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ahoeft09's review
5.0
This book is what’s on the tin: a fascinating dissertation on gender and sexuality in the LDS church. I came at it as a born-and-raised, actively frustrated member by these two very topics and found those frustrations backed up by history.
It was particularly powerful to read about the revelations of church leaders moving in time with broader conservative society in the U.S.: “This history then makes one skeptical of claims about Mormon exceptionalism, which sees a stable Mormon counterculture maintaining a traditional distinctiveness over and against ‘the world.’ While that is indeed a powerful myth of Mormon self-identity, Mormonism actually has followed a number of broad evolutionary trends on key social and theological issues.” I’ve long had this thought, and it raises legitimate questions in my mind about whether the church will stick to its guns re: sexuality and gender (I hope for a progressive change).
My leanings are important to point out, I think, and I’d be curious how someone else less questioning of these doctrines might view this book.
One note: The introduction was intellectually intimidating to read. After that, it became easier to read for me.
Thanks to my friend Laura for the rec! I’ll be mulling this book over for a long time.
It was particularly powerful to read about the revelations of church leaders moving in time with broader conservative society in the U.S.: “This history then makes one skeptical of claims about Mormon exceptionalism, which sees a stable Mormon counterculture maintaining a traditional distinctiveness over and against ‘the world.’ While that is indeed a powerful myth of Mormon self-identity, Mormonism actually has followed a number of broad evolutionary trends on key social and theological issues.” I’ve long had this thought, and it raises legitimate questions in my mind about whether the church will stick to its guns re: sexuality and gender (I hope for a progressive change).
My leanings are important to point out, I think, and I’d be curious how someone else less questioning of these doctrines might view this book.
One note: The introduction was intellectually intimidating to read. After that, it became easier to read for me.
Thanks to my friend Laura for the rec! I’ll be mulling this book over for a long time.
twhittie's review
5.0
Thoroughly researched book about how Mormonism has shifted its views on LGBT members of not only the church but also society. This book shows how gender, race, and sexual identity are all intertwined and not mutually exclusive. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the origins of LDS beliefs when it comes to these issues, and hopefully it can make us more empathetic to our fellow members who are trying to find their place in the church.
racheladventure's review
5.0
An essential telling of important LDS history, right up to the present, that I wish everyone would read.
kbratten's review against another edition
Perhaps naively, I thought I would learn more about the "behind the scenes" at Church HQ regarding issues and events of gender and sexuality in the church. I didn't get the reveal I was hoping for, if you've been following women's issues and the church's involvement with LGBTQ issues, there are no surprises here. Still, the book is well organized and readable.
kbratten's review
Perhaps naively, I thought I would learn more about the "behind the scenes" at Church HQ regarding issues and events of gender and sexuality in the church. I didn't get the reveal I was hoping for, if you've been following women's issues and the church's involvement with LGBTQ issues, there are no surprises here. Still, the book is well organized and readable.
erintby's review against another edition
4.0
It was very interesting to learn more about the history of teachings on gender and sexuality in the LDS church and how they’ve changed over time. It was also interesting how church teachings about feminism and homosexuality were closely interrelated. Around the time when the church strongly opposed the Equal Rights Amendment politically, their teachings gradually shifted from promoting patriarchal, hierarchal marriage to accommodating more equality in marriage. At the same time, this shift away from patriarchal marriage (from polygamous marriage before that) coincided with a shift toward marking heterosexuality as the defining component of LDS marriages, with clear lines drawn against homosexual relationships. While learning history can always be depressing and discouraging at times, I appreciated this book for the understanding it provides of how teachings have constantly changed overtime and the hope it gave me for future changes.
joeclo's review
4.0
Excellent, careful (and often heart-breaking) history. Theoretical analysis was sometimes thin but consistent and illuminating nevertheless.
theconorhilton's review
5.0
A fascinating, invaluable resource for those interested in Mormon ideas of sexuality and gender. I would love to see future work that explores these ideas from less authoritative Mormon sources, since, as Petrey acknowledges, this book is focused almost exclusively on statements from members of church hierarchy AND as demonstrated by the birth control and oral sex anecdotes, there seems to be the potential for a large disparity between what Church HQ/The Brethren teach and what the members believe.
Anyway.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that despite many discussions and current rhetoric to the contrary, Mormon ideas of sexuality have changed over time and seem, at least partially, rooted in a belief in sexual malleability/fluidity. Petrey analyzes countless statements from church leaders on gender to persuasively demonstrate this idea (and to me emphasize the relative theological vacuum that Mormonism has surrounding gender/sexuality, particularly in the present tied to a severely under-developed theology of pre- and post-mortal existence).
Highly recommend. Excited to see the work that is sparked by Petrey's scholarship here.
Anyway.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that despite many discussions and current rhetoric to the contrary, Mormon ideas of sexuality have changed over time and seem, at least partially, rooted in a belief in sexual malleability/fluidity. Petrey analyzes countless statements from church leaders on gender to persuasively demonstrate this idea (and to me emphasize the relative theological vacuum that Mormonism has surrounding gender/sexuality, particularly in the present tied to a severely under-developed theology of pre- and post-mortal existence).
Highly recommend. Excited to see the work that is sparked by Petrey's scholarship here.
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