I am 53, a high-priest, born in the covenant, returned missionary, married in the temple, and I have served in the bishopric as a councilor twice.
I tend to be increasingly egalitarian in my ways of thinking. Women have made so many inroads in our society, e.g., equality in the work place, parity in educational opportunities, greater representation in our civic government. All of which I see as a good thing. These ideas a couple of generations ago would have been unthinkable to many. With our church’s leadership solely dominated by a male-only priesthood, we’re not getting any input from 50% of the membership when it comes time to make decisions on a local or churchwide scale.
There are so many strong and confident women in our Church today. Consistently, I hear great sermons being delivered by women over the pulpit and excellent lessons given in class. Great thoughts are shared. Wouldn’t it be great if these women were allowed to serve in bishoprics or as the new stake president? Increasingly, I think of ordaining women to the priesthood as the right thing to do.
To help change a historical paradigm, there is a time when individuals like myself (a lay-member in the church) need to stand and be counted. I am standing now. In my opinion, I think the church would benefit by extending the priesthood to women. I’d like to see that day come.
I believe women should be ordained.