Katie Ludlow Rich speaks on the erasure of women’s history in Mormonism and Exponent II.

The Overlooked Erasure of Women's History in Mormonism

In the hallowed halls of Mormon history, tales of spiritual pioneers and prophetic leaders abound. However, whispers echo of a conspicuous absence, a near-sacred silence enveloping the stories and contributions of women. Katie Ludlow Rich, speaking on the Mormon Stories Podcast, highlights an unsettling trend: the systematic erasure of women in the history of Mormonism. The stakes are high, for when a community’s historical narrative turns one-sided, it risks stripping its members of a holistic identity and depriving women of their rightful place in the annals of faith.

Unveiling the Historical Context

The marginalization of women in religious narratives is not unique to Mormonism. Yet, within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this oversight becomes particularly striking given its foundational history entwined with powerful female figures. Early church history records the Relief Society, an women's auxiliary formed in 1842, which played a significant role in promoting welfare and moral reform. Despite their contributions, women's voices vanished from mainstream Mormon narratives, akin to an artist painting with a missing palette.

Exponent II, a feminist publication founded in 1974, sought to rectify this imbalance. Born from the questioning spirits of Mormon women like those in the 19th-century Women's Exponent newspaper, the publication gives voice to the silent half. Its contributors do not merely seek to add women back into the story but to reconstruct a narrative that accurately reflects the breadth and depth of their contributions.

Documented Evidence and Contrasting Narratives