What is equality? We learn in our text that it quite simply is, equal partnership but that each husband and wife are equal to each other (Hudson, 2012, pp. 38-40).
It is not shocking for most who know me, that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am 1 of 11 children, though 9 are currently living. I married my husband and was later sealed in the LDS Chicago Temple. Together we have 4 children, and when I married him he had 6 children. We have a large family. Our faith is an everyday part of who we are and what we do.
It is not shocking for most who know me, that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am 1 of 11 children, though 9 are currently living. I married my husband and was later sealed in the LDS Chicago Temple. Together we have 4 children, and when I married him he had 6 children. We have a large family. Our faith is an everyday part of who we are and what we do.
I am very active in many organizations
and I’m constantly asked questions about the church and family. Most recently, I am asked questions about
topics which directly are addressed “The Family: A Proclamation to the World”. In this inspired document, we learn that “By
divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and
righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and
protection for their families. Mothers
are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.” At this point, if one of our faith is reading
it, they probably stop. They tell me how
these are sexist comments. They miss
perhaps the most important part where it continues, “In these sacred
responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as
equal partners.”
Why do those perhaps not of our
faith struggle with this? Perhaps they
have a negative connotation that presiding perhaps means to rule. That is not the case. In this sacred document, preside means to be
one who serve, protect and watch over.
In our church, we always have one
who presides over meetings. Does this
mean that this person is more important that a regular church parishioner? No.
However, there must always be someone who presides, conducts the
meeting. This may not be the same
person, however, if there is not one person “in charge” to oversee what is
going on, chaos may arise. Not much will
be accomplished if everyone is doing whatever they want. The person who presides tends to be someone
who gathers information from others, one who can organize and assign the work
of a meeting so that the meeting may be effective. Just as a Principal presides over an entire
school, she can delegate and have teachers preside over their classrooms. The main point is, the person who presides
is talking to those individuals and counseling with them. They are working together.
In marriages you have the man and
woman, husband and wife, who work together.
They each support and life each other up. They work together towards a common goal. In our church we have a Bishop who presides
over our ward. However, there are many
people that teach—both men and woman.
Same in a marriage. Men and woman
do not dominate each other, they work together.
We all work together.
In the Garden of Eden Adam was
given Eve to be a helpmeet. Eve is the
mother of all living, as the scriptures teach us. Elder Earl C. Tingey, of the Seventy says, “You
must not misunderstand what the Lord meant when Adam was told he was to have a
helpmeet. A helpmeet is a companion suited to or equal to us. We walk side by
side with a helpmeet, not one before or behind the other. A helpmeet results in
an absolute equal partnership between a husband and a wife. Eve was to be equal
to Adam as a husband and wife are to be equal to each other.”
