HeatherP’s excellent synopsis of Chapter Three is here.
Some points we found interesting:
Between 1872 and 1970, Mormon women had access to two official Church magazines offering specific views written by women on priesthood and spiritual gifts, wage and non-wage work and political activism. But like the gradual erosion of the practice of washing and anointing , these magazines eventually merged into more male dominated territory via a silly “wedding” ceremony where the young women’s magazine took on a male name (in the 1920’s), and changes made in the early 70’s with all that that entailed with the Priesthood Correlation Program. And since then – mostly silence, maybe because of the lack of access to new articles, or nobody knew about these earlier issues. We’d no idea the Ensign wasn’t the first magazine in the history of Mormondom. Until Al Gore invented the Internet.
The last few decades have made access to Mormon women’s publications increasingly easier with the Young Women’s Journal , the Women’s Exponent and Exponent II, and Dialogue – A Journal of Mormon Thought available online. BYU, among other’s we’re sure, have done a lot of work here and it shows. Everything we read was really easy to access. We would strongly encourage anyone to check out some of these articles, even the really old ones. There’s some cool stuff for any history buff in the Young Women’s Journal, like curry recipes for those pesky vermin running around your back yard called chicken, mutton, veal, or rabbit. Because remember, curry can make anything taste good. Even an old shoe if needs be… There are also short stories, poetry, advice on just about anything, hymns and tales of personal faith-affirming experiences. All written by and relating to, women.
In 1966, social psychologist William Schultz explained how discourse empowers receivers, concluding that people who receive sufficient recognition, affection, and respect develop high self-esteem and good mental health. In contrast those who are ignored or given little respect lose self-confidence and grow dependent.
This statement above is not at all surprising. It makes perfect sense. Take ourselves as an example. We are much more likely to participate and contribute in a discussion when we are invited to do so or when we feel welcome and included. If no one listens to what we have to say or ignores us, we’ll quit talking, and believe us, look generally pissy. A woman silent can have dangerous consequences. In 1883 the Exponent reaffirmed this notion:
“There is no better method of communication between people engaged in any public enterprise than that of a newspaper, and until women talk to each other freely in this way and express their views and feelings, no great, tangible change will take place in the advancement of the masses of women.”
Of course, in this day and age, the Internet is replacing newspapers. Blogs, message boards and online publications are allowing LDS women to connect as never before. At the same time, these resources probably actually wield less influence than the early printed publications because they have no official endorsements from the First Presidency. Thus, they can be easily dismissed or simply ignored at will, particularly if the ideas presented are not “mainstream.” (Think of how many times readers have denounced this blog for whatever reason!)
Some points for discussion:
– We find it interesting how today contemporary Mormon women seem to have less of a public voice than we did a century ago. It’s a mystery to us why that is. Do you agree, are we moving backwards in some ways? What are the consequences of this relative silence for women and the institution?
– In 1923 the Magazine produced a lengthy series titled “Mothers in Israel.” These were inspiring sketches of nineteenth-century pioneer women who were often single heads of households while their husbands were miles or continents away. Lula’s great-grandmother was one of these. She took care of 9 children and ran a farm. For almost 3 years. All. By. Herself. Does anyone else have a relative who went through these kinds of experiences? What about now? Wouldn’t it be great to have such a series featured in the Ensign today?
– Why do you think it’s important to read the life experiences, testimonies, and accomplishments of other women? And if you’re a man, how would you feel about reading an all women’s magazine?
– We did a completely unscientific survey of how many women and men authors contributed to the Ensign so far in 2010, and we would estimate about 33% were women. Knowing that, would you like to see an official Relief Society magazine again? Or how about a more likely scenario, a regular section featured every month devoted to and written by women in the Ensign (other than the visiting teaching message that is)?
– What about all the blogs out there now. Do blogs help us “talk to each other freely” and “express [our] views and feelings,” and can they help lead to change?
Next week’s discussion of Chapter Four: Historical Mormon Feminist Discourse – Excerpts