This Week in Latter-days

[dropcap]K[/dropcap]urt Francom is back with Geoff Openshaw to get deep into what is, quite frankly, a slower news week. Where's the Friday info bomb? We've become so accustomed.

But that's OK, because there's still some great stuff to cover on this week's show.

Notably, Geoff goes on an extended rant about Young Single Adult, or YSA, stakes and how they do a disservice to the YSA members as well as "regular" members in "regular" stakes.

Provo's Missionary Training Center is about to look different, again. Not long after inaugurating two new, sleek buildings on campus, the Church has announced that five of the older buildings will be demolished to make way for some gardens and reflective space. This is the same area where the Church originally wanted to place a nine-story tower before nearby residents protested.

Apparently Mormons are bad at political involvement because that annual letter from the pulpit encouraging political participation is clearly not doing its job. Why? Because the Church has announced it will start assigning "specialists" to get people registered to vote and more involved. Democrats in Utah fear this will lead to an inevitable Republican tilt in the process.

In hot, sexy news, President Nelson met the king and queen of Tonga. Cool.

Hey, so remember that temple announced in Saratoga Springs, Utah? Well now we at least know where it will be located. It's also going to be huge - approximately 87,000 square feet. Nutso!

If you are into the process of the new hymnbook creation, a few weeks ago the Church updated some guidelines and FAQs about the process of submitting an original work or voting on existing ones. You have until July, and we have some tips on which hymns to nix and which to add.

The St. George Utah Temple is closing for a few years for major renovations. Its annex will also be wildly out of scale. What does this mean for your weekend?!

Are Latter-day Saints a little too prone to faith-promoting rumors or mild fabrications? Probably. Our own Jared Jones covers a classic of the genre with "The Windows of Heaven," which tells the story of Lorenzo Snow, grasshoppers, and seagulls, and is full of made-up stuff.

In other awesome temple news, a Jewish reporter was able to tour the Oakland California Temple led by none other than Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The writer had some wonderful insights into the parallels between the old tabernacle and LDS temples, and the piece is certainly worth your time.

[dropcap]P[/dropcap]resident Russell M. Nelson is off to the Pacific! He's spent the week visiting various Polynesian (and Melanesian - hey, Fiji!) nations, spending time with Latter-day Saints there, as well as meeting some world leaders.

While visiting New Zealand, President Nelson met with prime minister Jacinda Ardern, herself a former Latter-day Saint that left the Church over LGBT issues. President Nelson pledged money to help repair mosques damaged in the Christchurch attack. The Church leader also used the opportunity to present the prime minister with a Book of Mormon and some genealogy, per custom.

Also, Tiffany is angry about female speakers on Mother's Day. And she also just wants some chocolates. Lindor, we're looking for sponsors and are happy to take your money. However, the "Just Like You" video is great:

After the great, fleeting fun that was a Lego Moroni in the Gospel Library app, the Church has continued its digital purge of all things "Mormon." Now the other mobile apps have been de-Mormonized. Nothing will ever be the same.

BYU continues managing Honor Code fallout, and the director of the Honor Code office has outlined new changes to the Code. Know the code! Leadership has pledged transparency and that students will know up front what any interaction with the Honor Code office is about.

Hey men! New garments! Men can finally stretch their cotton!

A full-time missionary in Mexico City died of asphyxiation in his apartment. Terrible stuff.

So there's this weird billboard in Utah of an alleged "Mormon millionaire" looking for a spouse, and Utah being Utah, nearly 1,000 women have applied to meet the fella. What could go wrong?

Latter-day Saint comedian Stephen Hughes decided to get all serious and talk about polygamy in a new three-part series. Our own Jeff Borders covers it.

Some guy named Dean Hughes wrote an historical novel about faith and polygamy. OK.

Transcript

Intro Music

Sisters:

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n Part 3 of Motherhood, Josie discusses the importance of earthly and celestial mothers with Amber Richardson of On Sovereign Wings and noted poet and author of Mother's Milk and I Gave Her A Name, Rachel Hunt Steenblik.

Our Church emphasizes motherhood as a woman's highest calling. "The Family: A Proclamation" is read out during General Conference and Sunday school meetings (and likely was during a lesson on the same date this episode published). But the rest of the world increasingly gauges value based off of a person's career, which also hardly defines everything about you. So how can a mother feel valued, regardless of which role she chooses for her life?

Amber is crowdsourcing a book, Woman, Crowned. You can learn more below.

Rachel's poetry can be found on Amazon:

Transcript

Josie:

[0:00] Hey TWiM this is Josie leave again here to introduce the final episode of the series and ask a question and the role of a mother how can a woman truly feel valued.

This is motherhood part 3 a conclusion.

[0:25] I remember a YSA devotional in back in 2011 or Kristen Oaks spoke.

It was the first time I heard her and I thought she was animated and funny and probably the first person I've ever heard talk to the single adults who have been single for most of her life.

I've never forgotten one phrase she said it was this.

I can sincerely say that no matter how exciting or fulfilling a career you should never sabotage your Eternal Happiness by sacrificing marriage for a job opportunity.

She almost laughed at the word job to exaggerate how little it mattered in comparison to the ideal plan of getting married and having kids.

[1:08] I had no intention of sabotaging my chances of getting married and I understood her point of emphasizing that marriage and family can bring Eternal happiness.

But at the time I was also excited to be starting out on my own career path and not just as a backup if my future husband struggles and his unscripted duty to financially provide.

Even now I along with many women enjoy the work we do and Dana's in the Valley from it.

[1:38] There are two competing ideas at church we are wonderful words about how valued women are and that their highest calling is to be mothers.

While our working culture ranks job titles above child-rearing abilities between these ideologies are a whole lot of women who feel guilty.

Working mothers feel guilt for not being at home with our kids more for being judged as a mother who has chosen other priorities about her most important role.

[2:08] Say all mothers worry about missing out on career opportunities or even being pushed out of conversations because what

could a person out of the workforce have to say about cryptocurrencies or climate change as if giving birth suddenly enables a woman incapable of talking about anything except potty training tactics.

Wasn't the whole point of a woman being able to choose whether or not she returned to work,

so that she not feel guilty that she can make a decision with her family of what suits them best.

I also wondered why is it always work that we come back to that gauges r value,

Derek Thompson a staff writer at the Atlantic going to the term orgasm in an article called orgasm is making Americans miserable,

he defines the term as the idea that work is the center of our lives at our culture now believes that the meaning of life can be found in our work,

a job used to just be a job but now we have careers of progression of titles ou...

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n Part 2 of Motherhood, Josie interviews Sam and Kristen to understand more about the nature of nurturing, when a lack of a desire to be a mother is at odds with official Church teachings, and how aspirant mothers dealing with an inability to conceive can also feel out of place in a Latter-day Saint culture that so heavily glorifies the ideal of motherhood.

Transcript

Josie:

[0:00] Hey Tim this is Josie gleave.

Happy Mother's Day to those parts of the world currently celebrating and do those women who truly feel Joy on this day for others it's more of a roller coaster or maybe even totally depressing.

I'm back today with more interviews thoughts and questions about motherhood so whatever you're feeling I hope this helps.

This is motherhood part 2.

Intro Music

Josie:

[0:44] In Genesis 32 Jacob is said to have wrestled with a man.

[0:57] There are many in.

[1:09] There are two motherhood experiences I wrestle with a lot some women do not feel a natural desire to birth their own children they Wonder.

Some women struggle with infertility and in a cruel Twist of humankind is nature is to want what they cannot have these women yearn for shoulder.

Womanhood is defined by motherhood the woman who does not want and the woman who cannot have.

Feel like they are flawed where is that craving an animal instinct to reproduce a woman's nature to nurture or what.

By Allah.

[2:10] As if somehow using my healthy body to have a baby would make the other woman feel better even though it.

[2:20] Motherhood experiences are a little taboo to the woman who says she does not want to have children she's told she will eventually change her mind to the woman who cannot.

[2:33] They don't know what to say sometimes we forget that we can just listen so let's do that let me introduce you to Sam She is a.

[3:00] And 7 months ago Sam gave birth to their first.

Sam and I bonded when we were both young marrieds without any children I remember the moment I got married this pressure to have kids settled in but I knew it would take me several years to get to that point for any.

How old at the thought of having children they learn this isn't a topic to mention at church there's no written rule for this of course but it is assumed that a woman.

[3:32] Are not in line with God's will maybe but nevertheless those feelings.

Sam:

[3:58] They must have made something that I liked about kids for me to want to study Primary School teaching but I stopped doing that for about five years I kind of thought.

Yeah I didn't I didn't want to keep teaching I couldn't see myself being a mother and being a teacher I felt like.

I was giving myself all day everyday to other people's kids and I thought I'm not sure that I could,

continue to do that and then have my orange children and come hard to give what I wanted to go to give to my our children so that I guess that was.

[4:32] My light pains and in my early twenties when I was studying and I started teaching.

I've never really had a strong desire to want to be a mother like I'm the oldest of five children,

no but I was going against having children but I just never really felt like I had that desire that I think.

You know mother tells a lot of women have I guess so in a way as well,

with my younger siblings I was responsible for a lot about helping them out and do some ways I felt like different but I felt like I'd hoped to raise some children already Ashley kind of felt like going through my twenties.

I was just really being content not to have any children.

Church cultures so strong families I guess I kind of feel by the time I turned 30 maybe I'll be married and maybe thi...

[dropcap]G[/dropcap]eoff and Kurt are back with the latest in Latter-day Saint news! A ton of stuff has happened of note, and we'll get to it just as soon a we blow 10 minutes talking about whatever we want.

The top story this week is undoubtedly the announcement by the Church that removes the requirement that couples that marry civilly must wait a year before being sealed in the temple. Now they can get married civilly, if so desired, and hit up the temple as they see fit. This is huge news for non- and part-member families, in particular, but perhaps also represents a precursor toward temple sealers ceasing to perform civil ceremonies altogether? After all, we were tipped off about that very thing five years ago, and it did not come to fruition.

As part of that story, blogger Jasmin Gimenez has a terrific history of the now-defunct policy. You should give it a read.

Near the end of this past weekend's BYU Women's Conference, Relief Society General President Jean B. Bingham related a story about a time when priesthood leadership in her ward was unnecessarily difficult. She was frustrated. Her hot husband felt her frustration. She learned a lot about working with leaders from the process. The problem for some, however, is that Sister Bingham described women as "shrill" and "stubborn." Whoops.

In This Week in Polemics, Geoff asks why we listen to the wives of General Authorities when those wives are not ordained or sustained as anything?! WHY IS THIS? Not even once, Wendy!

All returnED missionaries are now eligible for a component of BYU Pathways, allowing them to enroll in a preparatory year-long course. This is great news for higher education and the continuance of education for the Lord's children, regardless of the access they have to education in their native lands.

Lest we forget, for a few blissful days, we all learned that users could change the icon in the Gospel Library mobile app, including a Lego Moroni! Sadly, we can only assume this was deliberately slipped beneath the gaze of supervisors as developers published the app, for the Easter egg quietly disappeared in about a day through a forced update.

Have you seen our excellent podcast miniseries on motherhood? You should check out Part 1 here.

In crushing news, The Other Side of Heaven 2 is rated PG-13. Will families even see it?!

Transcript

Geoff:

[0:36] Yep that's right I want to start the show the exact opposite way of Josie special podcast from us from Sunday which is very calm and measured.

Kurt:

[0:47] You blew out our speakers Jeff.

Geoff:

Motherhood is complex and takes many forms. This is the first in a special three-part series devoted to exploring the nature of motherhood.

[dropcap]Y[/dropcap]ou know how on Mother's Day a few men in the ward walk around after sacrament meeting passing out a little treat to the mothers in the congregation? It's usually chocolate or something with flowers. Maybe not every ward does thi,s but I've seen it in Arizona, Sydney, and London, and I'd wager about Utah does it too.

Every Mother's Day since I turned 18, I've been offered this treat. Sometimes I took it because Church used to be three hours and I'd get peckish. Sometimes I'd tell them no thanks - I'm not a mother.

I never meant for this to be awkward or to put some poor guy in the position of offering a chocolate to me anyway for the sake of inclusivity. It just was a fact - I do not have children.

In Relief Society lessons and General Conference talks, leaders have addressed motherhood as a calling for all women whether or not they have children. In 2001 Sheri Dew gave a talk entitled, "Are We Not All Mothers?" She said this:

Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. It is the essence of who we are as women. It defines our very identity, our divine stature and nature, and the unique traits our Father gave us.

For many women, this is a comforting idea: Motherhood is intertwined with our divine womanhood. And yet it is confusing to others, myself included. We've been told that you are still a mother to those in your ward. You are an example, a teacher, or maybe you listen and comfort those who need someone to talk to.

Those are things a mother does do, but what makes it mothering? Isn't that being Christlike or being a friend? You are an example or a teacher or a good friend in those moments but not necessarily their mother.

So I've been wondering what definition are we operating within the Church? What makes a woman a mother?

In an attempt to answer this question, I spoke with many women who have all had different experiences with motherhood which makes me think, maybe there's no one way to be a mother, but then, what is motherhood?

Josie

[3:12] Maureen likes to say she's a true-bred Kenyan.

Family roots go back for Generations in the country she moved to Australia for University to become a doctor and there she met her husband Chris a fellow medical student.

Maureen works as a CMO a career medical officer and a private hospital before starting a family.

[3:35] I really look up to Maureen she's who I think of when I imagine what a super mom would look like.

At least from the outside looking in she's even tempered patience and generous with her time she's the mom who seems to have it all figured out.

So I talked to her but my questions of what defines a mother.

But she started the conversation out with a dilemma she's currently facing but I think many mothers will relate to.

She has four kids ranging from six to sixteen and she is ready to go back to work but that goal isn't exactly going according to plan.

As a quick note you'll hear a few names without introduction those are Maureen's kids.

Maureen:

[4:19] Subbing full-time stay-at-home mom since I'm having Eli and the last two-and-a-half years I've been trying to get a job I've been trying to get back into the workforce and I'm seeing I'm realizing

how identify was just naive before or things have changed I'm not sure but how difficult it is,

getting back into the workforce after being away for more than well at that time was 2 years when I started looking for another position

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hat makes a perfect marriage? There is no panacea, but Nate and Angilyn Bagley work tirelessly to find ways to make a marriage a truly celestial one on their podcast Mormon Marriages. The show highlights different Latter-day Saint couples and covers numerous themes, including mixed-faith relationships, addiction recovery, gratitude, faith, and more. They are dedicated to their craft.

But what makes them tick as a couple? Join us as we learn about how they have applied profound counsel in their marriage and how looking at sources inside and outside the Church can benefit you and your spouse.

Visit Mormon Marriagestheir nifty website at and subscribe to the podcast.

Intro and outro music courtesy of Keys of the Moon.

Transcript

Twim:

[0:20] Hello there everyone thank you once again for taking the time to listen to this weekend warm and it's nice to be with you I haven't talked to you for a couple of weeks and I apologize

I for that wonderful to hear the sisters last week

the week before that we actually did have a show recorded but due to some technical difficulties it never got published,

and that's just going to it's just going to disappear into the annals of History maybe for those of you who support us on patreon,

a picture of just patreon. Com or you can pledge money and help support twin maybe for my Teton exclusive her for you if you want to hear some disastrous audio.

[0:58] Let me know patreon supporters please drop me a line Jeff at this week in Mormons. Com by the way if you haven't done patreon check it out like a buck a month if you want any amount you want but I'm just saying pay hop on their folks,

budget Buckmaster help us keep the lights on so to speak anyway,

you have not heard a co-host yet this week because once again I'm going down the interview Lane yes and we're going to keep talking about marriage you might remember a handful of weeks ago I had Alan and Katie mount on

the show they hosting married on a tightrope podcast where they talk about their mixed-faith marriage if you haven't heard that go back look in the feed

it's a very worthwhile episode one of the ones quite frankly I'm most proud of in nearly 10 years of doing this and this week we talked to Angela and Nate Bagley who hosted the Mormon marriages podcast

what's the focus more on how to select realize your marriage so to speak but in a very real way they collectively have done,

a lot of research on this matter this is something you're passionate about their not to two people hanging out talking about their relationship,

they talk about the real science involved behind relationships and of course they do it from a Latter-Day Saint perspective,

it's a great interview there they're terrific sports for hanging out and talking to us so you can go to Mormon marriages. Comment subscribe to their podcast wherever you get Podcast and likewise,

if I can do a quick plug.

[2:18] Please subscribe to this weekend Mormon wherever you get Podcast Apple Google Stitcher whatever you want it's all there and if you really really would want to go the extra mile,

brightness review on iTunes when you do that it helps us and rankings and searches and such as what helps other people find women just about oh good the show has more reviews,

and is more visible and actually helps people find the show and help more people be aware of its very existence and this is our 10th season,

10 seasons of twin of This World sitcom they change our our logo so it would be in Gold lettering or something along those lines to celebrate,

[dropcap]H[/dropcap]ow was your Easter? Tiffany and Arianne recap Easter traditions, FaceTiming with missionaries, and how to keep kids from fighting during an egg hunt.

Brigham Young University's Honor Code office has been under fire of late, less for the Honor Code itself and more for the draconian and arbitrary enforcement of those Honor Code standards. BYU students even took to campus to stage a protest against the office and its shady work. This is a serious issue and plenty of students have horror stories about their run-ins with the office, which we would like to remind you is staffed by paid professionals and not ecclesiastical leaders.

What's up with the cultural assumption that one cannot wear casual clothes or hold a non-sacrament meeting in the chapels of our buildings? Lately, many have expressed this alleged norm, but said norm does not exist! Nothing in Handbook 2 (or 1!).

We all stood aghast as the 800-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris took fire last week. The worldwide outpouring of emotion and support has been staggering, and Latter-day Saint leadership has not stood on the sidelines. President Nelson, fresh off having met Pope Francis in Rome during his Tour of Italy, penned a personal letter to the Catholic leader expressing his sympathy.

Notre Dame's fire also drew attention to previously mentioned renovations of Utah's pioneer-era temples, all of which are vulnerable to any number of natural disasters and have aging internal components. The Church stressed that it takes care of its temples, and last Friday revealed details about a major renovation of the Salt Lake Temple and its grounds. The temple will close for four years and half of Temple Square will effectively be rebuilt to allow for a more open, inviting, and even public space. LDS Living took advantage of the news to publish an interesting listicle with 10 things you might not have known about the Salt Lake Temple. Likewise, here are 10 things you didn't know about the Tabernacle!

Also, did you know the Salt Lake Tabernacle once had an arrow painted on its roof?

The missionary "surge" continues to ease, as key statistics released during General Conference show a decline in the number of full-time missionaries. As the Daily Herald points out, just over 65,000 missionaries currently serving is still above the approximately 58,

[dropcap]G[/dropcap]eneral Conference is an exciting weekend, and this past weekend was (thankfully?) a bit more back to basics and in line with a "typical" conference in that we weren't bombarded with major announcements or organization shuffles (although one major policy announcement dropped before conference).

We also managed to hear about eight new temples and the renovation of Utah's oldest temples.

So join TWiM founder, Geoff Openshaw, Kurt Francom of Leading Saints, and your beloved TWiM Sisters, Tiffany Hales and Arianne Smith, as they break down the sessions of General Conference and talk about their favorite speakers.

What were your favorite parts of General Conference? Favorite talks? Favorite musical numbers? What lessons did you learn? We love doing these shows every six months. They feel like a reset.

If you are yearning to see our beautiful faces, you can watch a video stream of this episode below.

Transcript

Geoff:

[0:38] We're here oh my goodness I'm basking in the glow of going to a conference this is this weekend ones everyone would live streaming this now so if you are saying this on Facebook,

holler at us and let us know I should probably doing that myself so I can see the questions that my,

come our way I have openshaw as you all know and we are all very excited to talk about our feelings and insights into General, didn't want to wait until Monday or Tuesday to get it to we thought we get it to you,

right now so joining me this week the wonderful twin sisters are also with this everybody say hi.

Sisters:

[1:13] We survived conference with small children and teenagers.

Geoff:

[1:22] I almost didn't my wife reminded the same happened last conference went Buttoneer the very end and my kid going crazy,

I was just there was no spirit I have to re-watch entire thing so I'm hoping that all you can actually just help me learn what happened because I don't have a clue.

Sisters:

[1:38] My last session is always a rest there's either asleep or fighting or I'm bored I'm bored.

Arianne needs to post on Facebook in the Instagram site is really cool tri-fold that she made for her kids as a conference activity this time it is so beyond adorable where they can like,

put speakers in chairs and at the podium and topic it very cool that has the maroon chairs I upped my conference game it did not keep my children

from fighting but my four-year-old was highly entertaining for the first half of comfort.

Geoff:

[2:16] Okay but we'll get all those Hot Tips as we talk I don't want to delay and introducing a course of other playlist you know him you love him leading Saints very own Kurt whatever Ronald frankum what's your name.

Kurt:

[2:30] It is Harold so if you call me K Harold Frank am I to really appreciate that it is too named after Harold Frank of my great-grandfather.

Geoff:

[2:35] Your name is not Harold that sounds he wasn't real that's not me.

Kurt:

[2:42] The reason I exist.

Geoff:

[2:46] Your middle name is like whether you're something like.

Kurt:

[2:48] No no Harold it's much stronger.

Geoff:

[2:51] K Harold Frank now we tease you a lot this weekend we thought you could call the podium man.

Kurt:

[2:56] Oh yeah I was I was sitting by my phone all all week but it never rang imagine that.

Geoff:

[dropcap]H[/dropcap]uge news this past week as the Church moved to align seminary's curriculum with the Come, Follow Me materials. What does this mean? It means kids will still attend seminary following their academic year, but they will follow the calendar year for gospel study, effectively splitting each academic year across two different books of study.

In more administrative news, ward financial clerks may now issue reimbursements electronically through the online donation portal. This is an awesome way to save time and paper for all involved!

We've got plenty of predictions and thoughts on the upcoming General Conference. Will the mutual program be altered? Will the Word of Wisdom be rescinded? Will passive voice continue to be used as we move further away from the tenure of President Monson?

New research shows that Latter-day Saints approve of Donald Trump, but not at the same level as they typically do for Republican presidents. Jana Riess has the rundown.

Awesome-but-legally-iffy filtered streaming service VidAngel was back in court a few weeks ago, where it lost the copyright infringement lawsuit brought against it by the big studios. Will the service survive? VidAngel stands to be fined millions of dollars.

President Nelson turns 95 in September. As such, the Church has decided to throw a grand celebration in his honor. While this is all good fun and happiness, does it lean on hero worship? When do we cross the line in revering a prophet?

Excellent website CityLab ran a piece about the nature and purpose of temple architecture. It's great to see a mainstream site going in depth on such things.

In keeping with mainstream coverage, CNN ran a lengthy piece about why the Church is moving away from all things "Mormon."

Relative Race is back on the air, and our own Jeff Borders is publishing reviews of each episode. As best as we can tell, not even the Deseret News is covering it.

Coming back to the Word of Wisdom, new research shows that scalding hot tea may cause cancer because of damage to the esophagus. Scalding hot anything might damage the esophagus, of course.

Russell Stevenson, the Mormon History Guy, ran a piece about the "whitewashing" of the Church - how international coverage focuses too much on the experience through the eyes of expats as opposed to the lived experience of true natives.

Latter-day Saint Video Vault is back with a terrific review of The Mailbox, a dour 1970s classic!