Equality is too often used to mean “identity” meaning that two equal things must be identical to each other. The proclamation teaches that gender is “an essential characteristic of individual pre-mortal, mortal and eternal identity and purpose.”
We believe that men and woman in God’s kingdom are equal in blessings; equal in power, intelligence, wisdom, dignity, respect, giving counsel, giving consent, agency, value, potential, authority, exalted fullness, virtue, spirituality, and spiritual gifts; equal in temporal things in Zion; and equal heirs with Christ.
One gender does not have greater eternal possibility than the other.
Elder Earl C. Tingey said: “You must not misunderstand what the Lord meant when Adam was told he was to have a helpmeet. A helpmeet is a companion suit to or equal to us. We walk side by side with a helpmeet, not one before or behind the other. A helpmeet results in an absolute equal partnership between husband and wife. Eve was to be equal to Adan as a husband and wife are to be equal to each other.”
“Genesis 3;16 states that Adam is to “rule over” Eve, but this doesn’t make Adam a dictator..Over in “rule over” uses the Hebrew bet, which means ruling with, not ruling over..The concept of interdependent, equal partners is well-grounded in the doctrine of the restore gospel. Eve was Adam’s “Help meet” The original Hebrew for meet means that Eve was adequate for, or equal to, Adam. She wasn’t his servant or his subordinate.”
Elder Bruce C. Hafen
Richard G. Scott
"In some culture, tradition places a man in a role to dominate, control, and regulate all family affairs. That is not the way of the Lord. In some places the wife is almost owned by her husband, as if she were another of his personal possessions. That is a cruel, mistaken vision of marriage encouraged by Lucifer that every priesthood holder must reject. It is founded on the false premise that a man is somehow superior to a woman. Nothing could be farther from the truth."
A marriage of equal partners is one where the partners help one another in their stewardships. This stewardship includes help with housework and childcare.
President Boyd K. Packer said, “There is no task, however menial, connect with the care of babies, the nurturing of children, or with the maintenance of the home that is not the husbands equal obligation.” Likewise woman assist their husbands, directly and indirectly, with the burdens of supporting a family.
Research shows that couples who have an equal partnership have happier relationships, better individual well-being, more effecting parenting practices, and better-functioning children.
Research also shows that couples who share power are more satisfied and have better overall marital quality than couples where one spouse dominates.
Equal partners are happier because they have less negative interaction and more positive interactions. Equal partners are generally better parents. Parents with less relationship equality are less likely to work together as a team in parenting their children. They are more likely to triangulate their children which forces them to take sides.
The Proclamation states that husband and wife are not identical but that they are equal to each other. When both partners view themselves as equal it allows for a better physical and emotional health in addition to better parenting outcomes.
