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Today, women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints greeted the news of long-awaited changes to the temple with a range of emotions–rejoicing, contemplation, grief at pain past and ongoing. I respect and hold space for all these reactions. I have many thoughts, many things to say, many aspects of the new version of the temple ceremony to analyze, celebrate, and critique. But I will say those things another day.

Today, my thoughts keep returning to women. Returning to all my Sisters whose lives were touched by the temple experience, and especially those whose courage, sacrifices, and vision played a role in shaping that experience. These changes are not a man’s gift to us. We always knew they were ours, a gift of our Heavenly Parents. So tonight in this post I want to offer words of gratitude for the women who knew. The women whose vision, writing, pleading, and work made this day possible.

The musical accompaniment for this post was selected by Kristine Haglund:

Sacerdotes Domini incensum et panes offerunt Deo: et ideo sancti erunt Deo suo et non polluent nomen eius. Alleluia. Then did priests make offering of incense and bread to God: and therefore shall they be holy to their Lord and shall not defile his most holy name. Alleluia.

We give thanks and pray for the many women who made this day possible.

For Emma Hale Smith, for being fierce, fearless, and the first to preside.

For Jane Manning James, for insisting on access to the temple for an equal blessing.

For Eliza R. Snow, the prophetess, for teaching us about our “Mother there.”

For Zina Diantha Huntington Jacobs Smith Young, for performing hundreds of blessings in the Salt Lake temple.

For Sarah Melissa Granger Kimball, for securing financial independence for the Relief Society and political independence through suffrage.

For the women who lived the Principle, though it cost them everything. For the women who broke their dishes to build the temple’s walls.

For Chieko Okazaki, for acknowledging women’s pain and advocating for their inclusion.

For Lavina Anderson, for insisting that words matter.

For Carol Lynn Pearson, for naming the Motherless House.

For Liz Hammond, for introducing us to the Mormon Priestess.

For all the women of vision who saw and knew. For all the women who questioned themselves, for all the women whom others questioned and belittled, for all the women who were sure and built up others. For my own mother, and grandmothers, and great-grandmothers. For my sisters. I am thankful for the sacrifices and work of all of you.

This is not and never could be an exhaustive Honor Roll, but it doesn’t end at the bottom of this post, it continues in the comments. I encourage you to add names to the list in the comments. If you like, include a URL so we can learn more about the person you are naming to the Honor Roll. You can bold their name by adding “<strong> Name </strong>” around it. Thank you for your contributions.