I was born and raised in the LDS church, graduated from seminary and BYU, served a full-time mission, was sealed in the temple, and held a temple recomend and various callings for many years.
As the father of four daughters, I am naturally concerned about how women are viewed and treated in society at large and in the LDS church in particular. Unfortunately, the extreme reluctance of LDS leaders to embrace change, even positive change, has enabled conditions to persist in the LDS church that are incompatible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Until 1978, one of those un-Christlike conditions was the prohibition against ordaining men of African descent to the priesthood. Fortunately, LDS leaders eventually sought and received a revelation correcting that error.
In our day, one of the persistent inequities in the LDS church is the prohibition against ordaining women to the priesthood. Because the priesthood is supposed to be the power to positively influence others through gentleness, meekness, patience, persuasion, love unfeigned, and other Christian attributes (D&C: 121), women and men stand on completely equal footing in their qualification to perform priesthood service in Jesus’ name. I lament that the LDS church is depriving itself of the full benefit of its female members’ spiritual gifts by prohibiting their ordination to the priesthood. Women could do so much good in the LDS church that they are currently unable to do because of the prohibition against their ordination.
I have acted upon my conscience by resigning my membership in the LDS church, and I look forward to returning when its leaders have eliminated the un-Christlike conditions to which they have unfortunately continued to cling. Specifically, I believe women should be ordained to eliminate their second-class status in a church that calls itself by Jesus’ name.