Why I will NOT wear pants December 16th

Okay, I’m mad and taking a stand. Normally, I’m pretty easy going about most things and not prone to voicing an opinion, but I can’t sit idly by this time.

A group has been started on Facebook asking the women of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to wear pants to church to protest the inequality occurring in the church. The group is called All Enlisted and as you can see from this article and the 300+ comments, it has generated some strong feelings. Mine included. This isn’t just about wearing pants, this is about the Priesthood. If you listen to the interview of one of the founding members of this “protest” you’ll see that she is talking about making women priesthood holders.

So, now that you have that background information, I present to you a parable.

There are two children, a boy and a girl. Both are intelligent, capable, strong, and well loved. Their grandfather decides to buy a present for each of them. He carefully considered their personalities, skills, natural talents, and interests before selecting a different gift for each of them. He lovingly wrapped them and smiled fondly as he imagined their responses.

He arrived at their house and gave his gift to his granddaughter first. She tore into the wrapping paper in excitement and was thrilled with her gift. In her excitement, she forgot to say thank you, but the grandfather knew it was okay and that she’d thank him when she remembered.

Then he gave his gift to his grandson while his granddaughter watched. Eagerly, the boy opened his present and was surprised and excited about his gift. Immediately the girl’s face fell. She threw her gift on the floor and announced that her brother had gotten the better gift and she didn’t want hers anymore. Or, even worse, she holds her gift possessively but announces that she wants her brother’s gift as well as her own.

As a parent, either one of those situations is mortifying, but it is very applicable to what is being instigated by this group.

They say they are demanding equality, but since when does being “equal” mean being “identical?” In case they missed it, there are a lot of things that no matter how hard they try will never be “equal” between men and women. For starters, physical size and strength are not going to be the same unless women start taking some serious drugs. Need I mention facial hair? Or how many men do you know who have a secret burning desire to give birth? Or wear a bra? How about pantyhose and heels? How many women do you know who want to wear a wool suit and tie during the heat of the summer? One of the comments on the first site talks about how a pound of oranges and a pound of apples both weigh a pound, so they are “equal” but are completely different fruits.

Someone else compared this to the civil rights movement or the suffragette movement. While I concede that there are similarities, there are also some profound differences. The Constitution of the United States, Amendment 14 says, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” (emphasis added)

The civil rights movement was correct in abolishing unfair laws that treated blacks as second class citizens. The suffragette movement was correct in abolishing laws that treated women as second class citizens. Both movements are correct and protected under the Constitution.

The First Amendment states,”Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;…” Guess what? That means the government can’t institute a state or national religion nor can they dictate what and how a religion practices.

The last time I checked, member of the LDS faith believe God is the head of the Church, not man. The Prophet is the representative here on earth, but Heavenly Father and Christ are at its head. The organization of the church is divinely instituted. Are you really going to go before God and have the audacity to say, “Yeah, I believe your gospel, all except this part. I want you to change it now because I think you are old-fashioned and out of touch with reality” ? Do you really expect the Divine to bow to the philosophies of man?

Either this church is organized by Heavenly Father, for the express purpose of worshiping Him as outlined by HIS plan, or its the Church of Man and both the Bible and The Book of Mormon have some pretty strong words about the Church of Man.

Now, I know that out there you’ll find some people who are members of the church who can be misogynistic. You’ll find the same thing in Islam, Judaism, as well as Catholicism or any other religion. Even among those who claim no religion. Being a jerk is a personal choice, not something decreed by Heaven.

If you are feeling undervalued and overlooked, then I suggest you take a close look at the relationships you are in and your own sense of self-worth first before you demand that an entire religion caters to your feelings of inadequacy. The very first word in “Self-esteem” is “Self.” How do you value yourself? How do you esteem yourself? Then, put on your big-girl panties and take charge of your own life.

The men in the Priesthood don’t aspire to their roles. They don’t get paid, recompensed in any monetary fashion, and spend many sleepless nights pleading with heaven for guidance. If  you ask, most of them will tell you of the panic they felt when they got called as bishops, into bishoprics, as Elder’s Quorum Presidents, or any other callings. Not to mention the doubts about how they were going to manage it all and still be good husbands and fathers. Yeah, for most of them being a husband and father comes first.

Women of the church, thou shalt not covet.

Let me return to the parable I mentioned early. The best possible outcome is when the brother and sister look at their gifts and rejoice that they each got something different. They recognize that neither one has a “lesser” gift and that they are both important in their grandfather’s eyes. When they use those gifts together, then something wonderful happens, they are stronger for their efforts. They also both say “Thank you” and give their grandfather a hug of love and appreciation. Everyone likes to know their gifts are appreciated.