Women banned from General Conference

[_Patriarchal gripe]

When was the first time a woman spoke in General Conference? I'm talking about the General Sessions, not just the Women's sessions or Welfare sessions, or whatever they used to be called. I'm talking about the BIG SHOW, when all the prophets get to speak.

My wife has been painstakingly going through all of the General Conference talks from 1971 to about 1979 on LDS.org and can't find an instance where they allowed a skirt at the podium. What changed to allow women to speak whenever the change finally occured? Will they get to pray next? Will they get called to the Quorum of the 12 soon?

Gotta love "continuing revelation" by social pressure, instituted discreetly.

[_just me]

I believe that Lucy Mack Smith spoke at one in Nauvoo.

It was many, many, many years before that ever happened again. Not sure the date. Good question!

[_Runtu]

From "MormonMatters": "On Oct 2, 1988 Michaelene P Grassli, general Primary President, became the first woman to speak in General Conference in 133 years."

[_just me]

Ninteen Eighty Freaking Eight!

*gobsmacked*

[_jon]

Ninteen Eighty Freaking Eight!

*gobsmacked*

God yes, and next they'll want the vote...

[_harmony]

Baby steps, people. Baby steps.

If you want innovative forward thinking, don't enter the conference center.

[_consiglieri]

From "MormonMatters": "On Oct 2, 1988 Michaelene P Grassli, general Primary President, became the first woman to speak in General Conference in 133 years."

And under President Benson, no less!

The LDS Church is just full of interesting ironies such as this.

Like Joseph Fielding Smith starting up the Genesis Project.

(Or was that Carol Marcus?)

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_Simon Belmont]

So where does it say anything concerning the title of this thread Women banned from General Conference? Were women ever banned from GC? I don't think so.

[_moksha]

Were women ever banned from GC? I don't think so.

It could be that rather than a ban keeping women from ever speaking in General Conference, it was that women were never considered as having enough merit to warrant being a speaker. Either that or Motherhood was considered to be too sacred to stand at a podium where gruff men folk were gathered to discuss tithing, temperance, obedience and other important stuff.

.

[_Willy Law]

From "MormonMatters": "On Oct 2, 1988 Michaelene P Grassli, general Primary President, became the first woman to speak in General Conference in 133 years."

I hope they first asked Brother Grassli for permission to allow his wife to speak.

"the ward clerk set an appointment for us to meet with the new bishop on Tuesday evening. After a short visit, the bishop asked my husband’s permission to call me as the Primary president of the new ward. Then he issued the call to me.
http://LDS.org/ensign/2011/07/called-of-god?lang=eng