My thoughts on Kate Kelly and the LDS equality dialogue

So, I kept going back and forth about whether I should post anything after the news of Kate Kelly broke and there was a lot of dialogue about women and their role in the LDS faith. I've decided to post but really don't feel obligated to read...I just felt like there was a chance that some of my friends might be curious what my thoughts were about all of this. If that description fits you, then please read on. I myself am pretty tired of the subject and don't necessarily want to call more attention to it but here I am writing anyway. As far as Kate Kelly and her membership status of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints goes, I don't really have much to say. I don't have any judgement about whether I think it was the right thing to do or not. I will say this about excommunication, it does not have to be an ending for anyone. It is something that happens in the church for a few reasons, in this instance it drew attention because of the position Kate Kelly has made for herself but this is by no means an isolated incident and I truly do not believe that the leaders involved in the decision had any manipulative intent. I think they did the best they knew how in the circumstances. So this is the bottom line for me that brings me great comfort as I go along in my day to day life - I have been taught and I firmly believe in a just and merciful God. I believe He knows the real intent of our hearts and I believe that He provides every possible opportunity for His children to gain their salvation. He sent His son to atone for all of us and to make salvation possible for everyone. I also believe in eternal progression and that we will get to continue to work out our salvation after this life. (Though I do believe our choices matter on this earth as well.) Okay, so now to address the question of women and the priesthood and equality in the LDS church. One of my favorite things that anyone has said to me is this, "You know....they say the female sex is supposed to be mild. But you're not. Mild." I don't consider myself a suppressed or limited woman in any respect and I like to think that those who know me would agree. I do what I want. I come from a long line of strong women, in fact, one of my great, great (I think it's two greats) grandmothers Martha Jane Knowlton Coray was the first woman to serve on the board of trustees for Brigham Young Academy which we now know as Brigham Young University. If you read the account I have linked to, you will see that she was a champion for education and a peer of the men in the church including the prophet, Brigham Young. My own mother was a strong woman. She valued education very much, all of her seven children have graduated from college and five of the seven have graduate degrees. She taught in the ghetto of Chicago when she and my dad lived here in the 70s. I always saw her as a leader in my ward while simultaneously offering love, acceptance and friendship to our fellow ward members and visitors. I have always seen myself as an equal and a peer to the men in my church. I feel like from a young age I learned how much my Heavenly Father loved me and I honestly feel like the teachings and even the culture of my church experience taught me that I could accomplish anything I wanted to and I've lived that way my whole life. I am always setting goals and trying to grow and I'm proud of the life I've lived. I feel like I've been able to serve right alongside the men in the church to make proposals for goals, growth and events that have been embraced and supported by my ward council. I'm kind of taking the long way to get there but my point is that I am equal and I am the only one who gets to decide if I am equal. I don't need anyone imposing any western constructs of equality or power on me to define that for me. I am the only one who gets to make that decision. I am tired of voices saying that I'm not equal because I vehemently disagree with that. For me I don't see equality being measured in terms of sameness. I see equality measured in terms of balance. I know my divine potential and that's enough for me. I don't need any calling or priesthood in this life to tell me that I'm equal. I know I already am. Martha Jane was described this way and I claim this for myself as well, "Very early in life she evinced a character in a degree somewhat rare for one of her sex--that is, of decidedly doing her own thinking; hence, before adopting any principle of religion, law, or politics, whether proposed by father, husband, priest, or king, she must clearly see and understand for herself the righteousness and consistency of the matter."