My name is Mallory, I grew up in the church in Salt Lake City, Utah. I am now living in Alexandria Virginia where I am raising my daughter. I love being outside, moving and sweating, feeling strong, and cooking. Oh how I love cooking. Food is my medium. My favorite thing in the whole world is a clean kitchen, a blank canvas to use my hands and create. I recently have been enjoying books and shows that are fantastical in nature, I love being able to escape the world as I know it for characters and adventures.
I am so Mormon. It took leaving Utah and living in California, Colorado and now Virginia for me to really see how Mormon I am and how much I love it. It is my culture, my blood and my heritage. My pioneer spirit drives my belief in goodness, and that comes from my roots in the church. When I was a teenager I served as a counselor in a Special Needs Mutual and was able to see life outside myself and to gain joy in service. I have served in the primary and nursery and really love that world in our church. It is simple, silly and I find that children are great reminders of hope. I have also served on various activity committees and ward events.
I could tell you about my experience as a woman in the church, of growing up with an all male leadership and my fears about raising my daughter in that structure. But instead I will tell you about this, there is this space in front of my face just above my eyebrows where I feel. It is outside of me – larger than me, and cannot be explained. Sometimes I just wave my hand there to explain. Nobody quite understands this except my husband. This space and the one deep inside my bones past the harder smooth surface to the bone marrow holds my truth. Hovering above me and settled deep within my body. I feel so strongly. I am protected by the confirmation in my spirit, the air, and my bones. It protects me from the nausea and sorrow I may feel about inequality, because I believe in a Divine who knows me, hears me and loves me. I choose to no longer feel alone or different. I am not alone and I am wonderfully different.
I have prayed and believe women should be ordained. I can give you history, reason, and fact but I am choosing to share something more powerful for me: revelation, intuition, and spirit. I am a Mormon and I believe women should be ordained.