The Difference Between Young Men and Young Women
Every 5th Sunday in our ward, the Young Women started a tradition where a member of the Bishopric comes in and the Youth can ask them any questions they have. By Way of Contrast, here are some example questions:
Young Women:
-Who is Heavenly Father’s Father, and why Don’t we worship him?
-Why is there Suffering in the world when there is an all loving God?
Young Men:
-If you could pet a panda, would you?
-Which is your favorite Star Wars Movie?
Is this just my ward, or is it churchwide?
I have been in a few wards as I am military and move a bit. I have yet to experience young women who think that deeply or that much out of the box, and I have yet to experience young men with so little wherewithal to ask such questions. I will also say that I have known some young men that think that deeply but don’t ask it in church, and I have known some flighty young women who don’t ask the flighty questions. That contrast in questions though, did make me laugh and I see where you are coming from.
Comment by dallske — August 30, 2008 @ 6:57 pm
Maybe it’s just the Young Men’s president? :)
Comment by mondo cool — August 30, 2008 @ 8:00 pm
That’s so funny I can barely breathe! It sounds just like my Sunday School class!
Comment by Untypically Jia — August 30, 2008 @ 8:32 pm
I’m the Priest’s Quorum advisor in our Ward and can only speak from that perspective. I would say that there are definitely a few young men who are, shall we say, less than profound. But, in general, I have been very impressed with the young men – good, decent young men who DO ponder the deep things of life. Perhaps your young men are “showing off” or acting up a little in front of the young women/other adult leaders? When you get them alone, as a group, I would guess there would be a lot less of this silliness you’re experiencing in the Q&A session. Am I off base?
Comment by Hunter — August 30, 2008 @ 9:26 pm
lol.
Now on Normal Mormon Husbands: the Twilight Rap Video.
Now on Feminist Mormon Housewives: Obama’s Acceptance Speech.
Comment by Bored in Vernal — August 30, 2008 @ 10:20 pm
Maybe the YM realize that just because they call you to the bishopric, doesn’t mean you have any answer for the really hard questions like the ones the YW asked. At least the questions about pandas and Star Wars have answers.
Comment by kodos — August 30, 2008 @ 11:40 pm
Is it so wrong that I would like to know the answer to all of those questions?
Comment by Geoff J — August 31, 2008 @ 3:06 am
nice!
but that’s teenage boys generally, right? not just a “church thing.” I like your bishoprick already. every youth leader, spiritual and secular, could use a catechism like this every once in a while.
Comment by english — August 31, 2008 @ 4:23 am
Having seen the brain scans of brain acitivity for young men and young women, I’m not surprised. Women’s brain mature about 22 and men about 25, but neither gender has mental maturity at 12-18. It’s a good thing that we let them drink at 21 so that they can permanently damage their brains before they fully mature in brain structure! You ought to see what even a little alcohol does to the brain — and the permanent effects are pronounced in younger folks. Caffeine has deleterious impact as well in even moderate doses. (Here I am giving a science lesson for the Word of Wisdom — lol)
That said, the questions of the young men show much greater insight. They seem to get naturally at a gut level that asking for what hasn’t been revealed and can’t really be answered due to our cognitive limitations may as well be treated as science fiction or with contempt for the arrogance in asking such questions. What is the point of such an exercise of asking questions to a Bishop who couldn’t begin to answer? Given the chance, I think I would ask my Bishop the questions framed by the young men, knowing that asking the questions posed by these really bright young women would just set him up for certain failure. Still, inquiring minds want to know.
Now if the Bishop had said,” ask any question and also have the correct answer,” it would have been different. I would have asked, “why are women like that?” I’ve been married for 29 years and my wife is still a mystery to me. Still, it’s a mystery I’m glad that I have an eternity to work on.
Comment by Blake — August 31, 2008 @ 9:34 am
I wonder if the difference might have something to do with the varying levels of exposure? I suspect the YM have seen various members of the bishopric at scout camp, on high adventures, etc being goofy and “one of the boys” whereas the YW tend to only interact with bishopric members in their official capacity.
Comment by ESO — August 31, 2008 @ 9:59 am
ESO: I was at girl’s camp and the leaders there were goofier than any guys I’ve ever seen.
Comment by Blake — August 31, 2008 @ 10:37 am
The Answers given today:
-Who is Heavenly Father’s Father, and why Don’t we worship him?
Just like there are many fathers, but we only have one father, so our Father in Heaven. (Quoted the “Gods many, lords many” scripture.) Went to John and quoted the Jesus can do nother but what his father did and talked about how some speculate (hi word) this means HF was a christ before. Joking noted Abraham picture 2, figure 9 “It has not been revealed”
-Why is there Suffering in the world when there is an all loving God?
D&C 122 (i think) all these things shall give the experience…
-If you could pet a panda, would you?
Yes.
-Which is your favorite Star Wars Movie?
Remebers going to see the Original is Tucson, definitely his favorite.
For the Record, I was quite comforted when along with the above questions that I knew about, the YW also had questions referencing Spiderman’s Web length, and which is better Edward or Jacob(Harry is better is my answer).
I like to think the Young Men in my ward didn’t ask the questions the YW did because we’ve already discussed them in my classes,…
Comment by Matt W. — August 31, 2008 @ 11:17 am
one of the boy’s (14) in my sunday school class didn’t attend church today because he had to go to hospital after getting blu-tac stuck inside his ear. I don’t know what that indicates but if I had to guess who had managed to actually get blu-tac stuck inside thier own head the list would of began with him, then the rest of the boys. I don’t think I would even bother putting the girls on the list as they appear to be far more mature. If blu-tac doesnt mean anything to you, then think of dough, or putty.
Getting blu-tac stuck inside your ear is the quivalent of swallowing a marble or getting lego stuck up your nose. This kind of behaviour is most common among the 2-4 yr old age range… and one special young man in my Sunday School class.
Comment by tricky — August 31, 2008 @ 12:30 pm
WARNING: COMPLETE THREADJACK-
Yes, Blake. I would like to see “…the brain scans of brain acitivity for young men and young women…” and “…what even a little alcohol does to the brain — and the permanent effects are pronounced in younger folks. Caffeine has deleterious impact as well in even moderate doses.”
Where do I go to see that?
Comment by mondo cool — August 31, 2008 @ 1:44 pm
Mondo Cool: Check out Change Your Brain, Change Your Life by Daniel Amen. It is also a PBS. You can also check this out: http://www.amenclinics.com/bp/atlas/ch15.php
Comment by Blake — August 31, 2008 @ 2:57 pm
Blake–yes, the girls are very familiar with the female leader’s goofiness, but how often do they see the Bishop letting loose? I would guess not often if ever. In my experience, the PH that attends the girls camps etc. keep their distance.
Comment by ESO — August 31, 2008 @ 4:24 pm
ESO,
Bishopric members are fathers to young women. They know how goofy their dads are. Also the young women did ask some goofy questions. I think what I learned from the experience is there are basically two types of questions used.
1 silly questions meant to amuse friends.
2 difficult questions meant to test boundaries and show off for friends.
What I find interesting is that the boys are geared more toward amusing each other while the girls are more about impressing one another.
Generally speaking that is.
Comment by Matt W. — August 31, 2008 @ 6:15 pm
Generally speaking, I think there are many more types of questions. I think those two types are being less general and more specific about ones own experience. Generally speaking, I was only there 12 years ago and speaking from my experience, when I got a chance to ask any question I wanted, I didn’t give a rats nest what my ‘friends’ thought. It was about me learning and that was it. I know some young men that are like that in my ward now. So generally speaking, there may be a norm, but I think it is important to remember that there are exceptions as well. Maturity comes to everyone at different times and also comes to people more or less often when young, depending on one’s own maturity level, if that makes sense. For example, I was not always mature as a young man, but I knew when to ‘sober up’ for lack of a better description.
Comment by dallske — August 31, 2008 @ 6:20 pm
#16–“In my experience, the PH that attends the girls camps etc. keep their distance. ”
That has not been my experience. I could go into detail about what Bishoprics and Stake Presidencies have done on skit night, but I don’t want to ruin any reputations. :-)
Comment by sister blah 2 — August 31, 2008 @ 6:23 pm
they said “any question”
JGolden
http://www.lds-ym.com
Comment by JFGolden — August 31, 2008 @ 6:41 pm
In my ward, a visiting GA went to the teenage Sunday School class and invited the youth to ask him any questions. I only remember two of the questions they asked (as reported to me by my husband).
A girl asked why blacks couldn’t have the priesthood before.
A boy asked if there was church in space.
Comment by JKS — September 6, 2008 @ 10:21 pm