For a long time, I have kept my mouth shut (except maybe to family and a few close friends) about how I felt about this "Women's Movement For Ordination." Or whatever it is called. As time has gone on I have found myself increasingly irritated by the misunderstanding by both members and nonmembers alike. Because of this I feel I need to stand for what I believe in and to stop hiding in my own mind. I see comments in almost every thread or article that discuss Kate Kelly similar to something like this;
"All Kate Kelly did was ask questions...and now she is being punished for that. What message does this send to other women in the church? That they can't ask questions. This, THIS is exactly why we need a women's movement."
I think it is unfair and a very false statement and people need to be careful when arbitrarily throwing that out there. I'm trying to understand how people can't see beyond the fact that Kate Kelly didn't JUST innocently ask a question. Maybe it started out that way, but that wasn't what got her called in for a counsel. She asked the question first, and all was well. What then happened was after the Prophet, OUR Prophet, which we believe speaks and receives revelation from God himself, made it very clear that the men in the church are the only ones to hold the priesthood at this time, she went off and decided to form a group to petition that revelation. Basically what she was saying is, "I believe that your revelation was wrong Thomas S. Monson, and therefore I'm going to start rallying people around me to change yours AND God's mind." That's when her simple question turned into something far less than innocent.
Can people really say that women (or men, or anyone in the church for that matter) are not allowed to question things? And if they can then why whenever a new prophet is called do they direct the members to pray and ask God if they are the true and living prophet of Jesus Christ's true church? Why do they continually direct us to take our questions to the Lord? Why are we allowed to have open and honest discussions in church?
I, for one, have never felt that because I am a woman that my opinion is any less valued because I don't hold the priesthood. There are times, watching general conference, that I almost feel more loved and respected and valued by the prophet and his apostles because I am a woman.
But I can't disregard that some women have. And I understand that too. Are there MEN that happen to hold the priesthood that sometimes think they are better than women, or disregard their feelings, and opinions? You bet! But that's not coming from the Lord, and that's not because they have the priesthood. It is because they are men, human, and frankly, have little, to no, understanding of how God feels towards women. Women are not belittled by priesthood holders, nor by God, they are belittled by MEN who do not properly understand God's ways.
I also have to ask the question, and I mean this sincerely. How does not having the priesthood make me less than a man? Is a father any less of a parent because he does not carry his child in his womb for 9 months? No. He is equally a father to that child as the woman is a mother. They have different responsibilities, different roles, different gifts, but they are both parents. Could you imagine for a second if you told your husband that he didn't get to make any decisions concerning your children because he didn't carry them for 9 months and didn't give birth to them? That's how ridiculous it would be for a man to say that a woman doesn't get to contribute or make decisions just because she doesn't hold the priesthood. And have you ever heard a prophet or one of his apostles say anything even remotely close that? What I hear is their love and gratefulness for all that we do. They praise us and pat our backs and tell us to keep pushing forward and doing good things. They tell us we all have different roles, that we all have different responsibilities, that we all have different ways to contribute. Why are we taking something so wonderful and that has been such a wonderful gift and blessing from God and making it into something that is creating a wedge in our church? Is it not enough to thank our Heavenly Father that we have the Priesthood at all? But now we have to come to him and say that it isn't enough that women don't have it too.
Equality does NOT mean that we all possess the same things. It means that our VALUE is the same. I am just as valuable as a man, whether he or I hold the priesthood or not. Priesthood has nothing to do with equality.
I am not less of a daughter of God because I do not hold the priesthood. Nor am I less of a member of the church. Nor am I less capable of making correct choices and leading and bringing others closer to God. I am valuable to my God...and so is my husband.
