Hi, I’m Matt. I am a professor of theatre, a filmmaker, a father, a husband and a Mormon.
I am a Mormon because of deeply spiritual experiences and revelations that have united me with Christ in a profound way. I experience the power of his atonement every day in my life and grow closer to him in every interaction with the spirit. These interactions happen alone, with my family, in sacrament meetings, in Sunday School, in the Temple… and sometimes even in a High Priest Group meeting. I feel his love and the love of my Heavenly Parents so powerfully in my life that I must rejoice in my good fortune.
I served a mission to former East Germany and marveled continually at the miracles that brought about the fall of the Berlin Wall. I have cherished my time serving and teaching in this church. Some of my most blessed moments were serving with other great men in the Bishopric of my last ward.
I have been a member all of my life, and have known since I was eight that women should be serving as coequals in the priesthood. This knowledge came to me through my mother who taught me this truth in my youth. The spirit has confirmed this truth in my heart on numerous occasions and I have been waiting for the day when women would be ordained to the priesthood.
I am married to an amazing woman. She was not a member when we first married. In fact, she vowed to me that she would “never, ever be a Mormon.” I take no credit for this, but somehow the power of Christ’s atonement worked its way into her heart about 5 years after we were married and she joined the church in spite of the inequalities present in the organization. I have often longed for us to be able to share in the kinds of service and experiences that I have been a part of as a priesthood holder.
I have been passively supporting this movement for many years but the other night I came to a simple realization that changed things for me. In a conversation with my wife she mentioned a tentative hope: “Maybe in 5 years our daughter will be able to pass the sacrament (this is when she will turn twelve).”
“It would take a miracle,” I replied.
This response was a product of my own doubt that change of this kind could happen so quickly. But as I pondered the various miracles in my life (some of which took just about 5 years) I realized I had been approaching the whole issue in the wrong way. While I have discussed this issue at great length with the Lord, I had never actually prayed for things to change. From this day forward I will. I believe in the power of prayer and I believe that God wants this change. I also believe that by praying for change the Lord will inspire me with knowledge of the things I can do to help bring change. The first action my wife and I took was to pray to God that the church will begin ordaining women and will welcome LGBT members with open arms in full fellowship into the church. Every prayer either of us have uttered since that conversation has contained these two pleas backed by our growing faith in the miraculous. These prayers have also led me to take action by posting this profile. If you read this and believe in full equality for all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, begin by praying for it everyday. There is power in prayer. And our faith can bring about miracles.
In order for this miracle to happen, I believe that men must stand with their wives, their daughters, their sisters, mothers and grandmothers. Men, not just women, must take up this cause, for it is a good one.
If women were ordained today, we would double the priesthood power on this earth, virtually overnight. But this is not the reason women should be ordained. Equality is central to Christ’s gospel. It always has been and always will be. I want to serve in the priesthood with the women in my life, including my daughter. I believe that day is coming. It can be today.
I believe women should be ordained.