SALT LAKE CITY -- The LDS Church is making a historic move that has some women sitting up and taking notice. For the first time ever, the priesthood session of General Conference will be available on television and the Internet.
A group of women who want to be ordained to The LDS Church Priesthood see it as a first good step, but eventually they want more.
"We are very pleased that for the first time ever they will be broadcasting the priesthood session live, we think that's a wonderful step forward," said April Young Bennett, board member with Ordain Women, which is a group of Mormon feminists who want to attend the priesthood session during general conference in October. "We hoped to receive tickets to the session and we didn't."
Bennett and other members sent a letter to the LDS Church asking for 150 tickets. The church wrote back saying in part "tickets to the priesthood session are reserved for men and young men."
"In the long term our goal isn't just to have women to attend," Bennett said.
Mormon feminists have been pushing to be part of the priesthood session for months and eventually they want to hold the priesthood but LDS women Fox 13 talked to at temple square find it odd, saying males and females have different roles and that's why it is the way it is.
"It's not for women, the priesthood is for the men so I don't understand why being if you're active why you wouldn't understand that concept it's just for the men, I think it's kind of weird," said Kim Embley who is a Latter Day Saint.
"That's s their right to think that but what we believe is that men have the priesthood and we have the right to have kids, so it just balances each other out," said Mitchal Price.
"Us as women have other plans and Heavenly Father has done those for us so we're able to have children so we have a role," said Karli Rodriguez.
Ordain Women say they want to be fully included and are hoping church leaders consult God. It would take a revelation from God and a declaration from the LDS Prophet for change according to doctrine.
While the group, Ordain Women recognizes the historical significance of the LDS Church now broadcasting the priesthood session, they still want to attend and plan on showing up anyway in protest.
