The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints plans its general women’s meeting on Saturday, a week before its twice-a-year general conference.In the past, church leaders held annual meetings for its auxiliary organizations, the Relief Society, Primary and Young Women. These have been combined into a single meeting that will be broadcast by internet and satellite around the world and translated into 55 languages.
A member of the church’s First Presidency will address the meeting as well as the women who lead the auxiliary organizations.
There will also be a silent statement by women who seek ordination to the L-D-S priesthood, which has only been open to males in the past. They’ll be wearing purple to show their support for the idea.
Lorie Winder, a long-time Mormon feminist who’s part of the group Ordain Women, says they’re not looking for a confrontation with church leaders.
“We don’t see it as a confrontation or a demonstration," Winder tells KUER. "We see it as faithful Mormon women asking for more light and knowledge on the issue of women’s ordination.”
Andralynn Conelly is a 26-year-old Latter-day Saint who’s not planning to wear purple. She says the plan was discussed in her ward Relief Society meeting last Sunday.
“There’s a part of me that can kind of understand where those women are coming from, but personally I have never felt in any way unequal to the brethren of the church who do hold the priesthood.”
Church spokesperson Cody Craynor had no comment on the plan to wear purple to the women’s meeting other than to say in an e-mail, "I would never presume to tell a woman what color to wear."
