The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made another move for gender equality.

The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints (LDS) is no longer requiring their deceased female members to be veiled for burial. This change comes as one of the latest put forth by the church. The idea behind the change and others are to give women a more equitable role in the in line with modern society.

The tradition for burying a woman in a veil goes back a long while, to the Nauvoo era, according to some historians. While wearing the veil as part of the burial process has long been a standard within the church, it is now an option for any woman endowed in the temple. Temple ceremonies for both genders have been updated in recent years, and changes announced by the First Presidency have been more numerous in the last few years than they have been in the past.

Another recent change implemented is regarding the garments that are now appropriate to wear. For example, women are now allowed to wear pants as missionaries, however they are not allowed to wear them in the temple.

The temple garments and some of the endowment ritual itself have both received significant changes in recent years.

The endowment ritual is essentially a retelling of Genesis featuring both men and women. In the past, women were silent and did not get to speak any lines. Now, Eve’s role has been expanded and now has more speaking roles than Satan does. In the past, women had to make covenants to their husbands. This act now has the same promises men make to God echoed by the women in the temple.

All in all, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is making strides for a more equitable future for women.

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