In this video, Young Women leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints talk about the doctrine of the priesthood and how it relates to young women of the Church.

For those not of our faith, some of the lingo may feel unfamiliar. If you would like to understand more about the priesthood, you can read more at Mormon.org about our beliefs about how priesthood keys and authority have been restored to earth — just as such keys and authority were given to Peter, James, and John in New Testament time, or to prophets in Old Testament times.

The post A Discussion on Priesthood appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

This week here at Mormon Women, we’ve been exploring some of the concepts surrounding the doctrine of the priesthood – priesthood keys, authority, and power. We’ve shared a little about the Church organization and the purpose of the restoration of keys and authority to and through the prophet Joseph Smith and how those keys and authority are operative today. We’ve shared what I believe to be insightful reflections from the Relief Society training on the reality of priesthood power and the blessings of priesthood that are available to all of God’s children through receiving the ordinances of the gospel and by keeping gospel covenants in faith.

I’ve also shared some personal insights about asking questions in faith…about the divine process of asking, seeking, and knocking (see Matthew 7:7-8).

I hadn’t planned on sharing content on these topics a week ago, but now it seems as though these two concepts deserve some shared, colliding space. That is the purpose of today’s post.

First I want to say that I do plan to share more links and posts about priesthood here over the coming weeks. It’s a topic that is both simple and yet also layered and deep and rich. It’s a topic that our Church leaders clearly want Church members to understand more (e.g., see the Worldwide Leadership Training or Elder M. Russell Ballard’s recent Conference talk). It’s a topic I’ve spent a good portion of my life studying and seeking to understand, and the more I study and ponder it, the more I cherish the doctrine.

And yet, I understand that priesthood in the context of Mormonism is also a topic that makes some people uncomfortable. It raises questions. (Some see that as a bad thing. I believe it can be a good thing. It is okay to have questions!) Because only men hold priesthood office in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on the face of it, the topic of priesthood in Mormonism doesn’t necessarily match the world’s definition of “gender equality.” Equality in cultural, social, and political terms tends to focus on limited opportunities within organizational structures and equality in other more mortally- (by mortals) measurable ways.

Some even within our church insist that the Church is wrong to not ordain women. It is probably clear from the tone and content of this site that I (and those who sponsor this site) do not share this point of view. Future posts may explore more of my personal feelings on this topic, but for now, I want to say that I do understand and sympathize with the pain people may feel about topics related to gender. And while I disagree with translating personal questions and struggles into public activism to try to change the Church, I respect that personal, sacred process of asking questions. And I think it’s important to acknowledge that the questions exist. (As a side note, I think our leaders have made it clear that they know they do. People may not always like the answers they give, but I do believe they know the questions are there.)

I also want to say that our intent here at Mormon Women is not to ignore or mock the pain some may feel with relation to gender issues or other charged topics. Neither do I want to be misunderstood as thinking that such questions can (or even should) be quieted through simple, pat answers.

But I do not believe that the doctrines and teachings of Jesus Christ are facile or “pat answers.” I believe the doctrine of the restored gospel and the power that comes of making and keeping gospel covenants is what can unlock the answers to the deepest questions of the soul — whether those questions be about gender issues or about the purpose of life or the reality of God or why bad things happen to people who do and are good (or why good things happen to people who are doing bad things).

I will take it a step further and say that I think sometimes the very issues that seem to bring the most questions and tensions are the ones that can provide the most opportunity for us to come to understand more about God’s plan for and love for us. I believe it’s often in the process of leaning into tensions and pain that we can find more about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and His grace, and about our eternal destiny and divine, individual worth and potential as children of heavenly parents.

But strong feelings about my faith aside — even if you do not currently believe in or are currently struggling with Mormonism — my hope is that wherever you are, whatever your questions may be, however you may study the questions out in your mind, go first and most often and boldly to your Father in Heaven. He is real. He knows you. He loves you. Take to Him the questions or concerns or frustrations or fears or pains that may exist in your life. Share your joys, too, and your gratitude for the good you see and feel. Pray vocally. Pray in your heart. Pray through the written word. Pray through song. Pray through other means of expression that resonate with your soul. Pray with attention to detail about what you are thinking, wondering, feeling.

I believe we learn the most from God not when we have answers and comfort, but when we have questions and struggles. And we learn when we act on whatever answers He may give.

I know from personal, repeated experience that that He is real and He listens to and answers prayers. Some — many– of those prayers have never been uttered. Some are so deep within me that I can’t find words for them, just as Paul acknowledges can happen (see Romans 8:26). I have found that the process of having answers distill can take days, weeks, months, years, even decades. I believe coming to know God and to recognize what God’s answers feel like and look like in our lives is the journey of a lifetime.

But oh, what a journey it is.

God bless you in your own journey of faith, whatever that path may look like for you. God bless you in your process of asking questions of and seeking wisdom from Him.

I know He will, in His way and time.

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Pieces

Pieces of a pen, including the spring

Parts of a flashlight, a phone that won’t ring

Bits of a bagel you ate yesterday,

A toy’s in the cd drive and now it won’t play.

All around me are pieces of things I once knew

Including my sanity; I’m missing that too.

I guess that’s just life when you have a two-year-old

It never is boring– these times are like gold!

For other Poetry submissions, please click here.

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Sue is one of those people for me.

I’ve been a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a “Mormon“) all of my life. I have been surrounded by strong, diligent people who have shared their convictions of the reality of God as a loving Father, and of a Savior who has power to heal hearts and change lives. I have heard people talk about the power of prayer. I myself am no stranger to the power of prayer and the reality of God. I have felt God’s Spirit penetrate my heart on more occasions than I can recount. I cannot express the gratitude I have for the faith I have, and for people who have helped strengthen that faith in word, deed, and quiet example.

But Sue has helped bring truth to my life in ways unlike anyone else. I’ve never felt quite the way I do when she talks about talking with – and getting answers from – God, when she testifies of His character and His love.

Perhaps it is because of where she’s been, what’s she’s been through. I don’t even know all of the details, but I know she has experienced a lot of pain in her life. When she joined the Mormon Church as an adult, she came with a lot of questions — questions that women who identify themselves as feminists might ask as they learn about (or participate in) our Church. “Why are men the ones who hold the priesthood? Why do men hold many of the leadership positions in the LDS Church?” She wondered and worried. Did God not care about, or trust, women as much as He did men? Did He think women were second-class citizens?

Even with these questions that troubled her, she continued on, diligently holding to this faith she had embraced. She had a conviction that she needed to be a member of the Church. She had spent years searching for something to fill her deep needs for meaning and purpose in life, and this Church provided many answers for her.

Still, these questions raged like fire in her mind and heart.

But rather than let them fester, she turned to God in earnestness.

Sue has shared glimpses of some of the conversations she had with God in prayer. Her pleas were raw, full of the pain and emotion that seared her soul. She held nothing back.

And God answered.

The answers didn’t come all at once. They didn’t necessarily come as she expected them to (and they weren’t always what she was expecting!). But they came.

An image of Sue that is burned into my memory is of a time she spoke (as she often does) with passionate wonder and intense gratitude. She had just related one of these tender, powerful moments when Heavenly Father distilled truth into her mind and heart, piercing the darkness she had felt. As she shared with me, she threw herself against her chair, arms and head flung back, as though she had been blown over by a strong gust of wind. She exclaimed: “How can we not have faith in such a Being as this?”

The absolute confidence she has in God is remarkable. She will often describe God as a “phenomenal Man” — perfect in His character, perfect in His love, perfect in His knowledge of us and our lives. And oh-so-desirous to free us from misperceptions and misunderstandings – distortions that keep us from understanding Him and His truths.

A part of me wishes that I could package her answers somehow for women who also have questions about how to manage that mental, emotional, and spiritual space where Mormonism and feminism may seem to irreconcilably collide.

But in the end, I realize that no human answers will be sufficient for the deepest questions and struggles that come with this journey called mortality.

My struggles are different from Sue’s, but the power of her example and conviction has left an indelible mark on my soul. Her experiences with God have strengthened my confidence in the process of prayer, and have increased my desire to seek — and find — Him.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

~by Michelle

You can read more First Person essays here.

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***Please note: The answers in “Ask a Mormon Woman” and (other content on this site) reflect the thoughts and perspectives of the administrators at Mormon Women. Although we strive to have our content consistent with the Church’s doctrine and teachings, we do not speak officially for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. For official information about or from the Church, please visit www.mormon.org or www.lds.org.

For more information on our basic doctrines, click here.

What is a solemn assembly? (This was a question discussed at the time Pres. Monson was sustained as president of the Church.)

Why aren’t women in the Church ordained to the priesthood?

Question: I’ve heard a lot in the news about polygamy with all that is going on with the FLDS group in Texas. Some people are concerned about the fact that Mormons once practiced polygamy, and that somehow issues we see today reflect issues that existed then. What does your church say about this?
–For some thoughts on this topic, see what Marlin K. Jensen, LDS Church historian has to say.

Why are ordinances necessary?


Q: What is a solemn assembly?

Recently, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held its semiannual general conference. Part of that conference included a solemn assembly, where the new prophet, Thomas S. Monson, was sustained. We have the opportunity to sustain our general church leaders every year in general, stake, and ward conferences, but a solemn assembly is different. Elder David B. Haight explained the various purposes of solemn assemblies. He said:

A solemn assembly, as the name implies, denotes a sacred, sober, and reverent occasion when the Saints assemble under the direction of the First Presidency. Solemn assemblies are used for three purposes: the dedication of temples, special instruction to priesthood leaders, and sustaining a new President of the Church. This conference session today [when Spencer W. Kimball was sustained as the new prophet, similar to the session recently held when President Monson was sustained] is a solemn assembly for the purpose of sustaining a newly called Church President and other officers of the Church.

There is a pattern to solemn assemblies that distinguishes them from other general Church meetings where we sustain officers of the Church. That pattern, which was established by the Prophet Joseph Smith, is that the priesthood quorums, commencing with the First Presidency, stand and manifest by the uplifted right hand their willingness to sustain the President of the Church as a prophet, seer, and revelator, and uphold him by their confidence, faith, and prayers. The priesthood quorums of the Church so manifest by their vote. Then the general body of all the Saints stand and signify their willingness to do the same. The other leaders of the Church are similarly sustained in their offices and callings.

Whenever sustainings take place, members are given the chance to raise their hands if they oppose an action or someone’s calling. However, such an expression does not change the results, particularly in the case of a sustaining. Callings are not made or carried out by popular vote. But giving members an opportunity to sustain their leaders serves a couple of purposes. One reason is often mentioned by President Boyd K. Packer. He says:

Every President of the Church…has been sustained in a solemn assembly…. And in similar manner, the sustaining procedure is repeated annually in general conference and duplicated in every stake and ward and branch as required by revelation.

The Lord said, “It shall not be given to any one to go forth to preach my gospel, or to build up my church, except he be ordained by some one who has authority, and it is known to the church that he has authority and has been regularly ordained by the heads of the church” (D&C 42:11).

In this way, no stranger can come among us and claim to have authority and attempt to lead the Church astray.

The sustaining process is also an opportunity for individuals to witness their support and promise to sustain the prophet. Elder Haight explained:

When we sustain the President of the Church by our uplifted hand, it not only signifies that we acknowledge before God that he is the rightful possessor of all the priesthood keys; it also means that we covenant with God that we will abide by the direction and the counsel that come through His prophet. It is a solemn covenant.

You can find links to some people’s thoughts about the recent solemn assembly, as well as other aspects of the April 2008 general conference, here.

Q: Why aren’t women in the Church ordained to the priesthood?

This is a question that is often asked about Mormonism and about Mormon womanhood. One of the keys of being able to understand the answer to this question is to understand first the doctrinal truth that men and women are equal in God’s eyes. The scriptures state that “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34) and that “all are alike unto God” (2 Nephi 26:33).

President Spencer W. Kimball, twelfth president of the Church, said: “We had full equality as [God’s] spirit children. We have equality as recipients of God’s perfected love for each of us” (Ensign, Nov. 1979, p. 102). That perfected love can be experienced in its fullness through the saving ordinances of the gospel, which both women and men have the opportunity to receive. And the crowning ordinance of the gospel can only be received by a man and women together.

In the plan of God, however, equality does not mean sameness in roles and responsibilities as it often does in cultural vernacular. Carolyn J. Rasmus, a professor at Brigham Young University and a convert to the Church, said this:

Although men and women are equal in the sight of the Lord, their eternal roles and assignments differ. Men’s primary duties are associated with fatherhood and the priesthood; women have responsibilities relating to motherhood and sisterhood. By virtue of these assignments, men are directly responsible for Church governance and thus have organizational and administrative duties. Women, on the other hand, have specific responsibility to create and nurture.

Because men hold the priesthood and are therefore often more visible in the operations of the Church, some people assume men are more important and more competent than women. But Elder John A. Widtsoe of the Quorum of the Twelve made it clear that the priesthood is not a reward for competency or excellence:

“Women of a congregation … may be wiser, far greater in mental powers, even greater in actual power of leadership than the men who preside over them. That signifies nothing. The Priesthood is not bestowed on the basis of mental power but is given to good men and they exercise it by right of divine gift, called upon by the leaders of the Church. Woman has her gift of equal magnitude” (Priesthood and Church Government, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1954, p. 90).

On another occasion he said, “No man who understands the gospel believes that he is greater than his wife, or more beloved of the Lord, because he holds the priesthood” (Evidences and Reconciliations, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1960, p. 308).

God has designed the roles of men and women, both in the Church and in family life, to be complementary. He needs men and women to work together — to bring their roles, responsibilities, talents, and abilities together for His eternal purposes. The goal is not to have men and women be independent, but interdependent. This principle was explained beautifully by Sister Sheri Dew, when she was one of the leaders of the Relief Society for the Church:

Our Father knew exactly what He was doing when He created us. He made us [as men and women] enough alike to love each other, but enough different that we would need to unite our strengths and stewardships to create a whole. Neither man nor woman is perfect or complete without the other. Thus, no marriage or family, no ward or stake is likely to reach its full potential until husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, men and women work together in unity of purpose, respecting and relying upon each other’s strengths.

Thus, while women don’t hold priesthood offices, they have a critical role in the plan of God, in both family life and in the Church.

Sister Julie B. Beck, now Relief Society General President of the Church, taught another important fact about priesthood when she said:

Priesthood blessings are the great equalizer. Those blessings are the same for men and women, for boys and girls; they are the same for married and single, rich and poor, for the intellectual and the illiterate, for the well-known and the obscure.

I am grateful that through the infinite fairness and love of God, all men and women were given equal partnership, gifts, blessings, and potential through priesthood ordinances and spiritual gifts. Because of the priesthood, which is woven in and around and through our lives, every power, every covenant we need to do our life’s work and walk back to our heavenly home has been poured out upon our heads.

Priesthood is thus designed to bring covenant blessings to all who desire them, through ordinances and gifts of the Spirit.

For more information on this topic, you can search our library or lds.org on the following topics: priesthood, womanhood, motherhood, sisterhood.

———

Q: Why are ordinances necessary?

“Ordinances and Covenants” Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Liahona, Nov. 2001, 16–23; or Ensign, Aug. 2001, 20–26

Dieter F. Uchtdorf: “Our willingness to repent shows our gratitude for God’s gift and for the Savior’s love and sacrifice on our behalf. Commandments and priesthood covenants [which are a key part of ordinances] provide a test of faith, obedience, and love for God and Jesus Christ, but even more importantly, they offer an opportunity to experience love from God and to receive a full measure of joy both in this life and in the life to come.

“These commandments and covenants of God are like navigational instructions from celestial heights and will lead us safely to our eternal destination. It is one of beauty and glory beyond understanding. It is worth the effort. It is worth making decisive corrections now and then staying on course.”

“Receive the Temple Blessings” Richard G. Scott

“The Aaronic Priesthood and the Sacrament”Dallin H. Oaks

Covenants and Ordinances” Jorge A. Rojas

“Life Is Eternal”

—–

Steve Young and Sharlene Hawkes address myths about the church, addressing topics such as polygamy, humanitarian aid, and whether Mormons are Christians. See this story or this video for more details.

Search a glossary of terms for more information on our basic beliefs.

The post Ask a Mormon Woman: Solemn assemblies, why women aren’t ordained to the priesthood in the Mormon church, polygamy in our past, why ordinances are necessary appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.