Relatively recently, a group of Mormon women has formed called Ordain Women. The purpose of this group is pretty self explanatory. At first I thought it all seemed ridiculous. (Wear pants to church if you want to, what's the big deal!?) But the more time has gone on and the more I've found out, the more I've come to realize that this Ordain Women idea is anything but flippant. Their mission statement is:
Many of these women have been hurt by priesthood holders they should have been able to trust. Many of these women feel neglected because they cannot bless, baptize or ordain their children, and therefore feel they are not involved in these important moments of their child's lives. Many of these women feel like second class citizens and slighted by this church they love. They feel ordination to the priesthood will fix this. I try hard to not take lightly the deep pains of these women. But I do feel strongly about this issue. I've done a lot of thinking and pondering of late. Especially in the months since I heard about Ordain Women. Their arguments are very convincing, and their interpretation of scriptural and historical evidence is alluring. And with 'Equality!' being the prominent societal war cry, I can see why so many people are getting caught up in it all. I wish so much that people who are hurting would take the time to really understand where the confusion is coming from. Because there is so much that is being misunderstood about equality, about priesthood, about God and His Church.
I'm not writing to get into any doctrinal argument about the priesthood. Plenty of that has been done already. But I do intend to lay out some things we are misunderstanding. Because I wish fewer people were misunderstanding. I'm saddened by members of the Church blessed with such knowledge who are ready (and seemingly willing) to misinterpret basic doctrines of the gospel because they think they know better. The fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ is restored upon the earth. Do we know what that means? It means that what was lost after Jesus ascended into heaven and His apostles were martyred, has been restored! It means that we all (every person who will accept them regardless of race, gender, status, occupation, skin color, or any other label) have access to all the ordinances and covenants necessary to obtain eternal life and exaltation. It also means that restored is the power to perform these ordinances and covenants: namely, Priesthood power. It means Jesus Christ is the head of His Church, His kingdom. *(notes at bottom) And as it has been revealed and organized, worthy male members of the Church are to be ordained to offices of the priesthood and may hold Priesthood keys. It is a Patriarchal Order. **And the Patriarchal Order that governs this Church has always existed. It is not new. It is not an experiment. It is connected to eternity, with no beginning and no end. But everyone has access to the blessings and power of the priesthood. It is not a hierarchy that restricts those not ordained in the offices of the Priesthood. ***It is an organization that gives the blessings of heaven to all those who will receive them! And it was not organized arbitrarily. Because God is not arbitrary.
With all the knowledge that has been revealed, there are still misconceptions about the priesthood running rampant through the Church, and even outside of the Church. At different times in my life, I've misunderstood the same things. It doesn't make me (or anyone else) bad, inferior, or sinful. It makes me human. It helps me learn. It is not my intention to profess to know everything perfectly, because I'm still learning. I just wish people would use their misunderstandings to realize much they have yet to know rather than to perpetuate ill-will. Since I've started to research this feminist movement I've found more confidence in my knowledge about the priesthood, what it means, about what I have misunderstood, and about what I still don't comprehend fully. I've realized how vital it is for everyone to really know what priesthood is. Women need to (and have a responsibility to) gain a better knowledge of the priesthood, and men do too. It's not about who has what and who doesn't. Priesthood power and priesthood ordinances are about what God wants us to become together. It's important to know that there is a difference between the keys, the authority, and the power of the priesthood. And it's important to have a knowledge of the divine origin of this power. It is something we should pray and learn about. There are many good sources of information we can turn to. But with so many people still misunderstanding and some even apathetic, Satan is using it quite effectively to divide us! I feel this division can be summed up with two groupings:
Group 1: Those who want priesthood ordination
Group 2: Those who are quick assert they don't
There are those who think they can petition for revelation for priesthood ordination and those who would petition to stop it. There are those who believe that 'women must be ordained in order for our faith to reflect the equity and expansiveness of these teachings' and those women who think 'I have enough to do without having priesthood responsibilities too. I don't want the priesthood!' And, I believe both of these mindsets can be improved upon. Let's drop our 'I want priesthood' and 'I don't want priesthood' group distinctions. Because both groups are forgetting something; 'He that receiveth my Father, receiveth my Father's kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him. And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood.' (Doctrine & Covenants 84:38-39)
Now ask yourself. What is 'all that my Father hath'?
Misunderstanding #1
We don't fully know do we? I mean, we have an idea, but the details are a little beyond our grasp. But the fact is, He has promised He will 'open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it' (Malchi 3:10). And 'you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.' (Doctrine & Covenants 14:7) And that His whole purpose is 'to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.' (Moses 1:39) And, that 'all that my Father hath shall be given' unto us if we keep our covenants and receive His kingdom! We came here to earth with physical bodies as part of an eternal plan. The purpose of that eternal plan is to allow all of God's children the opportunity to learn, grow, and experience so that we can become like Him and receive all the things that He has received. We barely have a glimpse of what that might even be. If that includes priesthood ordination for women, we would have it. But if it doesn't, we are not denied anything that will allow us to become like Him. Priesthood ordination has a different purpose and meaning here and now than I believe it will in the there and then. Let's not lose faith in that 'which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began' (Titus 1:2), simply because we have a few (or many) misunderstandings in this mortal experience.
Misunderstanding #2
So many people are forgetting that OW is not wrong to ask questions. What would we learn if we didn't question and wonder and study? The fact that we can become better and enlighten our understanding is one of the most fundamentally beautiful doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We should not feel hateful or superior or indignant towards those who brazenly doubt a belief we accept without question. The Lord is certainly saddened by such sentiments. Just because I do not support the methods of Ordain Women does not give me the right to judge where they are on the path to immortality and eternal life. Nor does it give me the right to judge their personal relationship with our Heavenly Father; or to question the intents and desires of their hearts. And yet all too often, this kind of judging is causing division between the saints of God who should know and act better.
Misunderstanding #3
Now, I'll be the first one to admit my first response to hearing about women who want the priesthood was one similar to 'What? They don't feel they have enough to do and now they want priesthood responsibilities too? Nope, not me, I don't want the priesthood, thank you very much. I'm busy enough with my current responsibilities!' I'm seeing that it's not just me, but that this is a very widespread response throughout the women of the Church. While it is a wonderful thing to be happy in the God-given roles we have, I've realized this 'I don't want the priesthood because I already have enough to do' is not the proper rebuttal. It makes light of a serious issue. It perpetuates the idea that the OW movement is wrong simply because the majority of LDS women don't want priesthood ordination. According to this reasoning, if majority vote were to change, women would start being ordained to the priesthood. This simply isn't true. It's wonderful that many women trust in the organization of the priesthood and have no desire to change what God has established. But it's the attitude behind the hasty 'I don't want...' that has me concerned. Let's not be so gullible to think our desires will always lead us in the right direction. We've seen how our mortal desires can divide families and nations. It's God's desires we need to strive to reflect. His desire is to unite His children. His ultimate joy is 'to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of men.' Everything He has done, does now, and will do in the future is to that end. And we cannot say that it is not His desire to bless us with more responsibility. So let's not reject it before it even comes! The Lord gives 'line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little' (2 Ne 28:30 and Isaiah 28:10). We are forgetting that 'we believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.' (Article of Faith #9) To say that we don't want more because we have enough is to reject what He yet has in store. What is the Book of Mormon if not more? What is temple marriage if not more? What is family history, temple work, tithing, fast offerings, callings, General Conference, if not more? And He is not done. He has not yet given us all we will ever have. The law of Moses was fulfilled and we no longer live what was required of so many before us. Similarly the laws we now live will give way to greater ones when God declares. The Lord continues to expand upon what he has given us, much like the rules we have for our children change as they get older for their benefit, according to their responsibility level. We need to be willing to accept the gifts of the Father (those He has already bestowed, and those that are yet to come), because it is only preparation for something greater, something we don't yet understand, but something that must come for our eternal progression to continue.
Misunderstanding #5
We are misunderstanding that Heavenly Father has a different definition of equality than we do. The human definition of equality is dictated by societies that are constantly evolving. The pursuit for equality (as well as its opposition) has spawned the most war, cruelty, and hatred than arguably any other endeavor. The definition of equality is corrupted by mankind, not God. But that is mankind's doing, not God's. God is constant, and is not swayed by the trends of the world. God's definition of equality is the same as it has always been, and it includes the necessity-and eternal significance- of gender differences. As mortal beings we struggle to recognize fully what that means. 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.' (Isaiah 55:8-9) ****Even though societies do not see the contributions of women as wives and mothers as equal to the contributions of men; God and his prophets continue to declare otherwise. Yet many members of the Church somehow believe that the importance placed on womanhood is inferior to the importance of the priesthood. It is ridiculous to assert that only if we are ordained to the offices of the Priesthood will we be considered equal with men before God. Do we think equality is something we can only gain by completing a man-made 'to do' list? Do we think we can force our definition of equality on Him? Equality is something that is-and always has been- eternally defined by our God. We should not be angry because our differing God-given responsibilities interfere with our man-made equality. Always, always God-given trumps man-made.
Misunderstanding #6
Do we really understand the doctrine of faith? To mandate faith by saying that 'women must be ordained' is to give an ultimatum to God. We must be ordained, or what? God isn't perfect? His gospel isn't true? We'll reject His church? To have faith means to 'hope for things which are not seen which are true'. (Alma 32:21) Having faith means putting our trust in the Lord's plan and the Lord's truth, not just what we want or our interpretation of truth. It means we won't always know all the details. It means being obedient to God and His servants. Faith brings us to God, it does not make us protest the laws He has set. Do we remember that 'all my father hath' is in our future (as women) too? Do we have faith that God is at the helm, and that He will continue to reveal higher laws to His children? And those laws are rarely, if ever, what His people expect them to be. His chosen people rejected and killed His Only Begotten Son because He was not the kind of leader they thought they needed. Are there those who are also going reject Him if our mortal view of priesthood ordination for women never comes to be? I fear that those who are making a stand in the name of 'our faith', against what the Prophet has currently revealed are in gradual but significant ways being lead astray. We cannot dictate God's plan in the name of 'our faith'. Faith does not work that way. God does not work that way.
Misunderstanding #7
Lastly, we are also misunderstanding that women, too, are endowed with priesthood power. We are not ordained to priesthood offices, but priesthood power is not withheld from us. It never has been, and never will be. The Priesthood is God's power. It is the power that saves and heals and changes hearts. It is the power that overthrows evil. It is the power that created the moon and sun and stars and infinite worlds. It is the power that created you and I and everything that has ever been. Let me repeat. We were created by this power! So who can deny that the innate power women have to create life is a part of that Godly priesthood power? Only those who misunderstand what priesthood is. But even apart from the beautiful gift of creating life, we (both women and men) have the opportunity to make all the priesthood covenants required by the Lord to receive eternal life and exaltation, starting at baptism. These grant us complete access to His power when we live righteously and keep those covenants. We have just forgotten because we have chosen to focus on the fact that we do not hold the keys of the priesthood specifically, as God has directed His sons to do. ***** "Don't confuse the power with the keys and offices of the priesthood. God's power is limitless and it is shared with those who make and keep covenants. Too much is said and misunderstood about what the brothers have and the sisters don't have. This is Satan's way of confusing both men and women so neither understands what they really have." As women, we are not without our own priesthood duties. And we are not left without direct access to priesthood power. We exercise and are blessed by it every time we pray. Every time we serve. Every time we accept, are set apart in, and fulfill a calling. Every time we receive a prompting from His Holy Spirit and act on it. Every time we make and renew covenants with our Heavenly Father. Every time we enter into the creative process to bring a child into the world. Every time we teach and nurture and lift our children and others. Evey time we receive revelation. Every time we draw nearer to Him, denying the enticings of the adversary. Every time we utilize the Atonement and truly repent. And so much more. Any of this is possible only because priesthood power exists. It is real. It is the power of righteousness. It is the power of God. It is the power given to His covenant keeping children. And it is much available to the Lord's daughters as it is His sons.
All my life I've had an evolving understanding of the meaning of womanhood and it's relationship with manhood, the priesthood, society and God. That evolution has been particularly dynamic this last year, and for that I'm grateful. I am very aware that womanhood, (with all the biological, traditional and God given roles involved) is often a culturally debased and devalued state of being. Thankfully, I've been lucky enough to have always been taught of my infinite worth as a child of God, and more specifically, a daughter of God. That knowledge has made all the difference. As daughters in His kingdom, equal importance is given to us for the building of the kingdom. We are entitled to receive revelation. We have many opportunities to teach and testify, to serve and to bless. We are to make and keep covenants, and to encourage others to do the same. By following the Lord and His prophets, we contribute to His Kingdom in eternal ways our mortal minds can't and won't fully grasp. Ordination to the offices of the priesthood will not change that, and lack of priesthood ordination does not restrict that. Maybe if we recognized our lack of understanding, we could avoid the misunderstandings. Maybe if we put more trust in the God who formed us, our faith would comprehend what our minds don't. Maybe if we trusted in the Atonement as the only 'equalizer' of mankind, women wouldn't feel a need to dictate the terms of their divine equality. I don't know what 'all the Father hath' is. I don't understand it yet. But it sounds so much better than anything I could request from Him with my myopic, mortal perspective. So I think I can accept that I don't fathom it all completely. We don't have to look hard to see that He did not create men and women the same, and not just physically. But I know that He formed us with equal care, concern, and eternal love. I know we are equal before God, with different responsibilities in His plan. He has provided equally for us all to partake in the blessings of eternity and exaltation. That's what really matters.
And that's the only equality I need to understand.
'The fundamental tenets of Mormonism support gender equality: God is male and female, father and mother, and all of us can progress to be like them someday. Priesthood, we are taught, is essential to this process. Ordain Women believes women must be ordained in order for our faith to reflect the equity and expansiveness of these teachings.'
Many of these women have been hurt by priesthood holders they should have been able to trust. Many of these women feel neglected because they cannot bless, baptize or ordain their children, and therefore feel they are not involved in these important moments of their child's lives. Many of these women feel like second class citizens and slighted by this church they love. They feel ordination to the priesthood will fix this. I try hard to not take lightly the deep pains of these women. But I do feel strongly about this issue. I've done a lot of thinking and pondering of late. Especially in the months since I heard about Ordain Women. Their arguments are very convincing, and their interpretation of scriptural and historical evidence is alluring. And with 'Equality!' being the prominent societal war cry, I can see why so many people are getting caught up in it all. I wish so much that people who are hurting would take the time to really understand where the confusion is coming from. Because there is so much that is being misunderstood about equality, about priesthood, about God and His Church.
I'm not writing to get into any doctrinal argument about the priesthood. Plenty of that has been done already. But I do intend to lay out some things we are misunderstanding. Because I wish fewer people were misunderstanding. I'm saddened by members of the Church blessed with such knowledge who are ready (and seemingly willing) to misinterpret basic doctrines of the gospel because they think they know better. The fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ is restored upon the earth. Do we know what that means? It means that what was lost after Jesus ascended into heaven and His apostles were martyred, has been restored! It means that we all (every person who will accept them regardless of race, gender, status, occupation, skin color, or any other label) have access to all the ordinances and covenants necessary to obtain eternal life and exaltation. It also means that restored is the power to perform these ordinances and covenants: namely, Priesthood power. It means Jesus Christ is the head of His Church, His kingdom. *(notes at bottom) And as it has been revealed and organized, worthy male members of the Church are to be ordained to offices of the priesthood and may hold Priesthood keys. It is a Patriarchal Order. **And the Patriarchal Order that governs this Church has always existed. It is not new. It is not an experiment. It is connected to eternity, with no beginning and no end. But everyone has access to the blessings and power of the priesthood. It is not a hierarchy that restricts those not ordained in the offices of the Priesthood. ***It is an organization that gives the blessings of heaven to all those who will receive them! And it was not organized arbitrarily. Because God is not arbitrary.
With all the knowledge that has been revealed, there are still misconceptions about the priesthood running rampant through the Church, and even outside of the Church. At different times in my life, I've misunderstood the same things. It doesn't make me (or anyone else) bad, inferior, or sinful. It makes me human. It helps me learn. It is not my intention to profess to know everything perfectly, because I'm still learning. I just wish people would use their misunderstandings to realize much they have yet to know rather than to perpetuate ill-will. Since I've started to research this feminist movement I've found more confidence in my knowledge about the priesthood, what it means, about what I have misunderstood, and about what I still don't comprehend fully. I've realized how vital it is for everyone to really know what priesthood is. Women need to (and have a responsibility to) gain a better knowledge of the priesthood, and men do too. It's not about who has what and who doesn't. Priesthood power and priesthood ordinances are about what God wants us to become together. It's important to know that there is a difference between the keys, the authority, and the power of the priesthood. And it's important to have a knowledge of the divine origin of this power. It is something we should pray and learn about. There are many good sources of information we can turn to. But with so many people still misunderstanding and some even apathetic, Satan is using it quite effectively to divide us! I feel this division can be summed up with two groupings:
Group 1: Those who want priesthood ordination
Group 2: Those who are quick assert they don't
There are those who think they can petition for revelation for priesthood ordination and those who would petition to stop it. There are those who believe that 'women must be ordained in order for our faith to reflect the equity and expansiveness of these teachings' and those women who think 'I have enough to do without having priesthood responsibilities too. I don't want the priesthood!' And, I believe both of these mindsets can be improved upon. Let's drop our 'I want priesthood' and 'I don't want priesthood' group distinctions. Because both groups are forgetting something; 'He that receiveth my Father, receiveth my Father's kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him. And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood.' (Doctrine & Covenants 84:38-39)
Now ask yourself. What is 'all that my Father hath'?
Misunderstanding #1
We don't fully know do we? I mean, we have an idea, but the details are a little beyond our grasp. But the fact is, He has promised He will 'open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it' (Malchi 3:10). And 'you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.' (Doctrine & Covenants 14:7) And that His whole purpose is 'to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.' (Moses 1:39) And, that 'all that my Father hath shall be given' unto us if we keep our covenants and receive His kingdom! We came here to earth with physical bodies as part of an eternal plan. The purpose of that eternal plan is to allow all of God's children the opportunity to learn, grow, and experience so that we can become like Him and receive all the things that He has received. We barely have a glimpse of what that might even be. If that includes priesthood ordination for women, we would have it. But if it doesn't, we are not denied anything that will allow us to become like Him. Priesthood ordination has a different purpose and meaning here and now than I believe it will in the there and then. Let's not lose faith in that 'which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began' (Titus 1:2), simply because we have a few (or many) misunderstandings in this mortal experience.
Misunderstanding #2
So many people are forgetting that OW is not wrong to ask questions. What would we learn if we didn't question and wonder and study? The fact that we can become better and enlighten our understanding is one of the most fundamentally beautiful doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We should not feel hateful or superior or indignant towards those who brazenly doubt a belief we accept without question. The Lord is certainly saddened by such sentiments. Just because I do not support the methods of Ordain Women does not give me the right to judge where they are on the path to immortality and eternal life. Nor does it give me the right to judge their personal relationship with our Heavenly Father; or to question the intents and desires of their hearts. And yet all too often, this kind of judging is causing division between the saints of God who should know and act better.
Misunderstanding #3
Now, I'll be the first one to admit my first response to hearing about women who want the priesthood was one similar to 'What? They don't feel they have enough to do and now they want priesthood responsibilities too? Nope, not me, I don't want the priesthood, thank you very much. I'm busy enough with my current responsibilities!' I'm seeing that it's not just me, but that this is a very widespread response throughout the women of the Church. While it is a wonderful thing to be happy in the God-given roles we have, I've realized this 'I don't want the priesthood because I already have enough to do' is not the proper rebuttal. It makes light of a serious issue. It perpetuates the idea that the OW movement is wrong simply because the majority of LDS women don't want priesthood ordination. According to this reasoning, if majority vote were to change, women would start being ordained to the priesthood. This simply isn't true. It's wonderful that many women trust in the organization of the priesthood and have no desire to change what God has established. But it's the attitude behind the hasty 'I don't want...' that has me concerned. Let's not be so gullible to think our desires will always lead us in the right direction. We've seen how our mortal desires can divide families and nations. It's God's desires we need to strive to reflect. His desire is to unite His children. His ultimate joy is 'to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of men.' Everything He has done, does now, and will do in the future is to that end. And we cannot say that it is not His desire to bless us with more responsibility. So let's not reject it before it even comes! The Lord gives 'line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little' (2 Ne 28:30 and Isaiah 28:10). We are forgetting that 'we believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.' (Article of Faith #9) To say that we don't want more because we have enough is to reject what He yet has in store. What is the Book of Mormon if not more? What is temple marriage if not more? What is family history, temple work, tithing, fast offerings, callings, General Conference, if not more? And He is not done. He has not yet given us all we will ever have. The law of Moses was fulfilled and we no longer live what was required of so many before us. Similarly the laws we now live will give way to greater ones when God declares. The Lord continues to expand upon what he has given us, much like the rules we have for our children change as they get older for their benefit, according to their responsibility level. We need to be willing to accept the gifts of the Father (those He has already bestowed, and those that are yet to come), because it is only preparation for something greater, something we don't yet understand, but something that must come for our eternal progression to continue.
Misunderstanding #4
What we are forgetting is that God is a parent. Our Parent. Our Father. He sent us here to learn. He knows all things. He loves us with a perfect love, and this affects every action He has ever taken. As a parent now myself, I am beginning to realize at least in a small part, what that perfect love is. It amazes me how I can love two entirely different people so completely, so equally, and still so differently. I am beginning to realize, at least partially, why Heavenly Father does what He does. I can't count how many times each week I think to my 3 year old, 'I know you don't understand, but if you would just trust me, this would be so much easier!' It wasn't until just recently that I started wondering how many times the Father must think that of us. How often do we think we know what we need, know what we are ready for, know that what we want is the best and demand it of Him like a child, unaware of how much better the Parent knows? And how often, like a child, are we so absorbed in loudly proclaiming what we want to Heavenly Father that we miss the still, small whispering of His Holy Spirit, reminding us of His infinite experience and wisdom? How often do we not trust that His way is better, simply because it contradicts what we have the ability to understand right now? The answer is a lot. Too much. A child telling his parents how to raise him is absurd. Even more so is us telling God how to plan and complete our salvation and exaltation. I don't know why men are ordained to the offices of the priesthood and not women. But I have faith that my Heavenly Father knows the whole picture, and has in mind something so much better for His children than we have for ourselves. 'We are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.' (Romans 8:16-17) If we could just do a little better, listen a little closer, obey a little more fully, trust more implicitly, we as women would see that as joint-heirs with Christ, we are not-and will not- be denied anything in the eternal plan by our Father in Heaven. When we dictate which blessing we want, we limit what we can receive. We must not forget the part about first 'receiv[ing] my Father's kingdom' as it has been established. If we remembered, would we feel the need to protest the miracle that the keys of the priesthood are on the earth, even though we have not been called to hold them? As a parent, I would never deny my children blessings and privileges as long as they lived up to their responsibilities. And, even more perfectly than me; neither will He.
We are misunderstanding that Heavenly Father has a different definition of equality than we do. The human definition of equality is dictated by societies that are constantly evolving. The pursuit for equality (as well as its opposition) has spawned the most war, cruelty, and hatred than arguably any other endeavor. The definition of equality is corrupted by mankind, not God. But that is mankind's doing, not God's. God is constant, and is not swayed by the trends of the world. God's definition of equality is the same as it has always been, and it includes the necessity-and eternal significance- of gender differences. As mortal beings we struggle to recognize fully what that means. 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.' (Isaiah 55:8-9) ****Even though societies do not see the contributions of women as wives and mothers as equal to the contributions of men; God and his prophets continue to declare otherwise. Yet many members of the Church somehow believe that the importance placed on womanhood is inferior to the importance of the priesthood. It is ridiculous to assert that only if we are ordained to the offices of the Priesthood will we be considered equal with men before God. Do we think equality is something we can only gain by completing a man-made 'to do' list? Do we think we can force our definition of equality on Him? Equality is something that is-and always has been- eternally defined by our God. We should not be angry because our differing God-given responsibilities interfere with our man-made equality. Always, always God-given trumps man-made.
Misunderstanding #6
Do we really understand the doctrine of faith? To mandate faith by saying that 'women must be ordained' is to give an ultimatum to God. We must be ordained, or what? God isn't perfect? His gospel isn't true? We'll reject His church? To have faith means to 'hope for things which are not seen which are true'. (Alma 32:21) Having faith means putting our trust in the Lord's plan and the Lord's truth, not just what we want or our interpretation of truth. It means we won't always know all the details. It means being obedient to God and His servants. Faith brings us to God, it does not make us protest the laws He has set. Do we remember that 'all my father hath' is in our future (as women) too? Do we have faith that God is at the helm, and that He will continue to reveal higher laws to His children? And those laws are rarely, if ever, what His people expect them to be. His chosen people rejected and killed His Only Begotten Son because He was not the kind of leader they thought they needed. Are there those who are also going reject Him if our mortal view of priesthood ordination for women never comes to be? I fear that those who are making a stand in the name of 'our faith', against what the Prophet has currently revealed are in gradual but significant ways being lead astray. We cannot dictate God's plan in the name of 'our faith'. Faith does not work that way. God does not work that way.
Misunderstanding #7
Lastly, we are also misunderstanding that women, too, are endowed with priesthood power. We are not ordained to priesthood offices, but priesthood power is not withheld from us. It never has been, and never will be. The Priesthood is God's power. It is the power that saves and heals and changes hearts. It is the power that overthrows evil. It is the power that created the moon and sun and stars and infinite worlds. It is the power that created you and I and everything that has ever been. Let me repeat. We were created by this power! So who can deny that the innate power women have to create life is a part of that Godly priesthood power? Only those who misunderstand what priesthood is. But even apart from the beautiful gift of creating life, we (both women and men) have the opportunity to make all the priesthood covenants required by the Lord to receive eternal life and exaltation, starting at baptism. These grant us complete access to His power when we live righteously and keep those covenants. We have just forgotten because we have chosen to focus on the fact that we do not hold the keys of the priesthood specifically, as God has directed His sons to do. ***** "Don't confuse the power with the keys and offices of the priesthood. God's power is limitless and it is shared with those who make and keep covenants. Too much is said and misunderstood about what the brothers have and the sisters don't have. This is Satan's way of confusing both men and women so neither understands what they really have." As women, we are not without our own priesthood duties. And we are not left without direct access to priesthood power. We exercise and are blessed by it every time we pray. Every time we serve. Every time we accept, are set apart in, and fulfill a calling. Every time we receive a prompting from His Holy Spirit and act on it. Every time we make and renew covenants with our Heavenly Father. Every time we enter into the creative process to bring a child into the world. Every time we teach and nurture and lift our children and others. Evey time we receive revelation. Every time we draw nearer to Him, denying the enticings of the adversary. Every time we utilize the Atonement and truly repent. And so much more. Any of this is possible only because priesthood power exists. It is real. It is the power of righteousness. It is the power of God. It is the power given to His covenant keeping children. And it is much available to the Lord's daughters as it is His sons.
And that's the only equality I need to understand.
*"The man holds the Priesthood, performs the priestly duties of the church, but his wife enjoys with him every other privilege derived from the possession of the Priesthood. This is made clear, as an example, in the Temple service of the church. The ordinances of the Temple are distinctly of Priesthood character, yet women have access to all of them, and the highest blessings of the Temple are conferred only upon a man and his wife jointly" (Priesthood and Church Government [1965], 83)
** "In the true Patriarchal Order man holds the priesthood and is the head of the household,...but he cannot attain a fulness of joy here or of eternal reward hereafter alone. Woman stands at his side a joint-inheritor with him in the fulness of all things. Exaltation and eternal increase is her lot as well as his. Godhood is not for men only; it is for men and women together. (Doctrine and Covenants 132: 1-4, 19-20) (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 844)
***"Priesthood is to be used for the benefit of the entire human family, for the upbuilding of men, women, and children alike. There is indeed no privileged class or sex within the true Church of Christ...Men have their work to do and their powers to exercise for the benefit of all the members of the Church....So with woman: Her special gifts are to be exercised for the benefit and uplift of the race" (quoted by John A. Widstoe, comp.,in Priesthood and church Government, rev.ed.[1954], 92-93).
****"Men and women have different but equally important responsibilities in the home and the Church. Priesthood power can help each person perform those responsibilities for the benefit of all. Because priesthood power is on the earth today, great blessings are available to all worthy Church members, whether they are old or young, male or female, single or married." (Lesson 13: Women and the Priesthood, the Latterday Saint Woman: Basic Manual for Women, Part A (I added the emphasis))
Other great resources:
The Keys and Authority of the Prietshood, Dallin H. Oaks, April 2014 General Conference
Do We Know What We Have? Carole M. Stephens, October 2013 General Conference
Power In The Priesthood, Neil L. Andersen, October 2013 General Conference
Women and the Priesthood by Sheri Dew
** "In the true Patriarchal Order man holds the priesthood and is the head of the household,...but he cannot attain a fulness of joy here or of eternal reward hereafter alone. Woman stands at his side a joint-inheritor with him in the fulness of all things. Exaltation and eternal increase is her lot as well as his. Godhood is not for men only; it is for men and women together. (Doctrine and Covenants 132: 1-4, 19-20) (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 844)
***"Priesthood is to be used for the benefit of the entire human family, for the upbuilding of men, women, and children alike. There is indeed no privileged class or sex within the true Church of Christ...Men have their work to do and their powers to exercise for the benefit of all the members of the Church....So with woman: Her special gifts are to be exercised for the benefit and uplift of the race" (quoted by John A. Widstoe, comp.,in Priesthood and church Government, rev.ed.[1954], 92-93).
****"Men and women have different but equally important responsibilities in the home and the Church. Priesthood power can help each person perform those responsibilities for the benefit of all. Because priesthood power is on the earth today, great blessings are available to all worthy Church members, whether they are old or young, male or female, single or married." (Lesson 13: Women and the Priesthood, the Latterday Saint Woman: Basic Manual for Women, Part A (I added the emphasis))
Other great resources:
The Keys and Authority of the Prietshood, Dallin H. Oaks, April 2014 General Conference
Do We Know What We Have? Carole M. Stephens, October 2013 General Conference
Power In The Priesthood, Neil L. Andersen, October 2013 General Conference
Women and the Priesthood by Sheri Dew
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