2015 October LDS General Conference

Over the last couple weeks I have been processing the LDS General Conference.

For the most part I have found for the first time in a long time that all the talks I have listened to, which is many, have had some interesting and useful advice. I have felt that I have been able to successfully filter in and filter out the information I agree and disagree with. Through this I managed to create a reasonably positive experience.

However it was during this conference that we had three new apostles called in the wake of the deaths of Richard G. Scott, Boyd K. Packer and L. Tom Perry. Leading up to this conference I knew that we would have new apostles called.  I hoped and looked forward to (with anxiety in the back of my mind) having some diversity placed within the 12 apostles, diversity being someone that isn’t American or even someone outside of Utah.  To my great sadness and others that I know this did not take place. Three white American Utahn men, Ronald. A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson and Dale G. Runlund. Although they have lived outside of America they are non-the less Americans from Utah.  These are educated, financially successful men that appear to fit the apostle mold that has been set for many years, white upper class, successful men. It has been iterated greatly from these men and others that “this call comes from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

I take issue with this statement because God works with what we give him. God works on a yes no format, according to the scriptures that I study.  In Moroni 10: 3-4 it says to ponder these things in your heart and then ask of God if these things are true and he will manifest the truth of them unto you. He will tell you in your mind and in your heart. So I don’t think words can appear from your heart but your heart does produce feelings, a yes or no feeling. The process that takes place is that the 12 put forth names to the prophet and then the prophet goes consults and receives revelation from God for whom he should choose.

My first point about this is that it’s a one-person decision and in the end it is Monson who will decided, isn’t this problematic given Monson's current mental state as suffering from some form of dementia, couldn’t this impair his revelation.  Isn’t it also possible that the names put forth to God were all white men of Utah men that the apostles and prophets picked and men they felt comfortable with, men that stick to the status quo. My point here is that is it possible that the names put forth had no sense of diversity and that the prophet gave God no chance to tell him to place someone from New York, or South America or Japan in these high callings. People say he’s the prophet so it must be right…this frustrates me as prophets have got it wrong before several times and have stated themselves that they make mistakes.  It is possible that this could happen again.

There was so much opportunity here and they missed it. What a great chance to create a greater sense of diversity within the church and especially at the face of the church.

I listened to a great and humorous podcast on Mormon Stories that reviewed the conference. One of panel members spoke rather emotionally of Gary E. Stevenson’s talk. In his talk he spoke of how he as called to be an apostle, his meeting with the prophet and the shock and inadequacy he felt with this call. However there was one thing that stood out to me in this talk and that was when Stevenson described meeting with his wife AFTER his meeting with the prophet. On a bench in Salt Lake City temple square he told his wife Lesa that he had been called to be an apostle. So she wasn’t in this meeting, she wasn’t apart of this life changing decision? Like the women on the podcast I listened to I felt great sadness and sorrow at the way that women were not even a part of this decision, no women and no one that was not an American, or utahn, was made a part of this important process. It was an all male, all white group choosing for millions of people.

This shows to me that as a women and a member of the church outside of America my experience, my opinions and the emotions I feel do not matter. If decisions are going to be made by men for the church throughout the world, male and female then all aspects need to be involved to make important life changing (for those directly effected) decisions. Even on a local level when bishops are called they are usually called in conjunction with their wife’s, why should this be any different in any other calling and within the church.