Thoughts On Pants

There’s been a lot of talk this week about women wearing pants to church. Apparently next Sunday was selected as “wear pants to church” day by a group of women in the LDS Church who are encouraging acts of civil disobedience to foster change. Then the event was cancelled after the organizers became subjects of personal attacks.

I don’t know a lot about “wear pants to church” day. I know I wasn’t planning on wearing pants on Sunday because I don’t have a lot of complaints about being a female member of the LDS Church. I don’t want to be the bishop and it doesn’t bother me one bit that my male counterparts have to attend “priesthood leadership meetings” that I am not invited to.

But let me say this. As a graduate student, it crossed my mind on more than one occasion that I was pretty darn lucky to be sitting in a university library wearing jeans at “my table,” studying for classes I was enrolled in. When I vote in an election, I always marvel that women have had the right to vote in the United States for less than 100 years. As an unmarried woman of a certain age, I am always grateful that I am able to sign a lease, purchase health insurance, buy a car and pay my utility bill in my own name. It’s never occurred to me that I WOULDN’T have the right to an education, a career, a family and a home… privileges for which I am indebted to generations of grandmothers, aunts, mothers and sisters before me.

Among those privileges, I do value my membership in the Church. Sometimes I complain when I “have” to put on a bathrobe and pillowcase for the ward Christmas party. Not everything we do makes sense. But in my experiences as a member, I have been listened to, been asked to teach and pray, and been depended on for service. I feel my worth as a daughter of God most strongly in the temple. I believe everyone should feel included and welcomed within the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I feel saddened that the simple idea of women wearing pants to church stirred up controversy and hatred. I will be at church at my LDS ward on Sunday and if you are wearing pants… or if you are gay… or if you just smoked a cigarette in the parking lot – you are welcome to come sit by me. I will save you a seat and I hope we can be friends.