That's a Wrap!

Well everyone I'm done with my Spring Semester and I'm officially a Junior!! Well technically I was a Junior at the beginning of Spring but whatever. 
     This semester really kicked me where it hurts but it was also a great semester. My classes challenged me intellectually but not so much to where I didn't attain any information. While I didn't pass with all A's like last semester I did manage to pass with two A's and two B's! So I will take it!
    While I learned a lot academically this semester, I also learned more about myself. Most of you know that I took a Feminism and Religious literature class and that's where I had a lot of self discovery. Going in, I thought the class would be relatively easy and it would just be a bunch of girls all agreeing about feminism. Boy was I wrong! While a lot of the girls and two guys had similar insights, what made the class difficult for me was the perpetual attack on my beliefs, both religious and feminist. The first couple of times it happened, I didn't know how to cope with it and I just dreaded going to that class everyday but thankfully I wasn't alone, which was extremely comforting and made my attendance easier to bear. 
    Something I want to address is how others would see my faith and connect feminism with it. Along with that I want to explain my side of the oppositionary (yes this is a real word) views.

   The first thing that was repeatedly brought up by one of my classmates was the fact that "The Church" isn't accepting of those who are either built differently or have a different sexual preference and they'd be right. The Church is made up of people but there's a difference between "the Church" and the "gospel". The difference is change. The church will always change, that's why we have new missionary ages, why we no longer participate with the Boy Scouts of America. That's the church, that's not the gospel. The Gospel never changes, God never changes and He says this repeatedly in the Bible, Book of Mormon and other passages of scripture. 

  Continuing on this address of "The Church"; like I stated previously, the "church" is made up of imperfect people. It's been said in multiple talks, Ensign and New Era articles that the Church is a Hospital for Sinners. The people within the church are just as imperfect as you and while it can be trying and disheartening at most times don't forget that not every member of the church is a cookie cutter copy! From my personal experiences of being in not one but three separate Utah wards and being an out of state ward I've seen the differences and I can understand why some people leave the Church. What I'm about to say isn't aimed to offend anyone but if it does, look in the mirror and ask yourself, if what I say holds any truth in your personal life. 

Because Utah has one of the most populated amount of LDS Mormons they categorized to be living in a bubble, which they are and most of the times it's because they're surrounded by "like minded" people that they relax on their beliefs and obviously, this isn't every single Utah Mormon and I am just basing this off of what I've seen and experienced so keep that in mind. In the four years I've lived in Utah I've seen LDS people go to R- rated movies, listen to music that would make my momma have a heart attack and heard people I go to church with gossip like a southern grandma sitting on a porch and sometimes I have caught myself participating but I'm constantly trying to better myself. Anyways, this can sometimes result in members judging those who are slightly different from them. I, myself have felt this judgement from my family's ward in Manila. I try not to hold them to be saints or demons because some of the ward members are nicer than others but some can just be cruel and I have witnessed this cruelty. Since it's not my story to tell, I'll refrain from exposing the victim and guilty party. Utah culture is the problem, not the LDS Gospel. Not Christ's Gospel. 

Christ spent his whole earthly life to show that Love is the answer and while we shouldn't condone sin it is not our place to gossip, to tell an individual that they are wicked and need to repent. I'd also like to point out that it isn't just Utah that does this my own ward in Dayton, Nevada has done this but it further proves that the people within the Church aren't perfect but the Gospel is! The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most perfect thing we have but imperfect people trying to be perfect is never going to work out. We try and we grow.  So if you have personally been shamed out of your Sacrament meeting room then I apologize and I'm sorry you went through that but I pray that you know that God knows and loves you despite anything that you've done or despite anything you currently or previously or will believe in. 

So what I learned religiously, from that class is that isn't just me that feels negatively judged every Sunday when I walk in with my big hips, flabby stomach and red lipstick. I'm grateful for the friends I have within my ward who make me feel less judged and for those who are judging and know they are. STOP IT. That isn't what Christ taught and if you aren't sure if you're judging then during the Sacrament, look around and feel the love that Christ feels for every single individual in that room. 

Finally, the last thing I learned that semester is that the word "feminist" is an umbrella term! It's not one thing or another, it's multiple and I'm proud to call myself a Feminist. I believe in Women Power, women's rights, equality and great number of other things that would take up too much time to mention but I just want you guys to know that it's possible to be a devout member of the LDS church and a feminist because I'm doing it and others are doing it as well.


I love you all and I hope this has helped you in some way. If you have any questions and aren't friends with me on Facebook, feel free to email me at Bookssingingandwriting@gmail.com

I hope y'all have a good summer and please remember...

Have Courage and Be Kind.

~Allanah