Mormon feminists sense that the current “Mormon Moment” offers a good time for activism that draws attention to LDS women’s issues on a large scale. But what kind of act could match the significance of this “Mormon Moment”? Many feminists, myself included, have long argued that priesthood is the central issue for women in the Church because no significant changes can happen for women as long as an all-male priesthood controls all resources, discourses, and institutional power. Is it time to follow the example of Catholic “womenpriests” who claim to have been ordained privately by a bishop in good standing, beginning in 2002, even though the Vatican subsequently excommunicated the priests and womenpriests involved? This paper will explore the practical challenges if such a movement were to emerge among LDS women, as well as the theological and spiritual underpinnings for the idea in Mormon practice and doctrine.

Margaret Toscano, Jill Peterfeso