What Is Mormon Woman Ideology?

I raise this question, because face it; it is always the question. The world pulls us in several directions, and our religion pulls us in another direction, and then we have to figure out where we stand. Life is so complicated!

Or so we are made to believe…

I am reading a very interesting book, by Christina Hoff Sommers, called Who Stole Feminism? It raises some serious questions, but mostly it has caused me to think.

First, and foremost, I am not a feminist. Sheri Dew is the one who refers to Mormon women as Women of God. I have to agree, I like that much better (thus, the name of my blog.) The word “feminist” carries around way too much baggage, of which I am not in favor, so simply using the word is something my personal ideology cannot do.

Second, women are in flux today. Why? I believe it is because of the radical feminist platform. My ideology again demands that in order to be true to myself I must acknowledge where my belief lies. It is with my Savior Jesus Christ, who exemplifies how I should act, as well as how others should act towards me, a woman. This is not a perfect world, and both men and women stumble through the ages with their ideologies mangled. But Jesus Christ always shows perfect love.

Mrs. Sommers calls herself a feminist, yet she argues against what she calls “gender feminists”, women whose ideology is to give into anger against men, society, and tradition.

A quick explanation of the women’s movement is that a convention was held on the 19^th and 20^th of July, in the year 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York. Both men and women attended. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, (a mother of eight), Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony, and other women voted on a “Declaration of Sentiments”, which was written by Mrs. Stanton, with specific demands: for women to have equality in the law, including the right to vote, the right to hold property even in marriage, the right to divorce, and the right to equal education.

Our own early sisters jumped on the bandwagon gaining Utah women the right to vote, becoming some of the first medically trained doctors in the nation, and supporting themselves in a time when that was not encouraged. This was all a great boon to womanhood, and as a woman of God, I love hearing about this and support those first wave feminists.

But, since then, several waves have taken place creating angrier and angrier women. Are Mormon women angry too? Do we align ourselves with women who hate men and want to change all references from male language, culture, and reason?

Mrs. Sommers states a few incredible facts:

1. “Women’s Studies, though officially an academic discipline, is consciously an arm of the women’s movement, dedicated to a utopian ideal of social transformation…Much of what students learn in women’s studies classes is not disciplined scholarship but feminist ideology…They learn that in order to rid society of sexism and racism one must first realign the goals of education, purging the curriculum of its white male bias and “reconceptualizing” its subject matter” (pg. 51).
2. A study was performed which measured the self-esteem of girls and boys between the ages of nine and fifteen. Even though the study was inconclusive, the American Association of University Women (AAUW), a very influential group, published a now famous article entitled, “Shortchanging Girls, Shortchanging America,” where they stated that self-esteem was a problem for young girls. Sommers writes, “Although the self-esteem report is having an enormous impact, a most casual glance at its contents suffices to raise grave doubts about its philosophy, methodology, and conclusions” (pg. 138). From this study, which proved inaccurate and hyped up, came the rage over building self-esteem in girls and women.
3. The Gender Equity in Education Act, which cost $360 million to pass, allows powerful organizations like the AAUW to promote, without any questions, women’s equity policies, programs, activities, and initiatives in all federal education programs and offices. Mrs. Sommers says, “Politically, a bill calling for gender equity would seem to have…offered some members of Congress a welcome opportunity to show they were sensitive to women’s issues. On the other hand, the dangers of challenging the AAUW…were obvious” (pg. 159).

My point is not only to warn of the radical feminist platform, which threatens Mormon ideology, but also to ask where you stand. As a Mormon woman, who believes in the goodness of God toward His daughters, what is the testimony you hold deep in your heart and what do you declare when a declaration is necessary?

This is the ideology of which I declare:

The New Testament shows us how Jesus Christ treated women. Yes, the argument stands that there are not that many scripture stories that include women, but there are more than you may think there are. A mere sentence speaks volumes: “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice…” (2 Tim. 1:5) This is a great example of women doing what they were born to do: teaching their children and grandchildren to “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,” (2 Tim. 1:8)

The Second epistle of John is written to the elect lady—which is all of us.

Mormon women’s primary focus is the children, to raise them in truth and love. “I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth” (2 John 1:4) This can also be interpreted as the Church, linguistically being the feminine, guarding over her membership—children. However you wish to interpret it, the woman has an incredible influence and responsibility to see that her children walk in truth. It is crucial that she know the scriptures in order to teach her children the truth that will bring them back to the presence of God. Spreading hope and faith should be her watchcry, enveloping all she can in her loving arms.

Where radical feminists claim concern for the rights of the future female population, Mormon women claim concern for the righteousness of all of Heavenly Father’s children.

Elder Quentin L. Cook, warned us in his talk, “Lamentations of Jeremiah: Beware of Bondage,” of various kinds of bondage: addictions, time, philosophies of men, and those who would force us into activities that violate our conscience. As Mormon women, we need to first have a testimony that is secure, and ever growing. Then we need to open our eyes and see the problems around us, ever watchful over our flock. Remember, Satan doesn’t tell us how God works, but God tells us how Satan works. And we must pay attention so we can teach, warn, and gather all those we love, and have responsibility for.

The Second epistle of John closes with, “The children of thy elect sister greet thee.” As sisters, we must work together, diligently, so that our children can greet one another in the eternal kingdom. We must seek after truth. We must teach with love. We must teach the commandments. We must be the finest of righteous examples.

And you know what? Many of us are. We just need to fearlessly place our ideology on the front lines, continuously gathering, mothering, and teaching.