My church continues to take disciplinary actions against those who publicly support ordaining women to the level of authority bestowed upon every 12-year-old BOY in our church. In response to these efforts at silencing dissent, I’m compelled to publicly state my intentions by borrowing the words of the renowned African American poet O’Shea Jackson, “I ain’t the one.” During MY lifetime, this institution denied the very same blessings of the priesthood to all of its black members. Less than a half century later, how can I possibly remain silent while HALF of the saints are still denied such blessings? Until all members of this church are able to receive the blessings that are the birthright of every child of God, I am duty bound to speak up. I owe it to the Church. I owe it to Elijah Abel, Jane Manning James and every other black saint who had the audacity to believe that there was a place in this church for them. And most of all, to those who have come to be family in my home ward, I owe it to YOU. Judging from the inexhaustible love that you have shown my family over the last four years, I have to believe that you would not have stood by silently in 1977 when I would have been denied the priesthood. The genuine joy and enthusiasm with which you welcomed me into the temple makes me know that you would have said SOMETHING back then, when I would have been denied even mere entrance into that holy sanctum. You would made your pleas and supplications in a far more eloquent and pleasing manner than I am able to muster, but please look beyond my clumsy language to see my heart. I am truly grateful that the awesome power of our priesthood is now available to me and my sons. So how can I be silent until it is also available to YOUR daughters? I simply can do nothing other than to continue to respectfully request those whom I sustain as leaders of this cherished institution to pray to receive inspiration to end the ban on female ordination within our church and grant women full and equal status within the body of saints.

Honoring our past,
Envisioning our future.

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Sean Carter, the author of this post, is on Ordain Women’s Executive Board.