As a young woman of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, never have I felt inferior to the men of the church. It truly confuses me when people write the church off as sexist.

When the men of the church thank the women, it is humble and sincere. Never have I felt more honored to be a woman as when the priesthood holders that I admire and look up to testify of the love that they have for the women of the church.

Male members of the church, from what I’ve observed, value women more than many of the men outside of the church. Priesthood holders know and cherish the divine nature of women, and a righteous man will do anything he can to protect that virtue.

People say that it is sexist to expect women to be mothers. The women should be able to work just as the father does. They push women to have more masculine features. Is that not sexist itself? They aren’t allowing women to be proud about being women. They are pushing them to be more like a man. That seems sexist to me.

The Priesthood is something given to man, and on face value it seems sexist. But as a member of the church, I know that it is their divine role, just as mine is to raise a family. Just as male members of the church are expected to cherish and protect the virtue of women, we are expected to help and support the men to maintain their Priesthood powers. The men have their roles, and the women have their own. But neither are superior to the other in the eyes of God.

I will support the priesthood where I can. I will maintain my virtue. I will prepare now to be able to raise a family the best I can, to prepare to marry a worthy Priesthood holder in the temple. I know that he will not look to me as inferior, but will expect me to be just as great as he. I will not look down on him either, because we are both equally great creations of our Heavenly Father.