MORMON NO MORE: Beehive, MIA-Maid, Laurel

The above names are titles representing rank of young female Mormon ladies. I attended classes and graduated through each title with honors. I enjoyed my time in each of the classes. The church took fresh little girls who had graduated from Primary and gave them the honor of progressing up to what is called the Young Women's Organization.
I was very nervous when I first became a Beehive. I didn't have to go to Wednesday after school classes anymore, but I had to go to early evening classes instead! What joy I felt to know that I was considered a young woman. It's crazy to feel joyous about being nervous though. As a Beehive, I learned how to "bee" everything the Mormon church wanted, whatever that consisted of. There was so much to learn and so little time. I could exhaust my brain trying to remember everything.
Now, the MIA-Maids were the in betweeners. It's kinda like being a middle child; old enough to be moved from being a bee to being a maid, but not old enough to be a bird. I impressed quite a few people in my church ward. I started getting letters of "Thank You" and "In Appreciation". It wasn't long before my parents started getting this same type of letters stating appreciation of my good works. I still have some of the letters. According to my advisers, I was the best maid that my church ward had. By-the-way, MIA-Maids did basically the same things as Beehives. The only difference was that MIA-Maids were a little higher in rank.
On to the Laurels. I was so good at being a little bee and a little maid that I was made president over the Laurels throughout the whole time I was a Laurel. The Laurels were the top of the Young Women's Organization. I put my heart and soul in that class for two years straight. The only difference about this group was that I could drive to my classes on Wednesday until the church changed the way Mormon's worshiped. The church changed all classes from Wednesday to Sunday and that made for a long day!
Well, as you can see, I got a lot of programing up to this point from being in the Young Woman's Organization. It was part of the foundation that the church layed so I could be the perfect Mormon woman.

Handmaidens Creed

1.I believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit as one God without beginning or end.
2.I believe the Bible to be the Holy Inspired word of God with full truth and righteousness. No other writing is.
3.I believe that the work of the Lord comes first. Before any temporal thing or person.
4.I believe that grace is a gift and Christ gives that gift freely to all who believe.
5.I believe that the beauty of a woman is contained inside of her and not by what she looks like on the outside.
6.I believe that marriage is sacred and represents the Godhead on earth; two are one just as three are one.
7.I believe that love is more powerful than any other power. Remember, God is love.
8.I believe that tithing is not a part of God's new covenant, free will offerings are. And that doesn't mean just money.
9.I believe that the Aaronic, Levitical, and Melchizedek priesthoods are abolished and Christs Holy Priesthood whom Christ is the "Great High Priest" is eternal.
10.I believe that every believer is a priest in the "Priesthood of Believers".
11.I believe that when two are one, nobody is to separate the one.
12.I believe that Christ is the only way to heaven.
13.I believe that our bodies are temples, not man made buildings.
14.I believe that liars make fools out of others and the liar hates the fool.
15.I believe that all believers are in authority to preach the gospel.
16.I believe that the word 'organization' to describe Christs body is evil and has no place with God.
17.I believe the Americas are not the land of Zion and Christ will return to His origonal land-Israel in the Middle East.
18.I believe that God has set out correct ways of worshiping Him, not man.
19.I believe in holding to the truths of the Bible and not mans understanding of it.
20.I believe that the world is full of evil and Satan can easily gain control over the minds of those who do not profess Christ of the Bible to be their only Messiah.
21.I believe that Saints are those who know the real Savior, Jesus Christ, of whom the Bible speaks of; not the jesus of a cult.

10 comments:

Randie Haws July 15, 2009 at 7:05 PM: So sad that this is what you felt was happening in those programs. Those programs are what brought me back to the beliefs that I didn't want at one time in my life but what has brought me back to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and understand how to take one step at a time.
Laurel February 18, 2010 at 2:55 PM: I hope one day you'll consider the love, time, and patience put into these programs. They are to strengthen ,not program, and unite the girls in a sisterhood. Im a Laurel myself and I know these programs too, but in a very diffrent light. One thing I know is that there, I am always loved, and I love all my fellow young women. None of us are perfect and none of us are expected to be. We are all loved for who we are, and helped by leaders that view us as their own daughters. You may be "Mormon no more" but your still a daughter of God and he loves you no matter what.
handmaiden February 18, 2010 at 7:18 PM: Thank you Laurel for your comments, however, the extensive time that is put into these programs are to have young women like yourself to believe that the program is to do just that, strengthen.Remember, the time you spend in a program such as this, the more you will believe what is put before you with out studying for yourself what the truth is. Please don't get caught up in the deception of what the Mormon leaders put together as truth. Oh yeah, I do know that God loves me, always has always will.
Brigitte March 25, 2010 at 6:43 AM: I enjoyed reading your thoughts on the Young Women Program. Could you direct me to your link to being ungrateful to your loving parents and being ungrateful to your concerned teachers? I would like to see how you feel about all those from your childhood that influenced your life through unselfish love.
handmaiden March 25, 2010 at 10:31 PM: Hello Brigitte,
Thank you for posting.
Please understand that all those who are in the Mormon faith from birth know nothing else. The influence that I got from my teachers and my parents was very sincere. I, in no way give any ungratefulness to them in the least. Mormonisms brain washing program, on the other hand, does not deserve any positive input. It was the ideals and wrong teachings of the cult that did the influencing. God Bless,
handmaiden
Three Peas April 9, 2010 at 6:56 AM: Hi! I just happend onto your blog and felt like I should comment.
I've known many people who have had adverse opinions toward the Mormon church who have then visited to find something very different than what they expected. They expected things like brainwashing, no use of the Bible, some kind of dark feeling.. things like that. But it just simply hasn't been what they've found, whether they've spent much or little time in the church. Many Mormons are logical, open-minded, spiritually-grounded people who do a great deal of good in their lives. Calling something a "cult" is a very serious accusation, and I think you ought to be pretty careful about using that word. Research the behaviors of groups that are actually known to be cults, and think of the works and methods of actual brainwashing. It pretty obvious that you've chosen to see something, and that's that. And it just doesn't add up. Please don't take this as an attack to you, but as a really strong suggestion. You paint a very creepy, robotic picture of Mormons, and it's really a shame, and simply not true. Why not just build up your own faith instead of focusing your efforts on tearing one down that also brings people to God? Even if their ideas aren't the same as yours, do you really have to make such an effort to tear them down? I certainly don't have a desire to pull down baptists, catholics, born-agains, jews, buddhists, and the like even though some of them don't even believe in Jesus as the Christ. Promote YOUR faith. That would be an excellent use of a blog.
handmaiden April 9, 2010 at 9:28 PM: Janna,
I'm glad you came to my blog and made your comment. Remember, the people who are in the Mormon faith are not under attack here. The doctrines and theology of Mormonism is. I love the people, but only the people. I post on my blog the truth, and Mormonism being a 'cult' is the truth. Just do some studying and you will see for yourself. Mormonism does not bring people to the true God. That is important to know. Even your own past prophet stated that you do not worship the same Jesus. I tear down the lies of the Mormon theology, not the people.
God Bless,
handmaiden
L. S. Smathers Family October 17, 2010 at 1:21 PM: We could be twins! I am so glad I found your blog. I left the church several years ago, but with so many family still devout, its is never far from my life. My husband and I are the 'lost sheep' of our families so you can only relate.
I have only read your posts from February and March 2007 but I'll be reading more. I could have written the exact same thing as you so many times over.
Glad I found this blog, it can be so hard to stand up for what I believe in when I am so outnumbered.
handmaiden October 18, 2010 at 12:17 AM: Welcome L.S.,
I know that it is real hard to say what you believe in to family who refuse to accept you for who you are. My family lives for Mormonism and that's it.
I took a big step tonight and sent a letter to a family member that announces my bread-away from Mormonism. I've been out of the church for many many years. I know how you feel. I'm not too sure how the letter will be received, but I knew I needed to start somewhere.
God Bless,
handmaiden
handmaiden October 18, 2010 at 12:18 AM: Please excuse the spelling!!!