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The Little Purple Book: MWEG Essentials
Disheartened by the vitriol and extreme divisiveness of public discourse during and after the 2016 US election and by the general disintegration of honor and decency in government, a small group of Mormon women decided in January of 2017 to form a nonpartisan organization dedicated to civil discourse and effective political action. They called themselves Mormon Women for Ethical Government, and within just a few weeks had thousands of members. In this slim volume, Mormon Women for Ethical Government presents its Little Purple MWEG Essentials. It includes MWEG’s genesis story, explains the purpose and focus of MWEG, offers and expands on its Six Principles of Peacemaking, and shares some of its weekly “Sabbath Devotionals.” Grateful for the chutzpah of their pioneer Mormon foremothers a century before them, MWEG is proud to share its institutional history, inspiration, and a look at the phenomenon of strong women standing up and speaking out for ethics and justice.
116 pages, Paperback
Published April 24, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 26, 2019
It seems we have misplaced general decency and quality discourse at multiple levels of our social interactions. It's not only the 2016 catastrophe of the election of a highly compromised and morally deficient scoundrel, but the increase in the lack of kindness, the lack of patience, and the absence of compassion is enmeshed in an administration with little thought of disrupting families, perpetuating hate, and fomenting derision and division.
And so a small group of eloquent women decided to do something. In forming Mormon Women for Ethical Government, they created a gathering place for women of faith to express their distaste (and fury!) at mismanagement, corruption and greed, and outright trouncing of civil rights. The shout, then, is Where Can [We] Turn For Peace?!, and with principles taught by Jesus, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King as well as others who promote peace in our world, we are called to find solutions. Peace comes, not by passivity, but by loving action and speaking out for those whose voices are ignored or too quiet to be heard. Peace comes to all when the "least of these" are raised to equal footing.
This handbook of organizational structure and collection of devotional thoughts are a mix of motivational and reflective. Some are powerful. I was especially moved by the 4th Principle of Peacemaking entitled Peacemaking views human suffering as sacred, by Emma Petty Addams, and the devotional Our Words: A Sacred Firewall by Melissa Dalton-Bradford.
From the latter: "Part of the significance I'm feeling is that we remember with solemnity from Holocaust history how words can either normalize or expose corruption. How words can blind decent, family-loving folks to the rise of evil. How words can also enlighten. How words, when wielded with precision, can dispel darkness and, like a lightsaber, slash through fakery. How words can debase, elevate, divide, unite. How powerful, how hallowed are words. How dangerous. How peaceable. ... Against such a gutting reality and every other kind of ugliness, moral degradation and villainy, words must be raised like a mighty, white-hot firewall. We must hammer and plaster together—word after word after word after word—a barrier of light, our own inspired wall that will hold against the crush of depravity and falseness... (pp. 88-90)."
Ah!
A Wall.
Of words.
A wall of goodness.
A wall against oppression and hate.
That's a wall I can support.
And so a small group of eloquent women decided to do something. In forming Mormon Women for Ethical Government, they created a gathering place for women of faith to express their distaste (and fury!) at mismanagement, corruption and greed, and outright trouncing of civil rights. The shout, then, is Where Can [We] Turn For Peace?!, and with principles taught by Jesus, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King as well as others who promote peace in our world, we are called to find solutions. Peace comes, not by passivity, but by loving action and speaking out for those whose voices are ignored or too quiet to be heard. Peace comes to all when the "least of these" are raised to equal footing.
This handbook of organizational structure and collection of devotional thoughts are a mix of motivational and reflective. Some are powerful. I was especially moved by the 4th Principle of Peacemaking entitled Peacemaking views human suffering as sacred, by Emma Petty Addams, and the devotional Our Words: A Sacred Firewall by Melissa Dalton-Bradford.
From the latter: "Part of the significance I'm feeling is that we remember with solemnity from Holocaust history how words can either normalize or expose corruption. How words can blind decent, family-loving folks to the rise of evil. How words can also enlighten. How words, when wielded with precision, can dispel darkness and, like a lightsaber, slash through fakery. How words can debase, elevate, divide, unite. How powerful, how hallowed are words. How dangerous. How peaceable. ... Against such a gutting reality and every other kind of ugliness, moral degradation and villainy, words must be raised like a mighty, white-hot firewall. We must hammer and plaster together—word after word after word after word—a barrier of light, our own inspired wall that will hold against the crush of depravity and falseness... (pp. 88-90)."
Ah!
A Wall.
Of words.
A wall of goodness.
A wall against oppression and hate.
That's a wall I can support.
March 11, 2019
The book starts out with guns blazing! It is powerful and impactful. The power diminishes as the essays progress, but the repetition of the essays enforces one of the main purposes of MWEG, inspiring women of faith to be ambassadors of faith.
Everyone should read this book because it helps give you bearings by which you could more productively interact with others, in hopes to improve the political environment and government institutions.
One light criticism is the books claim that is is non-partisan. In reading the essays, however, it takes stabs at the current presidency, while not taking stabs at any other groups or institutions. Obviously, the group in power would get more of the brunt of criticism, which I am okay with, but to make the book (or manual for their group) slightly bias against one party takes from the book's power.
Everyone should read this book because it helps give you bearings by which you could more productively interact with others, in hopes to improve the political environment and government institutions.
One light criticism is the books claim that is is non-partisan. In reading the essays, however, it takes stabs at the current presidency, while not taking stabs at any other groups or institutions. Obviously, the group in power would get more of the brunt of criticism, which I am okay with, but to make the book (or manual for their group) slightly bias against one party takes from the book's power.
August 23, 2018
An insightful little book of women speaking wise words about peacemaking and the hard work that that actually entails. I was initially worried that there wasn't much here for me, but the essays in the six principles of peacemaking and the selected sabbath devotionals are filled with insight and wisdom and beauty and power and are a great model of being anxiously engaged in a good cause. I am inspired by the words and work of these women and feel a renewed sense of hope and drive to push for change and improvement in the political mists of darkness I feel surrounded by.
December 16, 2019
I have tremendous admiration and gratitude for MWEG. They do important work and are a model of civic engagement that I admire. This book is a lovely and brief primer on their fundamental principles and provides a window into the minds and hearts of the MWEG founders.
June 19, 2018
A short yet powerful and inspiring read. It is an outstanding and articulate statement by a group of impressive Mormon women. My only beef is no men allowed. Time for the Mormon men to step up. The founders of MEWEG were troubled by the unethical immigration bans instituted early in the Trump administration. These women joined together and collectively declared "We will not be complicit by being complacent!” This grassroots group sprang up as private non-partisan Mormon women committed to civil and effective civic action, many for the first time in their lives. My wife is a member and recommended the Little Purple Book to me.
November 14, 2019
I have been so impressed with the work of MWEG for some time now, following the group's work on Facebook. I recently officially joined the organization and wanted to read this book that they published. I highly recommend the book and the organization to all women. One does not need to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One just needs to be a woman who desires an ethical government. http://www.mormonwomenforethicalgover...
July 1, 2018
Educational and inspirational!
May 6, 2019
AMEN!
Read
April 13, 2019I honestly don’t know how to rate this. The principles of peacekeeping are fantastic, the opening chapters are informative, and the writing is good. While I appreciated some of the selected sabbath devotionals, I’m not sure why they were included. They aren’t linked to the principles of peacekeeping, which is the point of the book and the group, but they make up half of the book. So no rating from me.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews