I’m an aspiring artist enjoying my Sophomore year at a fun, yet ridiculously priced, art college in SLC. My husband and I have been married for 10 (adventuresome) years and we have a fun, silly, and awesome daughter who’s 8 going on 13. And we still want another one! (Crazy!) All of us are life-long members of the LDS church, as is the majority of our families. It is our home.
Yet, from the time I was a teenager I began to realize my home was not what I thought it was. As I grew I saw more and more how I was in a gilded cadge. The more I was told how “valued” I was (as a Mother-to-be), yet denied the ability to participate as much as men, the more I felt I was second class. My only purpose to create more “Mormon-babies.”
I wanted to believe this was not my destiny. I wanted so badly to know what was in store for me as a woman, but there were only men defining Womanhood. Where was my Heavenly Mother? The one I could aspire to be like? Where was my Devine example? I am blessed that my husband tries so hard to understand and help. But I felt alone. Surely none of the happy women I saw felt such despair. I feared a God who elevated His sons. Who felt His daughters needed men to control, rule, preside over every aspect of their lives. I fears a God who said my only value was tied to my womb- farther necessitating my dependence on men.
Though much grief and effort I have come to believe that is not the real God. He values all His children for who they are, not what they are. I believe that He values Mothers and Fathers, and that He wants to allow us all to exercise our Priesthood powers. I believe the Power to act in God’s name is not tied to gender. Though I have a lot of fear being apart of this, the Spirit has testified that this is what The Lord wants of me. So, for myself, my daughter, and my Sisters I join my voice with them and our Brothers to declare, I Believe Women Should be Ordained.