Hindus urge Mormons to reconsider ordination of women

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Hindus have urged The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and its President Thomas S. Monson to reconsider favorably the ordination of women.

Distinguished religious statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it would be a “step in the positive direction” as women could disseminate God’s message as skillfully as men and deserved equal and full participation and access in religion.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that as women were equal partners in the society, so they should be equal partners in the religion also. He urged LDS to be more kind to its women as exclusion of women from some religious services, just because they were female, was very unfair and ungodly.

Quoting Hindu scriptures, Rajan Zed says: Where women are honored, there the gods are pleased. Men and women are equal in the eyes of God and religions should respect that, Zed stresses and adds that time has now come for the women bishops in LDS.

Zed suggested that LDS needed to address this issue urgently; re-evaluate Church doctrine, theology, male hierarchy and history; and give women a chance. Women should be ordained to priesthood and should perform the same functions as men. Treating women as not equal to men was clearly a case of discrimination promoting gender inequality.

Rajan Zed, however, commended LDS for including women as part of “General Authorities” under “Relief Society Presidency”, “Young Women General Presidency” and “Primary General Presidency”. LDS, being one of the fastest growing denominations in the world, should show exemplary leadership in women equality to the rest of the planet, Zed stated.

Zed applauded Church of England for saying yes to women bishops in historic vote on the issue on July 14, overturning centuries of tradition. Zed also welcomed Church of Ireland for appointing its first woman bishop few months back. Zed noted that Roman Catholic Church should also follow and permit women priests and urged His Holiness Pope Francis to put ordination of women priests on the top of his reform agenda.

According to lds.org, “The priesthood is the power and authority of God. It is conferred upon worthy male members of the Church.” Gordon B. Hinckley, prior LDS President, said: “Women do not hold the priesthood because the Lord has put it that way. It is part of His program.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called Mormon Church), launched in 1830 in upstate New York and currently headquartered in Salt Lake City, which describes themselves as “followers of Jesus Christ”, now has over 15-million adherents.

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6 Comments

  1. Why is this revered indivcomment_IDual speaking about another religion practices. I would expect him to be more concerned with the Hindu gang rapes India, rather than concerning himself to speaking out about a faith he really doesn’t understand. He is definitely entitled to his own opinions, Hinduism has many different sects and creeds so its not surprising his has his own opinion on what is right and wrong. I just think it’s strange for someone outscomment_IDe the faith to speak about something specific to the faith. He could better spend his time discussing the equality rights for those of the Islamic faith, Catholic, or even the Eastern Orthodox faiths. Far more members then Mormons and would make a bigger dent in the issue. I suppose he is from wacky Nevada so he feels obligated to talk about his neighbors.

  2. Like was sacomment_ID in other posts here, he needs to look to his own back yard, before he worries about ours. For instance, does he really know that LDS women actually WANT the priesthood? I am thinking that most LDS women don’t want it. And if they do, they know that it’s up to GOD, and no one else.

    I am an LDS woman, and I don’t want the priesthood.

  3. he just talked according to his understanding and it is a good point but he knew not fully about the doctrine of the church.We don’t go with the throw or how the world think we a let by a living prophet. It time to send him the missionary to teach him the fullness of the gospel.

  4. How is this even news? Hindus self-admittedly aren’t Christians. If the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wants to have tenants as Jesus dcomment_ID (I.E. He dcomment_IDn’t have any apostles who were women), what dog does Mr. Zed have in this fight? It would be no different if the LDS Church started suggesting to Mr. Zed that only men be Hindu priests. By the way, Orthodox Hindus don’t have women priests.

    I also don’t buy off on Mr. Zed’s statement of the, “Exclusion of women.” The last time I was in this church women were giving talks and saying prayers. I wish Oye would show some journalistic ethics of provcomment_IDing both scomment_IDes to a story because the Pew Research Group had a poll of 95% of highly religious LDS women saying they dcomment_IDn’t want the priesthood, while 4% dcomment_ID.

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