Curses

Ever since I was endowed I've tried to make sense of the sexism there and in the church. It sometimes appears benevolent, it sometimes appears only to be cultural, but once I was endowed, it became very obvious that there was a doctrinal source, somewhere. I feel like I've finally found it and I'm excited because it's actually the same source as the now-discarded racist "doctrine" that we used to spiritually disenfranchise our brothers and sisters of African decent. That was the now disavowed curse of Cain, and it is my opinion that the true source of all the sexism is the pseudo-doctrinal curse of Eve. 

The endowment sets up a clear pattern of women being saved from the fall through hearkening to their husband's counsel. She will then become a priestess, but only unto him, while he becomes a priest unto God. In a sense it exalts the husband to become the God that the wife will serve in the eternities. You can read more about this interpretation HERE. 

I've recently come across several quotes from earlier prophets which explain and expound upon this hierarchy.

"I do not know what the Lord could have put upon women worse than he did upon Mother Eve, where he told her: “Thy desire shall be to thy husband.” ...I do not know that the Lord could have put upon women anything worse than this, I do not blame them for having these feelings. ... Says a woman of faith and knowledge, “I will make the best of it; it is a law that man shall rule over me; his word is my law, and I must obey him; he must rule over me; this is upon me and I will submit to it,” and by so doing she has promises that others do not have...And the women are entitled to the kingdom, they are entitled to the glory, they are entitled to exaltation if they are obedient to the Priesthood, and they will be crowned with those that are crowned." -Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 16



"When the principle of plurality of wives was revealed I was but a boy... I know this is a principle which, if practiced in purity and virtue, as it should be, will result in the exaltation and benefit of the human family; and that it will exalt woman until she is redeemed from the effects of the Fall, and from that curse pronounced upon her in the beginning. I believe the correct practice of this principle will redeem woman from the effects of that curse—namely, “Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee...How is it among the nations of the earth? Why, women, in their yearning after the other sex and in their desire for maternity, will do anything to gratify that instinct of their nature and yield to anything and be dishonored even rather than not gratify it; and in consequence of that which has been pronounced upon them, they are not held accountable to the same extent as men are. Man is strong, he is the head of woman, and God will hold him responsible for the use of the influence he exercises over the opposite sex." -George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses, vol. 13

Up until 1990, the endowment included this curse of Eve which is also in the Pearl of Great Price, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception. In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." Moses 4:22 This was given as the logical explanation as to why Eve had to make the first covenant to hearken to her husband's counsel. In this version, Adam was also chastised for hearkening to his wife's voice as in Moses 4:23.

This was omitted in 1990, but the first covenant required of Eve was not, confusing things. We have many quotes from leaders publicly disavowing this notion of Eve's curse such as Bruce R. McConkie's, "Some Christians condemn Eve for her act, concluding that she and her daughters are somehow flawed by it. Not the Latter-day Saints! Informed by revelation, we celebrate Eve’s act and honor her wisdom and courage in the great episode called the Fall." (see Bruce R. McConkie, “Eve and the Fall,” Woman, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979, pp. 67–68) 

In the April 2012 Ensign Bruce C. Hafen took on this curse by concluding that the Hebrew word "bet" was mistranslated in this case to "over" as in "rule over" when it should have read "rule with." That article is full of this kind of explaining away and assuaging of the existing awkwardness that persists around these issues. But they persist, in my opinion, and will continue to persist because this curse continues to be perpetuated in absentia in the temple ceremony. This hierarchy is further supported by language such as "fathers (note: not priesthood holders) are to preside over their families" found in the proclamation, and other patriarchal traditions. The words of the curse may have been omitted in 1990, but the results of that curse, namely the hierarchy of the sexes, the institutional support of patriarchy and Eve's requirement to hearken to her husband's counsel has not. 

So what of the 2nd article of faith? Men will be punished for the own sins and not for Adam's transgression, however the daughters of Eve must continue to be oppressed by the curse pronounced upon Eve in the garden throughout their mortal life? 

Let's assume, first of all, that both the curse of Cain and the curse of Eve were really pronounced by God and not added later by men to justify their bigotry towards others. Is it compatible with the nature of the God we know and love that He would curse these groups of people to suffer these disadvantages in mortality due only to their forebears' actions? Perhaps rather than condemning them to a mortality of servitude, He was foretelling what would be their lot in this fallen, mortal sphere, due not to His own will, but to the imperfections of men. 

If that is the case, of which it is my opinion, then perhaps it is up to us to build a better world. To overcome these curses, to buck them off, root them out of our sinful natures and build Zion, where we can be of one heart and one mind, where all are alike unto us, as we are alike unto God. 

Either way, the average member of the church no longer believes that it is doctrinal to discriminate against people of African descent due to the curse of Cain. Apparently that scriptural curse has been lifted. When will it be Eve's turn?