Weekly Highlights from Mormon Land: Empowering Women and Cultural Engagement

This edition of the Mormon Land newsletter covers notable updates within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, focusing on microfeminism initiatives for women, the Tabernacle Choir’s tour in Peru, concerns about Brigham Young University’s educational approach, and the church’s engagement in community service and development projects.

This week’s edition of the Mormon Land newsletter, a weekly round-up by The Salt Lake Tribune detailing significant occurrences within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, offers insights into women’s roles, cultural expansions, and critical discussions within the faith.

Exponent II blogger Linda Hamilton introduces the concept of “microfeminisms,” advocating for everyday practices that foster gender equity among Latter-day Saint women. Suggestions include:
• Acknowledging Heavenly Mother in prayers.
• Referring to couples as “Sister and Brother X” instead of “Brother and Sister X.”
• Involving men in activities like organizing meal trains or preparing treats.
• Citing only women in talks.
• Offering public prayers for the Relief Society presidency.
These initiatives echo President Russell Nelson’s encouragement to women to be vocal and engaged.

The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra recently concluded their inaugural performance in Peru as part of their ongoing “Songs of Hope” tour. They performed before a crowd of over 33,000 at Lima’s National Stadium. Peruvian Latter-day Saint Brigitte Contreras expressed gratitude for their visit, which included engagements with notable figures like Apostle Ulisses Soares and U.S. Senator Mitt Romney. The choir’s tour will extend to Argentina and Brazil in upcoming years.

In related news, the anticipated Dubai Temple, the church’s first in the Middle East, currently lacks set groundbreaking details or site announcements. However, Apostle David Bednar’s recent visit highlighted a decade-long partnership with the Sikh community in the UAE, emphasizing shared humanitarian efforts. Bednar commended the Sikh leaders for their charitable work, stating, “They demonstrate remarkable generosity, and they feed thousands of people.”

The trajectory of Brigham Young University under church education leader Clark Gilbert is being questioned. Ryder Seamons, a BYU alumnus, suggests that the university’s focus on “order and orthodoxy” restricts intellectual development and may lead to youth distancing themselves from the church. He argues for the necessity of confronting difficult doctrinal questions, stating that a restricted intellectual environment could hinder spiritual growth.

Additional highlights include changes to cartoons that previously explained the church’s practice of polygamy, findings indicating that Latter-day Saints rank highly in U.S. religious devotion, and updates on the church’s investment portfolio. Incidents of vulgar anti-LDS chants resurfaced after sports events, sparking discussion on public attitudes towards the faith. Furthermore, plans for a former church site to assist with homelessness and a new rendering of the Lehi Temple underline continuing developments within the church community.

In summary, this week’s Mormon Land newsletter underscores significant developments within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, highlighting women’s efforts toward gender equity, the choir’s cultural outreach in South America, discussions surrounding spiritual education at BYU, and community service partnerships in the Middle East. The evolving landscape of the church reflects both its commitment to tradition and responsiveness to contemporary social issues.

Original Source: www.sltrib.com