Ride to Priesthood Session with Ordain Women

By

Heather

– October 27, 2013Posted in: Columns, Ride to Church

A couple weeks ago, I flew to Salt Lake City to attend the all-male priesthood session of the General Conference of my church.   For the record, plenty of Mormons fly to SLC to attend General Conference.   It’s kind of  like taking a hajj to Mecca.   I haven’t been in years, so I’d forgotten what Temple Square is like on conference weekend.   So many people!   Moms, dads, babies, toddlers, strollers, generations of people, happy picture-taking, laughing, hymn singing – it’s like a big huge Mormon extended family reunion.

My conference weekend was no different–except I wasn’t actually allowed to attend the session I had gone to attend, being female and all.

But no matter. The whole experience was absolutely transformational in a way that I’m not quite ready to even try to articulate beyond just these few sentences, for now.   Brent and I talked with our kids about what I was doing and why.   Stuart was worried I would be hurt or would “get in trouble.”   I told him I’d be fine for the weekend, but couldn’t make any promises about not getting “in trouble” afterwards.   [For the record, public dissent is not really allowed in the Mormon church; google “September Six” if you want to know more.]  

However, I do not feel like we were dissenting.   The women and men I know who  are part of Ordain Women love the Mormon church and our  fellow church members.   We want to be allowed to fully participate, as equals, in leading and governing and serving in  our church.  

So here is a too-long slide show of what my “ride” to priesthood session looked like on October 5, 2013:

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Tags: mormon, ordain women, ordination, priesthood

4 Comments

1. Kate Kelly

   Posted October 27, 2013 at 11:06 AM

   Love this slideshow!!

2. Juliathepoet

   Posted October 27, 2013 at 11:52 AM

   Great slide show! I hope that as more people personally process their experiences, we will see and read more about how it impacted those who participated. For me at home, the irony that Ordain Women members had been kept out, while a talk was giving condemning actions that push us away from others, was not lost on many. I am not a member of OW, but fully support its members and goals. I’m pretty open about that, and I have had several opportunities to talk with friends, and to several set of our local sister missionaries about OW, feminism, and the contrast between the actions outside, and the clarity and confirmation that many felt, that OW members should have been allowed in to hear the words of The Lord.

   I will try to put together more of my thoughts, as last Sunday, I had the chance to speak briefly with a man from my “home ward,” who reminded me of a blessing over 20 years ago, that he gave me. It was significant enough that he wrote it down, and has memorized it over the years. Seeing the members of OW, when he went to Priesthood Session, brought it back into his mind. Thank you for being there. Thank you for your patience with those who are working out where we fit in, and whether OW is where we belong. Pictures and stories of those who participated have helped me as part of that journey.

3. Laura

   Posted October 27, 2013 at 6:42 PM

   Thank you for this. The pictures are wonderful! I also really appreciated hearing from you and the other sisters on the Mormon Stories podcast. Your bravery in being willing to publicly declare what you believe in is truly inspiring!

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