“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of youbut to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” –Micah 6:8.
Why I’m a Mormon Feminist
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 towardsa world in which all people, regardless of sex, race, or class, are treated with fairness, respectand afforded opportunities to progress and contribute. As a Mormon feminist, I hope for the daywhen women’s voices are equally included and valued in Church settings. I hope for the day whenMormon women have a greater sphere to act and contribute within the Church. I hope for the daywhen any vestiges of hierarchy between men and women, vestiges which linger in our Mormonpractice, culture, and ideas, disappear. I hope for the day when Mormon women embrace theirlimitless 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 thevision 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 includeand 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 requirementmentioned in Micah: to walk humbly with God. I interpret this to mean being open to God and theSpirit 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 theconcerns of the downtrodden, prompting us to recognize the divinity within ourselves and others. I lovethe idea of God helping us to transcend our petty selves, our narrow constraints, to reach out in radicalfellowship to all.
Because I am drawn to these concepts mentioned in Micah, I am a Mormon feminist. It’s what I believeGod wants me to be.