Leadership and LDS Women: Carpools and Conference Calls

Recently the Press has spent a good bit of time questioning whether LDS Women are given the same leadership rolls as men. Many focus on the influence of only a few visible positions as a measure of all women's experiences in the Church.

Many people miss the equality of opportunity given to women in the organizations of the Mormon Church. I want to stand up and be counted. My husband and I jointly share the Presidency of a Brigham Young University Alumni Society for people who have shown a desire and skill to lead. No, BYU isn't the Mormon Church, but it runs on the same principles.

 In my normal life I am a housewife and a mother. I teach part-time. When my kids were younger I did the carpool thing like so many other women. But when I go to BYU, I am an executive. I help organize meetings that involve well-known leaders in government and in the church. through my duties I have met with many of the same men who are addressing the general membership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during LDS General Conference. I have had the blessing of meeting with Apostles and Seventies and I can say that I have never felt that they looked down on my leadership responsibilities or capabilities. My husband and I are actually in positions of leadership over two Apostles. I have very different responsibilities from them, but my net of service takes their needs and interests into account. Within the bounds of the Society that I help to lead, I, as a woman, have authority over them.

I acknowledge that women can experience oppression. Women can be marginalized, but it isn't through the leadership of a truly Christ like man. Real men, real leaders and real followers of Christ know that sometimes it is a woman' s place to be at the head of an organization and they respect and honor these women as they serve and as they receive personal revelation for their stewardship.

Women and leadership in the LDS Church means I give prayers at meetings full of high powered men. My contributions are heard and my experiences are honored. I am also lucky to have had other bright, determine and talented women as my role models. All of them active and satisfied leaders of their families, communities, employers and the world.

Some days I wish I had fewer leadership opportunities! I could have more time to feel bored and dissatisfied with my life. For now, I will just have to accept my loss of free time with family and the extra time and expense and sleepless nights and worries about budgets and conference calls. Lack of Leadership responsibilities for LDS women? Some days, I sure wish that were my problem!