“For Such a Time As This”

Feeling Marginalized?

“I was born in the wrong century, I swear I was!” says my politically conservative brother, David. It’s quickly becoming his mantra. My siblings and I grew up in San Jose, California. David is the only member of our family who still resides in the San Francisco Bay Area after my husband and I moved to Utah in 2019. My siblings and I remember when San Francisco and Berkeley became lightning rods for the 1960s counterculture movement. At that time, we were small children but the beatniks, hippies, flower-children, anti-war protesters (with the student sit-ins and their setting fires on college campuses), the second wave feminism, and the “free love” sexual revolution are all still fresh in our minds. During this time, Bay Area politics and public policymaking took a sharp left turn and has since adopted the most leftist policies in America.

Our entire family resided in Santa Clara County before the 1980s gave birth to the microchip with its unprecedented innovation and entrepreneurship which birthed its nickname, “Silicon Valley.” Eventually, Silicon Valley produced “big tech” companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon which became enormous social and political influencers. During the 1990s, and with the help of public universities and colleges, the Bay Area and California’s political class nurtured the rise of identity politics which helped solidify the present-day “progressive social justice” movement. Since then, California has become the politically “bluest of blue” within the nation’s Democrat political party. A New York Times columnist recently wrote, “Then there’s California’s political class. Democrats hold both U.S. Senate seats, 42 of its 53 seats in the House, have lopsided majorities in the State Assembly and Senate, run nearly every big city and have controlled the governor’s mansion for a decade. If ever there was a perfect laboratory for liberal governance, this is it” (Stephens, 2021). I believe the word “liberal” is a bit of a misnomer in describing California’s present-day politics; “liberal” described California during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Today (rightly or wrongly), the term “far-left” seems more appropriate—especially the areas in and around Los Angeles and the Bay Area. Presently, California leads the left’s “social justice” ethos in public education and in the state’s public policymaking. As conservative influences steadily decline in California, many Conservatives and/or Republicans have become increasingly “closeted”—especially in the Bay Area. In fact, California’s registered Republicans have dipped to 29.3% in the last few years.

So, what’s my point?

After having spent decades living and working in Silicon Valley, my family (and extended family) has had front-row seats watching the cultural and political sea change birthed in the Bay Area. The motto “As California goes, so goes the nation,” signifies California’s continuing bellwether status in the United States. As such, California’s public educational system embraced and implemented liberal principles in the 1960s and 1970s and continues to promote this ethos and policies. My father, three of my siblings, and I have had long-time careers in education while living in the Bay Area. My dad had a 30-year teaching career in a community college, my sister taught in public elementary and middle schools, and I spent 20+ years teaching at a California state university. Consequently, we have witnessed public education morph into “ground zero” in the ideological and political battlefield in winning the hearts and minds of upcoming generations. Collectively, our family’s political leanings reflect a broad spectrum of conservative and liberal ideas. Even so, as educators, my family members and I have experienced ever-increasing pressure within public education to conform and to endorse specific political ideologies and social movements.

Don’t get me wrong: my family’s personal beliefs regarding social ideologies and politics are often not the issue here. The issue is the oft times pressure to conform as employees of our state government. We surely believe in promoting healthy work relationships with our colleagues and with our students. Unfortunately, political activism, along with increasing authoritative government mandates (which sometimes contain strict moral imperatives) have required our careful maneuvering, and often times, compliance. Various forms of push-back or dissent from those who oppose ideological policies in the work environment are often viewed with suspicion and even face punitive measures. (I know other states grapple with similar issues.) Consequently, it seems as though many California state employees and long-time California residents are voicing concerns either vocally (knowing the risks) or by permanently leaving California. Others stay put hoping that life can return to the days of “‘California Dreamin'” in what they consider to be the “once was” Golden State. Still, others approve and support California’s direction and public policy-making.

A New York Times columnist recently wrote about the need for political diversity in all states:

And then there’s liberal governance in the [California] cities. In San Francisco, District Attorney Chesa Boudin has championed the calls for decriminalizing prostitution, public urination, public camping, blocking sidewalks and open-air drug use. Click this link and take a brief stroll through a local train station to see how these sorts of policies work out.

Predictably, a result of decriminalization has been more actual criminality. Recent trends include an estimated 51 percent jump in San Francisco burglaries and a 41 percent jump in arsons. For the Bay Area as a whole, there has been a 35 percent spike in homicides.

You remember California: People used to want to move there, start businesses, raise families, live their American dream. These days, not so much. Between July 2019 and July 2020, more people — 135,400 to be precise — left the state than moved in, one of only a dozen times in over a century when that’s happened. The website exitcalifornia.org helps keep track of where these Golden State exiles go. No. 1 destination: Texas, followed by Arizona, Nevada and Washington.”

Stephens, B. (February 1, 2021). “A Letter to My liberal friends: If you want to know what worries conservatives, look at California.” New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/01/opinion/california-democrats.html

Again, I’m not here to argue the morality of left-wing or right-wing public policy-making or politics. I see merit in diverse views, and I admire those who have the courage of their convictions. Still, I feel David’s pain living in such divisive times. As I said previously, David and I work in the fiery and fierce front lines of education with its increasing promotion and expected compliance to social and political activism. Fifteen years ago, differing political, social, and ideological views in public education were encouraged, debated, and examined using “the scientific method.” Factual and objective information served as empirical evidence. Now, “critical social justice” theories— along with their ideological mandates and activism—are currently spearheading educational methods and curricula. Western civilization and its institutions are undergoing the critical theory “deconstruction” process and fundamental societal institutions (rightly or wrongly) are undergoing various degrees of dismantlement.

When it comes to the volatile battle of ideas regarding liberal free speech and expression along with religious and individual civil liberties, David and I suspect we will continue to witness their erosion. Regardless, we believe that our careers in education are part of our life’s calling as we navigate living in these last days. I repeatedly reassure David that he was indeed born to do this work in this century. And so am I. And, ultimately, so are all of us. As the Old Testament’s Mordecai said to Queen Esther, “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)

Do you too, dear readers, sometimes feel at odds with your environments at work, at school, at church, within your groups, friends, and/or family, or society in general? Do you often feel overwhelmed, burned-out, or have feelings of anxiety, fear, anger, frustration, or depression as you navigate this mortal experience? How can we better manage and even thrive as we prepare for Christ’s Second Coming? The short answer: We can grow increasingly calm, confident, and even powerful when we utilize the Spirit and continually ask for divine intervention for ourselves and our families. Below, I have listed specific actions I take as I more fully learn how to operate and navigate my life with increased calmness and confidence with the help of the Spirit.

Particularly in my work environment, I strive to stay true to my principles, I strive to be inclusive, I strive to be more discerning of truth and error, and I work to create a healthy teaching environment by calling for divine guidance:

• I pray each day before I teach my classes for divine assistance in “loosening my tongue and giving utterance” as I teach my students critical thinking and argumentation skills. I also pray that I will avoid any accidental mistakes involving potential accusations of racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, and other “phobics” and “isms.”
• I pray for divine guidance in giving me the courage to speak objective truths to my students and to fairly present all sides of an issue.
• I pray for divine intervention on my behalf to soften any potential student hostility or resentment toward me. My argumentation and debate classes are potential mine fields of offense and contention. I also teach students “hard things” such as temporarily suspending their personal judgments, assumptions, and perceptions in order to learn and understand all viewpoints for purposes of argumentation, debate, and learning to think critically.
• I pray for divine intervention in “stopping my utterance” if I’m about to say something that might be inappropriately judged or wrongly interpreted as racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, or other “isms.”
• I pray for divine intervention in giving me the power of discernment in sensing any potential hostilities students might have toward me.
• I pray that I will never be unfairly judged by students or fellow faculty.
• I pray that students will not seriously injure my reputation when engaging in online public grievances.
• I pray that I can win the hearts of my students.
• I pray that God will lessen my ever-increasing fear and anxiety of accidentally offending a student or colleague.
• I pray for divine protection from students or colleagues who might want to purposely hurt my reputation or cause me pain.
• I pray for wisdom.

So, dear readers, what does all of this academic stuff have to do with Latter-day Saints in general? Well, I ask you:

• Are you experiencing feelings of isolation or marginalization due to societal and cultural norms that are counterintuitive to Christianity and/or LDS doctrine? (If not, I suspect we will all eventually feel compelled to defend our principles pertaining to religious rights and civil liberties as they erode within our societal and government institutions.)
• Do you feel you cannot hold on to your moral and religious values and still be considered a “critical thinker” or “a good human?”
• Do you feel pressure to use or to rely on specific emotions such as indignation or anger or sadness when voicing your opinions or in attempts to show concern and empathy toward certain groups and/or regarding current events (in or out of the Church)?
• Do you feel pressure to be an “angry” activist within the Church or within your social/political/ethnic groups?
• If you work or volunteer outside the home or in the Church, do you feel pressure to conform to non-traditional ways of thinking? Do you feel tempted to hide your beliefs while others in your presence feel free to announce and verbalize their own political and social views?
• Do you feel intimated to speak your mind pertaining to social issues? Do you stay quiet or keep your opinions to yourself in order to “keep the peace” with friends, co-workers, and family?
• Do your friends, co-workers, or acquaintances assume that your values and beliefs are similar to theirs because their opinions are “socially acceptable?” In your presence, do others freely disparage or condemn the beliefs that you value and adhere?
• Do you find parenting overwhelming in a highly sexualized society?
• Do you struggle in parenting your children while helping them navigate present-day issues like gender identity, group identity, group think, and the divisive “us vs. them group think” that’s permeating today’s society?
• Are you or your family members feeling confused about the ever-broadening definitions of womanhood, manhood, or personhood?
• Are you questioning or feeling resentful of anything related to patriarchy?
• Do you have to muster increasing amounts of courage to stand for your convictions? Do you feel intimidated or afraid to speak your own truths for fear of being shamed, punished, or “cancelled?”
• Do you feel like you’re living in an “us against them” society? Do you feel like you’re forced to “pick a side?”
• Do you feel pressure to be “the cool” parent? The activist parent? A permissive parent? Are you having difficulty defining and setting boundaries with your children?
• Do you feel pressure to be the person “who has it all?”
• Do you live in constant fear that your children will reject your values? Are your children or family members rejecting your values?
• Do you or your loved ones have feelings of isolation?
• Do you feel torn between your principles and your desire to be considered a “good person” according to societal and cultural standards?
• Do you feel pressured to think, to act, and to conform to social and political ideologies in your work and/or social environment?
• Do you feel overt or subtle disapproval from those who know of your principles and moral values? Do you feel their disapproval because of what you stand for or to whom you stand with?

If your answer is “yes” to any of the above, I believe that you, too, are born “for such a time as this.” And again, I believe that we all are. Even more, I believe that it’s up to us to pray for divine guidance as to our individual earthly missions and our potential to influence others. We can extend our influence by prayerfully inquiring about our spiritual gifts and working to use them for righteous purposes.

Elder Dallin Oaks, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has given several speeches regarding the growing marginalization of Christianity. In 2010, he delivered one at Harvard University:

Elder Oaks addresses Harvard Law School’s Latter-day Saints Student Association

www.thechurchnews.com

‘My object is to illuminate several premises and ways of thinking that are at the root of some misunderstandings about our doctrine and practice.’

BYU professor, Camille Fronk-Olson has written extensively about women in The Holy Bible. She writes insightfully about Queen Vashti and Esther who are featured in the Old Testament. Dr. Fronk-Olson’s observations are worth noting because of their applicability to our present-day circumstances:

Many women in the Old Testament approached problems from different angles than did men and opened a way for amicable solutions. More specifically, they inspired changes in the law of Moses, in-laws of foreign occupiers of Israelite lands, and in the cultural laws of the larger society. Furthermore, these women did not wait for praise or recognition before speaking up or reaching out to make a difference. Whether for good or evil, royal women in the Bible significantly changed the course of events that affected opportunities for future generations. They either preserved lives or immersed generations in apostasy, either secured greater rights for other women or hurled them deeper into oblivion and hardship. Juxtaposed against wicked women were the praiseworthy Vashti and Esther, who lived in Susa, the capital of Persia, during the fifth century before Christ. A bold and forthright queen of Persia, Vashti rebelled against her husband when his commands conflicted with her sense of propriety. Esther, who became queen after Vashti was removed, was a Jewess who saved her people from genocide through her royal position of influence“

Fronk, C. (2009). Women of the Old Testament. p. 223.

Below, the painting by Ernest Normand illustrates Vashti’s plight when she refused to obey her husband who was the king of Persia. He had summoned Vashti to court for purposes of displaying Vashti’s beauty.

Dr. Fronk-Olson further details the differences between the remarkable and courageous Vashti and Esther:

Vashti and Esther present two likeable but very different women. Queen Vashti was not merely a trophy wife; she showed moxie. When the king summoned her to parade her beauty in front of his inebriated guests, she flatly refused. Fearing Vashti’s influence would spread to their wives and all the other women in the court, the king’s princely advisers counseled the king to regard her disobedience as a personal affront and to despose her (Esther 1:10-22). Easily celebrated as a ‘woman’s woman,’ Vashti defiantly stood up for her rights — but at what cost? She was stripped of her royal rank for her haughty example, deposed as queen, and possibly even executed for her bold refusal to obey the king’s command. Could Vashti have found a better way to avoid compliance with her husband’s inappropriate demands and at the same time retain her position of rectitude and royalty? Was Vashti’s approach the best choice to preserve her principles, or was she too rash?

In contrast, Esther was coy, easily entreated, and quick to accommodate. Where Vashti was assertive and confrontational, Esther was passive and malleable. Vashti was defiantly unbending to demands that violated her sense of right and wrong. Esther was submissive to the king and presented the image of the ideal woman in the eyes of many men. As Mordecai’s beautiful puppet, Esther appeared quite mild until she accepted her own power to act. Learning of Haman’s edict against all the Jews in Persia, Mordecai challenged Esther to forget about herself and do something to stop the destruction, reminder her, ‘Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?’ Knowing that she risked losing her royal position and possibly even her life by approaching the king without being summoned, Esther resolutely accepted her mission, saying, ‘If I perish, I perish’ (Esther 4:16). Esther offered a feast to disarm and appease the king, creating an environment in which the king could feel he was making a moral decision. She patiently waited for the right moment to make her request. Because of her courageous and wise approach, the Jewish people were not hunted but instead were feared as the hunters. Elements in Esther’s technique could likely be applied today to resolve conflict and promote peaceful relations in families and communities“

(p. 49.)

Dr. Fronk-Olson adds her own observations in summarizing this portion of the Old Testament:

Every person in the story of Esther exhibits serious character flaws, but the account illustrates that God works through imperfect people to bring about His purposes. Furthermore, the story shows how God intervened through the subtle designs of a woman to protect His people. The story also gives a woman credit for creating a legal document that received the king’s full support and saved the Jews in Persia from extinction (Esther 8:8). Finally, the record of Esther inspired the Jewish festival of Purim, which perpetuates her influence. The book of Esther underscores how Esther and her exiled people specifically, and anyone who feels marginalized or powerless in society generally, can significantly influence the world for good. Using one’s talents, wisdom, and divine inspiration, any woman or man can bring change by enlightening those who hold power and have the authority to make better laws. Assuredly, many women used their intelligence and charm in such positive ways throughout biblical history“

(p. 42).

Regardless of our gifts, personalities, and communication styles, we can face opposition and successfully navigate the social and political norms of our day. We can righteously influence our communities and even face persecution while still feeling joy and peace. We can become our own kind of warriors in promoting peacemaking and civil discourse by checking our own need to control, to lecture, or to dehumanize those with whom we disagree. We can also be a righteous influence by having the courage of our convictions when facing accusations of “bigotry” and “hate.” Often times, we gain the grudging respect of our adversaries when we show courage in the face of opposition.

As for me, I peacefully and respectfully refuse to apologize for my membership in a patriarchal religion and in sustaining my church leaders. I also refuse to apologize for or to minimize my discipleship as a follower of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, I can engage in peaceful and civil protest while refusing to comply or bend the knee to dictates that are counter to my own ethics. And I respect the opinions and the values of others while still holding strong to my own truths and values.

At times, I still feel intimidated, fearful, and anxious about the times in which we live. With divine help, however, I still face the wind and know that I was born “for such a times as this!”

Peace and joy,

Julie