***Disclaimer: This is my personal view on the Ordain Women Movement and if you don't agree with it  that is completely 100% fine. I have tried to be as respectful as possible and I sincerely do not mean to offend anyone. ***

Initially I was upset with Kate Kelly and her OW movement because I was upset that she and her organization were trying to change something in the gospel using a political movement.  Which if anyone is confused, that is EXACTLY what she is doing, or trying to do.  As of now women do not hold the priesthood. I don't know the history of the priesthood well enough to know if women have held it before, and I don't know it well enough now to know if women not being able to hold the priesthood could change in the future. However, I do know that it will not change because someone within the church creates a clever hash tag and a few provocative memes.

 The OW movement is trying to change something in the gospel with protests, publicity, blog posts and social medial following. And I think at first she was voicing her questions in a way that was maybe beneficial. Even to this day she claims she is innocent of apostasy and remained worthy the entire time and that she shouldn't have been excommunicated. When the OW website was first published I went to the site and read the '6 discussions' they had online. I wanted to know for real what OW was about before I decided they were in the wrong. For me, when I got on and read what they provided, I had a horrible feeling, a feeling that I knew what I was reading was wrong. There were clear signs of apostasy in my opinion. I can't answer for other people who have felt the same or have felt differently from what I'm explaining now. Anyway, I continued to follow the "Kate Kelly Story" because it was gaining a lot of traction and a lot of negative publicity for the church. I started noticing that as time went on and OW weren't getting what they wanted, leaders and followers started becoming more vindictive of the leaders of the church. It stopped being criticisms of these men, and started becoming complete rejection of their calling and like I said before she claims still to this day to do nothing to warrant an excommunication. Maybe not, I wasn't involved in her meetings with her church leaders and I don't know her personally. But I can make judgments based on what she put out herself on the Internet. She was condescending and questioning their authority as leaders of the LDS church. Which is where my first confusion starts. If you don't believe these men are called of God than how can you believe in the church at all? I'm not trying to be condescending, it's a real question. If you question the priesthood line of authority and the legitimacy of the men who have been called by that power, then why would you want something that you don't believe is true or real? 

The second issue, and the issue that really makes me anti-OW and Kate Kelly, is her self-titled feminist or anti-patriarchy hypocrisy. Just on Sunday she posted an article that Deseret News has posted. The article was about the new statistics on Americans and religion and it was focused on the finding that women are leaving churches in droves. The author said something to the effect that women are leaving because they are selfish. I'm not here to argue the merits of the argument or whether the author is right or wrong. Her comments on this article is what I want to focus on. Throughout her statements the last few months Kate Kelly has attacked the patriarchal nature of the LDS church and used the patriarchy for its negative connotation. Now I'm paraphrasing here, but this is what I got from her comments now with this article and from past posts. She is telling women of the church to not let the power hungry men of the Mormon church control who you are and put you into a box labeled motherhood because it is limiting and a form of control. She said something that I interpreted as, don't let the patriarchy control your choices. Be a real  woman and do what you want. 

I have several issues with her point with these types of comments. 

First, she is trying to raise contention within the church and between members of the church and outside commentators. Which I think is wrong. She is screaming the loudest on an issue with the church and non-LDS people are listening to her and gaining a perverted image of what the LDS religion is, and it's only because she is making the most and the loudest noise. 

Second. I'm calling her out right now on being a hypocrite. She claims to be a fighter for women, but what she really means is that she is a fighter for women who believe the way she believes. She does just as much damage to the women of this church as the amount that she claims the power hungry controlling men of the priesthood do. I have heard many sisters of the church, including myself, feel personally belittled by Kate Kelly. She acts like you aren't intelligent until you see that you are being controlled and manipulated by the men of this church. And if you don't see it that you're either naive, unintelligent, or anti-woman. To me it also makes me feel like motherhood isn't an important or worthy role to have, because it's not the priesthood. It's a slap in the face to every woman on this planet that has dedicated and sacrificed to be a mother in this world today. I get so upset, that people champion her as a fighter for women when she so clearly tears down women who don't agree with her. You can go on her twitter right now back to the date of the last general session women's conference. Look at her comments, and then try to tell me she is a fighter for women. She's not. She's a fighter for a cause, and if you happen to be a woman who happens to believe in her cause, then she fights for you. But from my view, I say don't be fooled by this facade that she is fighting for women's rights. 

Third. This argument she has against the negative patriarchal nature of the church because it tells women how and when they should live their lives. How is she not doing the exact same thing? She is telling you hey don't let those men tell you how to live your life, this is how you should live your life. It's blatant that she is doing the exact same thing she is claiming the leaders of this church are doing, aka running and controlling how women should behave and live their lives. If you aren't for female ordination than you're anti-woman and you need to change. How is that any different from the offenses she has charged against the LDS church? 

The news only publishes all the headway and the 'good' Kate Kelly and OW are doing, but what they don't post is the hurt and the heartbreak she has made women of the church feel who do not share her feelings. Women like me who love this gospel and believe that it is the true church. Who support these men and women that she is tearing down. Me and other women who feel belittled and made to feel stupid by Kate Kelly and her followers and their condescending comments about how women should feel about her cause.  About the mothers who have sacrificed all to be mothers, who are told that that isn't enough or not good enough. The news and blogs don't talk about this aspect of Ordain Women, and it's an aspect that I believe should also be heard. 

Bottom line. I think women should do whatever they feel makes them the best self they can be. That will be different for everyone. Feminism to me is letting women do whatever they want and not belittle them whatever their choices may be. And Love. The most important aspect of being a member of the LDS church or even a human is being kind and loving everyone. I'm grateful for Kate Kelly and OW because through her experience my testimony of the gospel, of it's leaders, of my Heavenly Father, and of the priesthood has been strengthened. After taking a hard look at myself a woman, as a member, and a feminist I am comfortable and happy with where I am. Kate Kelly and her cause made me reflect and helped me to search deeper into my relationship with the gospel. I know for myself what I believe and that I truly believe and that is all I need, and I hope everyone can find that peace. 

--B