The Influence of Righteous Women, p. 4

In September's Ensign, the church did something special. I know they don't want their women to feel left out or neglected or unappreciated.

The article starts out with all the women in the scriptures: the mothers, the wives, and the "ideal wife" in Proverbs. Uchtdorf mentions that all our women, "grandmothers, aunts, mothers, and friends" are so important in the lives of our youth. Without the mothers, the church would die. Women need to stand strong for that which is correct. Hinkley then lays out what exactly women can do:
Stand for righteousness in their homes
Teach in their classes
Voice righteousness in their communities

So, a woman's role is relegated to home, church, and carefully controlled community activities. Women need to be an example, not by fulfilling themselves, but what they watch and how they dress.

Also, a woman has a unique and feminine identity that encourages women to develop their abilities. How do women develop themselves? College? thinking? working? doing that which they chose to do?

No.

You serve. In relief society. In young womens. In primary. Oh, and in private. You can care for the poor and sick, teach children, serve missions.

The gifts of women are so diverse (look how many ways you can serve!).

The article states that "Latter-day saint women are encouraged to acquire an education and training that will qualify them both for homemaking and raising a righteous family and for earning a living outside the home.... IF THE OCCASION REQUIRES."

I hate that caveat. It's on everything about women... get an education, if the situation requires. You should only work outside the home, if it is absolutely necessary. And throw in with the ever-present caveat stories like the one from LAST month's issue of the Ensign: a women has to BEG heavenly father for FORGIVENESS for wanting to work outside the home and getting PISSED when she comes home from work and expected to do all the child care and cleaning when her husband apparently does jack shit. SHE has to ask for forgiveness and pray to god that she can be back home full time.

So, women's purpose is "to make life sweet today, to give contentment to the heart today, to bring salvation today." Especially in the FLDS church, there is a huge emphasis on staying sweet. It's not as pronounced in mainstream mormonism, but you can bet your ass it's there.

Also, the article says things like "as you live up to this mission, in whatever life circumstance you find yourself--as a wife, as a mother, as a single mother, as a divorced woman, as a widowed or single woman..." it's like a fucking hierarchy... and like your value is determined by relation to either husband or children.

MY GOD!!! So, SO irritating. Articles like these appear in every publication of the church, on a regular basis. But the church isn't misogynistic. Riiiiight....