What I think...

If you're not interested in Mormon politics and religious establishment inner workings... you might want to skip this post. lol

What I think about Ordain Women:

I'd actually really love to eloquently tell you what I think but I'm still studying. I didn't become aware of this movement soon enough to have fallen firmly on one side or the other. I am doing my duty and diligently studying the issue.

I believe as LDS people this is, in fact, our duty. We are supposed to study issues, learn what we can, study it out in our minds, and THEN pray about it.

I have gotten this far - I absolutely - without doubt - support their right to do what they are currently doing. If you study church history there are many examples of change within the church coming "from the bottom up". In fact, all through all kinds of history, change nearly always comes from the bottom.That's fairly common knowledge.

What I cannot understand is the nasty vehemence that is literally being spewed at this group and at anyone who supports them. I am truly baffled by this. Do these people belong to the same church I do??? I just can't wrap my mind around telling someone to "just deal with it" or "why don't you just leave the church?" Leave the church? Really?

So. In a gospel where we preach that we are brothers and sisters, that we are all children of God, that our singular purpose is to make our way back to our Father in Heaven, to help each other on that path and live together forever.... an acceptable reaction is "just leave the church?"

To me the idea is to study and to learn where people are coming from. If you love someone and you believe in this gospel - you meet them where they are. You find a way to bridge the gap between you. You do NOT eject them. You do NOT reject that.

Ugh. I have to stop talking about that part. I'm getting so mad.

I will tell you some things I absolutely believe - Our church needs to make some changes. Women have more purpose than to make babies (aka more members of the church) and bring each other bread. We have more purpose than the roles we are given right now.

Here is a post my sister wrote for Rational Faiths: If the Sisters Should Have Faith to Heal... I love it because she references quotes and factual information. And those things absolutely back up the following change list.

I like the changes suggested here:

• Encourage partnership in marriage and eliminate the idea that husbands preside over their wives.
  
  
• Create parity in the Young Women and Young Men organizations through equivalent budgets, educational programs (leadership, career, and spiritual training,) and activities (sports, service, and outdoor events).
  
  
• Balance the stories and images of boys and men in church publications, talks, and other media with stories and images of girls and women.
  
  
• Invite women in Church leadership positions to speak and pray during General Conference in numbers equal to the participation of men.
  
  
• Encourage leaders to use gender-inclusive language whenever possible.
  
  
• Recognize that girls and boys, women and men are equally responsible for appropriate sexual behavior, and avoid reducing morality to sexuality, and modesty to a preoccupation with women’s and girls’ clothing.
  
  
• Instruct bishops to refrain from asking Church members probing questions about sexual practices and experiences.
  
  
• Call women to perform pastoral counseling, particularly for women and girls who have been sexually abused.
  
  
• Choose a General Relief Society Presidency and General Board that reflect the diversity of viewpoint and circumstance in the Church, and establish frequent meetings between the First Presidency and the General Relief Society Presidency.
  
  
• Include the Stake Relief Society President in Stake Presidency meetings, and appoint women to meet with the High Council.
  
  
• Delegate more expansive supervisory authority to the Stake and Ward Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary presidencies, including approval of personnel, programs, and activities.
  
  
• Include women among stake and ward leaders who hear evidence and offer judgment in Church disciplinary councils.
  
  
• Include the local Relief Society president in all bishopric meetings, and rotate the planning of Sacrament services among the Relief Society president and members of the bishopric.
  
  
• Examine all Church positions to determine whether they can be filled without regard to gender.
  
  
• Appoint women as presidents of Church universities and heads of administrative departments.
  
  
• Expand hiring practices in the Seminaries and Institutes of Religion and within the religion departments at Church universities to provide women the same placement, advancement, and tenure opportunities as men.
  
  
• Call young women as well as young men to serve missions at the same age and for the same length of time, and afford women the same opportunity as men to function as district leaders, zone leaders, and assistants to the president.
  
  
• Lift the prohibition on women's participation in the blessing of their children.
  
  
• Change temple marriage policies so that men and women have equal opportunity to be sealed to their second spouses after they are widowed or divorced.
  
  
• Consider further wording changes to temple ceremonies and ordinances such that both men and women make the same covenants and enjoy the same promises.
  
  
• Recognize women as witnesses for baptisms and marriage sealings.
  
  
• Restore the former institutionally-accepted practice of women giving blessings of healing and comfort.

So there. I stand behind that list. And I stand behind my sisters who are trying to make the changes - peacefully, correctly, kindly trying to make the changes. They are brave and amazing. Especially in the face of so much unkindness. My thoughts and prayers will be with them as they travel to SLC (from near and from across the ocean!) to stand peacefully outside of the priesthood session. I will be watching. I will be praying. I wish I could be there to lend my support in person!

I also really love this post: I Am My Sister's Keeper. I say amen to that post. I *am* my Sister's Keeper and they are my sisters.

And my prayer will include this post: Listen. Please please Listen.