#mormonish

[heathersdesk]

Recipe for the giant cookies served at the Washington DC temple cafeteria back in the 80s and 90s. Copied by my MIL.

[heathersdesk]

Introduction

Because I think it will provide some clarity, let's talk about a needed distinction for LDS folks when it comes to practicing a religion vs. being active in a religion.

I am a practicing Mormon. That is not the same thing as being active. I haven't been to Church in years because my local unit is not safe for me. So I do all of my personal worship in my home.

I pray. I study scripture. I rest on the Sabbath. I keep the Word of Wisdom, pay a full tithe, am honest in my dealings with my earth fellows, and still carry a current temple recommend. This is what I mean by believing and practicing.

The Book of Mormon teaches that my worship is no less valid because it takes place outside of a church building.

In fact, it puts into serious question why anyone would *need* a church building to worship.

The folks in Alma 32 were not required to subject themselves to abuses, dehumanization, and violence by being inside of the church buildings they built.

God came to them in their wilderness and blessed them as they were, with no mind to what they lacked.

I stand by that.

To the end of my days, I stand by that.

Why do I "bother" when so many people at church clearly don't want me around?

Because God does not belong to them to take from me. I refuse to give them that power because they don't deserve it.

You need a model for how to maintain your life of faith without being in contact with harmful people? Here it is.

You owe no one an explanation or justification for it. This is your life. It doesn't need to look like everyone else's to serve God and bring joy.

[heathersdesk]

Being Denied the Sacrament During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Year Later

Those of you who follow me on Twitter will be familiar with the saga of when my former bishop rescinded access to sacrament administration f

For posterity/ICYMI: here is the entire saga of my former bishop refusing to grant home sacrament administration to my family during a pandemic because he thought an ultimatum would force us back to church in person.

Cheers to my new bishop, who doesn't do the whole *unrighteous dominion* thing and approved us for home sacrament administration twice a month!

[heathersdesk]

All honor and reverence to good men; but they and their attentions are not the only sources of happiness on the earth, and need not fill up every thought of woman. And when men see that women can exist without their being constantly at hand, that they can learn to be self-reliant or depend upon each other for more or less happiness, it will perhaps take a little of the conceit out of some of them.

Emmeline B. Wells, Women's Exponent, 1 October 1874

[heathersdesk]

If I'm a Baby Killer, then You're a Human Trafficker

Once upon a time, I was having a conversation with a man in my life who, in defense of his position on abortion, asked "what about the father's rights to the children he creates?"

That's not a difficult question to answer or address for anyone who has ever been exposed to Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.

I call it the Portia defense.

"So you want legal recognition for your DNA in a fetus as your property, something upon which you can have a legal claim?"

"Yes."

"Cool. You can have it as long as you don't take a drop of my blood in the process."

That's MY blood coursing through that fetal tissue. Those are MY lungs giving breath. That is MY stomach giving nourishment.

Men. Dudes. Owners of penises.

None of that belongs to you. You don't have a right to any of it because WE are not your property.

When y'all figure out how to separate the DNA you want claim over from everything else that doesn't belong to you in a pregnancy, then you can have your way. This is what bodily autonomy is: having ownership over your own body and all of its parts.

You can't take my blood just because you need it. You can't take my organs just because you want them. You can't forcibly use, take, or remove anything from my body just because it would serve you.

And unless you men, dudes, and owners of penises want to live in a world where anyone with enough money and power can take whatever they want from YOUR body without your consent, y'all need to stand up with us and say this is wrong.

Y'all are so used up being the beneficiaries of suffering, you forget that you're just as expendable as the rest of us.

If you don't want some celebrity or politician with enough money to forcibly take one of your kidneys, then you better start acting like it.

[heathersdesk]

When he looked straight up🤣

[heathersdesk]

Tolerance as a Christ-like Attribute

The Hand of God , YongSung Kim Because I'm in a new ward and I just met my new bishop on Sunday, I'm anticipating having the opportunity to

[heathersdesk]

Stolen unceremoniously from Rachel Hunt Steenblik because it must exist everywhere.