Pedestals & Podiums

I wish that Signature Books' forthcoming publication, Pedestals and Podiums: Utah Women, Religious Authority, and Equal Rights by Martha Sonntag Bradley, had been available when I was taking a class at BYU on U.S. Women's History. The Equal Rights Amendment in the late 1970s was of particular interest to me. In this book, Bradley examines the furor over the ERA among Mormons. She uses written documents, individual experiences, and personal recollections. She makes no secret of her own bias, starting out with her own introduction to feminism because of her participation in the 1977 International Women's Year conference in Utah, but she respects people taking another position and keeps her tone professional, striving for balance. Bradley points out in the introduction that "it is important to acknowledge the great range of responses among Mormon women" and that "good, faithful, intelligent women fell into both categories [pro and con]." The book ends with the idea that "those on both sides thought they were doing what was right for the world and were engaged in what would really matter in the long run" and a suggestion that we have to decide for ourselves.

The issues surrounding the ERA were (and even continue to be) volatile and divisive. It's an impossible request, I think, to expect definitive answers, but what Pedestals and Podiums does is provide a thorough history of the events surrounding the IWY conferences (in Utah and at the national convention in Houston), the stance of the LDS Church on the ERA, LDS campaigning against the ERA in key states, the formation of Mormons for ERA, and the ultimate failure of the ERA. The subtitle indicates that the focus is on Utah women, but national events also play into the story. The book also briefly covers LDS women's history, including suffrage, and a history of the Equal Rights Amendment from 1923.

The book is well-written and engaging. I found it fascinating. I did have some strong emotions about some of the reported events, but overall I came to a greater understanding of what happened. Pedestals and Podiums is due out in October.