I need your name in my pocket. Will you send it to me?
When Ordain Women first launched, I was overjoyed for my Mormon sisters. I had heard their pain and confusion about being excluded from exercising offices and rituals of the priesthood (and holding most of the administrative offices of the church) for years. In their most quiet moments of prayer, they felt that their Heavenly Parents didn’t have any prohibition on women holding these offices or special dispensations to serve. They sincerely wanted their leaders to ask for divine guidance and answers – and there are no official channels to have their request heard.
But I hung back from joining the movement. I was no longer a believer or member of the church. I thought that my official support would only hurt their cause because this is a movement for and by believers.
Two years later, I learned I was wrong. My sisters told me my voice was needed. My official support was more than welcome – it was vital. And now, one year later, I will be standing with them in Salt Lake City; asking for 15 men (or their representatives) to hear my sisters’ request to have a conversation about the ordination of women. To hear their request to pray about one of the deepest desires of their hearts.
Here’s the thing. This will be scary for me. I will walk up to the Church Administration office to request a meeting when it’s my turn. All alone. I will most likely be turned away, or not allowed to walk up the steps at all. But I have to try.
I will try for my nieces being raised in this church. For my hundreds of friends and family members who will always remain active, believing Mormons, no matter the questions and pains that reside in their heart over this issue. For my Mormon female polygamous ancestors who blessed the sick and blessed women before they delivered babies. For women everywhere who are shut out of positions of equal opportunities to serve and equal access to administrative decision-making power in one of their most important communities: their religions.
If you have any sympathy for women having an equal voice in religion, I ask you to stand with me in Salt Lake City on October 1st. I know that for many of you, you won’t be able to stand with me physically. But you CAN stand with me through the beautiful Mormon tradition of proxy work. I can have your name in my pocket.
We Mormons love recording and cherishing names. The names of our ancestors, the prophets and leaders, the local members of each ward and stake. Each list is meticulously maintained and, by many, lovingly honored through special rituals and ceremonies that claim each person as part of the Mormon tradition by proxy. (Apologies to those whose names were used inappropriately at times, like Holocaust victims and members of other faiths. That should never happen.)
Send me your name, and I will print it out and put it in my pocket before I stand with my Mormon sisters and other allies on October 1st. It will give me more courage and support than you know. You don’t have to be a Mormon, you don’t have to be a believer, you don’t have to be a woman, you don’t even have to know me personally. I will hold your name and be so grateful for your support.
I want my pockets full to bursting. I want to know that when I walk up those steps, I have hundreds and thousands of people with me, lending their voice to mine. I will feel your hearts and your kindness. I will be asking for a meeting in your name, as well as mine. And your voice will be counted as fully participating in the Ordain Women action. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can submit just your first name or initials. But you will be counted as one of the souls petitioning the leaders of the LDS church to discuss the issue of the ordination of women.
And if that doesn’t interest you in and of itself, will you submit your name for my sake? I need you. My sisters need you. Follow this link to submit your name or initials.
Gathering
“There is something incredibly powerful about gathering.”
-Debra Jenson, Ordain Women and Faithful Agitation
We are often asked why Ordain Women engages in public actions. Mormon women are not ordained to the priesthood, so they lack institutional authority and access to those leaders who have the responsibility to receive revelation on behalf of the Church. A number of us over the years sent personal letters to Church headquarters in order to raise the issue of gender equity and the need for greater inclusiveness. Our letters were routinely sent back to our stake or ward leaders, who, even when they were sympathetic, had no power to address or remedy Church-wide structural inequality. It became clear that public advocacy was one of the few options open to those of us who actively sought greater inclusiveness and other equitable changes in the LDS Church, including the ordination of women.
On a more personal level, “There is something incredibly powerful about gathering,” Ordain Women Executive Board member Debra Jenson recently explained to Debrief Society interviewer Stefeni. Several of those who participated in past Ordain Women actions echoed Debra’s comment. “It was empowering to witness women claiming their relationship with Deity and standing at the gates to worship in full fellowship,” wrote one participant. “I feel like I was part of something important,” asserted another. Yet another said, “It was a very spiritual experience to sing together, walk together, and wait together in line. … I feel like I did the right thing standing up for what I believe—[for] what I want for me, my sisters in the gospel, my daughters, [and] my granddaughters …”
An Ordain Women supporter, who participated in a past action by proxy, similarly wrote, “I submitted my name … followed the event via Twitter and Facebook and was humbled and proud of the women and men there. I got an email last night from the sister who [carried] my name, and that had me in tears, knowing that I was there in some small way. Thousands of miles away across the ocean, my voice was being shared thanks to sisters I will probably never meet. … I felt linked in a small but precious way to my American sisters in the gospel.”
Anticipating Ordain Women’s upcoming October action, OW Executive Board Chair Bryndis Roberts asserted, “This action will be an opportunity to gather in person … [to demonstrate] our commitment to the cause of equality.” In joining together, we are punctuating our fervent belief that Church policies and practices will better reflect the inclusiveness of the gospel of Jesus Christ when women participate more fully with men in all aspects of church governance, service, and sacred ordinances. If you share this hope, consider gathering with us—either in person, if you can, or by proxy—in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 1.
When You Carry My Umbrella
I hope that you will be able to join and support our efforts as we continue to ask General Authorities to consider women’s ordination to the Priesthood. Unfortunately, it looks like I will not be able to attend this action in person.
My husband and I recently moved across the Pacific Ocean and most of the United States so that I could start law school. Scheduling issues and financial restrictions have meant that I, most likely, will not be able to attend. I’m very disappointed. When we announced the action at Sunstone this summer, I felt fortified by the strength in being with others who are inspired to stand for what they believe. There were only a handful of us there, but I felt unified underneath our purple umbrellas. I want to be there, but I can’t. There are many others like me who just can’t be there for a number of reasons. I just ask that when you carry my proxy umbrella, that you know that you carry my heart. You carry my hopes and fears, my questions and doubts, my love and gratitude. Thank you for doing what I can’t. I hope you find comfort and protection underneath my umbrella. Remember, I’m there with you in spirit and solidarity. Thank you.
If you do not know about the upcoming action on Saturday, October 1, 2016, here are the details from our action FAQ.
[Ordain Women supporters] will gather at 11:30 AM in City Creek Park to distribute Ordain Women umbrellas and hold a brief devotional. We will then walk to the Church Administration Building at 47 East South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84150. Lined along the sidewalk between Noon and 2:00 PM and holding our purple Ordain Women umbrellas, we will stand, walk, watch, and wait while church officials meet inside between conference sessions. One by one, we will climb the steps to the Church Administration Building to request a meeting with a general authority or general officer of the Church to raise the question of women’s ordination to the priesthood in the LDS Church.
The Room Where it Happens
Female White House staffers gradually gained access to what Hamilton fans might call the room where it happens, but “when they got there, their voices were sometimes ignored,” wrote Juliet Eilperin, The Washington Post’s White House bureau chief for domestic and foreign policy. “So female staffers adopted a meeting strategy they called ‘amplification’: When a woman made a key point, other women would repeat it, giving credit to its author. This forced the men in the room to recognize the contribution — and denied them the chance to claim the idea as their own.”
“’We just started doing it, and made a purpose of doing it. It was an everyday thing,’” said one former [White House aide].” The strategy worked. Increasingly, women were invited to meetings, and their input was not only solicited but integral to the discussion.
I love the idea of amplification as a cooperative feminist strategy, both before and after Mormon women have access to the rooms—locally and Churchwide—where the crucial decisions that affect all us happen. The work of Ordain Women—its profiles and its actions in particular—amplifies the individual voices of all who hope for a more inclusive Church just as the contributions of many in the Mormon feminist community amplify our collective message.
One example that dovetails nicely with Ordain Women’s upcoming October action is Emily Gilkey Palmer’s Exponent blog post “Holding the Umbrella.” Emily responds to a metaphor often employed in the LDS Church to explain why the present males-only priesthood policy shouldn’t bother women and children who “might be baffled by [women’s] exclusion” from priesthood ordination.
Relief Society general president Linda K. Burton used the umbrella metaphor in 2013: “I don’t think women are after the authority; I think they’re … happy that they can access the blessings and power of the priesthood … it doesn’t matter who holds [the] umbrella. They’re happy to let someone else hold the umbrella because we have different complementary roles and are happy with that.”
In the Primary version of the object lesson, a child is asked to stand and hold an umbrella. The other children are then invited to stand under the umbrella. The teacher then asks, “As long as everyone is under the umbrella, i.e., enjoys the blessings of the priesthood, does it matter who holds it?”
An Oregon native, Emily is more than familiar with umbrellas. She writes:
“If you take that experiment out into the rain it immediately falls apart.
“My years of experience tromping through endless rainstorms have taught me a bit about sharing umbrellas and I can confidently say that with a shared umbrella, the protection is always unequal.
“Point 1: The holder of the umbrella will hold it at a height that is comfortable for him or her. As for the co-shelterer, the tall become hunchbacked, the short tend to get wet.
“Point 2: Consciously or unconsciously, the holder tends to pull it over him or herself, so the other person gets wet. Even good efforts to protect the other person fall apart through inattention. No amount of cozy arm linking completely resolves this.
“Point 3: It is possible, with a large enough umbrella, to both huddle under it and remain reasonably dry if you stay in one spot. If you try to move forward, however, the above two rules come into play quickly and are exacerbated by the different gaits of the people in question.
“In other words, the umbrella analogy illustrates precisely the opposite of the intended message.”
“The only way for everyone to receive equal protection,” Palmer concludes, “is for everyone to hold their own umbrella. Indeed, if everyone in a crowd had an umbrella, there would be a roof and all would be protected. … We need a phalanx of able umbrella-teers.”
Yes, Emily, yes we do—especially in Salt Lake City on October 1st.
Awakening the Mother God
After some scheduling snafus, I connected with Gina Colvin, a former member of the Ordain Women Executive Board and a stalwart support of Ordain Women, to do a podcast for A Thoughtful Faith. We wanted to talk about the Ordain Women October Action — “Let My Voice Be Heard.” But we also wanted to be open to being led by the Spirit in our discussion. The result took us both by surprise as we shared some of our innermost thoughts and feelings on not only the role of women in the LDS Church but also in the representation of God in the LDS Church and how that representation affects the role of women.
I ask that you listen to this podcast. It is longer than we planned, but I think you will find it to be thought-provoking, entertaining, a little sad (at times), and very hopeful. The issues and feelings we discuss are ones with which many of us who support Ordain Women grapple. They are the issues and feelings that formed the basis for our actions earlier this year. For our upcoming action, we continue to ask that the leaders of the LDS Church leaders to thoughtfully consider and earnestly pray about abolishing a gendered priesthood and allowing all members of the LDS Church who have a divinely inspired call or desire to serve in positions and minister in ways that require priesthood authority or power to be ordained.
To listen to the podcast, follow this link.
Supporting the Action from Afar
A question that comes up again and again around action time is, “What can I do to support the action if I can’t be there in person?”
If you aren’t able to join us in person on October 1st, there are so many other ways you can pledge your support and participate in vital aspects of making this action successful and supporting the ongoing efforts of Ordain Women. Here are just a few ideas:
- Participate in the action by proxy. You can fill out the proxy form and your name will be carried with us during the action.
- Order an Ordain Women umbrella to be used in the action. This will then be sent to you following the action, signed by the person who carried it.
- Spread the word! Invite a friend. You can find the event page on Facebook by following this link.
- Share the event on your social media.
- Like the Ordain Women Facebook Page.
- Submit an Ordain Women profile on our website.
- Write your own letter to a General Authority about your support for women’s ordination.
- Make a donation to Ordain Women by clicking the “Donate” button in the upper righthand corner of this page.
- Update your amazon account to amazon smile and select Ordain Women as your charity! You can find instructions by following this link.
- Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Reddit.
Lifting Our Voices
Ordain Women fully understands that the authority to receive revelation for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints rests with President Thomas S. Monson and we do not seek to usurp that authority. However, Ordain Women also recognizes that Church history has many examples of how the seeds for particular revelations were planted by individual Church members. Because of that history, we believe that it is our responsibility, as Church members, to be active participants in the revelatory process—to bring concerns to our leaders and to urge our leaders to take those concerns to the Lord in prayer.
That belief forms the basis for our upcoming action on Saturday, October 1, 2016, during which we will be collectively and individually lifting our voices as we seek to be heard by Church leaders. On that day, we will come together in City Creek Park at 11:30 a.m. to begin our action with singing and prayer. Each participant will be given a purple Ordain Women umbrella. Holding our umbrellas aloft, we will walk to the Church Administration Building at 47 East South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84150. On the sidewalk in front of the building, between 12 noon and 2:00 p.m., we will stand, walk, watch, and wait while Church leaders meet inside between conference sessions. One by one, we will climb the steps to the Church Administration Building to request a meeting with a general authority or general officer of the Church to raise the question of women’s ordination to the priesthood in the LDS Church.
Earlier this year I stated that “[n]o matter what path we took to come together as Ordain Women, we are unified in our hopes, desires, and beliefs that all members of the LDS Church who have a divinely inspired call or desire to serve in positions and minister in ways that require priesthood authority or power must be ordained.”
If you share those hopes, desires, and beliefs, come and join us in lifting our voices.
To read more about this action and how you can participate from near or far, follow this link.
To RSVP on Facebook, follow this link.
If you would like to donate funds to help us fund this action, please go to the “Donate” button in the upper right-hand area of this page.
‘Let My Voice Be Heard’ October 2016 Action – FAQ
Why are you engaging in the October 2016 Ordain Women action?
Ordain Women’s upcoming action in October is an effort to be heard on the issue of women’s ordination in the LDS Church. On Saturday, October 1, 2016, from Noon to 2:00 PM, we invite all who share our hope for a more inclusive church to stand with us—in person, if possible, by proxy, if not—in front of the Church Administration Building, 47 East South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT. Lined along the sidewalk, we will hold purple Ordain Women umbrellas, while church officials meet inside between conference sessions, and, one by one, we will request a meeting with a general authority or general officer of the Church. “This action,” explains OW Board Chair Bryndis Roberts, “will be an opportunity to gather in person … [to demonstrate] our commitment to the cause of equality.” In joining together, we are punctuating our commitment to Mormonism and our fervent desire that Church policies and practices better reflect the inclusiveness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What exactly is going to happen?
.
On Saturday, October 1, we will gather at 11:30 AM in City Creek Park to distribute Ordain Women umbrellas and hold a brief devotional. We will then walk to the Church Administration Building at 47 East South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84150. Lined along the sidewalk between Noon and 2:00 PM and holding our purple Ordain Women umbrellas, we will stand, walk, watch, and wait while church officials meet inside between conference sessions. One by one, we will climb the steps to the Church Administration Building to request a meeting with a general authority or general officer of the Church to raise the question of women’s ordination to the priesthood in the LDS Church. To RSVP on Facebook, follow this link.
Ordain Women asserts that it engages in faith-affirming, religious action. How is this compatible with the LDS doctrine of continuing revelation?
Our understanding of the gospel is that the heavens are yet open. As we obtain more light and knowledge, we expect Church policies and practices to reflect that increased wisdom. The 9th Article of Faith states: “We believe all that God has revealed, all that [Godd] does now reveal, and we believe that [God] will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.” That Church members play a part in this process is demonstrated throughout the Doctrine and Covenants. We ask questions and articulate the need for revelation. According to President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “… if we stop asking questions, stop thinking, stop pondering, we can thwart the revelations of the spirit. Remember, it was the questions young Joseph asked that opened the door for the restoration of all things. … How often has the Holy Spirit tried to tell us something we needed to know, but couldn’t get past the massive, iron gate of what we thought we already knew?” It is our faith in this process that compels us to action.
Is this a protest?
No. It is a petition for inclusion, and, as such, we see it as both faith-affirming and consistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We encourage participants to wear Sunday attire and comport themselves with dignity and respect.
Why are you advocating in public?
Mormon women and many others who feel called to serve in positions that require Priesthood authority or power are not ordained to the priesthood, which means they lack positional authority and the institutional power to influence church-wide policy. A number of us over the years have met with our local Church leaders to discuss issues of gender equity and inclusiveness. However, they have no power to address or remedy Church-wide structural inequality. Most personal letters sent to the hierarchy are routinely sent back to stake or ward leaders. Other than a few letters from the Church’s public relations department, Ordain Women’s numerous requests for dialogue have been met with silence. Because Mormon women lack institutional authority and access to those leaders who have the responsibility to receive revelation on behalf of the Church, public advocacy is one of the few options open to those of us who actively seek greater inclusiveness and other equitable changes in the LDS Church, including the ordination of women. Increasingly, women are finding the courage to express their desire to participate more fully with men in all aspects of church governance, service and sacred ordinances.
Why umbrellas?
The umbrella metaphor is often employed in the LDS Church to explain why we shouldn’t be troubled by its present exclusionary, males-only priesthood policy: As long as everyone is under the umbrella, i.e., enjoys the blessings of the priesthood, it doesn’t matter who holds it. But as anyone who has tried to huddle under another’s umbrella knows, both generally get wet. Giving everyone the opportunity to hold their own umbrella works best, just as making priesthood ordination available to all who are worthy can help us make better use of the talents and abilities of every member of the Church.
If I can’t join you at the Church Administration Building, but want to be supportive, what can I do?
First, you can join hundreds of others in requesting that your name and/or an Ordain Women umbrella be carried for you. Names can be submitted by following this link. Ordain Women umbrellas to be carried during the action are available for purchase in our store. If you would like to purchase an umbrella to be carried by proxy, place the order and then leave a note for the seller (OW). Umbrellas purchased for the action will be distributed to attendees either on Friday, September 30th or on Saturday, October 1. After the action, umbrellas will be sent to purchasers who are unable to attend but want to support OW’s efforts. Second, you can continue the conversation by discussing your thoughts about women’s greater inclusion in the Church with friends, family, and members of your local congregations; spread the word on your personal Facebook pages, blogs and Twitter accounts; “like” our Facebook page; make a donation in support of Ordain Women; and, add your profile to ours at ordainwomen.org.
I’m afraid to participate with you. Do you anticipate disciplinary action?
We cannot predict the response of individual church leaders. Many of our local leaders have been loving and supportive. Others have not. We believe our actions are consistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ and the doctrines of the LDS Church. We work with the government of Salt Lake City to obtain the appropriate permits. Though our action is not a protest, we have applied for a “free speech” permit. The City of Salt Lake requires it of any large group gathering in public spaces, such as City Creek Park and the sidewalks near the Church Administration Building. We recognize that there might be social or personal costs to participants. Only you can weigh your circumstances and concerns and decide if this action is the right thing for you to do.
Public Advocacy?
Continuing revelation is a fundamental part of Mormon theology and could very well account for much of its success. The Ninth Article of Faith asserts that God “will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.” Mormons believe that the heavens and their canon are yet open.
The recent Gospel Topics essay “Are Mormons Christian?” asserts that Mormonism is a “restored” rather than a “reformed” Christianity. Unlike other restorationist traditions that claim restoration of a pure Christianity through a strict reading of the Biblical text, Mormons are what I term revelatory restorationists—we acknowledge the text but claim a recovery of early Christianity through the revelatory process as well as an openness to continuing revelations of the spirit, both personal and institutional. As we obtain more light and knowledge, our institutions and policies should reflect that increased wisdom. Part of the present tension in Mormonism is over how revelation occurs.
Organizationally, all recognize that only the top Mormon leadership has the authority to receive revelation for the Church and make significant institution-wide changes. Many are content to leave these aspects of the decision-making process solely in the hands of the all-male hierarchy. However, others of us believe members have and continue to play an essential part in the revelatory process by asking questions and articulating a need or concern. A member of the First Presidency, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, said as much in a 2012 world-wide LDS leadership training: “If we stop asking questions, stop thinking, stop pondering, we can thwart the revelations of the spirit. Remember, it was the questions young Joseph [Smith] asked that opened the door for the restoration of all things. … How often has the Holy Spirit tried to tell us something we needed to know, but couldn’t get past the massive, iron gate of what we thought we already knew?” A good question for all believers.
No doubt inadvertently, the challenge to raise the question of women’s ordination was articulated by former Church President Gordon B. Hinckley in a 1997 interview with reporter David Ransom. When Ransom asked if the policy of denying the priesthood to women could be changed, President Hinckley responded, “Yes. But there’s no agitation for that.”
Ordain Women joins a new generation of faith-affirming Mormons who are responding to this challenge. A number of us over the years had met with our local Church leaders to discuss issues of gender equity and inclusiveness. However, they had no power to address or remedy Church-wide structural inequality. Stuck in a sort of Catch 22, most personal letters sent to the hierarchy were routinely sent back to stake or ward leaders. Other than a few letters from the Church’s public relations department, Ordain Women’s numerous requests for dialogue have been met with silence. Because Mormons without the Priesthood lack institutional authority and access to those leaders who have the responsibility to receive revelation on behalf of the Church, public advocacy is one of the few options open to those of us who actively seek greater inclusiveness in the LDS Church, including the ordination of women.
Why does a religion, whose theology appears so hospitable to change, often seem hostile to it? Part of the problem is maintaining the integrity of the prophetic voice. If what a past LDS Church leader said can be overturned by subsequent leaders, as has happened numerous times, Mormonism must grapple with the tension between continuity and relevance for each generation, between responsiveness to changing attitudes that could mean greater inclusiveness—particularly for women and other marginalized members—and the appearance of bending to social pressure. As I see it, such a tension easily—and quite charitably– could be deflected by a simple institutional response, “We invite and listen to the questions, concerns, and needs of our members, and take them to God in prayer.”
Ordain Women’s upcoming action in October is an effort to be heard. On Saturday, October 1, 2016, from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM, we invite all who share our hope for a more inclusive church to stand with us—in person, if possible, by proxy, if not—in front of the Church Administration Building, 47 East South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT, where, lined along the sidewalk, we will each hold purple Ordain Women umbrellas, while church officials meet inside between conference sessions, and, one by one, we will request a meeting with a general authority or general officer of the Church. “This action,” explains OW Board Chair Bryndis Roberts, “will be an opportunity to gather in person … [to demonstrate] our commitment to the cause of equality.”
Author’s note: Substantial sections of this blog post were taken from material I authored for the OW website as well as an article I wrote for the Washington Post.
Day of Fasting, Prayer, Reflection, and Meditation
One of the most cherished tenets of the LDS faith is the doctrine of continuing revelation.
Our history is replete with instances where revelation was received because Church leaders, in response to the cries and pleas of our LDS siblings, took questions to God.
In the spirit and tradition of that history, we invite you to join us on Sunday, May 29th as we fast and pray that our present-day Church leaders will hear our cries and that they will seek revelation about ordaining women to the priesthood in the LDS Church.