Hello! I’m Andrew, a young gay man living in Salt Lake City. I grew up as a member of the Church, having held many priesthood responsibilities (such as quorum presidents and counselors). I attended church meetings regularly, along with the youth program. My sexuality was always a struggle for me, but I was always faithful in my church participation and service.
I consider myself a strange guy and own that. I absolutely love writing and reading–literature is one of my passions and I have a massive book collection. I also collect playing cards, interestingly. I thrive on being with other people and care deeply about who I am and how others view me. I also am incredibly invested in music. I’m constantly listening to it and I love playing the piano and singing.
I believe women should be ordained to the priesthood because I believe women are not fully equal in the Church. I often look back to Kate Kelly’s speech after the priesthood session event, which I participated in, where she so importantly stated that equality is not a feeling; rather, it is measurable. There is measurable inequality in the Mormon church, whether it be from how often we acknowledge the feminine divine, or to institutional positions. I believe that if women are ordained it would solve so many problems in the Church and make it a more inclusive, whole, and loving community.
Admittedly, I no longer attend church services and have purposefully separated myself from the Church as an institution. I do, however, still very strongly believe in my Heavenly Parents and my savior, Jesus Christ. I believe in the canon scripture of the LDS church. I feel uplifted by spiritual experiences I still have. I hold my beliefs dearly and simply want more equality in the church I grew up in.
I believe women should be ordained.