http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/05/crossing-the-plains-and-kicking-up-dirt-a-new-mormon-pioneer/?hpt=hp_c1
Monday, February 6, 2012
Crossing the plains and kicking up dirt, a new Mormon pioneer
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/05/crossing-the-plains-and-kicking-up-dirt-a-new-mormon-pioneer/?hpt=hp_c1
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Joanna Brooks is a great example for standing up for her beliefs and being open about her Mormonism. I believe God wants us to have opinions and to share our beliefs (and experiences) in order to help influence the world in a good way. Because Joanna spoke out, she clarified common misbeliefs about Mormonism. Even though Joanna was and is different she had the strength to stand out and not go with the flow. Sometimes, “Mormon culture” gets in the way of doctrine. It’s important for us to not always go with the flow, but stand up for what we view is right.
ReplyDelete-JoAnna Ward
I really do admire Joanna Brooks, she has found a way to be a faithful member of the church while still holding her own independent views and not allowing others idea of what's "right" to influence her decisions. I am amazed at the level at which she is able to separate Mormon culture from LDS doctrine. I have often found that I enjoy other religious ideas and principles or even the cultural practices that tie into religion. I believe it is important to know what we believe not only as a member of the church, but as individuals and per sue it as Joanna has.
ReplyDeletePalolo Prince
Joanna Brooks has managed to reach a place of confidence and sense of being which few people seem to reach with the same gusto and vigor; it usually requires a high level of dedication and seeking of truth and knowledge- a challenge neglected by many people. Her ability to maintain a solid foundation in her faith while simultaneously maintaining her position on her views and interests (which interests may not always aline with Mormon culture) is highly admirable.
ReplyDeleteIt's also neat that she feels comfortable integrating other cultural/religious aspects into her home and life; it's interesting to see how similar many of the Church's principles are to other cultures and belief systems on a foundational level. She has a solid understanding that God loves his children, as well as the ability to separate American Mormon culture from Mormon Doctrine.
-Michelle Spencer
I'm going to take a slightly different position than the previous comments, and I hope I am not taken the wrong way. First off, I do respect her for attempting to find her own niche in the LDS religion and for trying to create dialogue between our faith and people of other faiths and cultures. But I noticed a few problematic aspects of what she said. She said that she wanted to "share the good parts of the tradition with [her children]". She later goes on to list some of the "good parts" such as a sense of purpose, service and food storage. This is going beyond separating Mormon culture and doctrine. She is leaving out the core parts of Mormon doctrine and only practicing and teaching her children a few peripheral by-products of our faith. The core doctrine of our church is that the Son of God came to this Earth, atoned for our sins and was resurrected that we may be also. Then Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ presented themselves to a boy, called him to be a prophet and restored through him the authority to act in the name of God.
ReplyDeleteHer husband is Jewish, and I have nothing against people of Jewish faith. But it is just a fact that they do not believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God. It is impossible for both beliefs to be correct if one says Christ is the Savior and the other says he is not. At some point, her children will have to decide whether or not they believe that Jesus is our Redeemer. Certain aspects of these two religions are not compatible.
Creating dialogue and trying to be open to other people's beliefs is a very good practice. I firmly believe that we should be tolerant of others' beliefs and allow them to believe whatever they want to. But at some point we have to draw lines in the sand. At some point, we have to say that I believe I am right and you are wrong. When Jesus claimed that he was the Son of God, he drew a line in the sand. When Joseph Smith claimed he was a prophet, he drew a line in the sand. Christ never taught that just anything goes. Jesus Christ is the truth, the light and the life. Each of us may relate to him differently, but we can't claim to be his disciples while following our own ideas of what is right.
In conclusion, I think that Joanna's intentions are good and I applaud her for her efforts. At the same time, I think that she has a misunderstanding of the claims our church makes and the implications of those claims. There are major conflicts in her philosophy which she is going to have to resolve at some point, and it will lead to her having to give up certain aspects of her beliefs. She will eventually have to choose which side of the line she wants to be on, because she can't be in both.
A majority of LDS church members are very vocal Conservatives. However, there is a large amount of Church members who do have more liberal beliefs and politics. Being from Massachusetts, I was surrounded by liberal Democrats who assumed everyone thought the same way they did. A similar phenomenon exists in the Church, where everyone is assumed to be Conservative or Republican.
ReplyDeleteMy contemporaries from home who now also attend BYU have often expressed ideas along the lines of; "It's so refreshing to be among people who believe the same things and have the same politics... Like not supporting gay rights". It is at this point that I become uncomfortable because they are discrediting the ideas of my liberal classmates back East, which after eight years have influenced my politics. It is refreshing to have people understand what I'm saying when talking about ward activities, FHE, Seminary, etc. and have it even be normal. But going from one political/cultural extreme to another I've had fish-out-of-water-type feelings in both places. I guess I'm somewhat moderate, attempting to blend two seemingly conflicting ideologies.
It is here in Utah where I find strong opposition to my thoughts on political topics. Whereas in Massachusetts my thoughts were accepted though not always agreed with. When such subjects arise, I share my opinion expecting the same respect I have shown but am met by hostile criticism.
I recounted a discussion from our sociology class about transgender individuals. I expressed my thoughts about how being transgender was a legitimate identity and not a frivolous or superficial decision, to which my friend responded very vehemently, "No". I was shocked by her hostile tone and argument(which relied heavily on perfunctory perceptions of gospel principles) and attempted to defend my position. I was not trying to change her mind but rather present to her a different perspective from that of her mid-Western upbringing.
In my mind the gospel aligns with many liberal and conservative objectives alike. I do not believe Heavenly Father would want any of his children to be hated or discriminated against by others. I do not believe He loves anyone less because of their race, income, sexual orientation, or gender. I do believe it is hurtful and disappointing to watch us hurt ourselves and others. The gospel is about love; love for ourselves, others, Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. For these reasons the Word of Wisdom, scriptures, and general authority counsel are important to our spiritual growth.
I appreciate how Brooks has chosen to focus on this, the true purpose of this Church rather than the closed-mindedness of many of the members. I respect her journey and her ability to put aside anger or bitterness from her youth and being able to help others who face the same dilemmas she did. However, it does make me uneasy; her attempt to raise her daughters in two religions which could become stressful and potentially harmful to their concept of a Christ-based religion when their other religion tells them he is not their Savior. Her husbands support is rare but his faith prevents their family from being sealed together and the family is central to the gospel.
LDS Church members are not perfect, we all have our own thoughts and we are entitled to them. Brooks does not have all the answers but neither do I. But I think she is doing a good job of representing other schools of thought that comprise the whole of our dynamic LDS community.
Elise Mercer