Mormon Feminists and Ordain Women

This seems to be the talk in Mormondom these days so I figured I would chime in for posterity's sake. Basically the only good reason for women to not hold the priesthood is because The Lord said so. That's it, and that could change just like it did for polygamy-- which since researching I think was a mistake in the first place-- and just like it changed for the blacks. But wow, there are some wild postulations out there as to why women don't have the priesthood. Some of the most amusing ones are that women were so valiant and so much better than men in the pre-existence that they don't really need it ( isn't that exactly what some people said about the blacks except that the black people weren't as valiant in the pre-existence?), and then there is the idea that men need the priesthood to keep them active in church and feeling special-- huh?, and then the best one I've heard is that the prayers of women are so powerful, they don't even need the priesthood at all, in fact, their prayers may be even more powerful than a priesthood blessing-- (if that were true, then why would we have the priesthood at all, just let the women pray). So there you go, and if there is a group of women who want to go to 2 more hours of conference, I say, go for it! As far as the Mormon feminists are concerned, I like them. They seem intelligent and faithful to the gospel. They just see that there is inequality of opportunity for service in the church and they would like to see that more equal. They would also like to do women activities without getting a male's approval. I think that is reasonable. I also really liked this post written on the mormon feminists website this week, I really like Malala, what a quality person she is, anyway,: http://www.feministmormonhousewives.org/2013/10/and-im-afraid-of-no-one/ When there are down trodden, marginalized or repressed people, it is always wrong. And it is not the down trodden's fault that they are marginalized and down trodden and it is not for us to judge unrighteous lay, or really at all, for we will be judged that same way-- karma. It is not the Lord's will that only a select few have wonderful service opportunities in the Lord's name. We are supposed to help and encourage each other and cheer for each other. When someone is having a hard time we are supposed to support them and let them know we care and help them in a way that they see as helpful, not in a way that we think will help, but in a way that actually does help, or at the least let them know we want them to succeed and to excel and to do their best even if they end up better than us. This pure charity was sorely lacking in many of the conference talks this last time I thought. There is too much competition and too many rules for us to judge each other against so we can see who is the most righteous and who is not. This is not everybody of course, but it does happen. And when this competitive spirit takes over a ward or congregation, it is very hard to stop, and the safe haven of church no longer exists. In order for church to be an inspirational, loving, happy and cooperative place, we have to have the spirit of love, compassion, understanding and cooperation to reign. That means that we don't care what people wear to church or if they are better than us or if they can do a lot or if they are overwhelmed, we are just glad to see them. We are just glad they came. We say hi to each other, we ask how each other is doing, and we don't ignore people. We don't selectively praise people for their efforts and put our leaders up on a pedestal and talk about how great everything is. We just enjoy being with others who share our faith. We realize that we are all different and very individual. We won't all be the same, and we will be glad for these differences, it keeps life interesting and fun. When somebody has a concern or an issue, we don't immediately dismiss it, we listen and try to either clear it up or find an agreeable solution for both parties. We include each other in planning and we try to do things that will be appreciated by those we are supposed to serve without thinking about how awesome they may think we are for doing this incredible activity that helped no one. Those of us with testimonies of The Lord's restored true church don't want to think that there could be problems and some serious ills happening inside it. But the reality is that the Lord's servants are human beings doing the best they can with good intentions-- hopefully, but that doesn't mean they can do no harm. The biggest harm I've seen recently is in this idea of pure obedience to your leaders all the way from the prophet to the bishop to the primary, young men, and young women presidents and leaders, regardless of what they may say. It's even ok in some cases to go against the handbook as long as the bishop approves. Concerns and questions are not welcome because they have been called of God and they will make the final decisions regardless of how it may affect some individuals. I think the feminists see the gender inequality that exists and feel that if that can be made right, then things will be better. I agree things may be somewhat better, but I have also seen the worst come out of women presidents of church auxiliaries and I think we probably would get a whole new set of problems. I think the issue of people not feeling accepted, loved and safe at church is a much bigger problem than just gender inequality. I admire the feminists' idealism and courage though, and if nothing else they have brought some issues to the forefront of a much needed conversation.