Sunday, January 7, 2024

John A. Widtsoe on "Woman's Place in the Church"

  

Woman’s Place in the Church. The Church teaches that men and women differ only in their natural physiological functions. Woman therefore stands by the side of man within the Church. She has access to every Church privilege save that of the Priesthood and its offices. She may hold auxiliary offices of great importance and may take part in the teaching, proselyting and temple activities of the Church. She has always had full voting franchise, and joins with man in sustaining by vote, the officers of the Church. She has always had full voting franchise, and joins with man in sustaining, by vote, the officers of the Church. As far as the Church has been able, she has also been given full civic franchise. The first civic election in the United States in which women took full part was held in Utah, when the State was largely “Mormon” in 1870.

 

Woman does not hold the Priesthood, but she is a partaker of the blessings of the Priesthood. That is, the man holds the Priesthood, performs the priestly duties of the Church, but his wife enjoys with him every other privilege derived from the possession of the Priesthood. This is made clear, as an example, in the Temple service of the Church. The ordinances of the Temple are distinctly of Priesthood character, yet women have access to all of them, and the highest blessings of the Temple are conferred only upon a man and his wife jointly.

 

The Church recognizes the different functions of man and woman within the family. (By natural law woman is the childbearer, and in general practice, the rearer of the family. No greater responsibility can devolve upon any member of society. Because of this important function woman is cherished and held in high regard. Since she is the teacher as well as the bearer of children, full educational opportunities are provided here, and several auxiliary organizations of the Church are directed by women for women’s welfare, and others are available as readily to women as to men. Man is the presiding officer of the household, the spokesman, and the provider for the family. Woman of necessity, during many years of her life, is kept at home; man is in active service outside of the home. Man holds the Priesthood, and performs the many necessary outside Church duties; woman receives the blessings of the Priesthood, and is obliged to spend much of her time in the home. In this manner, a fine type of teamwork is developed between a man and his wife, for the development of their family and themselves.

 

The Latter-day Saints look with disfavor upon any attempt to make woman an inferior being. (John A. Widtsoe, Program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [Salt Lake City: The Deseret News Press, 1937], 80-82)