♀️ Representation of Women¶
Estimated time to read: 8 minutes
I grew up with a male gender identity, and was heavily affected by this strange idea that women are all evil temptresses, trying to corrupt righteous, impressionable teenagers like myself. Today, I still see remnants of that idea, but it seems to be toned down.
There are remarkably few named female characters in the LDS scriptural canon. How many of them are reduced down to sexual desires that simply tarnish the good reputation of honest, good men? If this idea had a profound impact on me, what impact could it have on young women attendees? How would an adolescent girl feel about divine, holy scripture depicting women in this way?
Out of 337 proper names in the Book of Mormon, six women are mentioned by name,and three of them are mentions of biblical women (Eve, Sarah, and Mary). Sariah and Abish are, by BoM standards, individuals with depth. Isabel, one of the three BoM-exclusive women, is simply a harlot. Not only just mentioned in passing, but she's got a reputation for "[stealing] the hearts of many", and Alma stresses this infraction as "grievous", shaming Corianton for not tending to "the ministry wherewith thou wast entrusted". Out of few examples, this one named woman seems to have placed the salvation and religious standing of Corianton, just by having hormones.
I'm not a teenage girl, nor was I ever. I had role models like Nephi, being tall in stature and is always right and is definitely not a self-insert of Joseph Smith. Teenagers are a volcano of hormones and impulses. Should I believe that this book was "written for our time" still? I'll again emphasize that this isn't my own experience, but if I were to find an example of a male escort that corrupted the righteous women in scripture, jeopardizing their standing with God, all while struggling to keep my own pants on, I imagine I'd be strongly affected by that. How many LDS women grew up with this idea that their self-restraint is the only thing keeping righteous men from damnation?
Anonymity¶
There are numerous mentions of women as anonymous, faceless people. How often are they simply reduced to sexual purposes?
And it came to pass that [king Noah] placed his heart upon his riches, and he spent his time in riotous living with his wives and his concubines; and so did also his priests spend their time with harlots.
For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts.
And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men; and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings.
Lehite women were able to shut the fuck up and have boobs. They were almost as strong and cool as me! 🙄 Truly inspired writing.
And notwithstanding this great abomination of the Lamanites, it doth not exceed that of our people in Moriantum. For behold, many of the daughters of the Lamanites have they taken prisoners; and after depriving them of that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue—
And after they had done this thing, they did murder them in a most cruel manner, torturing their bodies even unto death; and after they have done this, they devour their flesh like unto wild beasts, because of the hardness of their hearts; and they do it for a token of bravery.
Women don't need names, they just need to be kept virgins as long as possible. Breaking that social norm is a heinous crime.
And now, therefore, let my father send for Akish, the son of Kimnor; and behold, I am fair, and I will dance before him, and I will please him, that he will desire me to wife; wherefore if he shall desire of thee that ye shall give unto him me to wife, then shall ye say: I will give her if ye will bring unto me the head of my father, the king.
And now Omer was a friend to Akish; wherefore, when Jared had sent for Akish, the daughter of Jared danced before him that she pleased him, insomuch that he desired her to wife. And it came to pass that he said unto Jared: Give her unto me to wife.
🥵 lord have mercy
32 And now it came to pass that the queen, when she had heard that the king was slain—for Amalickiah had sent an embassy to the queen informing her that the king had been slain by his servants, that he had pursued them with his army, but it was in vain, and they had made their escape—
. . .
35 And it came to pass that Amalickiah sought the favor of the queen, and took her unto him to wife; and thus by his fraud, and by the assistance of his cunning servants, he obtained the kingdom; yea, he was acknowledged king throughout all the land, among all the people of the Lamanites, who were composed of the Lamanites and the Lemuelites and the Ishmaelites, and all the dissenters of the Nephites, from the reign of Nephi down to the present time.
This was the nameless "king of the Lamanites", and the queen also appears nameless. I suppose this does suggest that rule passes to the queen by default, empowering women above that of just spinning cloth. I won't claim to know a lot about Lamanite social norms and customs, but surely Amalickiah wasn't the only (or best) candidate to wed the queen? No one saw through this scheme?
Other examples exist of nameless women, but those are times when a demographic, group, or nonspecific people necessitate taking individuality out. Times like Mosiah 20:1-2, "where the daughters of the Lamanites did gather themselves together to sing, and to dance, and to make themselves merry." I'm not going to expect a roster of attendees for girls who like to hang out. I'm not including the innocuous passages like that, as they don't really prove anything.
Marriage material¶
Well, I guess we still have the cultural propriety for marrying our nameless women away, as a means of placating men.
the Lord spake unto him again, saying that it was not meet for him, Lehi, that he should take his family into the wilderness alone; but that his sons should take daughters to wife, that they might raise up seed unto the Lord in the land of promise.
— 1 Ne 7:1
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, took one of the daughters of Ishmael to wife; and also, my brethren took of the daughters of Ishmael to wife; and also Zoram took the eldest daughter of Ishmael to wife.
And it came to pass that king Lamoni was much pleased with Ammon, and caused that his bands should be loosed; and he would that Ammon should take one of his daughters to wife.
Persuasion¶
Even without a name, women appear to have some convincing power.
And it came to pass that Amulon did plead with the Lamanites; and he also sent forth their wives, who were the daughters of the Lamanites, to plead with their brethren, that they should not destroy their husbands.
And the Lamanites had compassion on Amulon and his brethren, and did not destroy them, because of their wives.
And it came to pass that they were angry with me again, and sought to lay hands upon me; but behold, one of the daughters of Ishmael, yea, and also her mother, and one of the sons of Ishmael, did plead with my brethren, insomuch that they did soften their hearts; and they did cease striving to take away my life.
All the ladies were on my side 😏