A letter

Like my dad, I am sometimes compelled to write letters.  Here is one I wrote when an LDS stake in California was told to stop having the leaders of RS and Primary sit on the stand. 

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Dear North America West Area Presidency,

I write as a former Mormon, former Primary president, former Relief Society president,

former Young Women’s counselor and former de-facto leader of my Stake’s once very

successful support group for African American members. 

I walked away from the church and took my family with me (five kids!) when I realized

that you wanted my labor, my brilliance, my expertise, my support and my leadership

as a woman with absolutely no recognition, no decision making power and definitely no equality. 

You used me and all women like me who show up for the church in herculean ways and are

given occasional pats on the back and nothing more. 

Now in my post Mormon life, I work for a grant writing team at a large research university. 

In a recent presentation to a federal agency for funding of a very large engineering research

center grant I heard a professor emphasize that “Diversity improves design”.  He did not say

that diversity is easy or painless or less costly or requires less work.  Only that the end results

will be better when multiple voices are heard and have equal say in the result. 

The current old white male model of decision making and leadership in the Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter-Day Saints is failing you.  

I encourage you to begin embracing a model of “Diversity improves design”.  The more diverse

voices given equal opportunity for decision making and equal levels of leadership opportunity

the more vibrant and welcoming and happy and safe your community will be.  I know

you want that.  And letting women sit on the stand is a very tiny step in that direction. 

Sincerely,

Jessica Brown, Raleigh, NC