Ordain Women Activists Report They Were Turned Away From The 2013 General Conference Priesthood Session; Kate Kelly Not Worried About Church Discipline

From the Ordain Women Facebook Page, we learn that the Ordain Women activists were turned away when they lined up at the Conference Center and tried to get admission tickets to the Priesthood Session. This is no real surprise since LDS Church authorities already told them they wouldn't be admitted. Monica Hymas Rasmussen published the following post:

"Back home now and listening to the priesthood session from which we were turned away. But I just wanted to say thank you to all the organizers and to my line buddies, Curtis Penfold, Meredith and Emily! Lovely meeting and knocking with you all!"

Other reports filtering in from Feminist Mormon Housewives indicate that the women were blocked from entering by a garbage truck and were even denied admission to the overflow venue in the Tabernacle. Ordain Women have not yet updated their Twitter feed. No media reports yet.

Update: We now have a story from the Logan Herald-Journal. About 200 people joined the Ordain Women demonstration Saturday afternoon, marching from a nearby park to a standby line outside the priesthood meeting only to be told again they wouldn’t be allowed in. Church spokeswoman Ruth Todd greeted the women and then delivered the news. She told them a similar meeting for women was held last weekend, and that the Saturday evening session was about strengthening the men of our church. The group had previously been denied their request for tickets. The LDS Church also issued the following statement:

“Millions of women in this church do not share the views of this small group who organized today’s protest, and most church members would see such efforts as divisive. Even so, these are our sisters and we want them to among us, and hope they will find peace and joy we all seek in the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Here's a news video from KSL Channel 5:



The Ogden Standard-Examiner, in an article provocatively entitled "LDS women priesthood crashers rebuffed at church conference", recorded reaction from Ordain Women chief organizer Kate Kelly. Asked by the Standard-Examiner if she worried about the status of her membership in staging the protest, Kelly said she did not. She said she understands any change in who can receive the priesthood requires a change in doctrine, not just policy, but said she hoped the presence of the women Saturday night would compel church leaders to make the issue a matter of prayer. In response, Kathryn Skaggs, who has a blog called A Well Behaved Mormon Women, said some of the counsel given by church leaders Saturday applies to Ordain Women participants.

“I am inclined to believe that any continued opposition by the group, in how the church is organized, would clearly reveal that they believe they know better than those sustained as prophets, seers and revelators; including those whom they have called to lead the women of the church, under the direction of the priesthood. The majority of women in the LDS Church, because of this understanding, are at peace — even grateful for the defining roles that make us female, and enable us to fulfill our purpose in God’s plan. I certainly am.”