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Show in my father's house/ 367 concept that man is born basically good - or at least neutral -- was not always extended to women, however. Some early Church leaders had justified plural marriage and other seeming inequities by explaining that women labored under "the curse of Eve.' Because she had been overly-curious, ambitious, and fundamentally jealous of Adam's relationship with God, Eve and all her sisters were denied the Priesthood. As unreliable sources of wisdom, the frailer sex would have to coalesce to bring out the best in a man and would thereby conquer that troublesome jealousy. As compensation for the fallen state, bereft of spiritual power, women would receive the blessing of children, an experience which would enhance spiritual growth. Still, woman was not to be trusted. There was original sin for Eve, but not for Adam. While I was not cognizant of this paradox, I certainly felt it; I was at once spiritually impoverished, feeling as unworthy of power as a human being can be, and at the same time longing for more control over life - especially my own. But in many ways, it is good that I didn't learn of the contradiction until I was able to maintain balance with it. (For isn't all religious thought one paradox after another - a series of riddles that would overwhelm us if posed all at once and even yet makes us tremble except for the belief that God Himself holds the Single Ultimate Answer?) Had I realized then that one aspect of the religion demands that women take responsibility for their own souls, while another aspect denies them the necessary continence to take that responsibility desire for . . seriously, I might have lost all lc equilibrium. While Mormonism recommends knowledge as a primary estimate of |
