My name is Cindy, and I am a “DNA Mormon.” By this I mean that my ancestors on all lines joined the Church in its early years and followed Brother Brigham across the plains in handcarts. I served a mission in Montreal, Quebec, met my husband at BYU, and was married in the Salt Lake City Temple. We have four adult children together and three grandchildren (so far). I have master’s degree in education, and worked for several decades teaching college students, incarcerated felons, and severely emotionally disturbed junior high schoolers. My church callings have ranged from confidential secretary to the stake president to Primary secretary and everything in between in Relief Society and Young Women’s.
I am a very pragmatic person. My best friend once told me that my special gift is the ability to detect spiritual nonsense. One example of such is the Church’s failure to recognize and honor women’s spiritual gifts in an official, rather than a patronizing, way. Even without ordination, women should be in Sunday School presidencies, keep membership records, and count money. How much more profoundly could their spiritual gifts be tapped, if they held the priesthood and were eligible for all church positions? I believe women should be ordained.