A long-awaited survey of LDS attitudes toward gender relationships and women’s ordination has begun to yield intriguing snapshots of just where we are within Mormonism on these issues—with continued analysis yet to come. In this episode, survey team members Nancy Ross, Michael Nielsen, and Stephen Merino join Jana Riess and Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon for a discussion of the survey—its origins, goals, methods—and key preliminary findings. For those interested in seeing more forward movement within Mormonism regarding gender and greater representation of women in leadership councils, and perhaps even ordination, what are reasons for hope? What does the survey suggest (or the panelists see) as issues and structures and attitudes that need much greater attention before this strong movement can happen?
Please listen and share your thoughts, questions, and suggestions in the comments section below!
Links:
Mormon Gender Issues Survey report
Gordon Shepard, Lavina Fielding Anderson, Gary Shephard, eds., Voices for Equality: Ordain Women and Resurgent Mormon Feminism (Kofford Books, 2015) Contains an essay about the survey.
Randall Balmer and Jana Riess, eds., Mormonism and American Politics (Religion, Culture, and Public Life), (Columbia University Press, 2015).
Comments 1
Thank you for a compelling discussion of the results of the gender survey. What fascinated me is that there was still a percentage of the sample that wouldn’t support women receiving the priesthood even if it were revealed to the prophet/apostles. I assumed that most people opposed to women’s ordination were doing so to keep in line with current LDS policy, but this suggests that there is a portion of the church that is against the idea whether it is endorsed by the senior 15 or not. I find that a little disturbing.