Book of Mormon Stories

[Clark Addison]

I don't really like the motions, maybe because we didn't do them when I was a kid. We had a primary president in a previous ward who had them stopped, which I approved of. On the other hand, I don't tell my kids to stop doing them (some things, I think, are better not to make an issue about). I don't think they are much of an indication of latent racism (or non-latent for that matter).

If I were dictator of the Church, I probably wouldn't have them, but they are pretty far down on my list of priorities.

[RedHeadGal]

Originally Posted by Clark Addison

I don't really like the motions, maybe because we didn't do them when I was a kid. We had a primary president in a previous ward who had them stopped, which I approved of. On the other hand, I don't tell my kids to stop doing them (some things, I think, are better not to make an issue about). I don't think they are much of an indication of latent racism (or non-latent for that matter).

If I were dictator of the Church, I probably wouldn't have them, but they are pretty far down on my list of priorities.

yeah, but it's part of my Sunday service most weeks. I never thought much about it before I was in Primary.

[Goatnapper'96]

Originally Posted by RedHeadGal

The song, people. I'm taking you back to primary again (yes, that is where I spend most of my Sunday meetings).

I would say we sing the song "Book of Mormon Stories" approximately every other week in our Primary. And invariably some person starts doing those actions, like two fingers behind their head, to signify some kind of stereotypical American Indian thing. They wave their arm for "far across the sea" and then do some kind of old movie Western thing at the end with their arms that also seems to be some kind of American Indian stereotype. You all have seen these actions, no?

Anyway, the actions have always bothered me as racist, so I never do them, but I have recently thought maybe I should try to do something other than just not participate. Like see if I can get people to stop doing them entirely. We are teaching this to children, after all. And yet people I know, like, and respect, seem to do the actions as though there is no problem at all. Which puzzles me.

If you are familiar with these actions, do they bother you? And if so, what would you do about it?

Simply this fact leaves me convinced that the ALUF doesn't quite have the market cornered on both God and Mammon that many of them would have me believe. I am awaiting one of those educated within the halls of that research mecca of openminded tolerance to rid the LDS Church of this exclusionary stain....then will President Kimball's vision of lamanites turning lilly white come to fruition!

In the Rockland Ward they do the hand and arm motions. My kids confuse some of them with danger area and insitinctively hit the prone!

It really doesn't offend me. But I am probably the least offended human being on the face of the earth. In that I take great righteous pride.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I taught primary for about 8 years. I don't ever recall seeing such hand actions. But then again I would nod off a lot in sharing time.

[Indy Coug]

In 4 years of teaching primary, we might have sung "Book of Mormon Stories" two or three times. I don't recall what, if any, hand gestures were utilized.

[bigpiney]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

While you are at it, teach them the robot motions to "Follow the Prophet".

That would be awesome. Man that song creeps me out, but if you could get some kids to do the robot really well it would be worth it.

[Indy Coug]

The robot motions are a mechanism to get more than 7 out of the 85 primary children to actually participate in the song once they're up on the stand.

[Gifted Fish]

Timing on this thread is funny because we just sang the song a few days ago in our family for the first time in months/years. When my wife and I instinctively put our two fingers behinds our heads, the un-pcness of it struck us both for the first time and we started laughing until the kids stopped singing and asked why.

Just indicative of our sensitive times I guess, since I never thought anything of it until now, as we're trained to look for and then avoid insults/racism at every turn. I don't think that putting fingers behinds our heads is racist anymore than dressing like a stereotypical pilgrim is racist, but one is obviously perceived as such while the other isn't.

[ERCougar]

Originally Posted by RedHeadGal

where have you been? lots of people find those mascots to be racist, yes.

and this is small children in a church.

I really HATE to take ex's side on this (believe me, I do), but why again are these actions racist? I can understand the tomahawk chop at FSU as it reinforces violent "savage" stereotypes, but I can think of absolutely nothing negative about these actions. I haven't heard a native american complain about them. You said yourself that there is a woman in your ward who doesn't complain, but then write it off to her having subconsciously accepted institutionalized racism. Maybe they're just not that offensive?

Has anyone ever heard a Native American complain about these? Sincere question.

[MikeWaters]

Maybe it is as offensive to Nat. Am. and makin slanted eyes is to Asian-Am.