This Mormon Woman's Take on "Ordain Women"

Kate Kelly and the "Ordain Women" group.

Usually my blog posts are more thought-out and well planned. But today I decided to just write something that's been weighing on my heart. I've been hearing a lot of news coverage concerning Kate Kelly, the leader in the "Ordain Women" movement. This group of women have been protesting to receive the exact same types of callings and positions in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the male members have in the name of "gender equality." I know that many people may read this and disagree with what I have to say, but it simply must be said. I am an active and faithful member of the LDS church and I wish to warn everyone that this group is not only WRONG in what they are telling the press, they are being completely DESTRUCTIVE. 

Before I go any further I must put out a disclaimer. I am the BIGGEST believer in equal rights between men and women that you will ever meet. No act of sexism can get by me, and that includes sexism toward men just as much as it would toward women. I feel that if there are any efforts being made in the world for gender equality, the efforts should be aimed elsewhere than in the LDS religion. How about putting all of that effort into having women be paid the same wages as men for doing the exact same job? Yup, we're still waiting on that one in most of America. Or how about the other day when my mom went to buy a new car; they refused to let her name be on the paperwork, and insisted that it go under my dad's name, and it wasn't even his car! Or better yet, how about we stop the biggest factory of misogyny known to man; the SEXIST MEDIA?! If a large group of people were to rise up against making women look like crazy objects and men look like stupid gluttons, perhaps we wouldn't be bombarded with these kinds of paraphernalia EVERY SINGLE DAY:

Like I said, men are not exempt from sexism in the media either:

And even though I'm a vegan,  I DON'T support Peta, just because of their horribly sexist ads. 

I apologize for these images because I know they are disturbing. But that is exactly the point. There is so much more sexism going on in the world that could be stopped, but instead we're pointing our fingers in the wrong direction.

Yes, that's where Ordain Women comes in. I love everyone and if you truly know me, you will never know the word "hate" to even be part of my vocabulary. I see everyone as my beloved brother or sister and I understand that everyone is on a different walk in life than I am. That's OKAY! That is exactly why we're all here! Life is a test to see if we will use our agency wisely and I am definitely imperfect. That being said, while I don't hate others, I do often experience great frustration at the things they do (as I'm sure is true for everyone). All of those things aside, let me just say this. If you are someone who was unacquainted with the LDS church before hearing about the Ordain Women movement, some things need to be seriously cleared up, so I'm here to set the record straight. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a religion in which the clergy are not paid and instead the church members are given callings to which they volunteer to help in various ways. The Ordain Women group keep telling people (falsely) that men ultimately preside over the women in the LDS church because they are the only ones who "hold the priesthood." The reality is, the women of the church have a calling that is parallell/hand-in hand with the male priesthood of the church and it is called the Relief Society. Mormon.org defines this group as "the oldest and largest women's organization in the world. Relief Society was established in 1842 for women 18 years of age and older. Its purpose is to build faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and help those in need."

Here are the leaders of the Church's current Relief Society Presidency. Linda K. Burton is the Relief Society general president, Carole M. Stephens is first counselor , and Linda S. Reeves is second counselor.

Here is the general Young Women's presidency of the church. Carol F. McConkie, Bonnie L. Oscarson, and Neill F. Marriott. 

And here is the church's general presidency over the Primary children. They are
Jean A. Stevens, Rosemary M. Wixom, and Cheryl A. Esplin.

Saying that women have no position of authority in the LDS church is just a flat out LIE. 

I am so grateful to be a member of the Relief Society because I feel that every member truly is someone's answered prayer. We do countless service projects, offer help wherever it is needed, and work to uplift everyone, church member or not. On Sundays The men and women all have a meeting together in which the sacrament is blessed and passed, then we have Sunday School together, and the third hour of church is where the men go to their priesthood meeting and the women go to their Relief Society meeting. One is not more powerful than the other. To be honest, when I heard that women were pushing to be admitted to priesthood meetings, my first thought was "but I don't want men coming to Relief Society!" Heck, I can't even imagine a man being our next Relief Society president. He just wouldn't be able to handle it! LOL. 

All silliness aside, both women and men are equally yoked in the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are two sides of the same coin and I believe that without each other, they cannot reach their fullest potential. 

I've been doing a lot of studying lately on the spiritual subject of the "divine feminine" and the "divine masculine" that exist in every human being. This simply means that as a baby, we are each born from part of our father and part of our mother that form into one new creation of life. It's a miracle! Our body and spirit are either on one side of the coin or the other; male or female. Such is what we always have been and always will be spiritually. However, because we are born from both male and female, both energies exist within us. This may sound a little strange, so let me explain with some visual aids.

Here we see the different characteristics of the divine feminine and the divine masculine. Both of which exists within each of us:

As it says in the description, we need a balance of both energies in order to be complete and at peace with ourselves and with others. For example, if I, as a woman, were leaning too far on the feminine energy side, I would be something like the image of a barbie doll (relying too much on appearance and possibly not in full control of my emotions). Unfortunately, this is how much of the world views women, when in reality, that is just the stereotype based on an INCOMPLETE woman! If I, as a woman, were leaning too far into the masculine energy, I might be too strict, overly practical, aggressive, and rejecting my own feminine nature. This should not be confused with being a "tomboy," however, which just defines little girls who like being girls, but also like to go outside, dig up worms and climb trees. They are probably more in balance than most adult women in this day and age. 

Female and Male Pheasants 

Going along with the subject of the divine feminine and masculine, both have very important roles in the human existence. Women have what amounts to nothing less than a SUPER POWER! We can grow humans with our BODIES! Sometimes two or more at a time! But without joining with the masculine energy, this miracle of human reproduction would not be possible. Likewise, the men, who are born on the side of the divine masculine, have a natural tendency to feel needed. They wish to protect the divine feminine at all costs because of this miracle of life. In nature, this is done through the male of several species (such as types of birds) to be very bright and noticeable in color compared to the plain, dull appearance of the females. This way, predators are drawn to the male as a distraction, so the female and babies can be protected. 

Nowadays, women have a lot more power and influence in the world, which is FANTASTIC!! I wouldn't have it any other way. Yet, because of this, many women have come to feel offended if men show any act of chivalry toward them. Personally, if I'm on a date and the man I'm with opens a door for me or pulls out my chair for me, I don't feel like he's trying to say I need his help. He's saying that I'm special. I'm worth looking out for. Likewise, I know that I should try to help him too.

Overall, we are divine beings with a divine purpose. I fully believe that as a woman I am blessed with the divine power to give life, and this power does not end after mortal death. Men's power does not just include "helping make the baby," which would be fairly pathetic if that's all they got. They are the other side to the coin. Fathers are there to help guide and protect their families, and also to bless them. To do this, the power of the priesthood is needed in the home, and it is given to the man so he will be equally yoked with the woman, and she with him.

It's okay if this is not what you believe. But for me, it makes perfect sense. We are not this way by accident. Our Heavenly Father loves us each individually and knows that the worth of one soul will never outweigh the next.

So should our church ordain LDS women? I say no. That would imply that I feel a lack in who I am just for being a woman and that is definitely not the case. Being a woman means I'm powerful, and so does being a man. Together we are the yin and yang; water, fire. Hot, cold. He is within me and I within him. Why change something so beautiful and perfect?

To close, I would like to suggest reading a wonderful article from another latter-day saint woman about her positive take on the Ordain Women movement and how it allowed her to grow. http://www.mercyrivermusic.com/2014/06/why-im-grateful-for-kate-kelly.html

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT THE PALEO DIET!

Okay, first, let's set the record straight here. It's never the PEOPLE on the Paleo diet that I hate, it's definitely the diet/lifestyle itself. Everyone I've known that has tried or wanted to try the Paleo diet had good intentions. They want to improve their health, lose weight, and have more discipline in what they eat. Those are all GREAT goals to set for oneself! However, this diet is NOT the way to go about accomplishing health, weight loss, or discipline of any kind. In fact, it hurts the body more than it helps. 

There do happen to be three things I DO like about the Paleo diet, so for the sake of fair argument, I will list them now:

1. It emphasizes eating a large amount of vegetables, which really is vital to good health.
2. It eliminates dairy products. Let's face it, our bodies have a really hard time digesting dairy, and for a good reason. Is it natural to go up to a cow, goat, sheep, or other mammal and nurse from its udders? I think not.
3. It avoids processed foods. I admit, I have processed (plant-based) foods from time to time, and some of them aren't bad for you. Still, all that salt, processed sugar, and pure fat won't make anything better.

Alright. Now let's get down to the nitty gritty.

10 things I hate about the paleo diet:


1. Villainizing carbohydrates. A HUGE part of the diet industry in our modern age is telling people that carbs make people fat. Yet people can go on a diet of nothing but potatoes for a month or more (yes, it's been done) and actually LOSE weight. If you go to Wikipedia and search "Staple foods" you will see that most of the world is fed on mainly carbs such as grains, corn, and beans. They would starve without them! Yet the western world, who eat more animal products than ever, are heavier and more unhealthy than the people who follow traditional grain-staple diets, such as the traditional Chinese diet which is based on rice and/or potatoes. Carbs are now the staple of my own diet and I've lost over 30 pounds. Still aren't convinced? Watch "Fighting Big Fat Lies With Fad-Free Truth" by Doctor John McDougall. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHKxLTH_R5w

2. Restriction of natural sugars. I agree that processed sugar is unnatural, bad for digestion, and causes tooth decay. I avoid it as much as possible. However, the paleo diet suggests that fruit is good to eat only in small portions or not at all. They say that sugar in anything causes weight gain. If you eat cake every day and gain weight, it's the combination of the sugar with animal fat in the butter, milk, or eggs that gives your body too much energy that is must store! 50% carbs/sugar+ 50% fat= added body fat. But when eating a cake, people taste the sweetness of the sugar, not the other ingredients, so that it what they blame. The natural sugars in fruit are WORLDS different than processed sugar. Fruit holds a lot of water, live enzymes, and sugars that boost energy and actually flush out fat and toxins! Plus, when you eat a whole, unprocessed fruit, the fiber helps keep your blood sugar from spiking.  I know without a doubt that including a piece of fruit with your meals can aid in healthy weight loss. I eat two to three fruits per day. Ever since I switched to a whole-food plant-based diet, my weight loss took off and my clothes are always getting baggier. Need more info on this? Look up Freelee, the Banana Girl on YouTube. She used to be 40 pounds heavier and had a drug problem, but now she's 100% clean, lean, and feeling better than ever! 

3. Oil/fat overload. Saturated fat and trans fat are the kinds of fat responsible for weight gain. Trans fat is found in an animal's body fat, so naturally, eating the meat, milk, or eggs or anything else from an animal will have this kind of fat present, no matter how "lean" the label claims it to be. Saturated fat is also in animal products and is present in all types of cooking oil, especially coconut oil, which everyone is hailing as the healthiest ingredient on the planet. The Paleo diet really emphasises the use of "natural fats" including animal fat (trans fat) and plant fat (saturated fat). In truth, (and I know this from years of fighting with my weight) THE FAT YOU EAT IS THE FAT YOU WEAR. All fruits, grains, legumes and vegetables contain some fat, but usually in very small amounts. This is all we need to consume! For more information on this, watch Doctor Michael Greger's video "Does Coconut Oil Clog Arteries?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZzuPAD0_F8

4. Cholesterol (and a LOT of it). The paleo diet uses this plate visual as a dietary goal:

Even the controversial FDA says that if consuming meat and eggs, they should be consumed in portions that are no bigger than a deck of cards. In reality, even any animal fat or cholesterol is too much. Still this ideal for a diet, half animals and half plants, is completely unrealistic and ridiculous. Also, it is extremely unhealthy. The body already produces its own cholesterol. Consuming it is completely unnecessary. When cholesterol is consumed, the body has nowhere to put it, so it ends up in the lining of our arteries, causing heart disease and a host of other problems. For more info, watch Jerry Casados' video "A Low-Fat, Plant-Based Diet Helps Reduce Cholesterol." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6X3p4yiOVI

5. Cruelty toward animals. This one goes without saying. The Paleo diet is all about increasing our animal product intake to make up for the lack we feel for giving up the necessary carbohydrate energy from grains and legumes. For example, here is what a Paleo food pyramid looks like:

In simpler times, people killed and ate animals because they had nothing else for long periods of time, such as during harsh winters or famines. Also, they killed the animals themselves, one at a time, and didn't rely on factories to do it for them. In our modern reality, we are blessed enough to be able to choose whatever foods we want to eat without worry of not having enough. At the grocery store, there are plenty of foods made from fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes to choose from, and they're even cheaper than the meat, dairy, and eggs. Why should more animals have to suffer and die if we don't need them, and their products are making us more unhealthy?

This is a very powerful video exposing the cruelty of the animal product industry: "The Best Speech You Will Ever Hear" by Gary Yourofsky. Remember, WHAT we eat is a personal choice, but WHOM we eat is not.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es6U00LMmC4

6. Misinformation about food in the "paleolithic era."Let's be honest, it's a bit hypocritical that those on the diet are not killing/foraging their own food as people would have done in the Paleolithic era. For example, real paleo people would have never eaten ghee, bacon, cow beef, or any fattened up domestic animal. They wouldn't even have had access to olive oil, coconut oil, etc.
Also, archeologists most often shake their heads at any mention of the Paleo diet in that grains have been found multiple times between the teeth of paleolithic skeletons.
Here is what Doctor John McDougall has to say about the Paleo diet and human history:
https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2012nl/jun/paleo2.htm


7. Still high risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. I am no doctor, so I will let real doctors address this one. I would highly suggest watching the documentary "Forks Over Knives." Also, read the book "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell, or watch his lecture on it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOEeTJY5zCM

8. Protein overdose. Yes, it IS possible to overdose on any nutrient. People are always saying "too much of anything is bad," but don't seem to apply this to their own diets. I remember back in high school when the wrestlers and football players were trying to "bulk up" so they ate TONS of animal protein such as eggs, meat, and whey supplements, and they all ended up not only gaining excess muscle, but also excess fat. And nowadays people sell protein as a way to lose weight? It is only worsening the problem. Here is a video of  Doctor John Higgins explaining the dangers of protein overdose. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovBFWRCFZGQ


9. It is completely unrealistic to our modern circumstances and way of life. Grocery-wise, it's far more expensive than any other diet I've heard of. Also, it causes constipation and fatigue after just a short time on the diet. Most people who start the Paleo diet either quit it completely later on or continue it through the week with a few "cheat days" here and there. This is because the human body cannot fully sustain itself on this way of eating. Here is an example of a family who tried the paleo diet for four weeks and regretted it after. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_KAJPOOYN4

10. It is just another way for the diet industry to make more money. Isn't it strange that so many people promoting low carb, high fat, high protein diets are either overweight themselves or end up that way later on? Honestly, I have never found that to be true on a whole food, plant-based diet. I myself am still overweight, but I am also new to the lifestyle and am getting closer to my healthy weight every day without even exercising! (That's just because I'm lazy, but exercise is still very important).
Here is an example Doctor John McDougall gives about fad diets and those who make big money from it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N-Gaw3KIag


So what is the ultimate answer to health? Yes, change your diet, but do it the right way. Cut out ALL animal products, meaning all meat, dairy, eggs, gelatin, etc. Eat the whole foods that come from the earth, meaning all kinds of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and small amounts of nuts and seeds.

I truly hope that no one is offended after reading my thoughts on this. My aim is not to hurt feelings, but to help people take control of their health. I hope that this information can help someone else. Take care of yourselves, everyone! <3