Why are nonMormons so adamant that LDS women are subservient?

I think they don't understand the definition of "subservient." They think that if someone is in charge then everyone else must be subservient. The definition is:

"▸too willing to obey other people...

▸considered less important than something else"

While men are expected to preside in a home, "preside" doesn't mean to demand unquestioned quick obedience. It does not imply "too quick to obey," or even obey at all when it comes down to it. It does not mean that those who don't preside are less important. That is another word that people don't understand properly. "Preside" means to take the leadership role, but move forward only when there is total and willing agreement of the wife.

On a personal note my father used to say, "I am the head of this family, and I have my wife's permission to say so."

Because they believe what they read at the anti/ex-Mormons web sites, and have never actually known any LDS families. But all one has to do is visit any Mormon home and see. You will find a strong woman who is anything but subservient. Consider the activities in my house this past month:

Shopping. She does 90% of the shopping, she likes shopping (omg does she love shopping!), and if I tried to do her part of the shopping, there would be hell to pay. "No, wife, I preside and I'm going to do the shopping this week". This would be quickly followed by my subservient wife explaining to me that 1) I don't even know what to get 2) I don't where to get it 3) If I don't shut up and stand aside I will find myself living alone. Yeah. That is how subservient my wife is.

Sometimes I go shopping with her. My subservient wife directs me where to push the cart while she fills it, tells me to shut up if I suggest a different brand or product than what she wants, and my subservient wife stands aside while I pay for everything. Then my subservient wife stands aside while I move groceries from cart to trunk.

Our kids are older, so after taking a 20 year break to raise them, my wife now has a job. One day I made the mistake of suggesting to her a better route to work to avoid traffic. My subservient wife suggested that since she was driving I should keep my mouth shut and let her drive.

Those that say LDS Woman are subservient have not the faintest clue what they are talking about. You will find some of the strongest women in the church.

LDS women have always tended to be outspoken, starting with Emma. Some of Brigham Young's wives were adamant supporters of polygamy. It certainly puts a new spin on Equal Rights. Were Mormon women the first real feminists? The idea would likely stick in the craw of any modern liberals who espouse feminism.

It does rankle some that the man is the head of the household. They see a women's role as subservient in that respect. I believe this is out of ignorance. As the head of the household, the man is subservient to the women. It is his job to keep his wife happy. In the same way, Jesus is subservient to all, and gave the ultimate sacrifice for all. There is certainly confusion about gender roles, and the relative importance of each. The LDS priesthood, which is given to every man, is not a priesthood of domination, but a priesthood of persuasion and service.

Quite obviously we can take more than enough cues from the burgeoning mormon women's movement going on in your church as we write. Maybe that's a clue you could possibly follow without such immature name-calling?

Because that appears to be an awful LOT of mommas that ain't happy AT ALL, by any means! But you go right ahead and ignore them, dismiss them, put them down and call them names like "aggressive feminists", just like your all-male leadership has.

Women live longer than men. Might behoove you to keep that in the forefront of your minds. Word to the wise.

In my house it's summoned up if you're not happy don't blame ma ma; you make your own happiness.

I would never wager that all Mormon and even Muslim households have subservient women because it's a blatant lie. I know of one only Muslim woman who was subservient - leaped right out of the shower to do her husbands studies shampoo and all when he told her to do them. Snapped his fingers and she leaped the five feet between them to get to him fast enough.The only things he did for himself was go to the loo, eat and drink.

I believe LDS women are subservient because they actively participate in an organization whose dogma states men have righteous dominion over women. I went to a Mormon church a few times. the women all seemed clinically depressed (cried at the drop of a hat sorta thing), and everything said about women in the sermons was a bunch of sexist drivel.

Well, perhaps it's because women have to make a covenent to listen to their husbands as he listens to the Lord and men make no such covenent to listen to their wives as she listens to the Lord in the endowment.

It may also have to do with that a woman will never have authority in the church to recieve revelation for the entire church as a whole, since those are apostles and prophets who do, none of which will ever be female, since women do not have the priesthood and thus are never allowed to receive revelation for a ward(as a bishop does), for a stake(as a stake president does), etc.

They haven't seen my Mormon house, nor the house I grew up in, nor just about any of our friends.

A few years back one of my wife's friends brought that up to me and I asked her to think about my wife and I, and she laughed, then I mentioned my wife's sister and she laughed some more, then her friends Kathy and Stephanie and Amy and she just kept laughing and about how ridiculous the notion was.

Husband and wife are supposed to be equal partners, what I hear in the meetings for women is how wonderful they are, and in the meetings for men about how much work we need to do to be deserving of our spouse.

I'm sure that some Mormon women are subservient, but the vast majority aren't.

For some reason the Yamster will not let me comment or award best answer. So to Open Heart Searchery, it is true men are granted spiritual dominion in the sealing ceremony but men and women have different roles not unequal. It is given to women to bear and raise children and to have temporal dominion over their household and its running, so also their dear husband and his comings and and goings. Perhaps sir you have never had the opportunity to see a wife run her house. I have the utmost sympathy....My BA goes to Rosskopf

Could have something to do with the fact that it is a patriarchal system with female subservience written right into the doctrine?

From the Proclamation on the Family: "By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families..."

From the Temple Endowment: "Each of you bring your right arm to the square. You and each of you solemnly covenant and promise before God, angels, and these witnesses at this altar that you will each observe and keep the law of the Lord, and hearken to the counsel of your husband as he hearkens to the counsel of the Father. Each of you bow your head and say “Yes.""

Women can't hold the priesthood or preside in the church. They must obey the counsel of their male priesthood leaders.

Given all this, how can one conclude that men and women are equal in the Mormon church? It seems obvious that women are presided over by men.