Media Misguidance

The media is famous for twisting facts, taking quotes out of context and various other ways to misrepresent fact to fit their agenda. Last night as I was perusing KUTV.com headlines, I came across this one "Mormon Women Look For Greater Role in the Church." Ok. You've got my attention. While reading it, my own little thermometer is seeing the mercury rising as I realize that the media is once again misinformed and have no clue what they are talking about. The piece said

"Last fall, the head of the Mormon church's Relief Society delivered a treatise on motherhood that equated nurturing with keeping a tidy house. Women in poor countries who dress their daughters in clean, ironed dresses, the speaker said, honor a sacred covenant.

Julie B. Beck's exhortation at the church's General Conference that Mormon women strive to be ``the best homemakers in the world'' "

And that was just the start. (http://www.kutv.com/content/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=93268cca-3211-46fa-8f03-3fbb7de34229 )

For any non-LDS (mormon) people that may come across this post or those who are LDS and struggling with what it means to be a woman in 2008-don't believe this article. Yes, the prophets have told us time and again that the woman needs to be in the home. Here is the difference of the "barefoot and pregnant-male dominance" mentality the article has to why we do stay at home. We stay at home so that our children can get us when they need us. We stay at home because women are natural nuturers and that is where we will have opportunity after opportunity to excell at what we do best. We stay at home because the world is ever decreasing its morals and somebody should be responsible for teaching children right from wrong. We stay at home because families are the basic building block of society and if our families fail, our society will come crashing down around us.

Men and women are just different. Point blank. There is no getting around that. We are built differently physically. Our minds our also built differently. That does not mean (as has been mistaken for centuries) that women are inferior creatures. We are equal, just different and that is okay.

I have never been made to feel inferior in my almost 20-year membership in this church. In fact, quite often I have felt the men of this church have reverence and deep and profound respect for women. If you want to read a great talk go read Richard G. Scott's (quorum of the 12) talk entitled, "The Sanctitiy of Womanhood." Here's a little taste: “Woman is God’s supreme creation. Only after the earth had been formed, after the day had been separated from the night, after the waters had been divided from the land, after vegetation and animal life had been created, and after man had been placed on the earth, was woman created; and only then was the work pronounced complete and good.
“Of all the creations of the Almighty, there is none more beautiful, none more inspiring than a lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue with an understanding of why she should do so, who honors and respects her body as a thing sacred and divine, who cultivates her mind and constantly enlarges the horizon of her understanding, who nurtures her spirit with everlasting truth.”

Let's talk about Sis. Beck's statement about being the best homemakers in the world. She does very clearly equate homemaking with keeping a tidy house. This is an area where I constantly struggle (small children will do that to you :) ). However, I do find that when my home is neat and tidy there is a better feeling there. We are kinder to each other, more willing to work together and to help each other out. If someone can find the faults of a clean home, feel free to share them. Also, reading her talk, you'll find that she points out more than just keeping a clean home is involved in being a woman and mother. We are teachers and we are leaders.

There is so much more I could say, but my kids are now destroying the house. :) Read Sis. Beck's talk for yourself. Make your own informed decision. I for one want to go on the record as defending both womanhood and motherhood. It is sacred and divine. It is the highest calling we can aspire to (and trust me, that is not an insult). It will bring us the greatest joy and give us the most opportunity for selfless service.

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=dba62bce258f5110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1