My name is Michelle. I am the child of a convert, who gave up everything to be baptized into the LDS Church. Her parents kicked us out of their home when I was 2 months old, and we lived in her car until she was taken in by ward members. I grew up in the church, was married in the temple, and did everything I was supposed to do.
As I was sitting in church one day, a man who had been baptized the week before was sustained for ordination to the Aaronic Priesthood. It hit me that this man, a member for less than a week, now had more authority in my church than I did as a faithful woman who had sacrificed so much. If the priesthood really is God’s power on earth, then I think the standard should be higher than: male, over the age of 12.
I have since come to see that God has made certain things clear in the scriptures.
1) He is no respecter of persons. And yet he deems me unworthy to hold his power based solely on my gender, a characteristic he gave me. Why did he create me unworthy of his power? If that’s the case, then he created men above women and that is contradicted in the scriptures.
2) We can judge the things of God by his test, “By their fruits ye shall know them”. The fruits of the priesthood ban have been nothing but pain, heartache, and unrighteous dominion. I believe sharing the priesthood, and by extension church leadership, with women, would do more than anything else to alleviate suffering among God’s children.
This is why I believe women should be ordained.