"Pants protest" against LDS Church picks up steam


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Updated: 12/13/2012 2:42 pm | Published: 12/12/2012 3:24 pm
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - The "pants protest" is picking up steam.

Mormon women all over the country are being urged to wear pants at LDS worship services this Sunday.

It's a peaceful protest for gender equality in the Church.

Now, no sooner had we posted the pants protest story on the ABC 4 Facebook page then the likes came pouring in.

Comments such as:

"This movement is amazing."

And, "I am going to wear my dress pants like crazy."

Wednesday, I talked with several of the women behind the pants protest.

For an idea that started just a few days ago, they seem shocked that more than a thousand LDS women will now be wearing pants to Church Sunday.

But they also reminded me that this isn't just about wearing pants, it's really about gender equality in the LDS Church.

Stephanie Lauritzen, one of the women behind the protest, told me,

"Mormon feminism is a big and growing group. More and more girls are being raised to say I can do anything, I can be anything. And then they hear a different message at Church."

But skirts have their supporters too.

One Facebook comment said simply (about the pants protest), "stupid."

Another expressed in mock amazement,

"Wow. I had no idea that pants were so magical they automatically make me equal."

To which one woman countered,

“I feel unequal when there are more (a lot more) men’s voices in religious texts, meetings, leadership positions, and decision making bodies.”

And late Wednesday afternoon, the pants protest story went national.

On its website, CNN posted our protest story from Tuesday.



FOLLOW CHRIS VANOCUR ON TWITTER: @cvan4
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The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of ABC4

emstisme - 1/2/2013 9:34 AM
0 Votes
ROFL Angela! The Word of Wisdom was received in 1833. In 1604, over two hundreds years prior, "A Counterblaste to Tobacco" was written by James I of Scotland. Dr. Benjamin Rush, one of the original signers of the Constitution, wrote a pamphlet about the dangers of smoking tobacco about 35 years before the Word of Wisdom. Methodist leader John Wesley was advising his followers to not use snuff or tobacco long before Joseph Smith. Sorry Angela, Mr. Smith wasn't as much of a badass as you'd hoped. Something to think about, huh?

utes69 - 12/18/2012 10:08 PM
0 Votes
Well here we are we have built a society about me. Its all about what I want and how comfortable I am. Was Jesus comfortable in the garden of gesemity I probably spelled that wrong but on with it was he comfortable hanging on the cross did he even have a comfortable life no and if he cried that life wasn't fair or equal he would have been beaten. If you are mad that men run the church then take it up with god because he is the one that runs it.

angelnboise - 12/16/2012 1:47 AM
0 Votes
Angela Teeter One other thought I have to make about things foretold and predicted. If you think about it...we were given the "Words of Wisdom" decades before anyone knew the harmful effects on our bodies of tobacco. Something to think about, huh? That's one way to know we always have a true prophet at the head of our church who receives revelation from God for our church. Just one thing to help with our testimonies.

angelnboise - 12/16/2012 1:46 AM
0 Votes
Angela Teeter Well this is what I have to say about this issue...I'm writing on your page cause most of my "friends" aren't Mormans. I am 54 years old. I was raised up in the 60's and 70's. All this problem is coming from your generation I believe. I was growing up in the era when we still had to wear dresses or skirts to school. We could wear our pants under if we had to go outside in the cold. Ya...it was a pain, but I learned dress for success...where your best in reverence to God to church on Sunday. I had to wear dresses to school until about 3rd grade. I agree...stupid to wear dresses to school, but the schools have gotten so loose with their dress code now days...it’s ridiculous what some of these kids are wearing to school. We are losing some of our members over having to dress up to be in the chapel cause people like to go being comfortable. If you think LDS don't have a dress code...they have let up since my teen years cause we were taught not to enter the chapel in pants for reverence. Just like the clothes we wear in the temple...brings the Spirit all dressed in white. And yes we wear dresses in there. In other churches are kids aren't taught about not defiling our bodies with tattoos and all kinds of piercings. I'm having trouble with one of my grandkids right now cause his dad goes to another church where he's comfortable and all the tattoos all over his body don't stick out like a sore thumb. I believe...nice jeans or pants to school, but dresses and skirts to church. Wear our best to Sunday church out of respect for God. It’s only a couple of hours. So we have to sacrifice a little...think what He sacrificed for us. It has been foretold that in the last days it would be the norm having piercings and tattoos...and look at it now. Two of my daughters have or had tattoos all over them. She kept it from me for a long time...when I finally saw it, I cried and pouted in my room for a week...Lol. It is this generation as it was predicted. Ok,thats my 2cent

donloper - 12/13/2012 3:34 PM
0 Votes
Equal rights for men too! http://www.facebook.com/events/454126577984186/

Teerevor - 12/12/2012 4:49 PM
0 Votes
My dad wants to go to his church without a tie if women can go in pants, just to enjoy it. I think it's a good idea for both sides. Good luck. Glad I don't attend church, lucky me!
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