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What are Mormon women like? Do Mormons believe in equality of men and women?

Official Answer

The Apostle Paul taught that “neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:11). In the sight of God, and in the marriage relationship, men and women are equally important.

By divine design, fathers are to watch over and teach their families in love and righteousness. They are to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers should help one another as equal partners. (Taken from “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” which was written by twelve modern Apostles through inspiration from the Lord.)

Both parents should be involved in the care and discipline of children. It is important to agree on family goals and be willing to work toward them with their children. If parents are not in harmony and do not have mutual respect, the children may become confused and lose confidence in their parents. Both parents should be unified and intimately involved in the upbringing of their children.

  • Taylor

    Mormon women are 100% cooler than I am. My mother has always been a huge force for good in my life and she stands as a living witness that LDS women are from all walks of life and are pretty darn sweet. My mother and father are definitely equal partners in their marriage, and that's how its supposed to be! In our church we're pretty proud of the fact that men and women contribute equally, and differently to their marriage relationship. Show more

  • Gloria

    We believe that men and women are equal in importance, but different in responsibilities and roles. We are two parts of a whole. Women can bear and raise children, men provide and protect. This may seem old-fashioned, but it works! My husband is the President of a company, and I tell him that he is the President at work, and I am the President of my own little corporation at home. I support him in his challenging job, and he supports me in mine. I do believe that "the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world"! I am caring for, teaching and nurturing children who will go out in the world and fulfill their own great destinies. I feel a huge responsibility to prepare them for what they will face in the future and to make sure that they have the ability/tools to handle whatever challenges life brings them. I have the greatest and most challenging job in the world! Show more

  • Beverly

    Mormon women are exactly like non-Mormon women in many ways. Some of us are stay-at-home mothers, while other Mormon women work outside the home. Regardless of our circumstances or choices in terms of employment, we try to work with our husbands and families as a team to get things taken care of within our homes. My husband is my partner and my best friend and vice versa for him. He doesn't "rule over me" any more than I would do the same to him. We are equal partners in our eternal marriage. The church teaches us to be kind to our families as well as our friends and we want to make our homes a kind of spiritual refuge for everybody. Show more

  • Sarah

    Mormon women are a lot like women everywhere! I'm a young, single Mormon woman, who pays her rent and works at a job and wears pants and basically acts like all the other women she knows. If you asked around at my job, probably the biggest thing people would say is that I never swear. When Mormon women are married, they have to work with their husbands to sort out who's in charge of what, what their expectations are of each other, etc., just like anyone else. A lot of Mormon women with kids, especially young kids, don't work full-time outside of the home - but a lot do. Most Mormon men that I know do a lot of the work at home, though the vast majority do hold outside jobs. It's a lot more important that a husband and wife get along and respect each other than that they conform to some specific social construction. There are lots of Mormon single parents, too. The community tries to help them, but in the end, they're obviously responsible for their entire household, whether they're male or female. As far as equality is concerned - that word is often misused. We're all children of our Heavenly Father, with tremendous opportunities and responsibilities. That we're all loved equally well doesn't mean that we're all the same. Husbands don't get to tell their wives what to do or vice-versa, but in the great scheme of things, they are held responsible for different things. Show more

  • Tawni

    I love this question and I love to answer it with a quote by Margaret D. Nadauld, "Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity." This is not to say that Mormon women are perfect, we all make mistakes, however every day we should be striving to become more like Christ. More tender, kind, refined, faithful, good, virtuous and pure. Men and women in the gospel are equal. Men have the privilege and responsibility of holding the priesthood and presiding over the home as the patriarch. However, women have the different yet equal privilege of bearing and nurturing children. The Apostle Paul taught that “neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:11). In the sight of God, and in the marriage relationship, men and women are equally important. Show more

  • Nicole

    Mormon women are strong. Mormon women are sure. We are taught from the time that we are tiny that we are daughters of God. Many people question equality between Mormon men and women because we believe in the traditional roles of the family, the classic stay-at-home mom and the working father. It makes me sad that society has degraded the role of a mother and made it seem undesirable and less than an occupation outside the home. We believe in eternal families. We believe that this life is the one time in all eternity that we are sent to be tried and tested. If those beliefs be true than there is nothing more noble and exciting than being a mother. To be chosen to bring life into the world and to steer that life to goodness and love is one of the greatest and most impressive things that can be done. I am proud to be a woman. I am excited to be a mother one day. I am an advocate for education and self-betterment for all. I value the differences of women from men. All of these things I learned to do from my religion. If that's not feminism I don't know what is. Show more

  • Angela

    Yes! We firmly believe that men and women are equal in the eyes of God and are given separate, but equally important responsibilities here on Earth. Men are given the power of the Priesthood, which allows them to do things for their families and others such as give blessings or baptize individuals. Women are given the sacred responsibility of bringing children into the world and to support their husbands with their responsibilities. Both parents are encouraged to teach gospel principles to their children together and to live in harmony with the Church. This is not to say women are not encouraged to pursue educational endeavors or career opportunities. Each family is different, we are encouraged to pray and make decisions based on what is best for our families. Every Mormon woman is different, but we all have something in common. We are all daughters of our Father in Heaven. Show more

  • Kathy

    In 1776 the Declaration of Independence declared all men to be equal. However in 1830 when the Book of Mormon was published and the church established women and people of color still had no legal rights. The Book of Mormon declared 'Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one... (1 Ne 17:35) and '..black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile' (2 Nephi 26:33). Joseph taught and lived this. He authorized the Church's women's organization The 'Relief Society'. When the church moved outside the U.S. borders, they created the State of Deseret with their own constitution which gave ALL adults the right to vote. The State of Deseret was later divided into US states. When the Woman's right to vote began in 1913, women had the right to vote in 4 states: Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado and Utah.- all part of the original State of Deseret with their large Mormon populations. The Relief Society actively supported the Sufferage movement. The church has always encouraged women to develop their skills and education. The Relief Society sent and paid the schooling for one of the first women at Medical School. Nothing has changed. Motherhood is emphasized because it can be a woman's greatest role - for children are our future. It can also be a woman's greatest joy. Jobs, looks, accomplishments etc will fade or be forgotten, but a loving close family won't, And thanks to grandchildren it will continue to expand. Show more

  • Amanda

    Mormon women are not looked upon as less important or essential than Mormon men. It is essential that both men and women are unified in purpose and righteousness to carry forth the Lord's work. Women have the sacred responsibility to nurture their children. This isn't to say that women cannot pursue education or a career. We as Mormon women must simply understand how vital our roles are as mothers and wives. Husbands and wives must work together to provide for each other and the needs of their children. Show more

  • Stephanie

    I think this is the question that I am most frequently asked. And as a woman and a member of this church, I consider myself an expert on the subject. Mormon women are like any body of women--we're all different. We have different goals, we have different backgrounds, and we all have our own and very different struggles. But, there is one thing that unites us: and that is the love we have for the gospel, and the love that our Father in Heaven has for us. We are His daughters. We are oh so special to Him. We have been sent to this earth with talents and abilities that He knows only we can fulfill. These are things that build His kingdom--that lift, inspire, and strengthen those around us. We believe that we are created equally. Women are not more special or more important than men. Men are not more special or more important than women. We are equal--but just because we are equal doesn't mean the things that we do are going to be the same, or even have to be the same. We work together in equality and together we accomplish what needs to be accomplished--and that can only be done as we work together. Show more

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