How far may a woman progress in the Church of the Latter Day Saints?

Answer 1

This is a difficult question to answer because Mormons don't view their church as a hierarchical organization in which one's goal is to progress through various leadership roles. In fact, Mormons believe that it is wrong to seek for power and authority, and that it is sinful to aspire to leadership positions. Additionally, nearly every position within the church is temporary and assigned - these assignments are rotated on a regular basis based on both inspiration and need. For example, the man who is Bishop this year might be a church librarian or custodian next year, not because he has been 'demoted' or done anything wrong, but just because his turn is up and it's time to rotate that responsibility to someone else. There is no moving 'up' or 'down', only across. Church Apostle Dallin H. Oaks said in 2003 "There is no up or down in Church positions, we just move around. A Bishop...called to teach [children] in Primary does not move down, he moves forward..."

Women participate fully in every level of Church leadership. At the congregational level, women preach, lead prayers, and teach lessons every week (to both men and women). Each congregation is lead by a 'leadership council' - which consists of both men and women (usually close to an even number of each gender). The head of the council is the Bishop, who is always a man, but he may not make any decisions for the congregation without the leadership council's approval. While women are not technically 'ordained' to the priesthood, they are blessed by the laying on of hands to recieve both the inspiration and authority needed in order to fulfill whatever role they have been assigned, just as men are. They have equal access as men do to the power and blessings of the priesthood in fulfilling their assigned roles. This pattern is reflected in the international leadership of the Church as well, where females lead the Relief Society, youth, and children's organizations, preach and pray in church-wide meetings, and work closely with male leaders, including the Apostles and Prophet, in writing curriculum and making policy changes that affect the worldwide church.

When most Mormons think of 'progression', they don't think of Church leadership, but of spiritual development. In this realm, men and women are total equals, and in fact, are co-equal and inter-dependent. Women have equal access to and participation in all spiritual matters and all religious practices. There is no meeting, ordinance or ceremony within Mormonism in which women are not allowed to participate. Women have equal access to blessings and inspiration from God, and are expected to work as a team with their husbands when it comes to leading and teaching their families. Perhaps the most significant example of the spiritual equality of each gender in Mormonism is the belief that a man cannot enter the highest levels of heaven without being 'sealed' to a woman, and that a woman cannot enter the highest levels heaven without being 'sealed' to a man. They must work together in unity in order to achieve the goal of salvation and exaltation (the only 'progression' that either should aspire to), and in this way "neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 11:11)

As a female member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I feel that I am treated as an equal with my male counterparts. While the focus of our responsibilities is different, our power or influence is equal. Women focus mostly on temporal service, teaching children and youth, supporting families, and being examples of charity, faith and morality. Most women have an innate, God-given talent for these things. Men focus more on the technical and organizational side of things, as well as doing most of the 'manual/physical labor' type duties. The only difference I see is that women cannot perform certain ordinances (baptism, sacrament, etc) - but since we are expected to play an equal role in teaching and preparing others to receive them, as well as encouraging the men to be worthy of performing them, I have no problem with being exempted from this responsibility.

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