Hi, my name is Chandler. I’m from Idaho and I grew up in the Church. I served a fulfilling mission, graduated from BYU, and was married in the temple to my wonderful wife. I am now serving as a seminary teacher in my ward. I enjoy exercising, reading good books, and keeping up with the news. I’m always reading and learning about something new and interesting. I especially like studying languages, history, and foreign cultures.
I love the Church and see ordaining women as an opportunity to help the Church grow and flourish both doctrinally and organizationally. I understand that changes, especially large changes, make many people uncomfortable; but revelation and progress comes “line upon line, and precept upon precept.” We also believe that “God will yet reveal many great and important things.”
Organizationally, one of the largest barriers to the growth of the Church in developing countries is having adequate leadership. I witnessed this in my mission, where Elders often had to serve concurrently as branch presidents, even though these branches were full of capable, worthy women. In the developed world, one of the major barriers to the growth of the Church is the inequality observed by many women. Ordaining women would do much to resolve both of these issues and would greatly aid Church growth throughout the world.
Doctrinally, one of the great governing principles of the priesthood is persuasion (D&C: 121:41), and none of the arguments that oppose the ordination of women are particularly illustrative of that point. Faith is a trust in God that leads us to take courageous and persistent action. The individuals of Ordain Women are expressing a solid and profound faith, the kind of faith that is demonstrated in many passages of the Book of Mormon and the Bible.
One such example is found in the New Testament. When a Canaanite woman asked Christ to heal her daughter, she was sharply rebuffed and insulted. Undeterred, she showed her faith by humbly persisting in her request. Jesus lauded her faith and granted her wish (Matt 15: 22-28). Another example can be found in the Old Testament. Zelophehad’s daughters took issues with the law and brought their case to Moses. Moses took it to God, and God applauded the daughters for their initiative and granted them their request (Num 27: 1-7). These and many other examples show us that God wants us to negotiate with Him (Gen 18: 23-33), wrestle with Him (Gen 32: 24-30), and engage with Him (Luke 18: 1-5).
Furthermore, the scriptures and modern day revelation are replete with evidence that this cause is good and worthy. There are prophetesses and priestesses in the scriptures such as Deborah (Judges 4:4), Anna (Luke 2:36), the four daughters of Philip (Acts 21:9), Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Isaiah’s wife (Isaiah 8:3), and Junia the apostle (Roman’s 16:7) that indicate that the original church of Jesus Christ which we have restored didn’t divide callings by gender the way we do today. I believe the restoration of all things will include the ordination of women at some point.
I believe women should be ordained.