Episode 161: Amy Watkins Jensen, Founder of Women on The Stand | The LDS Church says women are equals. Prove it!

My guest today is Amy Watkins Jensen, faithful member of the LDS Church, wife, mother, and creator of the IG account, Women on the Stand. This episode is primarily for members of the LDS Church but has implications in all religions and organizations. Why is this important? In a typical LDS Church meeting, for example only the Bishop and his counselors are seated on the stand behind the pulpit. Anyone visiting that ward (congregation) can look up and know who the leaders are. 

 

In the Oakland, CA Stake for the past decade, the women’s organization leaders have been sitting on the stand during ward and stake meetings. Fair and balanced right? No problem. Back in October of 2023, a member of the churchs area authority for that region of the country decided having women leaders represented on the stand was a problem and put an end to this practice.

 

This was an abosolute slap in the face to the women of the church on so many levels and it hurt. A lot. You see there was nothing broken here. This practice was benefiting thousands of people in these Bay Area wards yet some leader, not from the area, decided, this was just not how things were supposed to be done.

 

Amy began her search for answers at the local level and turned up empty. Letters to the general church offices also seemed to have fallen on deaf ears for now, so she has created this community to spread the news and make some change. The Salt Lake Tribune ran an OpEd and here is their podcast about the story too.

 

I’m sorry ladies that you have been getting a raw deal for like forever it seems and I may be a little late to the game but cannot unsee the imbalance. I call my brothers in the church to step up and push for better visibility for our sisters. They matter more than we have been showing.

 

Contact Amy: womenonthestand@gmail.com

 

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