Do LDS women suffer from a dehumanizing syndrome similar to that exemplified in Mary, the mother of Jesus? According to Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong, “Mary is a male-created figure who embodies the kind of woman dominant males think is ideal, docile, obedient, powerless.” This presentation will draw parallels between the Mary described by Spong and the LDS woman idealized by today’s Church leaders. According to Spong, “the feminine side of God in some new incarnation will inevitably arise.” Will Spong’s prediction about Mary be proven true for Mormon women?

Francis Nelson Henderson, Paul Tinker