Daughter of Perdition, the Pre-Quel

I haven't blogged anything in quite awhile, or like a week or two anyway. It's a strange combination of feeling I have nothing to say, feeling I have too much to say, nothing seeming to be going on, too much going on IRL. These past few days my family has been visiting and it has been mad. I'll be writing more about that soon, but first I have a semi-important announcement to make. I've decided I need to officially leave the Church. I've said this before, but I only just today thought of a really bad ass way to do it so, you know...

The plan is this, for awhile I have been thinking I wanted a tattoo that said "Daughter of Perdition", so after I have a job and money I write my letter, get my tattoo, attach a photo to my letter, then walk it over to "my" bishop the next Sunday. I think it will add gravitas. Nothing quite says "no, I'm sure; I'm really not changing my mind" like indelible body modifications. There are only two problems with this plan (three if you count the money thing).

Theologically speaking there is some question whether or not there even are daughters of perdition. Clearly there are sons of perdition. It says so right in the scripture. Some claim that women being all delicate, and special, and oh yeah non-priesthood-having, and shit can not attain sufficient knowledge to be cast into outer darkness. Hieing to Kolob has a good summary of this position. I however think the scriptures were just being all scriptural and using male as the default for all people. I think the idea that women can't be damned because they don't have the priesthood is totally non-canonical. Most prophets who claimed there were no daughters of perdition said that women were too good, when asked if their could be daughters of perdition though, President Woodrow Wilson said there certainly could be. I think prophets are squeamish about damning women because of the ridiculous pedestal Mormon women are placed on. The other theological problem is that it is widely believed that only people who have had their Temple endowments can be damned. Again the evidence seems to hinge on a certain squeamishness to damn characteristic of the Mormons (which, really, is very nice). According to an old post by Proxfm at Main Street Plaza there are two important considerations 1)Joseph Smith was not shy about damning and put out a long list of sons of perdition 2) to quote Proxfm

"Joseph Smith called some people apostates who had never been apostles SofPs (generally those he didn’t like). I pulled this out of the Topical Guide, D&C 84:40-41:

40 Therefore, all those who receive the priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved.
41 But whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath received it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come.

I could be wrong here, but this seems to be referring to two possible things: receiving the priesthood or the “oath and covenant of the priesthood” which is part of the temple endowment. Given the time frame of this revelation, it probably didn’t refer to a temple endowment because it didn’t exist at this point.

So, it seems to me that given that people are damned for breaking there "oaths and covenants" and that this rule came out before Temples and the sin itself is called "denying the holy ghost", the covenants in question are baptismal covenants and denying the blessing of the Holy Ghost after baptism. I've never been in the temple, but the little I've heard makes me think it has nothing to do with the Holy Ghost or any gifts thereof, which is what baptism is all about. Therefore I think one becomes a child of perdition by breaking baptismal covenants and leaving the church therefore I can totally get a Daughter of Perdition tattoo.

My second problem is that I can not decide where I should put this tattoo. I want it too be voluntarily casually visible. That is I can easily conceal it completely, but I can just as easily show it off (I think it should be a great conversation starter). I also want to make sure it is somewhere I can always be sure of my sister never, ever seeing it. No amount of knowing I am no longer a member of the church will make here okay with such a tattoo, seriously. I think anyway. Initially I was thinking shoulder tattoo, but then that would make it awkward to go swimming or just where a number of tops. I'm officially at a loss.

PS: I added a button so any interested parties can further this project. I will definitely be shocked should any of you actually give me money, but I figured what the hell.