otherwise we are in worse shape than I hoped to be. How sad that so many have forgotten their purpose here on earth.

Let's be perfectly honest and frank. WE are either serving God, or we are not. We are either building up His kingdom, or we're not. We are either walking towards Him, or we are not. There are not ifs, ands, buts, feeling moderate today, lukewarm, wishy, washy, maybes, etc... In this day in age you are either cold or hot - and with each choice, each statement we place our feet on a side.

I truly hope that there are more wise women, who find their strength in God, than there are foolish ones who determine their internal compass on the whims of the world.

Wilson wrote:

"I am not advocating submitting to an abusive husband or to unrighteous dominion by priesthood leaders. But I am advocating submission to the counsel and teachings of the prophets and apostles, even if you disagree, and keeping your disagreements generally private, trusting that the Lord hears your prayers, and relying on the Lord to correct his servants if they should be corrected, and trusting Him if he does not.

This approach requires that you believe that the Lord is real and guides His church, that the priesthood is real, that the prophets and apostles of the church are in fact His servants, that he hears and answers your prayers, and above all that he loves you."

I believe God is real, that He loves me. I believe that the plan of salvation, the goal of exaltation is still viable and in effect. I hope there are more of us that will stand together, with courage to simply do what is right.

ps. If you are not an LDS reader - sorry - I didn't take the time to explain anything because I am so fired up. If you have questions you are always welcome to email me.