Kristy Money and Church Discipline

Today I heard the 3 hour podcast in which John Dehlin interviews Kristy Money in his site “Mormon Stories Podcast.” If you want to listen to this podcast, click on this link: http://mormonstories.org/kristy-money/

I learned this young woman is remarkable, intelligent, educated and has a great heart. Why would a person like her face church discipline? It just breaks my heart. It is depressing to hear about the recent excommunications within the LDS church. Unfortunately, this “excommunication trend’ is becoming more and more, common protocol.

According to Kristy, the main reason she is facing discipline is because she is part of the women’s movement Ordain Women. My opinion is that it is a very stupid reason to excommunicate people because they want to hold the priesthood. Women in this church are taught we are supposed to become “a priestess unto our husbands.” This is not new doctrine. Those that have attended the temple know that women participate in the blessings of the Priesthood. We bless, anoint and seal blessings. We bless and serve each other within the temple walls. Why are church leaders over reacting? No one is changing the doctrine. Women had the priesthood before in the times of Joseph Smith and they were able to use this priesthood not only in the temple but also in public places. If the Prophet Joseph Smith was ok with women having the priesthood, then why would leaders today be so upset about it? It just doesn’t make any sense.

 The only thing I can think of is that church leaders are afraid women are going to outsmart them if they get the priesthood. But even if women were wrong to request the priesthood, it is not a good reason to excommunicate them or to face church discipline. A good reason to face church discipline should be rape, fraud, bullying, domestic violence, etc. There are thousands other reasons that would justify to face church discipline, wanting the priesthood is not one of them.

She also dared to say LDS leaders can make mistakes. Here we go again! Why LDS leaders are so sensitive to comments like this? Everyone makes mistakes. It is part of life. Saying that leaders make mistakes is not an attack on the leadership. It’s just reality. When are LDS leaders going to man up and take it like it is? It’s not the end of the world. Silencing Kristy Money is not going to change the reality that leaders are men and that they make mistakes.  Maybe this problem is more about being a real man and not being afraid to say that you messed up, than about member’s behavior. If we women have the courage to admit when we make mistakes, so should the leaders be able to accept these things without excommunicating or retaliating against those that put the information on their face.

Anyway, I am sick of this nonsense by LDS leaders. I have lost confidence and trust in them. I don’t think they have the inspiration, common sense, or leadership skills to lead the church. I don’t expect them to ever apologize or to admit they have made mistakes in the past, and that they still make mistakes now in the present. I can see Elder Oaks turning into a pile of salt before he apologizes about anything. Kristy may not understand it yet, but in the end, it is better to be alone than to belong to a church that doesn’t reflect your beliefs anymore.

 

Picture of kristy Money and her family posted by Mormon Stories Podcast.