In our house growing up, we had a "Sunday shelf" which contained all the videos we were allowed to watch on the Sabbath (in case you're interested, these included big hits like the Living Scriptures videos, The Ten Commandments and Fiddler on the Roof). One tape was a VHS collection of Johnny Lingo and another short film from the 70's called Pioneers in Petticoats. Recently, I found this film on Youtube and insisted that my husband watch it with me - complete with horrible film quality and acting. As we watched the depiction of the early Young Women's organization of the church (aka Mutual Improvement Society, aka Young Women's Retrenchment Society), we were both surprised by what we noticed.
First of all....okay, it's dated. Got that. And the specific policies and procedures of the organization were different back then. But for all of the arguing about modesty and family roles in today's society, we realized that many people (including members of the church) have totally missed the point of the church's program for girls as it was and is envisioned.
Modesty in 1869 was not about not showing skin, but about teaching girls to stop being so vain and materialistic. It was about focusing less on your bows and bustles and trains and focusing more on education, self-improvement, and community building. Girls were taught to "retrench" (or cut back) on frivolity - stupid, unimportant things that distract us and weaken our ability to have an impact for good. And who can say that that's not still an issue for us today?
The Young Women's society, like the Relief Society, was inspired by male prophets who believed that women were better than they gave themselves credit for, who believed women had untapped power that could be better harnessed through an organization designed to do so. The organization was inspired by God through prophets, and then given to women to organize and run according to their own inspiration.
I found it rather symbolic that, while the story of Abigail Harper and her "scandalous" dress (you can see her collarbone! Gasp!) runs as a theme throughout the movie, it wasn't until I watched it as an adult that I realized how much more there was to the movie, much like my perspective on the Young Women's organization. The message is not about Abigail's clothes, but about her learning to be humble and teachable, reaching out to others who struggle, repentance and forgiveness. The story teaches girls to avoid gossiping, to take responsibility, to help those in need, to recognize the divine worth in every soul no matter what their behavior, and to stand up for what's right no matter where you are. Near the end, the Rentrenchment Society marches in a parade with a banner between them that says "The Glory of God is intelligence" This is in 1869! This is what the Lord saw that we as women could become, even when we may not have seen it in ourselves.
Feminism, as an offshoot of conflict theory, makes womanhood into a comparison game with manhood. Who's getting paid more, who is treated better, who is better represented, whether things are fair and equal - it's always a competition. God does not compare us, and neither does the church, which this movie makes very clear. Womanhood is about what we can become, period. It's about us living up to the best within us, just as men are encouraged to do.
I'm so proud to belong to a church that teaches these values to girls and women. I'm so proud of a church that not only encouraged voting rights for women decades before most other states (Utah in 1870 was preceded only by Wyoming in 1869), but understood and promoted the sacred nature of womanhood from the church's very onset. I know that God sees the greatness in us, and I know that He is continuing to teach us how to harness that greatness through the teachings and organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Here's the link to the film (43 min.)
First of all....okay, it's dated. Got that. And the specific policies and procedures of the organization were different back then. But for all of the arguing about modesty and family roles in today's society, we realized that many people (including members of the church) have totally missed the point of the church's program for girls as it was and is envisioned.
Modesty in 1869 was not about not showing skin, but about teaching girls to stop being so vain and materialistic. It was about focusing less on your bows and bustles and trains and focusing more on education, self-improvement, and community building. Girls were taught to "retrench" (or cut back) on frivolity - stupid, unimportant things that distract us and weaken our ability to have an impact for good. And who can say that that's not still an issue for us today?
The Young Women's society, like the Relief Society, was inspired by male prophets who believed that women were better than they gave themselves credit for, who believed women had untapped power that could be better harnessed through an organization designed to do so. The organization was inspired by God through prophets, and then given to women to organize and run according to their own inspiration.
I found it rather symbolic that, while the story of Abigail Harper and her "scandalous" dress (you can see her collarbone! Gasp!) runs as a theme throughout the movie, it wasn't until I watched it as an adult that I realized how much more there was to the movie, much like my perspective on the Young Women's organization. The message is not about Abigail's clothes, but about her learning to be humble and teachable, reaching out to others who struggle, repentance and forgiveness. The story teaches girls to avoid gossiping, to take responsibility, to help those in need, to recognize the divine worth in every soul no matter what their behavior, and to stand up for what's right no matter where you are. Near the end, the Rentrenchment Society marches in a parade with a banner between them that says "The Glory of God is intelligence" This is in 1869! This is what the Lord saw that we as women could become, even when we may not have seen it in ourselves.
Feminism, as an offshoot of conflict theory, makes womanhood into a comparison game with manhood. Who's getting paid more, who is treated better, who is better represented, whether things are fair and equal - it's always a competition. God does not compare us, and neither does the church, which this movie makes very clear. Womanhood is about what we can become, period. It's about us living up to the best within us, just as men are encouraged to do.
I'm so proud to belong to a church that teaches these values to girls and women. I'm so proud of a church that not only encouraged voting rights for women decades before most other states (Utah in 1870 was preceded only by Wyoming in 1869), but understood and promoted the sacred nature of womanhood from the church's very onset. I know that God sees the greatness in us, and I know that He is continuing to teach us how to harness that greatness through the teachings and organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Here's the link to the film (43 min.)
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