Posted by Christy on Aug 28, 2015 in Female, Profile |

Hi, I’m Clara and I’m a historian and professor in beautiful Colorado. My wonderful husband, Tim and I have been married ten years, and we are caregivers to my amazing sister, Sariah! I was born and raised in an active Mormon family in Florida.

Living in Arizona made us uber-Mormons, and I loved every minute of serving others as a Relief Society teacher and visiting teacher. We had the best ward, with many kind and loving friends and it seemed we were gone every night doing “church work”. When we moved to Wyoming, we encountered a very different Mormon culture – one of abuse, coercion, intimidation, and harassment. I think it was there all along, we were just so happy in Arizona that I didn’t notice. Being told that my mind is an enemy to the Church, and that I shouldn’t be “too smart” was just a small part of the abuses I encountered. When we learned about the harm inflicted on LGBTQ people, watched the LDS Church publicly inflict pain and shame Kate Kelly, John Dehlin and Kristy Money, and saw the Church spend billions of dollars on investments and hate-speech, rather than helping the poor and needy, we realized we could no longer stay in a church that operates in these un-Christlike ways.

I support Ordain Women because so many of the current abuses in the Church are legacies of history. I support Ordain Women because history allows current leaders and members to continue to harm one another in the name of God’s authority. I support Ordain Women because it’s up to me – and you- and all of us – to stop abuse in the LDS Church. I believe women should claim the authority and power that God gave them. I believe women should be ordained.