“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” –Micah 6:8.

I’m a Mormon feminist because I take seriously this verse in Micah.

In my mind, to do justice means to recognize the dignity of every human being, and to work towards a world in which all people, regardless of sex, race, or class, are treated with fairness, respect and afforded opportunities to progress and contribute. As a Mormon feminist, I hope for the day when women’s voices are equally included and valued in Church settings. I hope for the day when Mormon women have a greater sphere to act and contribute within the Church. I hope for the day when any vestiges of hierarchy between men and women, vestiges which linger in our Mormon practice, culture, and ideas, disappear. I hope for the day when Mormon women embrace their limitless selves without regard to any artificial or constraining ideas of what it means to be a woman.

For me, to act towards these ends is to do justice to my fellow human beings and to do justice to the vision which God has for God’s children. To do so, also, in my mind, is a living expression of kindness, as exemplified by Jesus Christ, who reached beyond the boundaries of his culture to love and include and feel the pain of those forgotten or despised by the rest of society.

As I journey forward as a Mormon feminist, I also hold closely to my heart that third requirement mentioned in Micah: to walk humbly with God. I interpret this to mean being open to God and the Spirit in my life. I am drawn to the concept of God working within me, working within each of us, prompting us to choose the better part, prompting us to love fearlessly, prompting us to look out for the concerns of the downtrodden, prompting us to recognize the divinity within ourselves and others. I love the idea of God helping us to transcend our petty selves, our narrow constraints, to reach out in radical fellowship to all.

Because I am drawn to these concepts mentioned in Micah, I am a Mormon feminist. It’s what I believe God wants me to be.