The Family: A Proclamation to the World

Some people believe that the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding the roles of men and women in the family are sexist. Merriam-Webster's online dictionary defines sexism as "behavior, conditions, or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex".

The Family: A Proclamation to the World was issued by the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in September 1995. This document outlines the roles of men and women in family relationships as follows:

"By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed."

If you only read the first two scentences you might get the impression that the Church's teachings are sexist because, alone, these statements clearly foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex. However, the two scentences that follow definitively refute any claims of sexism: mother and father are equal partners, and special circumstances may require mothers to preside provide and/or protect and may require fathers to be primarily responsible for the nurture of children.

The life of Sarah Palin, Republican Vice Presidential Candidate in 2008, provides a visible example of special circumstances that require individual adaptation of the roles of fathers and mothers. This morning I heard a story on NPR where a woman said that Sarah Palin should not be running for office when she has young children and a brand new baby to care for. A man responded by saying that this was a sexist comment.

I believe that the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints support his opinion that this is a sexist comment. If Sarah Palin is elected Vice President, by virtue of her office, she will be in a superior position to provide for and protect her family (and my family) and these circumstances will require her husband to assume the role of being the primary nurturer for their family. Sarah Palin may be the Ester of the 21st Century, "who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Ester 4:14) , I pray that God will bless and magnify her and her husband so that they will be able to attend to the needs of their children while providing this great service to their country.