What Mormon Women Want

There's been a lot of talk recently about "what Mormon women want". The Salt Lake Tribune even hosted a live chat session about it. As if all Mormon women are disaffected and dissatisfied, and as if all Mormon men are misogynists. I for one don't really get what all the fuss is about. Women wanting the priesthood, women thinking that we're treated as second class citizens, women complaining about how put upon and miserable they are, and how they want this or that. Frankly, these conversations bore me.

Sure - some things are lousy. But the thing about "wanting", is that it doesn't necessarily correspond to "need", or "essential". We all want things, but maybe we should ask ourselves the following questions first:

Why do you want it? What will it cost you to get it? How will it make your life better? Will it make you a better follower of Christ?

If you can honestly answer that it's a necessity, and that the benefit outweighs the costs, then by all means, go bang your drum. But if you can't, then I invite you to look at it differently, and perhaps think about what it is you really do want.

In no particular order, here are some things this Mormon woman wants:

I want to serve
I want to bear testimony
I want to relive burdens
I want to be in the Temple
I want to learn
I want to be forgiven
I want to be clean
I want to be courageous
I want to be of good cheer
I want to love and be loved
I want to matter
I want to teach
I want to believe
I want a change of heart
I want to have charity
I want to feel close to God
I want to feel the Holy Ghost
I want to be faithful
I want to be converted
I want to be true
I want to follow the Prophet(s)
I want to be like Jesus

When I look at things this way, the other things, the things that are petty, or minor annoyances, or even things that really are difficult, just don't seem to matter as much. There's plenty of room for my own improvement.

#whatthismormonwomanwants

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