- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
Last Sunday, we had the lesson on the origin of the Relief Society. I have really struggled with the current Priesthood/RS Manual, because it leaves so many things unsaid. I won’t go quite so far as to say it is misleading, but it certainly guides people’s thought patterns down a predetermined path that really ignores much of our past.
This lesson was no different. The manual details 5% of the the history and completely leaves out the relationship of the RS as a vehicle for fighting polygamy and the fact that when its influence grew, JS shut it down. So, that set me off.
Then the rest of the lesson was spent listing platitudes and paternal views of women and gender roles (both sides) that drove me crazy.
But I was true to my staylds ‘handle’.
I’ve been working in Primary lately and haven’t been to Priesthood for some time, not an entirely good thing but certainly easier on my testimony and patience (yes handling over active kids in Sharing Time is much easier than biting your tongue during inane commentary in Priesthood class) so I don’t have a reference for the lesson you are talking about but I can certainly sense your frustration and share it. I think the bigger tragedy of the early Relief Society is the potentially likely development (if Joseph Smith had lived even a bit longer and the Nauvoo temple had been completed in his life time) of “priesthood status” being given to women who had a temple marriage. It is still implicit in the temple and Margaret Toscano is still the major (though excommunicated for it) proponent. So I agree it is a problem. However I congratulate you on keeping to your “handle” and remaining silent in the lesson. I personally have never been happy with any of my comments in either Sunday School or Priesthood that brought up sensitive issues it just doesn’t seem to be the forum for it. I find that sad, however, since I think we all need to grow spiritually and those lesson places should be a place where it could potentially happen.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.