Comments like those above challenged my perspective on women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Women’s issues have taken center stage in recent years. I care deeply for the women in my life, and I had to examine if the Church is a good and safe place to raise my daughters. Critics would have me believe that women are deeply damaged because of their upbringing or conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ. Is there a devil in the details of our doctrines and practices? Are millions of women around the world secretly suffering?

As reported in a 2009 NBER paper, Stevenson and Wolfers discuss the paradox of declining female happiness since the 1970s.² Significant changes have been made in women’s issues, including increases in real wages, educational attainment, control over fertility, and technological improvements. Given these rapid changes, Stevenson and Wolfers explain that they expected an improvement in female net happiness, especially relative to men. However, the opposite is happening.

“By many objective measures the lives of women in the United States have improved over the past 35 years, yet we show that measures of subjective well-being indicate that women’s happiness has declined both absolutely and relative to men.”³ (emphasis added)

Why are women less happy now?

Right or wrong, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has, in recent years, become a punching bag for women’s issues.

Why do critics not highlight how our doctrine of the fall is the most generous to Eve and womanhood in Christianity? In our gospel story, isn’t Eve a hero, not a villain? Aren’t women revered, not reviled, in our theology because of Eve?

Doesn’t our doctrine exalt women in God’s plan? Isn’t it the case that our doctrine teaches that men and women cannot reach their full potential without each other?

Doesn’t the Church’s 1995 doctrinal statement “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” teach that “fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners”? (emphasis added)

Compared to much of Christianity, don’t the women of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have far more teaching, preaching, and leadership responsibilities? Don’t our women teach at the pulpit? Serve as “youth pastors?” Aren’t women involved in the ward council, which oversees the entire ward?

Do any other Christian churches acknowledge the divine feminine like the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does?

How Religious Men Affect the Women and Children Around Them

Meagan Kohler, a contributor for Deseret News and Public Square Magazine, highlights how women’s happiness in the Church cannot be separated from the moral development of men.⁴ Meagan shares the following observations:

• “Priesthood service in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — wherein lay men serve in various unique capacities — helps teach men of all ages how to care for others.” (emphasis added)
• “Nearly a quarter of American children are raised in single parent families and over 80% of single parents are women. The poverty rate for these families is nearly five times higher than for married couple families — with women and children making up 70% of our nation’s poor.⁵ These women and children are also at higher risk for substance abuse, domestic abuse, violent crimes and deaths of despair. They experience much lower economic mobility and are far more likely to experience intergenerational poverty, mental illness and incarceration.” (emphasis added)
• “Utah, where religiosity is high, has the lowest childhood poverty rate⁶ in the nation, and the second lowest for women.⁷ Poor children also have higher economic mobility. According to Gallup, Utah consistently ranks in the top 10 states for well-being,⁸ which looks at career satisfaction, social connection and health. Strong families⁹ generate stability and social capital for Utah’s women and children. “(emphasis added)
• “80% of violent crimes and virtually all sexual assault is committed by men… Religiosity, as measured through attendance, significantly reduces the risk of domestic partner violence, especially in the most vulnerable populations.¹⁰ According to a 2007 study published in the social science journal Violence Against Women, ‘Men who attend religious services several times a week are 72% less likely to abuse their female partners than men from comparable backgrounds who do not attend services.’”¹¹ (emphasis added)

In a 2002 study (“Religious Involvement and Domestic Violence Among U.S. Couples”), researchers found that regular religious attendance is inversely associated with the perpetration of domestic violence.¹² This inverse relationship is strong even when controlling for social integration, social support, alcohol and substance abuse, and low self-esteem and depression.

Religious Couples Relationship Outcomes

In his 2020 article “The Influence of Religiosity/Spirituality on Sex Life Satisfaction and Sexual Frequency,” Stephen Cranney reports:

“Religious couples – as measured by reading scriptures together, praying and attending worship services jointly – tend to have better relationship outcomes, including improved intimacy.”¹³ (emphasis added)

According to a study by the Wheatley Institution and Stephen Cranney in the Reviews of Religious Research, married religious couples have more frequent sex and better quality sex than their non-religious counterparts.¹⁴

“Women in highly religious relationships were twice as likely as their secular peers to say they were satisfied with their sexual relationships.”¹⁵ (emphasis added)

“United religious couples in the Wheatley analysis reported higher emotional closeness, commitment, and partner virtues.”¹⁶ (emphasis added)

Women who feel securely attached to their partners are less depressed and happier in their relationships and have better memory functions, according to a 2014 study.¹⁷

As stated in a previous section, multiple studies and survey datasets ranging from 1985 to 2024 consistently show that Latter-day Saints have the lowest divorce rates compared to other religious and non-religious groups.¹⁸ In a 2018 study, Thomas Leopold found that while divorce had differing negative consequences for men and women, women were more likely to experience chronic strain from divorce.¹⁹

Isn’t an organization that gives men responsibility and teaches them how to care for others good for society? Isn’t that a huge net positive for women?

Aren’t women clearly benefitted by the Church, its teachings, and its impact on men?

Do the critics of the Church have a better program for women to reach higher levels of human flourishing? A program that leads to more fulfilled, happier, stable lives for women?

Married Women vs. Unmarried Women

Brad Wilcox and Wendy Wang share the following about the cultural narrative regarding marriage and parenthood.²⁰

“Social media and mainstream media are replete with stories suggesting marriage and parenthood are not fulfilling, especially for women. Not surprisingly, many Americans now believe the key to being happy is a good education, work, and freedom from the encumbrances of family life—not getting married and having a family.” (emphasis added)

Is the cultural narrative true? Are single, childless women happier on average?

As reported in the 2022 edition of the General Social Survey (GSS):²¹

The GSS shows that a combination of marriage and parenthood is linked to the most significant happiness dividends for women.

BYU as a Case Study for Women’s Safety

Campus climate surveys conducted at universities across the nation consistently report that anywhere from 19%-25% of university women experience unwanted sexual contact.²² For LGBT+ identifying students, that rate is much higher, ranging from 33%-73%.

According to campus client surveys conducted in 2017 and 2022, a drastically lower 7.4% of women at Brigham Young University (BYU) and 17% of BYU LGBT+ identifying individuals experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact.²³ The data from BYU-Idaho were even lower. Of those unwanted interactions, victims reported that 50-55% of perpetrators were not affiliated with BYU.

Why are women so much safer at Brigham Young University? Is there another school I would rather have my girls attend?

Women in the Church Conclusion

Regarding women’s issues, the anti-religious cultural movement is winning. Women in the US today have fewer children. They delay marriage or avoid it altogether. Same-sex orientation has surged in recent years.²⁴ Over 800,000 abortions are performed every year.²⁵ More women participate in the workforce, though slightly less than in 1999.²⁶ For secularist critics, all of these factors are major wins.

I am not a woman, and I suppose each person can define what is happiness and flourishing. Likewise, I do not want to minimize the experiences of women who have left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. With that said, I do have eyes and ears. Do critics agree that less abuse, lower poverty, better marriages, less divorce, less sexual violence, less domestic violence, longer lives, stronger communities, higher reported well-being, and higher reported happiness are reasonable indications that women in the Church are doing well? What else would the critics want to see?

If women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are suffering so much, why doesn’t that come through in the data? Why does the opposite seem to be true? Do critics have any evidence beyond personal examples?

Are women outside the Church better off? If they are not better off, what are the critics offering my wife and my daughters if they leave?

Footnotes

1. exmosloppyjo. “What troubles do women face in the Mormon church?.” Reddit, February 28, 2022, https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments/t3aesr/what_troubles_do_women_face_in_the_mormon_church/ ↩

2. Stevenson, Betsey and Wolfers, Justin. “The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness.” NBER Working Paper No. 14969, May 2009, https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w14969/w14969.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0yHUb1noWH3-ciDrPKJMS7xflOG4PkCHwauBAnwqZzdxEKSvXW6at6c7w ↩

3. Stevenson, Betsey and Wolfers, Justin. “The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness.” NBER Working Paper No. 14969, May 2009, https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w14969/w14969.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0yHUb1noWH3-ciDrPKJMS7xflOG4PkCHwauBAnwqZzdxEKSvXW6at6c7w ↩

4. Kohler, Meagan. “Opinion: The happiness of women can’t be separated from the moral development of men. The church’s organization reflects this.” Deseret News, October 16, 2023, https://www.deseret.com/faith/2023/10/16/23916141/mormon-lds-church-organization-women-not-oppressed/ ↩

5. “Women and Poverty in America”, LegalMomentum.org, accessed on April 21, 2024 from https://www.legalmomentum.org/women-and-poverty-america#:~:text=70%25%20of%20the%20Nation's%20Poor%20are%20Women%20%26%20Children&text=Currently%2C%2035%20percent%20of%20single,raise%20their%20families%20in%20poverty. ↩

6. Benson, Craig. “Poverty Rate of Children Higher Than National Rate, Lower for Older Populations.” United States Census Bureau, October 4, 2022, https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/10/poverty-rate-varies-by-age-groups.html ↩

7. “Female Poverty Rate, the percentage of women in poverty”, World Population Review, accessed on April 21, 2024 from https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/female-poverty-rate-by-state ↩

8. Witters, Dan, Hawaii Tops U.S. in Wellbeing for Record 7^th Time, Gallup News, February 27, 2019, https://news.gallup.com/poll/247034/hawaii-tops-wellbeing-record-7th-time.aspx ↩

9. Wilcox, Brad and Brown, Patrick. “The ‘Utah family miracle’ and why it matters.” Deseret News, July 17, 2023, accessed on April 21, 2024 from https://www.deseret.com/2023/7/17/23793769/utah-family-miracle-economic-success-beehive-state/ ↩

10. Ellison, C., Trinitapoli, J., Anderson, K., and Johnson, B. “Race/Ethnicity, Religious Involvement, and Domestic Violence”, Violence Against Women, Sage Publications, Vol 13, No. 11, 2007. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1077801207308259 ↩

11. Ellison, C., Trinitapoli, J., Anderson, K., and Johnson, B. “Race/Ethnicity, Religious Involvement, and Domestic Violence”, Violence Against Women, Sage Publications, Vol 13, No. 11, 2007. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1077801207308259 ↩

12. Ellison, Christopher and Anderson, Kristin. “Religious Involvement and Domestic Violence Among U.S. Couples.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Vol 40, Issue 2, p 269-86, December 17, 2002, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/0021-8294.00055 ↩

13. Cranney, S. “The Influence of Religiosity/Spirituality on Sex Life Satisfaction and Sexual Frequency: Insights from the Baylor Religion Survey.” Rev Relig Res 62, 289–314 (2020), https://doi.org/10.1007/s13644-019-00395-w ↩

14. Saxey, Matthew and Boyd, Hal. “Do ‘Church Ladies’ Really Have Better Sex Lives?” Institute for Family Studies, November 16, 2020, https://ifstudies.org/blog/do-church-ladies-really-have-better-sex-lives#:~:text=sexually%20satisfying%20relationship.-,United%20religious%20couples%20in%20the%20Wheatley%20analysis%20reported%20higher%20emotional,their%20physical%20and%20emotional%20connection. ↩

15. Saxey, Matthew and Boyd, Hal. “Do ‘Church Ladies’ Really Have Better Sex Lives?” Institute for Family Studies, November 16, 2020, https://ifstudies.org/blog/do-church-ladies-really-have-better-sex-lives#:~:text=sexually%20satisfying%20relationship.-,United%20religious%20couples%20in%20the%20Wheatley%20analysis%20reported%20higher%20emotional,their%20physical%20and%20emotional%20connection. ↩

16. Saxey, Matthew and Boyd, Hal. “Do ‘Church Ladies’ Really Have Better Sex Lives?” Institute for Family Studies, November 16, 2020, https://ifstudies.org/blog/do-church-ladies-really-have-better-sex-lives#:~:text=sexually%20satisfying%20relationship.-,United%20religious%20couples%20in%20the%20Wheatley%20analysis%20reported%20higher%20emotional,their%20physical%20and%20emotional%20connection. ↩

17. Waldinger, Robert J et al. “Security of attachment to spouses in late life: Concurrent and prospective links with cognitive and emotional wellbeing.” Clinical psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science vol. 3,4 (2015): 516-529. doi:10.1177/2167702614541261, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4579537/ ↩

18. Much of this section and sources came from “Latter-day Saint Marriage & Divorce Statistics.” on Mormonr.org, accessed on May 4, 2024 from https://mormonr.org/qnas/0uQ4aB/latter_day_saint_marriage_and_divorce_statistics ↩

19. Leopold, Thomas. “Gender Differences in the Consequences of Divorce: A Study of Multiple Outcomes.” Demography vol. 55,3 (2018): 769-797. doi:10.1007/s13524-018-0667-6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5992251/ ↩

20. Wilcox, Brad and Wang, Wendy. “Who Is Happiest? Married Mothers and Fathers, Per the Latest General Social Survey”, Institute for Family Studies, September 12, 2023, https://ifstudies.org/blog/who-is-happiest-married-mothers-and-fathers-per-the-latest-general-social-survey ↩

21. Wilcox, Brad and Wang, Wendy. “Who Is Happiest? Married Mothers and Fathers, Per the Latest General Social Survey”, Institute for Family Studies, September 12, 2023, https://ifstudies.org/blog/who-is-happiest-married-mothers-and-fathers-per-the-latest-general-social-survey ↩

22. Muehlenhard, C., Peterson, Z., Humphreys, T., Jozkowski, “Evaluating the One-in-Five Statisitics: Women’s Risk of Sexual Assault While in College.” The Journal of Sex Research, 54(4-5), 549-576, 2017, https://xyonline.net/sites/xyonline.net/files/2019-02/Muehlenhard%2C%20Evaluating%20the%20One%20in%20Five%20Statistic%20-%20Women%27s%20Risk%20of%20Sexual%20Assault%20While%20in%20College.pdf ↩

23. Mayberry, Jacob. “A Sobering Reality: We Already Have The Answer to College Sexual Assault,” Public Square Magazine, April 26, 2023, https://publicsquaremag.org/dialogue/social-justice/byu-method-model-preventing-reducing-campus-sexual-assault/#:~:text=Even%20LGBT%2B%20students%20at%20BYU,anywhere%20from%2033%20to%2073%25. ↩

24. Jones, Jeffrey. “LGBT Identification in U.S. Ticks Up to 7.1%,” Gallup, February 17, 2022, https://news.gallup.com/poll/389792/lgbt-identification-ticks-up.aspx ↩

25. Simmons-Duffin, Selena. “Despite bans in some states, more than a million abortions were provided in 2023,” NPR, March 19, 2024 from https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/03/19/1238293143/abortion-data-how-many-us-2023 ↩

26. Machovec, Christine. “Working Women: Data from the Past, Present and Future,” U.S. Department of Labor Blog, March 15, 2023, https://blog.dol.gov/2023/03/15/working-women-data-from-the-past-present-and-future#:~:text=Historically%2C%20women's%20labor%20force%20participation,participation%20rate%20have%20both%20fallen. ↩