Hi, I’m Katy. A few years ago, I overheard two of my nieces (6 and 8) talking about what they’d like to be when they grow up. When the younger of the two said she wanted to be president, the older told her “No, girls can’t be president.” So she said instead that she would like to be prophet. The older again said, “No, girls can’t be prophet.” She tried again with, “Then I’ll be a bishop.” Again, “No, girls can’t be bishop.” My sweet little niece thought for a minute before saying, “Well, I can be a mom!”.
I look forward to motherhood and believe it is truly an important and rewarding calling. However, I want our young girls to know that there are possibilities open to them in addition to, or instead of, motherhood. I feel that our young girls do not always see women in the roles they aspire to fill. I am tired of seeing doors and options closed to women. I believe that organizations and societies are strengthened when women have an equal role in decision-making. I believe that Joseph Smith’s vision for women in the Church was more expansive than what we currently have.
This issue, among others, led me to leave the LDS faith to seek out a faith community where women are treated as equals and everyone is included and welcome. Each week, I see young girls in my congregation who see women at every level of leadership. I think of my nieces and all the other young girls and women at their LDS wards who watch their male counterparts pass the sacrament, give blessings, lead services and preside at every level, from bishop to prophet. I picture them listening to talks that almost exclusively quote male leaders and it saddens me to think that the message they are receiving is that women don’t say anything worth quoting. I would love to see women ordained so that the next time a young LDS girl says she’d like to be prophet someday, she can hear the response, “That’s a great thing to aspire to.”
I believe women should be ordained.