Hi, I’m Becky.
I am a life-long Mormon with a large pioneer ancestry. I have held many callings, from nursery worker to Gospel Doctrine teacher. Those were all temporary callings from my bishops, however. My life’s calling has been with family history. When I was 20 years old I feel I was called by God through a very spiritual experience to begin working on my own family history. Seventeen years later I am a part-time professional genealogist; and I now have a stake calling teaching ward family history consultants and in general being a cheerleader for all things genealogy. I love it. I love the beautiful teaching that families can be sealed together forever, and that our entire existence before, during, and after this life revolves around the love in our families.
It was in researching my own family that I discovered my great-great-great grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Holmes Drage. I was awed by her strength as I learned of her leaving her country of birth and coming to the US for the sake of her religion. She came across the plains as a pioneer, walking and driving her own oxen most of the way because her husband was ill. But what surprised me the most was learning that she was set apart to anoint and bless women who were ready to give birth, and also to lay out the dead This led me to read more about how women in the early church would often comfort and heal the sick with blessings, and were praised by Joseph Smith himself for doing so.
I have always been keenly aware of the inequality in our church, as the youngest in my family with three older brothers. I have spent my life watching them advance through the ranks of the church, praised for the service they offer in which I am not allowed to participate. I don’t begrudge them in their ability to magnify their gifts and talents through priesthood service, as I see how it refines them and makes them better men. But my heart breaks to know about the opportunities for spiritual service that my foremothers once had, which has since been taken away. Now my daughter and I are forbidden from experiencing the spiritual growth and faith in God that comes from humbly laying hands on a suffering child of God, and sharing His love through a priesthood blessing.
I am submitting this profile for my daughter’s sake. She will be watching her own older brother move on without her soon, and I don’t want her to experience the pain it caused me. I want my daughter to know that I believe God sees more potential in her than she is afforded by our church practices. I want her to know that He has enough trust in her to act in His name. I want her to have confidence in both having and using her spiritual gifts. I want my daughter to know where I stand on this issue, and I want her daughters and their daughters to know it too.
The Spirit has spoken to me, loud and clear, and I believe what it says– women should be ordained.