I am a married, working, mother of a daughter & son. I enjoy reading, biking, laughing with my family and having meaningful conversations. Because I no longer have a testimony of the LDS church, I have hesitated to send in a profile. Yet, I am prompted to do so. I still feel the spirit. As I’ve read through Ordain Women’s profiles, I have been impressed by each person’s words. I feel the goodness and rightness in their feelings & desires. If I still believed, I think I would feel the same.
My faithful mother raised 12 children in the Church, despite my father not being a member. She was the one to get us ready and take us to church. She struggled to make sure we had Family Home Evening, prayers, attended Seminary, Mutual and Relief Society activities. Despite her faithfulness, she’s never had the power of the priesthood in her home. Yes, she had Home Teachers, but my father was not always comfortable with this. My mother meeting with her bishop did not help the situation. It caused tensions in their marriage because she was dependent on other men for her emotional and spiritual needs. I don’t blame either for feeling how they did; it was a difficult situation. Because of this, and the fact that women cannot exercise the priesthood, we did not fully experience priesthood blessings of healing and peace in our home. I wonder if perhaps she and other women had been ordained, if just maybe some of their marital issues could have been avoided. Instead of counseling with a man, she could have counseled with her sisters who could better empathize with her. Perhaps my mom would have felt more confident in herself if she had had the power to bless her children. What if?
In the past, my husband (who has a testimony) mentioned that our children and I have him to receive blessings from, but to whom does he turn for blessings in the middle of the night? It seems appropriate that a husband should be able to turn to his wife for something so personal. I feel a sense of guilt at times because I wonder if I should have held on tighter so that I could participate in this great cause with Ordain Women.
Ordaining women is a practical need because it would solve many issues that come with single-parent homes, one-believing spouse homes, gender inequality, difficulty filling callings, worthiness interviews, etc. Ordaining women is a spiritual need because women are not actively participating in accessing God’s power in ordinances like baptism and baby blessings. Who better to bless a child than a father and mother–the one who bore the child? Imagine that loving scene without getting tears in your eyes.
I will not get in the way of my children’s spiritual life and it would bring me great comfort to know that my LDS daughter is being respected and valued as equally as her brother.
It is with all of this in mind that I believe women should be ordained.