If I feel strongly about something and I'm given free rein, I tend to talk a lot. ("Phoenix" is a prime example.) I'm posting the following here on my blog so I don't flood the comments here because I just can't shut up! ;)
Stacey and Anonymous -- I'll reply to you together since you speak along similar lines.
At the very least, I would really like to see the three points I mentioned addressed: nature, duties, power: What her character is like, what she's in charge of or what she's involved in (e.g. is she the ultimate Head of RS/YW? That was a speculation I heard as a youth that I forgot to mention), and her place in the Priesthood relationship she shares with Heavenly Father, and whether she has her own Priestesshood. I feel it's very clear from the temple that eternal companions are meant to be equals in power, and I really am starting to believe that the current unequal standing is a result of misunderstanding and culture. (I will be opining on that in a post in the nearish future so stay tuned if you care about my opinion. ;) ) So that is the bare minimum I want to see.
I don't specifically call for more because I feel like getting those questions answers opens many, many doors, and I (personally) want to remain open to what comes from it rather than possibly get stuck on asking the "wrong" question(s) and be closed off to receiving what what God wants to give. After all, my views and opinions of how I think of Her could be wrong and I'm open to be corrected. If I could have all I wished, though: I'd like to know her name. I want to see the misunderstanding/cultural block mentioned above removed, and the authority that I feel is given in conjunction with temple covenants openly acknowledged and utilized. I would like to see Her spoken of as an intelligent individual who works with her husband. I want enough information about her to have something for women to sink their teeth into, chew on, take into themselves, and make a part of themselves. I want whatever comes to infuse every cell of every woman who accepts it with an electric sense of her divine nature and potential, not as a platitude or even an attitude, but as spiritual knowledge.
I feel that being given something concrete and specific about the Feminine Divine will inherently result in a shift in the way women are perceived, treated, and involved in the Church. Full integration and acceptance will take time. Realistically, I see the shift possibly taking much longer than acceptance of the Priesthood being extending to all worthy males, because that "only" affected specific populations and those immediately around them. To my knowledge, regions with a small or non-existent population of African descent would have been relatively unaffected by that change. That won't apply if we have a similar opening up for women. It has the potential for major culture clash around the world. It flies in the face of thousands of years of patriarchy and that's going to make a lot of people very uncomfortable.
However, for all that and the accompanying difficulties, I can't help but believe it will be ultimately for the betterment of all. I believe the advantage would be worth it's Emersonian tax. (Okay, so that's taking the allusion slightly out of context. Work with me here.) I unequivocally believe that having a picture of female Divinity--Priesthood or Priestesshood--would only give us more tools with which to do the work we already perform. I'm sure some would warn that giving women authority would lead to them thinking they don't need the men, but I disagree. Men have more to offer women than Priesthood, and women have more to offer men than obedience. I think it would bring better focus and clarity to the eternal partnership that is so stressed in our teachings about marriage and family life. We will learn better how men and women can be true complements--yin and yang--when one isn't perceived as always needing to defer to the other. I do think the vision of a Mother God would encourage interconnectedness, cooperation, acceptance, and appreciation of the strength men and women can bring each other. I have nothing but hope and expectation that such a revelation would indeed improve the lives of women and children wherever it touches them.
Does that cover it? I hope so. Stacey, may I hear why it became a hard podcast to listen to for you. And I think I get what you mean by "pushing back", but I'd love a little elaboration if you don't mind. :) Thank you both so much for your responses and thoughts and for listening. Wherever you are in your journeys, I hope you'll consider my invitation. And as for my passion and optimism... to take from Emerson again (I loves me them there Transcendentalists!): " Every great achievement is the victory of a flaming heart." So thank you! :D
