With all of the pills of wisdom I have shared as of late, I'm sure you're dying to know my thoughts on the Mormon Feminist Movement. I'll get to my complete thoughts eventually, but today I just want to share something I wrote a few months ago regarding the closely-related Ordain Women Movement. I wrote it on the Ordain Women Facebook page, and it received some positive feedback. To put it into context, this page features people from both sides of the issue sharing their thoughts on whether women should receive the Priesthood. After observing some of the more reactive and un-Christlike posts from both sides, I put my wannabe conflict mediation skills to work and wrote what I hoped would be taken as a humble and sincere approach to a very sensitive issue. I have edited out the names as well as the introduction--since I just provided one here.
I don't pretend to know everything the Lord has in store for us in the future, and I don't interpret this morning's [General Conference] session as a direct condemnation of this movement like some of the people on this thread. I find that interpretation presumptuous, judgmental, and prideful. Some people have essentially dusted their feet at this site, which is a serious thing. Nobody at Conference came right out and said that women will never get the priesthood. We did hear the importance of following the Prophet, while Sister Dalton marveled at the value of women and the implications of recognizing them as daughters of God. Some may have interpreted these as rebuttals of the Ordain Women movement, but I would think that such a rebuttal would have been more blatant. In contrast, I feel like those talks were an indirect expression of the sentiment I would like to express right now. And I hope it will be taken in the right spirit, as I don't mean to offend with my words, neither do I mean to imply anything beyond what I actually say.
Women are severely undervalued and under-appreciated in proportion to their role in our Heavenly Father's Plan--not just in the Church but in the world. That is obvious. I will acknowledge, however, that there is a particularly tragic sentiment within the Church's imperfect membership that places women in a subservient role. The presumption has been that the priesthood trumps all feelings and opinions in the family unit, and that the wife is to obey her husband by virtue of his position as patriarch. That attitude, however, should have been eradicated once Section 121 of the Doctrine & Covenants had been revealed, if not sooner. Yes, the Lord uses a patriarchal order to give His Church structure, as He is not a God of chaos and disorder. Why did He choose the man to be the head of the family? We don't know. We really don't. But He never meant for the husband to dominate the wife. We believe in a Heavenly Mother, and I believe that Heavenly Father holds Her in such high regard that the reason He rarely talks about Her is not because She's not important, but because He has seen the way we've denigrated women for thousands of years, and He refuses to let us do that to Her.
That may sound condescending, but that is not my intention. It certainly doesn't answer the question as to why women don't have the priesthood. I hope you sisters believe, however, that while some may see the priesthood as a symbol of superiority, there are plenty of us men in the Church who don't approach the priesthood with that attitude. My mother raised me to respect women and appreciate them for everything they do for us both temporally and spiritually. I don't see you as less than me because I hold the priesthood, and I certainly don't expect my future wife to blindly submit to my authority because I hold the priesthood. I see it as a responsibility and as a symbol of the Lord's mercy. While we use the wording "All worthy adult males are eligible to receive the priesthood," we truly aren't worthy of it--anymore than we are worthy of the rest of God's Grace. The priesthood is one way of serving. Again, I don't know why only men have the priesthood. But the ways in which women serve are just as eternally valuable as any priesthood responsibility. I'm not talking about women being able to give birth, as I find that typical response insulting. There are so many other things that make the woman invaluable to God's Plan.
I believe that is why Sister Dalton said what she said. And I believe the importance of following the Prophet was stressed today because no matter what we may want or petition for, in the end it is the Prophet who will reveal the Lord's will for us. Yes, he will take our concerns seriously, but he will always defer to the Lord's will, not ours.
That being said, it is doctrinally sound to question the teachings of the Church. That is how the Church was restored in the first place. There is nothing wrong with questioning--so long as we're doing it with a humble heart and a desire for understanding. Just as the Prophet Moroni encourages us to pray about the Book of Mormon with faith and real intent, we must do so in matters like these. Now I don't pretend to know the hearts of all those who support the Ordain Women movement. But anytime we question something about the Lord's doctrine, we must ask ourselves whether we are doing it in a spirit of faith and real intent. Do we seek to gain a greater understanding and enlightenment, or do we seek to get what we have already decided is right? Do we seek the Lord's will or do we seek our own will? Most importantly, even if we don't get what we are hoping for, will we continue to sustain the Brethren as the Lord's Prophets and Apostles?
If the answer to that last question is yes, then forget about those who condemn you for this. The talks to which they refer weren't directed at you.
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