(part 3 of 3) Thoughts on the movement Ordain Women

"Rescue of the Lost Lamb" by Minerva Teichert

There is some concern that the church leaders will this year not even let the members of the Ordain Women Movement on to Temple Square.  Mormon women seeking priesthood may be blocked from Temple Square   Instead they are being asked to stay in the region adjacent to the square where anti-Mormon groups protest and try to get people to leave the church every year. 

I feel like this would be trying to push Ordain Women members away from the church and sending them the message, "you are not wanted or needed in this church." By grouping them with the anti-Mormons, they are showing that they feel that there is no place for such feelings among faithful members of the church. But they are church members in good standing who love the gospel. They are not anti-church, nor are they protesting. They are simply standing in line, asking for admittance to a session of conference, in an orderly and quiet, peaceful fashion. (Here is a video of what happened last time, in case anyone had any misapprehensions about that: Mormon Women of October 5) I understand if they want to keep all news and professional photographers off of temple square for this event, but it is not right to keep faithful members just standing in line off of temple square. (Eli & Hannah: How Mormons Can Reverence Sacred Space & Divine Petition)

Now, for one thing, this doesn't even serve the church leaders interest in good press. This was planned to be the second and last time they would join the line, and the press would have taken little notice if the church simply turned them away at the door as they had the last time. By responding this way, they are hurting their own image in the news.

But more importantly, it isn't the moral way to respond. Even if they believed the women asking to attend conference were straying from the faith (which they shouldn't!), in the parable of the ninety and nine, Jesus teaches that the shepherd left the ninety and nine sheep to go and look for the lost sheep. This would instead be the equivalent of pushing the lost sheep away. Those who feel marginalized or hurt, those who feel unwelcome or that their concerns aren't being addressed are exactly the ones the church should be trying hardest to help. (I certainly fall into this category.) We should be a church of inclusion, not exclusion.

It's not just the church leadership who is responding this way. Some of my friends who I value and respect have said that these women are going to apostatize, with the attitude that we are better off without them. I feel that, on the contrary, we need their viewpoints in the church. And their talents, contributions, diversity and activity.

Some Mormon feminists call themselves “faithful agitators.” They got the phrase from this 1997 interview Pres. Gordan B. Hinckley did with Compass. Here's a brief excerpt:

RB: At present women are not allowed to be priests in your Church. Why is that?

GBH: That’s right, because the Lord has put it that way. Now women have a very prominent place in this Church. They have their own organization. Probably the largest women’s organization in the world of 3.7 million members.... And the women of that organization sit on Boards. Our Board of Education things of that kind. They counsel with us. We counsel together. They bring in insight that we very much appreciate and they have this tremendous organization of the world where they grow and if you ask them they’ll say we’re happy and we’re satisfied.

RB: They all say that?

GBH: Yes. All except a oh you’ll find a little handful one or two here and there, but in 10 million members you expect that.

RB: You say the Lord has put it that way. What do you mean by that?

GBH: I mean that’s a part of His program. Of course it is, yes.

RB: Is it possible that the rules could change in the future as the rules are on Blacks?

GBH: He could change them yes. If He were to change them that’s the only way it would happen.

RB: So you’d have to get a revelation?

GBH: Yes. But there’s no agitation for that. We don’t find it. Our women are happy. They’re satisfied. These bright, able, wonderful women who administer their own organization are very happy. Ask them.

So now there is agitation for that. 

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Here are a few more links if you're interested on reading more about this subject.

Why the LDS Church's Statement on Ordain Women convinced me to join OW at Temple Square on April 5
excerpt: “Ordination is not my bosom-burning cause.  But I am tired of seeing women I love leave the faith because there is no serious, open respectful conversation within the Church about issues that matter to them and because they are stigmatized and rejected when they dare to ask the questions. Today, again, the Church sought to push out women who are asking the questions.”

Good article in New York Times: Missions Signal a Growing Role for Mormon Women

Eli & Hannah: How Mormons Can Reverence Sacred Space & Divine Petition
excerpt: "Eli initially mistook Hannah's engagement for disengagement. He was put off by her struggle before God, thinking that her struggling in such a public place and way originated out of a lack of reverence for what they both held sacred. But Hannah publicly "petitioned" the Lord because she felt in her soul a destiny that she needed the divine power in her life to accomplish. She had a vision of a work to do."

“Hannah’s Prayer in The Temple” by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld

A few people always seem to come away from these discussions thinking that I feel like women are the same as men. My friend Genevieve did a good job of expressing how I feel about that recently in a Facebook comment:

“I value complementary roles for men and women, and I don't think that men and women are the same. But whenever people try to define what exactly it is that makes women different, what is the essence of femininity, it never seems to work. This woman defined it as innate gentleness and charity, I think. But shouldn't we all, male and female, try to emulate the Savior's love and gentleness?”

“Christ had qualities that have been traditionally cast as stereotypically female (e.g. His     mercy, kindness, nurturing), as well as stereotypically male qualities. Since He is the exemplar for all Christians, this is a good indication that both men and women should develop gentleness and tenderness as well as strength, courage, and leadership.”

  
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addendum
I started this blog post a week and a half ago after reading the article in the Salt Lake Tribune saying that the Ordain Women may be banned from Temple Square.  I still don't agree with the Church asking them to stay off of Temple Square, or with the letter the church sent to OW (I don't think there has been meaningful discussion from the church about their or other feminist groups' concerns). However, I am very happy to find out that the church has reconsidered keeping Ordain Women off of Temple Square and has decided to let them on Temple Square. This makes me so glad and I think it was a very good decision on their part, for so many reasons. I can totally understand them not wanting news or professional photographers on temple square.  
500 Mormon women to enter Temple Square to seek priestood tickets

addendum 2
I was very disappointed to learn that after all the church asked Ordain Women not to come into the Temple Square to stand in line. (I think this was very wrong on their part to do.) They however did not tell them they absolutely COULD NOT come in. (That could be seen as a good tactical move on the churches part, if their plan was to make OW look bad.) Coming in anyway was not, I think, a good tactical move on the part of Ordain Women. If they had stood outside, they would have looked like martyrs. This way, those who have wanted to in the church have been able to point to them as disobeying.
(here is part 1 of 3)

(here is part 2 of 3)