Over the weekend of Oct 12, 2023, the FAITH MATTERS group held a conference entitled “Restore”. It was very well attended with both active LDS, PIMO LDS, Ex-mormoms, and those bracing their metaphorical shelves with metaphorical stored wheat under their beds ( they dont teach that anymore either) My initial response and continued feeling was “when are they going to bring the “Mormon Speakers”on stage? It was very evangelical and “Jesus” was talked about A LOT, something I rarely heard in my 55 years of attending. One of the speakers was McArthur Krishna and her subject was “Heavenly Mother”. This was a taboo subject in my day and women my age, professors and academic, well educated women, had been excommunicated and shunned for even speaking her name. Now, this happy, brazen, self-assured, women was pacing the stage, and testifying of her existence, even writing books for children that can help with the indoctrination.Well, TODAY, McArthur and I will discuss her presentation and her now authorized subject!
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I listen to your podcast and I feel like I hear echoes of my mom in your shared experiences. You and she grew up, and were mothers during the same era of the LDS church.
I listen to your interview/discussion with Mrs Krishna today and came away really bothered. I felt she was well spoken, educated, worldly and confident. Also, she was…a little condescending, contradictory, gas-lightly, and dismissive of what you, my mom, and to some degree my own generation dealt with as mormon women. I feel like women of your generation in particular, actually deserve a lot more respect and recognition for the very harmful messaging you were subjected to. For as “enlightened” as Mrs Krishna appears to be, it was gross how she could not, or would not, recognize the small space the church insisted you occupy. The shame you endured for raising your heads or voices for wanting anything outside the home. Sadly, I felt Mrs Krishna dug in (like the church leadership currently does) and refused to recognize the pain I saw many women experience. She, and the current corp. of the church, are grossly dismissive of your experience. All while the church is using women, like her, to make quiet and subtle alterations to the doctrine, until we arrive at today, where Mrs Krishna can boldly state all she wants about heavenly mothers and not be condemned for it. She can wonder, ”why are we not all rejoicing about having a mother in heaven?!” (…..And conveniently make no mention today of the unfortunate doctrine of motherS in heaven.)
I was really impressed with your restraint. I understand you gave her a lot of space as your friend and guest to say her peace. And you were very gentle with your pushback on her contradictory apologist comments.
I just wanted to tell you what I wish she would have….
I am sorry for how misused you, my mom, my mother in law and all the amazing women of your generation have been by a religion you trusted. I am sorry Mrs. Krishna, for whatever reason, would not recognize your experience.
Thank you for your thoughtful and generous comment. I felt the same. Unfortunately seems common in this “new” Mormon church