Really though, this isn't going to be that big a deal of a post. It seems that every so often I just get these awesome moments of "Hey! Being Mormon is awesome!" and I thought it might be informative/interesting/satisfyingly self-indulgent to blog about some. As a quick disclaimer: my goal is not to preach to you. I just thought I'd write about Mormonism because it's a part of me - and what's more, a part I consider to be interesting and multi-faceted and cultivated and important.
So without further ado: A Brief Overview of Why I Like Mormonism Today (or, 3 Reasons I Dig the Church (or, 2 "Spiritual" Reasons to Disguise the Fact that 1 is Blogging)).
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1. New For the Strength of Youth pamphlets. For those of you who don't know what that is, For the Strength of Youth is basically a field guide to living the standards of the gospel for teenagers. And you know what? I'm a fan of the new one. Greatest hits include:
Learning to work begins in the home. Help your family by willingly participating in the work necessary to maintain a home. Learn early to handle your money wisely and live within your means. (Work and Self-Reliance). I like this one for two reasons. One, it comes from the Work and Self-Reliance section, which is new. I like that they put it in there, because I think it's a really important concept and a good idea to teach it to teenagers. But also because I like that the church can be a source of counsel and improvement on a spiritual level as well as on a practical level. It's all well and good to develop within yourself the desire to work hard, but at the end of the day, that means cleaning your room too, buddy. (That is definitely something I can work on.)
Treat others with respect, not as objects. (Sexual Purity) The feminist in me was like "Yeah! Woohoo! Down with objectification!" But then I also realized how important this is on a universally human level. Love people and use things; not vice versa. People are important and unique and deserve our respect no matter what they look like, act like, or fundamentally believe.
Often the most meaningful service is expressed through simple, everyday acts of kindness. (Service) I like this because it's simple and to the point. Be a decent human being to other human beings. I don't know about you, but I'm a fan. It means something to be kind.
2. Mormon Bloggers. They are utterly hysterical and make me feel less alone in my world of democratic-in-Utah alienation. Some great ones include:
My Religious Blog (Hilarious anecdotes and observations about what it's like to be in the church. I couldn't find a direct link to my favorite, but it's about "raptoring" people during sacrament meeting and made me laugh so hard I cried.)
The Mormon Child Bride (My latest discovery - I love this woman. She strikes for me a brilliant, lovely balance between the concepts of feminism and spirituality. It just reminds me that I don't have to choose between my political and religious convictions - they can coexist. Also, she makes me feel like less of an outlier. I can be president of Gender Issues in Developing Nations, AND of the Laurel class).
Seriously So Blessed (Discontinued, sadly, but still so great. It's a parody of any Mormon Mommy Blog you've ever read. If you're a part of Utah Mormon culture, you will get this. Like, totally.)
3. Sister Missionary Farewells. Now don't get me wrong: I've been to fabulous farewells by men and women. But my favorite two in recent memory (excluding those of my relatives, because let's face it, cousin trumps non-cousin any day) have been by sister missionaries. Mormon women are not automatically expected to go on a mission the way many Mormon men are, and so I really think it does take a special kind of woman to have the guts and selflessness to decide to go on a mission. Being a missionary is really hard. Being a sister presents its own kind of challenges. But if anyone can do it, it's the two women whose farewells I mentioned. One made me laugh and the other made me cry. These two women just impress me so so so much, and I couldn't think of better role models, in the church or out of it, for me to look up to.
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So there you have it. I heart Mormonism. If you have any questions about it, I am going to stand on a soapbox (but only for a second! and only a very short soap box!) and tell you to ask me. Preferably in person. Because for one thing, I'll either know the answer, or know how to find it. And for another, I really don't think anything on the internet can do the hot-button issue of religion of any kind justice. A blog post, a facebook war - at the end of the day, if we're going to begin to understand each other, we should sit down and look each other in the face and talk. Openly and lovingly and compassionately and without judgement.
So again, ask me. We can have a long discussion at Starbucks over the coffee-free beverage of your choice.
(...that was a joke. See? Religious humor.)
Also, full disclosure: One of the main reasons I wrote this post is because I desperately want this.
For those of you too lazy to click on links, it's a new sci-fi anthology blending Mormon culture and science fiction. To make you understand my love, I'll be closing with the site's description of one of the stories.
"Two Mormon missionaries continue to pound the pavement after a zombie apocalypse."
The story is called "Baptisms for the Dead" (C. Douglas Birkhead). Yes, really.
Please buy it for me.
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