Women play an integral and vital role in the Mormon Church. Women in the Mormon Church are not oppressed. Within the church organization, men and women hold different roles and different responsibilities based on their innate God-given qualities. Women are valued and respected.

Mormon men and women are equal. They need each other. Mormon husbands and wives make covenants to the lord and to each other in the Mormon temple, where they are bound for time and eternity. On earth, they are to share responsibilities, and should consult each other in all decisions. Although women are to primarily care for her children, men are to take an active role in nurturing relationships with his children. The roles for Mormon men and women are clear in a document released by the first presidency, “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” The statement emphasizes the sanctity of the family and its eternal nature. The Proclamation states that “By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.”

Men and women have been given distinct and different Godly qualities. Men have the priesthood and women have the power to procreate and nurture a life. In the beginning of time, God created Adam. But it was soon decided that man could not live without woman. Man was incomplete without woman. If women had the priesthood, and men had the ability to birth children, they wouldn’t need each other. These separate yet equal roles make man and woman dependent on each other, which is an integral role in God’s plan, as mentioned before.

Men, because they hold the priesthood, have a great amount of responsibility and power in the home. However, women are not subject to their husbands. Women are to be treated as an equal partner in the home. Domestic abuse, both emotionally and physically, is considered abhorrence by the Mormon leaders. The Proclamation states that any individual who violates the “covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God.” Mormons have the right to divorce when absolutely necessary.

Men hold the priesthood. The power of the priesthood is given to every worthy male, beginning at the age of 12. Priesthood power allows a man to literally do the work of the Lord in a physical sense here on earth. Priesthood-holding males can give blessings, healings, prophecy, and hold priesthood keys with them as long as they keep themselves morally worthy. Priesthood-holding males also occupy most positions of leadership within the church, serving as bishops, stake presidents, members of the First Presidency, and prophet. And women receive full benefits and blessings received through the priesthood. Just because men hold the priesthood, does not mean that they have more blessings that the women. Their holding the priesthood merely facilitates blessings from Heavenly Father to the men and women of the church. Women have their own women’s group, The Relief Society, where they perform service, enrich each other’s lives, and learn valuable lessons applicable to their lives. Without women, the church system could not function. There are various reasons why women do not hold the priesthood. Many believe that since women have child-bearing abilities, they have an instinctive tie to the family. Men have the priesthood to create that tie and bond to the family. Without the priesthood, women still have the potential to become Gods in the life after, if they support and value the priesthood in this life. It is important to recognize that it is not that women are incapable or unworthy to hold the priesthood. It is simply unnecessary. In the history of the Mormon Church, there have been times when women have had priesthood power. Historians have found that the Prophet Joseph Smith originally ordained women to hold the priesthood. After Smith’s death in 1844, Mormon women were given the right to perform priesthood functions, allowing them to heal other women by anointing and blessing. Perhaps at the time, there was a need for priesthood holding women in the church. The church has refined itself in the past century and a half. Priesthood power held by women is no longer necessary. Church membership is approaching twelve million. With a strong number of priesthood-worthy males in the church, women are free from the calling of the priesthood and can focus on other duties, like that of strengthening the family. Priesthood power for women is unnecessary and somewhat redundant. Women were born with innate loving, caring, and nurturing qualities. Although men harbor these qualities also, priesthood power enables them to exude these characteristics that women feel naturally. Women simply do not need the priesthood. For some unknown reason, many believe that Mormon women are oppressed, are confined to their homes, are subject to their husbands, and have no say of what goes on in their homes and the church. This is false. Women are encouraged to be as educated as their male-counterparts. Education will prepare women for advanced careers, help them serve as better wives and mothers, and enable them to better serve others. Mormon women are not victims. In fact, Mormon young women attend “Young Women’s,” an organization within the church, comparable to girl scouts, which teach life’s lessons to young women in the church. They are encouraged to receive an education, travel, and are nurtured and loved by caring advisors. Currently, the average GPA of an incoming freshman at Brigham Young University, a private university operated by the Mormon Church, is a 3.75. Over half of students are young women, pursuing education, developing talents, and participating in service and church. Women at Brigham Young University participate on equal grounds as their male-counterparts. They are encouraged to pursue advanced degrees and fields including law, medicine, and business.

Women in the Mormon Church in this modern age are encouraged to “have it all”, but not all at the same time. Gordon B Hinckley recently addressed the women of the church saying, “If you will take control of your lives, the future is filled with opportunity and gladness. You cannot afford to waste your talents or your time.” Women are to fully develop every aspect of them selves. Yes, Mormon women are encouraged to marry and have children but at a time when she feels ready and it is a choice that will bring her joy at that moment in her life. Mormons believe those two pursuits to be extremely important in a woman’s life. But it is because through marriage and family women will better themselves and further develop and share their talents. Having a family will also bring them great joy. The Mormon Church does not tell its members when to marry or when to have children. The church does not regulate how many children a couple should have. Although big families are prevalent throughout Mormon culture, the Church does not specify a number and prophets have stated that it is a matter left to the couple and the Lord. Women and men have full control over their family. The official statement of the Church includes this language: “Husbands must be considerate of their wives, who have the greater responsibility not only of bearing children but of caring for them through childhood, and should help them conserve their health and strength. Gordon B Hinckley replied to one young woman, asking how many children was expected from Mormon couples, and he replied by saying “Build solid homes…I don’t care about the size, I care about the spirit.”

At the LDS General Young Women’s Meeting, Gordon B Hinckley informed the women that in today’s competitive age, women need to take advantage of every opportunity they are given. Hinckley stated, “Although some young women may plan on getting married, he said that is not a certainty and education will be of a great benefit…..Education is the key that will unlock the door of opportunity.”

The church has encouraged women, if their financial situation permits, to stay home with their children to raise and nurture their families. This counsel given by numerous prophets is not to belittle or hold back the women of the church. Numerous studies have shown that children who are raised by a stay-at-home mother perform better in school, have better self-esteem, and feel a heightened sense of familial support. Women are considered so virtuous in the Mormon Church. So virtuous in fact, that we believe children will suffer if they do not have a strong influence of a mother while growing up.

Despite the encouragement for women to stay home with their children, it is perfectly acceptable for Mormon women to pursue a career.

There are countless examples of Mormon women who embody feminist ideals. They are feminists in the sense that they believe women should be strong, capable, intelligent women who serve the Lord using their talents, and support men in their various callings within the church. Sheri Dew, who prominent in the LDS community, owns Deseret Book, a publishing company. She has written numerous books for Mormons, and has traveled the world from Africa, Latin America, and Asia, addressing topics about Mormonism. Her accomplishments boast being White House Delegate to the U.N.

Throughout my experience as a lifetime member of the Mormon Church, I have met numerous women who manage to fulfill their duties as wives and mothers, while also pursuing education and careers. Women have much to offer in the workplace as well as in the home. The church has recognized that some women find great joy being active in the workplace. Women may actively pursue careers, as long as their family doesn’t suffer. Whether or not the mother should work should be carefully discussed and examined by the husband and wife.

Mormon women play an active role in Church affairs. At the Bi-Annual Mormon conference, held in Salt Lake City, which is broadcast throughout the world, women speak and address the world, just as Mormon men do. In weekly Sunday meetings, women address the congregation, as their words and testimonies are just as valued as the men’s. They run their own women’s organization which serves millions of women within the church. Each year, thousands of young women serve as Mormon missionaries, teaching and bringing souls unto Christ worldwide. As women serve, they are thanked, appreciated and are simply irreplaceable in the Mormon Church.

The recent “LDS Gem” for families said,

Monday and Tuesday evening this week, PBS television stations throughout the U.S. will show a two-part documentary called ‘The Mormons.’ Initial reviews describe the programs as thoughtful and probing and compliment Church leaders and members for how they addressed difficult topics. To see reviews by ‘The New York Times’ and others–as well as the Church’s own response-visit the Newsroom at: http://www.newsroom.lds.org.

It was surprising to see such intense coverage of Mormon polygamy, along with coverage of non-LDS polygamist groups. While it’s hard to ignore that some of these Mormon fundamentalist groups definitely branched off from Mormonism in the early 20^th century, it would be very improper to imply any modern connection between current polygamists and Mormonism. Some feel that the line was crossed when these people, who aren’t Mormons, received coverage in a documentary on Mormons.

Polygamy in Mormon doctrine is a controversial issue. It was difficult to understand and controversial when it was instituted, when it was practiced (by relatively few, by the way), and when it was renounced, and it still is a point of difficulty today.

Some think that the change in policy on Mormon polygamy is evidence that Mormon prophets don’t receive revelation from God, but that they react to social and political pressures instead. Why would polygamy be good at one time and bad at another? The Book of Mormon suggests a practical approach in Jacob 2:27-28, 30:

Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none; For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts. . . For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things. (Emphasis added)

We cannot begin to list the possible reasons for the Lord to institute polygamy-his thoughts are higher than our thoughts. But as for changing Mormon policy-and this is not official doctrine or anything-our view of God as a Heavenly Father can shed some light as to why policies can change. Firstly, parents give their kids very different rules as they grow up. We see God’s rules change when he commands the end of the Law of Moses after the crucifixion-which is acknowledged by most Christians. God gives his children the laws they need when they need them to progress toward him. God’s not just there to command us, his purpose is to help us reach a goal of returning to him and being more like him.

If parents change the rules in the home to accommodate age, neighborhood, maturity level, and other factors, just so they can raise safe children and produce happy, confident adults, isn’t it plausible that God makes and changes rules based on what we need to grow up right? This life is a growing process, and sometimes we need different things. That’s why we have modern revelation and living Mormon prophets.

As for the documentaries, we have yet to see how they will effect the world’s view on Mormonism, or even how the Church will react. I sincerely hope that people will want to find out more about Mormons, and that they will be able to find good sources where true Mormon doctrine is available.

When the Church encourages its members to take a particular side in politics, it is always on issues of maintaining the family and morality, and not about particular candidates. The Church does not require any political allegiances, and many Mormons belong to the Democratic (and other non-GOP) parties.

Mormon Doctrine sometimes seems to favor certain ideologies over others, but no political party is in direct alignment with Church beliefs. The Mormon Church does stand against homosexual marriage, for the benefit of children and the traditional family-this isn’t because homosexual marriage somehow destroys families that already exist, but because it will destroy the benefits society gets from traditional marriage (by decreasing the incentive to marry heterosexually), like stable families that produce children that are healthy, happy, and productive. The Church believes that in general, abortion is wrong, but the Mormon Church also believes that there are situations in which abortion is the right answer, as in cases of rape, incest, or risk to the mother’s health.

The important thing about Mormon doctrine is that the Church doesn’t control people. Everyone has their own agency, and their own ability to vote how they like, with no consequences from the Church. The Church does not advocate or endorse and political candidates, and the political choices of Mormons are their own business. A large group of people who have the same beliefs can choose to advocate those beliefs differently from each other.

Every member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is autonomous in his or her actions. There are consequences to serious sins or crimes (taking away Church privileges or membership), but political leanings do not fall into those categories.

As the Church is getting much recognition (and sometimes insult) because Mormonism has been brought into the limelight, we need to be a good example of what Mormons are like, and what we believe. About Mitt Romney, he certainly isn’t controlled by the Mormon Church either. His presidential candidacy is about his own political leanings, and like any other religious leaders, he can make decisions with a basis in what the country needs outside of his religious beliefs. He will have to, since the Mormon Church rarely gives political advice.

Mormon temple marriage

In Mormon temples, we marry for eternity. We also make covenants to God that we will obey him for eternity. Marriage relationships compare easily to our relationships with God. In a marriage, love cannot thrive where there is no work. Married couples need to serve each other, do things together, work hard for the good of their family, and spend time in working to understand each other. Marriage relationships need to be nourished from the inside by unselfishness and willingness to listen to the other partner. Marriages do not survive without our watchful care.

Temple covenants with God need care, like a temple marriage

Just like some newlywed couples, we sometimes expect our relationship with God to be perfect, and for everything to keep itself up. We love him, after all. But we can’t expect “love” to carry the relationship through for us. God is perfect, and his love will always hold up his end of the bargain-he has already atoned for our sins and still does continually bless us. Our love, however, does not survive without hard work. We need to work with the Lord to serve his Church. We need to serve others with the aid of the Lord. We need to nourish our relationship with God by listening to him, being unselfish in our personal wants, and talking to him.

Even when one half of the relationship is being held up by Deity, we need to constantly watch and care for the bond. If we don’t, it may fail. This relationship is too important to let fall, and it is never the other party’s fault. We can tell ourselves we are too busy, too tired, or too mad to do our part to keep the relationship. People every day do it in their marriages, and we see the results in a high divorce rate. We cannot afford to not reach out, work, and listen unselfishly in our relationships, either with God or with our spouses.

Keeping temple covenants is the key to marriage relationships and relationships with God

As couples work hard to keep their marriages alive, they grow to love one another. Working together and serving each other have that amazing effect. In the same way, we can learn to love God more and know him more when we work with him and serve him. Keeping temple covenants is the key to upholding our end of the relationship, both with God and with our spouses. The spiritual strength that comes from obeying God has great power to heal marriages. Whether the relationship is with an imperfect, sometimes irresponsible, occasionally annoying mortal or with a perfect, loving Father in Heaven, we must do our all to hold up the relationship. Your relationships will always be your responsibility, and you have the power to keep them.

“As a husband and wife are each drawn to the Lord, as they learn to serve and cherish one another, as they share life experiences and grow together and become one, and as they are blessed through the uniting of their distinctive natures, they begin to realize the fulfillment that our Heavenly Father desires for His children. Ultimate happiness, which is the very object of the Father’s plan, is received through the making and honoring of eternal marriage covenants.” (”Marriage Is Essential to His Eternal Plan,” Ensign, Jun 2006, 86)

We have to do things in marriage that can be hard: serving each other, sharing life experiences (life can be difficult), uniting different natures, and keeping covenants. Everyone has struggles in doing these things, but these struggles help us grow closer to the Lord. The hard times and the strength we build to overcome them with the Lord are what bring the happiness and fulfillment God promises.

A temple marriage gives a couple covenants to keep that are goals for each of them in the marriage. As couples keep promises to the Lord, they will also keep promises to each other. God’s commandments are meant to bring people together, especially in marriages, and if we obey God, we can treat those around us the way Jesus would. In a marriage, there are many things that can divide the attention and devotion of either partner, whether it be a car, a job, some worldly goal, or another person, these things pull marriages apart. When couples let their devotion to each other only be partnered with a devotion to God, they grow closer together.

During the hard times, it is sometimes easier to turn to something outside of the marriage for help, comfort, or distraction. The only thing we can turn to that will help the family and the marriage is the Lord. He can help us heal and turn back to our marriages and families with love, growing closer to them by growing closer to him. Our marriages and families are what truly bring us happiness, both in this life and in the eternities. The Lord wants us to have that happiness, and he does everything to help us reach it. He gives us temple ordinances that unite families for eternity, and if we turn to him, he can give us the strength we need to keep marriages strong and families together.

The Mormon Prophet has told women that we can be blessed by Heavenly Father if we “support, sustain, uphold, and bless” our husbands. Women have an amazing power to influence and build up those around them, and it is the duty of women to use that powerful influence to encourage our families to choose the right.

It may seem like a lot for the Mormon Church to ask women to constantly lift up children and support husbands, but the blessings of that service are amazing. When we reach out to others to lift them up and help them on the right path, we can forget our own problems. The Lord has limitless power to help each of us with our own problems, and as we do his work by supporting our families in righteousness, he will do the work we cannot do by relieving some of the burden of our problems.

Jesus Christ has said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Sustaining our families is truly taking upon us the yoke of Christ; by doing so we can leave behind our own burdens. Not only do we then bear a light burden, but our burden is to be a light to others-an example of Christ and a help to those in need. As women, we are divinely designed by God to be nurturing, supportive, sensitive, and uplifting to those around us, and that influence is so badly needed in the family. In a world where children are pressured to pick up damaging habits, a world where men are undervalued and often scorned, wives and mothers have the power to overshadow these influences in the lives of their husbands and children. Even when husbands may not seem deserving of kindness, support, and outreach, women can leave the door open for their change and betterment.

We come to this earth charged with a mission: to learn to love and serve one another. To best help us accomplish this, God has placed us in families, for he knows that is where we can best learn to overcome selfishness and pride and to sacrifice for others and to make happiness and helpfulness and humility and love the very essence of our character. (John H. Groberg, “The Power of Family Prayer,” Ensign, May 1982, 50)

Sometimes we learn humility and gratitude when spouses or children give selflessly, but it seems that we are more often required to meet the needs of others. Mormons are encouraged to accept family responsibilities. While there are trials to family life, there is also great and deep joy. Our Heavenly Father knows each of us, and he gave us families not only because he knew that they would be the best for helping us grow up, but also because he knew that we could help these family members in ways nobody else can.

Like a math textbook, families are full of problems-and none of them are easy. Some problems seem tedious, some require knowledge of difficult concepts, and others seem out of our hands. But family problems, like math problems, are designed to help us learn. By reading the scriptures, including the Book of Mormon, we learn ways to be more like Christ; we then turn to the “homework pages”: our families. The knowledge of how to act is crucial, but not as crucial as the actions themselves in our learning and growth.

Family is extremely important to Mormons, and to many, it seems easiest to cling to the love of a spouse, the adoration of a child, or the care of a parent. While family ties are crucial, our relationships with our families and others around us depend on our relationship to the savior.

Forgiveness is a crucial part of family life in which the Savior is our only true example. In a marriage, a husband and wife are required to forgive one another. The act of forgiveness becomes so much easier with the knowledge that Jesus Christ, who is perfect, forgave those who crucified him as he hung on the cross. Can we hold a grudge against a spouse or brother for human mistakes (the same kind we make) when Christ would forgive them?

The strength family members receive from a real relationship with the Savior allows them to forgive one another. If we cling to Christ, he will lend us the ability to bear one another’s burdens and bring the uplifting spirit of Jesus into family life. While we must trust our families, if we trust in Christ most, he can help us keep our families whole and trustworthy. He can bless us with the ability to hold up our families in hard times.

If we cling to one another, we may fall together, being imperfect, but if we individually cling to Christ, we can rise together as the Lord lifts even one member of the family. The example of one family member’s willingness to act Christ like can be an inspiration to a whole family. Christ lifts us when we aren’t strong, and he can give us the strength to lift our families when no member of the family is feeling strong.

Because children learn by example, it is crucial that we let children see us doing the kinds of things we want them to do, like serving others, being happy, and studying the scriptures. An even better way to teach about the good feelings and blessings that come from keeping the commandments is to involve children in our activities and talk to them about the experience afterward. Children have different learning styles, so displaying good behaviors, having them join you in righteous activities, and then talking to them about the experience can help many children to understand how and why we obey God.

Family is of the utmost importance to Mormons, and we believe that family members, and especially parents, have responsibilities to the family. The family is the only steady and consistent part of a child’s life. Family remains the same no matter who their friends are, who is teaching them at school, what town they live in, or what Sunday School class they’re in. Only parents can truly know how their child is progressing, how he learns, what he likes to do, and where he needs to improve. Thus, only parents have the time and ability to teach directly to the needs of their children.

Children learn quickly when they are youngest, and the instruction and examples they receive in the very early years can be the most instrumental in forming who they are. If they develop a relationship of prayer and study with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ when they are young, they will be able to rely on that for comfort for a lifetime. By nature, children trust, love, and watch their parents more than any other adults. Parents have a unique opportunity to guide their children’s lives in a way no other people can. And of course, with this great power, parents are the only ones truly responsible for the teaching of their children.

There are so many reasons to teach our children. Their salvation and ours hang in the balance. But more than that, these children were born with and will develop amazing talents and abilities. They have special gifts that will allow them to bless the lives of others in ways nobody else can. Our posterity, like Abraham’s, can be a blessing to the world, but first we must give them what they need for their minds and spirits to grow.