Catch and Release
Our Relief Society presidency was released on Sunday and a new one was called. For the uninitiated, the Relief Society is the women's organization within the LDS church. Its mission involves bringing women and families to Christ, delivering casseroles during time of crisis, teaching you to pack shotguns in your food storage, and trying to convince you to stop beating yourselves up and comparing yourselves to everyone else around you--just before they start the Good News Minute where you get to listen to everyone brag about their marriage and procreation accomplishments, or those of their children. But anyway. A president is called every few years, and on Sunday we got a new one.
Without knowing it, during one of the classes I was actually sitting next to the woman who was soon to be announced as the new Relief Society president. And not only did she tell me that my blue scarf looked wonderful on me and that blue was really my color, but she was also wearing black fishnets with her shoes. So yeah, will be fully supporting and sustaining.
Then during sacrament meeting there was much talking by the departing and the incoming presidency about the blessings of serving in the Relief Society. Or, as it is known in parts of Utah and perhaps elsewhere, the "Releesociety."
I commented on the pronunciation, because I am a jerk like that, and GH told me that he grew up (in L****) thinking the name of the organization was, in fact, the "Release Society." It wasn't until high school that he saw the name in writing and realize what it actually was. He wanted to know how this came about.
Me: "It's linguistic laziness. After the long "e" the mouth is primed to make the "s" and so the labiodental fricative that is "f," which would require a completely different mouth movement, just gets skipped over. It's what happens when you try to talk too fast."
GH: "Huh. I thought it would have been cool if you were the Rescue Aid Society. Then you could all stand and sing like mice."
Clearly he has never been around for "As Sisters in Zion."
I'm Steph, a librarian and mom of 3 (not sure how that happened). Let's chat books, food, Sumptuous Literary Adaptations, poop, knitting and maybe some crazy Mormon Feminism.
29 comments:
When I was a kid I had a bishop who was originally from Southern Idaho and always pronounced it like "Relif a sity" (something like that--hard to transcribe). And so in my mind it's always been that way ever since!
Every so often, I get the Rescue Aid Society song stuck in my head. Now would be one of those times.
This reminds me of a time when my daughter was little and couldn't pronouce her r's and she asked me if "enwichment" was where we went to learn to be witches. No joke. :)
Nothing gets me quite as tingly and excited as the word 'fricative.'
Jen, Do you get equally as excited about the word 'defunct?' It's got all the great consonants and sounds like when a boulder splashes into a pond.
Some words are just great.
Thank you for that last line about "As Sisters in Zion." It made my day.
I wore black fishnets to church last month and was quite amazed at how many people checked out my legs. The men were much more subtle about it than the women. Men clearly have more practice checking out legs than women do. I got a calling in the Relief Society that day too. I wonder if wearing black fishnets is part of getting a Relief Society calling.
hilarious - when i saw the title of your post, i thought surely she's blogging about the bachelor.
instead, it was about a cool relief society president who is pushing the envelope with her fish net stockings. i dig it!
FoxyJ, that is too funny. And it's funny that I've just grown up hearing the term "Relief Society" without ever thinking about the name. When you DO think about it, it sounds like we should be out wearing orange shirts doing post-hurricane cleanup.
Sorry, AmandaStretch. If it makes you feel any better, it's in mine now too.
Hee, Kristen! So . . . was it? :-)
I quite like "plosive" as well, JackJen!
JosephJ, you are right. "Defunct" is good. Least good word? "Moist." Blech.
Gretchen, I'm so glad! But seriously, especially if you're in a family ward with the quavery aged sopranos. YOU know.
Roxie, if black fishnets are not part of getting a RS calling, then I think they should be. Our former Prez, though not a fish-tights wearer, was a bit of a cougar. So clearly there's something afoot.
I need to get some fishnets! Is THAT what I've been missing?! HA! Then everyone else would need blackout glasses to make them blind.... Seriously funny about the RSP wearing them though. Just doesn't mentally compute.
LOVED the "As Sisters in Zion" comment. Totally made me laugh.
Other favorite church pronunciations:
sacrent meeting
Joe Smith
opportuny
Once you start paying attention, you hear them constantly.
My teenage sons are the only ones in our family who know all of the words to "Sisters in Zion". It is my favorite thing to have them solemnly sing it for us for FHE. Apparently it was on an EFY CD or something. So funny. I know, I am probably going to he--.
Jonathon, also:
preastid
brethern
spurchal
Any others?
Bwahahaha!!!! standing and singing ASIZ like mice! Bragging about marriage and procreation accomplishments! My favorite posts of yours are about mormon culture.
Other Mispronounciations:
Sacerment meeting
Patriartrichal Blessing
Sunbeans
During the YW theme: "... recieve the ordinance of the temple..."
This is not a mispronounciation but became a pet peeve of mine when an english professor pointed it out: EACH AND EVERY. It's repetitive and redundant, repetitive and redudant.
I think the most painful Sundays for my eardrums are when the RS presidency or YW presidency or Primary presidency are asked to speak/get released- inevitably they all cry and speak in high squeeky voices- and I'm pretty sure no one but dogs knows what they're saying.
Ooo oo oooo!
My favorite mispronunciation is in prayers. And it's probably a bit of vanity on my part since I hear my own name.
But every time I hear someone say "We love thee so very much" it sounds like they are saying "We love Lisa so very much."
I'm glad I'm so loved.
i attend releesociety!! yay!!
fishnets with pumps. :-)
Oh, my favorite mispronunciation has to be "Patriarticle." And another mistake that actually drives me batty is when people end their talks and/or testimonies with "in the name of thy son, JC. Amen."
Before they changed the name to Enrichment Meeting - it was called "Homemaking".
My husband said, "I don't know why they call it "Homemaking" - you're not at home making anything!"
As to pronouncing words – come south sweet sister, and you won’t understand a word!
This morning I listened to the Harmon's commercial about supporting the Special Olympics. Or SpeshOlympics. In fact, half of what they said on that commercial belonged in this post.
Also Bart insists that we have Sacermints during church - I think he's still waiting for the tray with the rainbow butter mints instead of the bread.
My grandma always pronounces it relief-a-siety too! Like it's all one word.
I grew up in a household where my parents jokingly called Homemaking "Home-Wrecking." I honestly thought that's what it was called for years until I actually paid attention to what they were saying. It didn't compute to a 10 year olds ears why her mother would be aiming to wreck the home she lived in. Eventually I asked and the confusion was remedied.
In the young women's theme:
recei-the-ornance-the-templ and enjoy the blessingsof exltation. The end is in sight and we MUST get there first!
Speaking of Young Women....it is already plural people. Everyone in my branch insists on calling the auxiliary "Young Womens".
I always sing the Rescue Aid Society theme when I head off to that blessed class. "R-E-L-I-E-F, Relief Society!"
Ok, so it doesn't rhyme. Whatever.
BowlerGirl, I always assumed that was short for "Young Women's meeting" or some such. I.e., plural possessive instead double plural. But what do I know? I was never a young womans.
love, love, love "the rescuers" and would love to have the women sing "rescue aid society" if i ever have the chance. that's a great image. i have caught myself making young women a plural - it bugs the heck out of me when i do it. but nothing bugs me more than
"ensun" instead of "ensign" which thankfully you don't hear much on the east coast. i loved when i found a pronunciation guide for the word in a copy of the ensign magazine. (i assume every issue has one.)
in response to your last post, have to admit that i only read four blogs regularly that aren't my friends - so you should feel deeply honored that you made the cut!! (lol) when i feel like i need something new, i just go to some of my friend's favorites on their sidebar (which is actually how i found you). i don't add them to my list though. don't have the time for more regular reads; although, i'm sure i'm missing out on some amazing stuff though.
ok, just saw sean's comment. so yeah, i've just been using plural possessive instead of double plural. thanks!!!
So I'm probably a little late in responding, but I really like it when people "bury" their testimony. I really hope one day that we can dig them all up with our slap bracelets and hammer pants. It's going to be bodacious!
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