Kari Ashby

Marlena Stanford
English 2010
3/19/2014
The Women of ion and Their Stand for E!"ality
Salt #a$e %ity Tem&le
The %h"r'h of (es"s %hrist of #atter)day Saints tea'hes that *od lo+es all of his
hea+enly 'hildren, As the boo$ of Mormon &"ts it -all are ali$e to *od., /et0 1e see
se&aration based on ra'e0 se2"al orientation and gender e!"ality 3"st to name a fe1
'a"ses, *ender roles 1ithin the #4S %h"r'h are be'oming a +ery big deal to the #4S
1omen of Salt #a$e %ity,
5+er the last 'o"&le of years 1e ha+e seen a h"ge #4S feminist mo+ement
"nfold, 5ne gro"& in &arti'"lar is 'alled 5rdain Women and they ha+e been in The Salt
#a$e Trib"ne time and time again for their a'ti+ist 1or$, This gro"& of 1omen is fighting
for the right to ta$e the 6riesthood 1hi'h is '"rrently only held by male member of the
#4S faith, While this is the main fo'"s of this gro"&0 they feel that there are many other
gender iss"es bet1een men and 1omen that need to be address,
Many a'ti+e members of the #4S religion state that there is not a gender
ine!"ality and that Mormon feminists ha+e a 1ar&ed +ie1 of the tea'hings of the #4S
religion in regards to holding the 6riesthood, Thro"gh o"t this &a&er 1e 1ill e2&lore the
history of roles in the #4S faith and ho1 that relates to #4S feminist 1omen today,
There may be &eo&le 1ondering 1hy 1omen 1ant to &arti'i&ate in the
6riesthood, The 6riesthood allo1s that a"thority is gi+en to a man to a't in *od7s name,
This a"thority in man has e2isted sin'e the beginning of the %h"r'h of (es"s %hrist of
#atter)day Saints, The &"r&ose is for all 1orthy male members to re'ei+e the 6riesthood
to ser+e all of *od7s hea+enly 'reat"res, A man in this &osition has the ability to lead
'ongregation in 'h"r'h0 &erform ba&tisms and bless those 1ho are ill, 8t is ta"ght that
those 1ho 'arry s"'h a sa'red a"thority m"st follo1 the e2am&le of (es"s %hrist,
9e'a"se 1omen 'annot hold the &riesthood they are "nable to lead a
'ongregation0 &erform ba&tisms or bless those that are ill, Some say that 1omen do not
need the 6riesthood be'a"se they are &art of the :elief So'iety0 6rimary0 /o"ng Women
and ha+e the sa'red role of motherhood, These are im&ortant and essential roles to the
organi;ation of the #4S 'h"r'h, <o1e+er0 men also ha+e roles o"tside of the 6riesthood,
They are able to be'ome a 9isho&0 hold 6residen'y0 lead /o"ng Men and ta$e the
6riesthood, 8f the 6riesthood is a 'alling to someone 1ho is 1orthy of a'ting o"t *od7s
a"thority0 1hy is it that a 1oman 'annot hold this holy gift=
Many #4S 1omen in today7s day and age feel that to be e2'l"ded from the
6riesthood 'reates se&aration as an e!"al 1ith their fello1 man, The 1omen 1ho
&arti'i&ate 1ith 5rdain Women ha+e made this &oint !"ite 'lear, These 1omen are
bringing to light the fa't that 1oman 'annot ta$e the 6riesthood and they feel that they
sho"ld be able to do so, They ha+e stated -*od is male and female0 father and mother0
and that any h"man being may gro1 to be li$e them someday., The f"ndamental tenets
of Mormonism s"&&ort gender e!"ality, Mormons belie+e that holding the 6riesthood is
an essential &art of this &ro'ess, 5rdain Women belie+e that holding the 6riesthood is
essential for both man and 1oman, This may not be tr"e for the mainstream Mormon0
ho1e+er, 5rdain Women are e2&ressing that 1omen sho"ld be ordained in the 6riesthood
in order for the #4S faith to f"lly refle't e!"ality,
8 had a 'han'e to 'ond"'t an email inter+ie1 1ith <annah Wheel1right 1ho is a
fo"nding member of 5rdain Women, When as$ed abo"t her first re'ognition of gender
ine!"ality in the #4S religion she sent me the follo1ing -8 had $no1n for a long time
that 1omen and men are treated differently in 1ays that 8 !"estioned, 8 remember a
Miamaids lesson >the 'lass for 14)1? year old girls@ 1here my female tea'her insisted that
1omen are more di+ine and s&irit"al than men, 8 +ir"lently disagreed0 saying that that
didn7t ma$e senseA 1omen and men 1ere e!"ally di+ine and s&irit"al, She 'ontin"ed to
insist and 8 'ontin"ed to disagree, #ater0 d"ring my fresh1oman year at 9/B0 a ne1 male
a'!"aintan'e told me that my &oliti'al s'ien'e ma3or ma$es me so"nd o&inionated0 and
-g"ys don7t 1ant to date girls that are o&inionated,.
<er statement is im&ortant as it refle'ts a gen"ine 'on'ern for h"man e!"ality0 not
3"st for 1omen to ha+e e!"al rights, She also shares the 'omment she re'ei+ed from a
fello1 st"dent abo"t men not li$ing o&inionated 1omen, This is a good e2am&le of ho1
1omen feel that they are e2&e'ted to fit this mold that has already been 'reated for them,
Women are 'hanging and desire their o1n +oi'e and their o1n &ersonal o&inion abo"t
ho1 they sho"ld li+e their o1n li+es, 9eing o&inionated may not fall into the role of a
modest 1oman 1hi'h is 1hat #4S males are ta"ght to loo$ for in a 1oman as they are
gro1ing "&, This statement from her 'lass mate does not in'l"de all male members of the
#4S faith as many men are 'omfortable 1ith o&inionated and intelligent 1omen,
She follo1ed this statement 1ith another im&ortant re'ognition that led her in the
dire'tion of fighting for 1omen7s rights, She said -9"t it didn7t really 1ra'$ my so"l
"ntil one night 1hen 8 $nelt by my bed to read my s'ri&t"res and 'ame a'ross *enesis
3C1? 1here it says that *od ga+e E+e to Adam for him to r"le o+er, 8t sto&&ed me in my
tra'$s0 and 8 sin'erely &rayed to $no1 1hether 1omen 1ere lesser, 8 am fr"strated 1ith
my &ast self for ho1 sin'ere 8 1as) 8 1as honestly ready to hear *od say that 1omen 1ill
be r"led o+er by men for all eternity0 that 1omen are really im&ortant b"t are still se'ond
'lass 'iti;ens in the $ingdom of hea+en, 8 didn7t get an ans1er that day0 b"t 8 1as m"'h
more in t"ne 1ith 1at'hing o"t for signs of gender ine!"ality after that,. Th"s began her
3o"rney to stand strong for 1omen7s rights, She began her sear'h for other Mormon
Deminists and e+ent"ally began her o1n blog0 /o"ng Mormon Deminists,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxUnto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy
conception; In sorrow though shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy
husband and he shall rule over thee.
After s&ea$ing 1ith a 'o"&le more #4S members0 one 1ho is still a'ti+e and one
1ho is not0 it is 'lear to see that these gender roles are learned from a +ery yo"ng age,
While tal$ing 1ith #4S raised Kyle 9arney on the to&i' of gender ine!"ality 1ithin the
#4S religion0 Kyle did 'onfirm that gro1ing "& they are ta"ght that 1omen ha+e
'hildren and men hold the 6riesthood, <e told me that d"ring his time in the %h"r'h he
ne+er 'onsidered these roles based on gender to be o"t of the ordinary, These tea'hings
1ere 3"st a &art of life and the tea'hings of the gos&el, <e stated that he does not
ne'essarily belie+e that the %h"r'h is saying that 1omen are in'a&able of holding the
6riesthood b"t that this is 3"st not the role that they are meant to f"lfill, Kyle said that for
1omen to be ma$ing this stand to hold the 6riesthood goes against 1hat the %h"r'h
belie+es to be the gos&el, This does hel& to e2&lain 1hy some men and 1omen are ta$ing
offense to 5rdain Women re!"esting to ta$e the 6riesthood,
Another a'ti+e #4S member 8 s&o$e 1ith 'om&ared holding the 6riesthood to
'hild birth, <is e2a't 1ords 1ere -8 am not as$ing for the right to ha+e a baby., This
'onfirms 1hat Kyle already told me abo"t the roles of 1omen ha+ing 'hildren and men
holding the 6riesthood, There is not any e+iden'e that there is a &hysi'al limitation for a
1oman to hold the di+ine gift to heal as there is for a man to birth a 'hild, This &arti'"lar
man also told me that his +ie1 of the 5rdain Women is that they are against other
members of the %h"r'h of (es"s %hrist of #atter)day Saints,
8f 1e ta$e a loo$ ba'$0 history tells "s that at one time 1omen 1ere able to hold
the 6riesthood 3"st as they 1ere able to ha+e 'hildren, There are t1o im&ortant moments
in history that em&o1ered Women in that day and age as 1ell as in their stand for
e!"ality today,
The first is the 4o'trine and %o+enants Se'tion 4? 1hi'h 1as &"blished in Mar'h
of 1E31, This se'tion tal$s abo"t the gifts of the s&irit0 meaning the s&irit of both men
and 1omen, They listed gifts s"'h as to heal or be healed0 to 1or$ mira'les0 to s&ea$ and
inter&ret the lang"age of s&ea$ing in tong"es, This se'tion goes on to state that these gifts
are based on righteo"sness and not gender, This allo1ed for 1omen to &arti'i&ate in
religio"s rites and &ra'ti'es0 rit"als and rights that they are "nable to dire'tly &arti'i&ate
in today, As early as the 19307s0 1omen 1ere blessing and healing other h"man beings,
8t 1as 'ommon for a 1oman to bless other 1omen 3"st before 'hild birth,
The se'ond im&ortant e+ent that too$ &la'e is the formation of the :elief
So'iety in 1E42, 8t is said that this ga+e 1omen res&onsibilities that 1ere "n'ommon at
the time, (ose&h Smith organi;ed the -1omen "nder the &riesthood "nder the &attern of
the 6riesthood.. Women had been gi+en the di+ine a"thority to a't in *od7s name 1hi'h
is +ery &o1erf"l, S"san /o"ng0 a da"ghter of 9righam /o"ng said0 -The &ri+ileges and
&o1ers o"tlined by the 6ro&het in those first meetings >of :elief So'iety@ ha+e ne+er
been granted to 1omen in f"ll yet., This 1as re+ol"tionary for 1omen of this time, Dor
any &erson 1ho raised an iss"e 1ith a 1oman gi+ing a blessing0 (ose&h Smith said, -8f
the sisters sho"ld ha+e faith to heal the si'$0 let all hold their tong"es,.
This is information is +al"able for #4S feminist 1omen today as they are fighting
so hard for something that 1as freely gi+en to them o+er 100 years ago, This history is
&art of 1hat f"els their 'onsistent &osition to re'ei+e ordination in the 6riesthood, 8t 1as
ta$en a1ay be'a"se &eo&le 1ere "n'omfortable 1ith 1itnessing 1omen -a't. in this
1ay, 9y the 1EF07s 1omen had been instr"'ted to only &ro+ide blessing to their families
and only men of the Mel'hi;ede$ 6riesthood 1ere able to &arti'i&ate in the 6riesthood,,
Men of the Mel'hi;ede$ &riesthood &arti'i&ating in the -laying of hands.
Altho"gh 1omen &rotested against this dire'tion0 &oli'ies on ho1 s&irit"al gifts
1ere a'ted "&on 'hanged, 4es&ite the fa't that 1omen in Btah 1ere 6rogressi+e and
&artoo$ in 'i+i' and &oliti'al engagements0 the 'h"r'h did stri& them of some of their
earliest *od gi+en &o1ers one of 1hi'h 1as &arti'i&ating in the 6riesthood, 5+er the
years the fight for 1omen7s rights in the #4S 'h"r'h has been an a'ti+e one, There ha+e
been many #4S feminists thro"gho"t the years that ha+e laid the gro"nd 1or$ for the
feminist a'ti+ism that is ta$ing &la'e today in Salt #a$e %ity,
8n 20120 a 1oman started the Wear 6ants to %h"r'h mo+ement 1hi'h ga+e 1ith
the o&&ort"nity for 1omen to identify 1ith other #4S feminists, Sister (ean A, Ste+ens
1as as$ed to gi+e the 'losing &rayer at %onferen'e 1hi'h 1as the res"lt of a &etition
signed by GF0 indi+id"als, This is the first time in history that a 1oman offered a &"bli'
&rayer at *eneral %onferen'e, This 1as a h"ge ste& for1ard and gi+es 1omen ho&e that
things 'an 'hange, The gro"& 5rdain Women has 'ome together to s&ea$ "& for a
1oman7s right to &arti'i&ate in the 6riesthood, #4S feminists are ba'$ at it and going f"ll
for'e, While there are many men and 1omen 1ho s"&&ort this mo+ement there are 3"st as
many 1ho tr"ly belie+e that these 1oman 3"st don7t "nderstand the gos&el of the %h"r'h
of (es"s %hrist of #atter)day Saints, Women 1ho 'onsider themsel+es feminists do feel
that they ha+e an "nderstanding of the #4S faith and that is the reason 1hy they are
as$ing !"estions and see$ing 'hange,
5rdain1omen,orgC 5rdain Women
Hi'holas Alah+eridan >(an"ary 90 2014@ The Mena'ing Deminist S'hism in the
Mormon %h"r'h >5nline@
Morgan #yon %otti >Dall 2013) Women Wearing 6ants to %h"r'hC 6"tting the
%"rrent Wa+e of #4S Deminism into <istori'al %onte2t, S!"are T1o0 Iol, ? Ho,
3
Wi$i&edia >(an"ary E0 2014@ A'ademi' freedom at 9righam /o"ng Bni+ersity
Wi$i&edia >Mar'h 200 2014@ Ali'e 6a"l
6i&er0 Matthe1, -ormon 1omen try again to get into &riesthood meeting. The
Salt #a$e Trib"ne >Mar'h ?0 2014@
Dlet'her0 6eggy, -7Wear 6ants7 gro"& to #4S leadersC #et 1omen &ray at
%onferen'e. The Salt #a$e Trib"ne >(an"ary 140 2013@
Dlet'her0 6eggy, - Dirst &rayer by 1oman offered at Mormon 'onferen'e >+ideo@.
The Salt #a$e Trib"ne >A&ril 120 2013@
Wheel1right0 <annah, St"dent >Mar'h 110 2014@
9arney0 Kyle, 6hysi'al Thera&y >Mar'h 1E0 2014@