Mormonism and women facts for kids

The role of women in Mormonism has been a topic of discussion for a long time. Even before the death of Joseph Smith in 1844, people talked about it. Different groups within the Latter Day Saint movement have different ideas about women's roles. Some groups, like the Community of Christ, allow women to be ordained to the priesthood. Other groups, like The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often called the LDS Church), have a more traditional system. Some fundamentalist groups, like the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church), practice plural marriage, which means a man can have more than one wife.

Women in Church History: Early Days

In the past, many stories about Mormon history didn't mention women much. Early books about the church often left out the important roles women played. For example, a famous seven-volume history only mentioned a few women. However, some historians, like Edward Tullidge, did focus on women's contributions.

Many women had very important roles. Emma Hale Smith, who was Joseph Smith's wife, helped him write down the Book of Mormon. She also led the Relief Society, which is a women's organization within the church. It's one of the oldest and largest women's groups in the world.

Women's Rights and Voting

The Utah Territory was a leader in women's voting rights. In 1870, it was one of the first places in the United States to let women vote. Later, the government took this right away in 1887, but women in Utah got it back.

Mormon women also cared a lot about education and learning. Some women, like Bathsheba W. Smith, even went on missions to talk about "woman's rights." The Woman's Exponent magazine, which was connected to the Relief Society, wrote in 1920 that women should have "equal rights before the law, equal pay for equal work, [and] equal political rights." They said women's place wasn't just at home, but also "in the library, the laboratory, the observatory."

In 1875, Emmeline B. Wells, a leader in the Relief Society, said that women should speak for themselves. She believed that if speaking up was seen as manly, then it was a good thing.

Utah in the late 1800s also had very open divorce laws. These laws helped women. Any woman who wanted a divorce could get one easily. One of Brigham Young's wives divorced him and became a successful public speaker. The divorce rate in Utah was quite high back then, partly because people from other states came to Utah for easy divorces. In 1896, Martha Hughes Cannon was the first woman in the nation elected to a state senate. She even ran against her own husband!

Blessings and Priesthood Authority

In the early days of the church, women sometimes gave special "women's blessings" by placing their hands on others. Patty Bartlett Sessions, a midwife, wrote about giving and receiving these blessings from other women. Louisa Barnes Pratt, a pioneer and missionary, also did this. These blessings were a normal part of religious life at the time.

Eliza R. Snow, a Relief Society president, believed women didn't need to be officially set apart to perform certain temple duties or help the sick. She also suggested that women talk about personal problems with their Relief Society leaders instead of male leaders. Women also took part in a group called the Anointed Quorum in the early church.

Today, the LDS Church teaches that blessings by laying on of hands are only done by men who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood. However, an essay from the church's website in 2015 said that while women are not ordained to the priesthood, they do use priesthood authority without being ordained.

Family Structures and Roles

The role of women in the LDS Church has been discussed since the 1800s, especially because of the practice of polygamy. Polygamy means a man has more than one wife. This practice began in the church in 1831 after Joseph Smith prayed about it. It continued until 1890, when Wilford Woodruff received a revelation that ended it for the main church. After this, some groups left the church to continue polygamy, but these groups are not connected to the LDS Church today.

Even though some church leaders had large families with many wives, most men who practiced polygamy only had two wives. Women could also divorce their husbands. At its peak in 1870, only about 25 to 30 percent of church members were part of polygamous families.

Despite the challenges, women in the 1800s played important public leadership roles in Mormon culture and beliefs. Some people believe that this time was when women had the most influence and leadership in the church.

When people talk about polygamy, they often think of two extremes: women were either very powerful or completely controlled. But it's important to remember that Mormon women chose to be part of polygamy, and it was a part of their daily lives. For many, it was a difficult experience that tested their faith. It also helped them feel closer to God. Many women who were new converts believed their struggles helped them become better people. Some mothers even discouraged their daughters from entering plural marriages. For many, accepting polygamy was a very hard decision that brought them closer to God.

For some women, like Hannah Tapfield King, plural marriage was a way to receive important blessings for their eternal lives. Edith Turbin once said she would rather be the 20th wife of a good, God-fearing man than the only wife of most men in the world.

Gender Roles in the Church

The LDS Church has traditional views on gender roles. Women have leadership roles over children and other women, but they are guided by male leaders who hold the priesthood. Women are "endowed" with priesthood power, but they are not ordained to priesthood office.

Women are not considered official clergy, but they play a big part in local church groups. They teach classes to adults, teenagers, and children. They also organize social, educational, and service activities. Women can serve as missionaries. A few women can also perform certain temple duties for other women.

In 2012, a survey found that if married to an LDS spouse, men and women had similar levels of church activity. However, almost half of the men surveyed thought a good Latter-day Saint should obey without knowing why, while only 31 percent of women agreed. About 20 percent of LDS women felt that "women do not have enough say in the church."

In 2019, the church announced that any baptized woman could be a witness for a baptism outside the temple. Also, any woman with a current temple recommend could be a witness for baptisms for deceased people. And any endowed woman with a current temple recommend could witness temple sealing ceremonies.

Marriage and Family Life

In 1852, Orson Pratt wrote that a woman should marry a man only if she was ready to "submit herself wholly to his counsel." In 1972, church president Harold B. Lee said that a wife should obey her husband, but only if he obeys God's laws. In contrast, Spencer W. Kimball said that a man "presides" rather than "rules." Early prophet Brigham Young had some strong opinions, saying that women's influence over him was like "the buzzing of a fly’s wing."

Initially, early church members called polygamy "celestial" marriage. Now, "celestial" marriage refers to marriages performed in the temple. After polygamy ended, some members felt there weren't enough Mormon men for women to marry, even though there were. Stories in the Young Woman's Journal tried to make religious marriage seem romantic.

Unmarried LDS women are promised that if they are faithful, they will have the chance to marry in the afterlife.

Work and Raising Children

The Family: A Proclamation to the World says that "Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children." The church's website also states that women have "the greater gift and responsibility for home and children." Church leaders have often said that women are different from men, not just physically, but spiritually too. Harold B. Lee said women have a special "mother's intuition."

However, Brigham Young also said that women should have the chance to study and work in many fields. He believed women were useful for more than just housework and raising babies. He thought they could be mathematicians, accountants, lawyers, doctors, or bookkeepers. In 1874, Utah had many educated and professional women, and visitors noted that women could work in any job.

After the church officially ended polygamy, members adopted more traditional views about women working outside the home. By 1920, the church's ideas for women were similar to society's. In the 1960s and 70s, some church leaders strongly advised married women not to work outside the home. Spencer W. Kimball said that many divorces could be linked to wives leaving home for jobs.

Gordon B. Hinckley made exceptions for single mothers and others who needed to work. He said, "do the very best you can." A 1986 article in the Ensign magazine said that husbands and wives share the responsibility of providing for their children. It also said that each family should pray about whether a mother should work.

Modesty and Dress Standards

Brigham Young believed that women's clothing should show they were different from the world. He once told his daughters to stop following worldly fashions and to dress more simply.

After a church leader complained about how some LDS women dressed, the Relief Society and other women's organizations issued dress guidelines in 1917. These guidelines weren't always followed. In 1951, Elder Spencer W. Kimball gave a talk about modesty. He said that Latter-day Saint women should have their own unique style that didn't include strapless dresses, shorts, tight sweaters, or low-cut dresses. Many women changed their clothes to follow his advice.

In the 1960s, the counterculture movement influenced how young Mormons dressed. Short skirts, long hair, and casual clothing became popular. Church leaders worried that these fashions would harm morals. They started giving stricter advice on dress codes. Women's dress standards were created to protect their virtue. Mini-skirts were especially seen as immodest. The church also encouraged women to dress more femininely as gender-neutral styles became popular. A feminine dress style was linked to accepting traditional female roles.

In 1965, the first For the Strength of Youth pamphlet was published. It said that skirts should cover the kneecaps and forbade low-cut or strapless clothing. It encouraged women to "always try to look feminine" and said that pants were only for hiking or sports. Later versions of the pamphlet continued to give advice on modest dress.

Finding modest dresses, shorts, and swimsuits can be a challenge for some LDS women. In 1976, a group of women in California sewed their own modest swimsuits. Another group of young women in Kansas worked with a store to suggest modest dress ideas, and over 9,000 women signed a petition supporting more modest dresses.

In 2012 and 2013, some LDS women participated in "Wear Pants to Church Day." They wore pants instead of dresses to encourage gender equality in the church. Over a thousand women took part in 2012.

In 2017, the church announced that its female employees could wear "professional pantsuits and dress slacks" at work. Before this, only dresses and skirts were allowed. In 2018, female missionaries were allowed to wear dress slacks, except when attending the temple, Sunday services, baptisms, and leadership meetings.

The current For the Strength of Youth pamphlet tells young women to avoid short shorts and skirts, shirts that don't cover the stomach, and clothing that doesn't cover the shoulders or is low-cut. It also advises women to wear only one pair of earrings. Women who have gone through the temple endowment wear temple garments, and their clothing must cover these garments. Some members feel that emphasizing modesty too much makes women judge each other by their looks. Others believe that dressing modestly helps people act modestly.

Women in the Temple

Temple Endowment Changes

In the past, a policy from 1936 said that women whose husbands were not endowed could not receive their own temple endowment. This was to keep peace in the home. This policy gradually changed. By 1986, all women whose husbands were not endowed could receive their own endowment, as long as their husbands agreed.

In the temple endowment ceremony, women were once told they would be a priestess "unto her husband," while men were promised they would be priests to God. But in January 2019, this was removed from the ceremony. Other changes in 2019 included more lines for Eve in the ritual. Also in 2019, the church said that covering an endowed woman's face before burial is now optional. It used to be required. The church said it could be done if the woman wanted it while she was alive. If her wishes weren't known, her family should be asked. That same year, the practice of women veiling their faces during part of the temple endowment ceremony was stopped.

Prayer Circles

In current temple practice, the endowment ritual includes a prayer circle. In this, some people stand in a circle and repeat a prayer. Women were first included in this ceremony in 1843. After 1846, it was less common for women to join prayer circles without their husbands. Under Eliza R. Snow's guidance, some women created women-only prayer circles. In 1896, church leaders advised against Relief Society prayer circles, but some groups continued the practice. In 1978, the church stopped all prayer circles except those done in a temple as part of the endowment.

Important Women in Faith

Heavenly Mother

Along with supporting women's rights in society, women in Utah, like the poet Eliza R. Snow, also spoke about women's equality in spiritual matters. This included the idea of a Heavenly Mother. Joseph Smith talked about the idea of a Heavenly Mother as early as the 1840s. The idea grew to be about a loving mother who sent us on our journey to earth and who will welcome us back after death. As written in poems by Mormon authors, Heavenly Mother "oversees key moments for individual souls." These ideas were common in the early 1800s. Today, church leaders still mention Heavenly Mother, though less often than in early church history. Neal A. Maxwell supported the idea of a homecoming to Heavenly Mother, asking, "Could such a regal homecoming be possible without the anticipatory arrangements of a Heavenly Mother?"

In the 1970s and 1980s, church members started writing about Heavenly Mother and even praying to her in meetings. In the 1980s and 1990s, the church stopped these practices.

Eve

Mormonism does not believe in the idea of original sin, which says that all humans inherit the sin of Adam and Eve when they ate the forbidden fruit. Historically, this sin was often blamed on Eve, and was thought to be why women were seen as submissive. The second Article of Faith states, "We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression."

Changes in Church Policies for Women (20th and 21st Centuries)

In 1970, the First Presidency made the Relief Society an auxiliary (supporting) organization to the church. This meant they no longer had independent financial status. In 1977, N. Eldon Tanner, a member of the First Presidency, said that the Relief Society president should be seen as a partner with the Melchizedek priesthood.

During the time Spencer W. Kimball was President of the Church, several changes happened. Young women's class achievements were recognized in sacrament meeting. In 1978, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles allowed women to pray in sacrament meetings again. Women had not been allowed to pray in sacrament meetings from 1967 to 1978.

In 1980, the general presidents of the Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary were invited to sit on the stand with the male general authorities during general conference. In 1984, a woman spoke in general conference for the first time since 1930. Since then, women have spoken in every general conference. In 1978, a conference session specifically for women was added. In April 2013, women gave prayers for the first time in a general session of conference.

In 2013, the church changed the leadership council in its missions to include a greater role for the wife of the mission president. They also created a new role called "sister training leader." This expanded the use of councils to lead the church at every level. Also in 2013, the group Ordain Women was formed by LDS women who wanted women to be ordained to the priesthood.

On November 1, 2013, the church announced that starting in 2014, a general women's meeting would be held before the main general conferences. In 2015, the church appointed women to its executive councils for the first time. Linda K. Burton, president of the Relief Society, Rosemary Wixom, president of the Primary, and Bonnie L. Oscarson, president of the Young Women's organization, were appointed to three high-level church councils.

Mormon Feminism

Mormon feminism is a movement that focuses on the role of women within Mormonism. Mormon feminists want more recognition for Heavenly Mother. They also advocate for the ordination of women, gender equality, and social justice based on Mormon beliefs and history. This modern movement has roots that go back to the early days of Mormonism. This includes the Relief Society, which was largely independent, and women giving priesthood blessings in early church history. It also connects to the women's suffrage movement in the western United States.

Fundamentalist Groups

Mormon fundamentalists are groups or individuals who have separated from the main LDS Church. Many of these groups are in small, isolated communities in the Western United States, western Canada, and Mexico. Mormon fundamentalists want to return to older Mormon beliefs and practices that they feel were wrongly abandoned. These include plural marriage (polygamy), the law of consecration, and other older doctrines.

Plural marriage is usually the most important difference between fundamentalists and the mainstream LDS Church. In Mormon fundamentalist groups, women are often expected to follow very traditional roles and, in many cases, participate in plural marriage.

Even though women in fundamentalist groups are often expected to raise children and do housework, it's not always true that all women in polygamous relationships in these groups are powerless. Mormon women in fundamentalist groups experience their gender roles differently than women in the LDS church. Some wives in polygamous marriages feel closer to their "sister wives" (other wives of their husband) than to their husband. In some polygamous relationships, a wife might encourage her husband to spend time with his other wives. Sister wives often help each other with child-rearing, cooking, and other household tasks. Women in polygamous relationships often have their own bedrooms, and their husbands are treated more like visitors. Sister wives also sometimes control the household's money.