General Conference October 2013 The Role of Women in Mormonism

08 October

salt-lake-templeFYI:

This article isn’t the typical article you’ll read from me. This article investigates the cold hard truth of the ancient practice of cult prostitution and the similarities of the Mormon dogma that sex is necessary for salvation. If you don’t want to read any further click the back button now.

I’ve received more e-mails about this General Conference than ever before. While some of the e-mails and reviews of GC have said it’s just more of the same stuff, there’s obviously something a little different and I have to say that I agree with both sides. It’s always going to be the same stuff until the Church denounces its heretical ways, and this time it was made clear once again that Mormonism is built upon two principles.  Sex and godhood.

For a few brief moments it seemed the main focus this year would be centered on protests from a small group of feminist sympathizers, but the words of one of the apostles caught my attention over those outside trying to garner attention for their plight.

Mormon apostle Christofferson performed a classic “open mouth, insert foot” faux pas during his allotted time behind the pulpit in Salt Lake this past weekend. Trying to back other leaders’ teachings on the power and value in being a woman, Christofferson explained to listening ears the importance of chastity and sexual purity.

The Meridian Magazine reports Mr. Christofferson as saying “A pernicious philosophy that undermines women’s moral influence is the devaluation of marriage and of motherhood and homemaking as a career. “

In a way I agree in that the morals of today’s society has deteriorated sharply in the past 50 years, but most recently in just the last ten.

He then expounded on how women today are becoming more crude and abrupt and raising kids in fatherless homes…

He also said the “divine power” in women and the most important roles of women isn’t in their careers outside the home, but inside the home being a wife and mom. He said that some women view housework “almost with contempt”.  I had to laugh at that because I’m with those women on this one.  I hate doing laundry and trying to get the front grill plate back onto the fridge after I’ve pulled all the horrendous things out from underneath it is NOT on my list of favorite things to do in life.  And just when I got the kids raised and out of the house I still have the Rottweiler who slobbers on and licks my windows each day.  When was the last time someone pointed out to you the baseboards look great and free of dust?  No sir, housework is not my friend and the older I get the more unfavorable it becomes.

Now some things Mr. Christofferson said sound great don’t they?  It almost sounds biblical, with a heavy emphasis on almost. Raising kids to be a useful part of society is always a noteworthy accomplishment in anyone’s life, but there’s something more sinister going on behind this man’s message.

If women are too sexual out in public and he did say the way many dress nowadays is too provocative, then why is the most important role of “righteous” women in the bedroom? Why is sex mandatory to gain salvation? According to many reports floating around out there (LDS Meridian Magazine in Utah for example), he said;

“Most sacred, he added, is a woman’s role in the creation of life.”

Oh brother.  Believe me, this is not the most sacred thing I’ve done in life and I’ve had my fair share of kids. According to the Bible and what God says the most important thing we can do is love God with all our hearts and minds and love our neighbors as ourselves – Matthew 22:36-40.

What type of God would mandate sex for salvation?  Certainly these college educated men realize that when you tell a child (aka girl) that having babies is the most important thing they can do, it’s only natural they’ll grow up believing they must have a man in life to succeed and their best work is in the bedroom.  This by the way, is exactly what Joseph Smith told Helen Mar Kimball’s parents.  He told them if she married him the entire family would be saved. 

And if you think I’m the only person that’s interpreted their teachings as such, you might find it interesting that a lifelong friend of mine who grew up two doors down from me in Ogden, Utah concurs with my analysis.  I can’t count the number of times we’ve talked about our mothers and the mindset they have about needing a man in their life. My friend and I are the same age and our mothers happen to be the same age. Both moms have three kids and both moms were raised as Mormons in Utah.  Same story, different names.  Mind you, it’s also no coincidence that both sets of families have backgrounds checkered with polygamy.  Sadly for my friend’s family two sisters (my friend’s aunts) who were brought over from England  to be enumerated into a polygamous household committed suicide together when they got here and realized the horror of their mistake.  This is the reality of Mormonism.  Thankfully my friend saw the errors of Mormonism and got saved as I did!

It’s a dead end with one focus and that’s sex. It’s interesting to note this “theology” isn’t anything new.  The Romans were doing this in the temple of Diana some 2,000 years ago and when the Greeks adopted the goddess they renamed her Aphrodite.

In even more ancient times God warned His children against such practices in the Bible. Some cults were offering their children to the Babylonian chief god Marduk, also known as Bel in Isaiah’s day (Isaiah 46:1). The culture of ancient history shows an array of pagan gods that were worshipped in Babylon which was about 50 miles south of modern day Baghdad. It’s all the same and God sees it as an idolatrous practice. 

Deuteronomy 23:18; “Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.”

And why did the ancients practice prostitution in the temples?  That’s right; it was to earn the opportunity to gain salvation in the heavens where their gods dwelt.  It’s not my desire to go into the illicit details of how these people lived their lives and what they did in these temples, suffice it to say they weren’t prepping to be nuns. I’ve provided links in this article with plenty of information about them.  Ironically the teachings of Joseph and company mimic those in Babylon, the Roman Empire and even the temple of Ephesus. Furthermore, we have enough information in the Bible alone that reveals to us what was going on. Young girls and sometimes boys were offered up as a token to the gods because of their sexual purity.  Compare those philosophies with that of Mormonism;

Gospel Doctrine, pg. 288; “Motherhood lies at the foundation of happiness in the home…God has laid upon men and women very sacred obligations with respect to motherhood… In I Timothy 2:13-15, we are told that “Adam was first formed, then Eve…Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.” Can she be saved without child-bearing? She indeed takes an awful risk if she wilfully disregards what is a pronounced requirement of God…” – Joseph F. Smith

You see, this is another gimmick of the evil one who roams the earth looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8) as he puts ungodly ideas in people’s heads wanting them to think it’s from the Lord. It’s our job as Christians to always be on the lookout.

I don’t write this out of animosity, vindictiveness or hatred and it’s not because I don’t like children. I do so because I was once one of those who believed this. As a Mormon I had six pregnancies and seven children, of which only two survived to adulthood. And I did all this in less than eleven years.  I realized the hard way with each child I carried that it didn’t bring me any closer to salvation than the one before.

My main goal in life as a Mormon was to have babies so I could go to heaven. As with many people I had severe complications and with each child I grew physically weaker not knowing I have MS.  So the babies kept coming.  My first was a set of twin boys at the age of 19.  David and Delaney died in my fifth month of pregnancy. There were two other midterm miscarriages after that and then Mallory who was stillborn and finally Jacqui and Axi who are now in their 20’s.

I wasn’t having babies because we thought it’d be great to add a child to the family. No, I/we did this because Mormonism taught me that it was a necessary step for salvation.  I took that seriously and obviously very literally.

As I mentioned earlier, I don’t say these things flippantly or lightly.  I know what it means to have an extremely strong desire to have babies – I get it.

Having babies is great for those who desire to have kids!  I wouldn’t trade my daughters for the world.  I encourage it and pray that if you’re considering parenthood you do so after you and your spouse have petitioned the Lord.  If however you have other ideas for your life then you should follow what the Lord wants for you, not a doctrine of man.

But if you’re Mormon you need to know that no amount of babies is going to gain you salvation in heaven.  Acts 4:12 says no other name has been given to man whereby we must be saved. Ephesians 2:8-9 says it’s not by works lest we should boast but by grace we are saved.

At the end of my Mormon life I began begging God to just send me to hell if it meant I had to keep having kids.  I was exhausted and frustrated and didn’t understand why I couldn’t find peace or joy in the Lord if I was doing what he told me to do.  I finally realized the only man who could save me was Christ Jesus!

If you’re LDS, please know that we’re praying for you and pray you open your bible to know the truth for yourself.

With Love in Christ;

Michelle

1 Cor 1:18

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