SALT LAKE CITY -- A group of people advocating for women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be ordained to the priesthood officially launched their movement on Saturday in Salt Lake City.
The founders of the group Ordain Women said they came together to call attention to the fact Mormon women are excluded from decision-making authority in their church because they are not ordained to the priesthood, which is held only by men in the LDS church.
Ordain Women founders said they held their meeting on Saturday night in order to hear from people whether they support ordinations for women.
Ordain Women Founder Kate Kelly said this is an important issue to her and many others.
"The ordination of women affects 7 million Mormon women, and we feel that any institution that under-utilizes over 50 percent of its population is really suffering,” she said. “So we see this as an act of faith, and an act of contributing, and an act of really investing in a church that we love."
Kelly said they've asked for prayerful consideration of the ordination of women in the LDS church.
