Mormon women plan ‘Wear Pants to Church Day’

We are in the latter days, people. The LDS Church is under attack. I’m referring, of course, to this:

Mormon women plan ‘Wear Pants to Church Day’

A group of Mormon feminists has declared Sunday, Dec. 16, as “Wear Pants to Church Day” and is calling on sister Saints across the globe to join the effort.
Female Mormon missionaries are not allowed to wear pants, except on their days off. Some LDS women do wear dressy pants to church, but social convention dictates that most Mormon women don dresses or skirts to their weekly services.

You realise that this is open rebellion against the unwritten order of things. If women wear pants to church, where will it end? Men not wearing ties? Bishopric members wearing blue oxford shirts instead of white? The mind reels.

Actually, I do have a story. Back in the Utah days, Erstwhile Wife and I were walking to church. On this particular Sunday, she had decided to wear pants. And who should we run into but Cecilia Konchar Farr. She was a BYU faculty member who had been in the crosshairs (and was ultimately fired) for her feminist and pro-choice views. Think of it — she’d taken on the system in a battle she couldn’t win. Tough person.

When she saw us, she remarked, “Wow, I’m not brave enough to try that.”

She might have been joking, but lest you think that this is a timid sort of protest, it’s worth pointing out that these customs of dress and behaviour are deeply ingrained, not consciously taught, and subtly but strongly reinforced. Women wearing pants to church would be viewed on a par with men wearing skirts. Still, I like to think that, even in my believing days, I would have been that guy.

EDIT: It didn’t seem like pushing the envelope to me, but some people’s envelopes are more fragile than others. A public Facebook discussion has some sensible people, and some people freaking out.