My name is Vickie and I am a lifelong Mormon. My ancestors were in Nauvoo and marched in the Mormon Battalion. My grandmother was a General Primary President before correlation and my grandfather served on the General Sunday School Board. I myself have served in ward and stake auxiliary presidencies. My people helped build this church. I am a voice from the heart of Mormonism.
I have believed in priesthood for women since I learned of its historical foundations within the LDS Church in 1984. Sadly, over the years, I have watched my mother, my sister, my only daughter, and all but one of my nieces leave Mormonism, in part because of its restricted vision for women and its pervasive gender inequality. I also served for a time in a Spanish-speaking branch in New York City and observed that some of the best leaders in that struggling group could not be used because they were women.
Mormonism is my church and my tribe. I have worked hard for years to see that it would survive and thrive, but I am deeply concerned about its future unless it brings women into the organization with full authority and decision-making power. Ordaining women to priesthood makes a lot of sense in the context of church history. While other churches have done it out of sheer fairness, our church has true theological justification for this move. I urge the leadership to reach out and build on this rich tradition. Doing so would help to stop the outflow of bright, capable women and, and at the same time, enrich the church worldwide with thousands of priesthood leaders. It is in the church’s best interest to do this. It is in the best interest of women to do this.
I believe that women should be ordained.