I need to get this down while my heart is so full. I have been thinking about this post for a good while now, knowing that I needed to defend my beliefs, but not knowing exactly what words to use. I have written, revised, and re-written what I think might be okay to say in order to explain why I believe women do not need to hold the Priesthood. Let me start by sharing a little experience I had the other day.
Several of my friends and I drove down to Zion's National Park for a fun weekend getaway of enjoying God's good green (and red rock) earth. We decided to hike the narrows - a hike that is 60% wading through water in a river. The hike is beautiful, but finding the right footing in the bottom of the rocky/slick river can be pretty difficult. We young adults slipped and lost our balance multiple times throughout the hike. After we reached a certain point we turned to head back down to the base of the water hike but found an older woman sitting on the ground with her wrist in the freezing water. She and her husband were hiking the river when she fell and broke her wrist. We immediately offered her some ibuprofen and asked what we could do to help. Her husband was making a sling out of a plastic bag when my cute CNA girl friend whipped out her first aid kit. I watched as she kindly spoke to the lady and as she gently wrapped her arm in a sling and cushioned her elbow with a towel. She was one prepared woman! She nurtured that sweet old lady and provided her care when she needed it. Half of us then walked further down the river while we waited for the rest of our group to come down with her. I turned around and watched as my sweet friends formed a safety circle around her: two of my good strong, guy friends held on to her waist and arms on either side of her as she made her way down those slippery rocks. Imagine the comfort she felt knowing that if she did misstep, those good young men would be there to protect and stabilize her and not let her fall yet again. I was so overwhelmed with gratitude for those good boys who would be tender enough to offer this woman, a complete stranger, their strength when she needed it. My mind immediately went to the Priesthood. The Priesthood of God is never about benefitting and blessing ourselves. Anyone who is benefitted from this power of God is benefitted at the hand of another. The Priesthood is not about woman being "strong" or "prepared" enough as men. It is not about women earning more responsibility and being promoted. It is about blessing the lives of others. The other girls on the scene at the hike were not competing or thinking they should be the ones holding on to the woman going down the river. Everyone's priority was simply to get the woman the help she needed - everyone's individual gifts and abilities involved. Woman with her preparedness and nurturing abilities. Men with their strength, sense of duty, and willingness to help.
The priesthood is about serving others and we women offer other gifts and ways to serve others that men do not. God given gifts and abilities. But besides that, it's not a competition. Nothing about this gospel is a competition. Our true competition is against sin. And ALL men and women alike, high status or low, prophet or nursery leader have been drafted to fight in that competition. I support my Priesthood holders. I love watching the young boys pass the sacrament and serve us. I love feeling the protection of a humble man of God righteously using this gift. Yes it is a privilege for these men to hold the Priesthood, but I consider it an extreme privilege to be the recipient of the blessings that come from supporting and watching and encouraging the practice of Priesthood authority and ordinances - even if I am not ordained as a Priesthood holder myself. They are not the Priesthood. They hold it, yes. But it is God's power and we honor Him and His designs.
Despite "the need to be needed" (that everyone innately has) and my personal desire to give all that I can to this gospel, I do not feel inferior and discriminated against. I do not feel that I am less needed because I don't hold the Priesthood. Why? This is what it comes down to: I know my Savior Jesus Christ. I have a good enough relationship with Him to know that He is not a being to oppress, discriminate or be unfair in any way. He suffered for the very cause of justice. I encourage, no plea with, you to come to know Him as well. Come to know of His love. Faithfully seek for answers of truth, not for answers of power and validation. Come to know of your value to Him.
What are each of our priorities? To be recognized with certain authorities? To be considered equal? To have numbers and statistics be exactly matched? Those are not Christ's priorities. Just like with my friends and the woman who broke her wrist - their priority being her comfort - Christ's priorities are each one of us. People matter. Not status or title. The building of God's kingdom, requiring all of us men and women alike (or should I say different), should be our priority as well. The perfecting of the saints - everyone's individual gifts and abilities involved. It comes down to each of us becoming more like our Savior and preparing to meet Him again. It is about helping each other get there as well by practicing the pure love of Christ.
I love the Priesthood of God. I love watching my sweet male friends honor it and honor God - they seem to glow with the future godliness inside of them. I stand by them. I support them and offer the individual gifts all of us women can give as well. I support the prophet and his counselors. They are called of God. They are His mouthpieces and I will crawl to follow them. Joseph Smith was not just ahead of his time (a time when woman's rankings were just above prisoners) when he gave women places in the church, when his wife Emma was commanded by personal revelation to help in the building of Christ's church. It was necessary and prophetic. We pray and speak and expand scriptures. We serve missions, we work in the temple, we create human beings, we kiss scraped knees, and wrap broken wrists. Does this sound like a church that oppresses women? Does this sound like a church that holds women back? (See Sherri Dew's "What Do LDS Women Get?" video HERE). No. Not to me.
God has His own agenda, and if women were ever to receive the Priesthood, and I firmly believe that will not happen in this earth life, it wouldnt be because the human race petitioned it. It would be in His time and way.
I know He loves us with a perfect love that we cannot comprehend and that He has a plan and divine assignment for each of us. Man and woman alike...
Different.
Several of my friends and I drove down to Zion's National Park for a fun weekend getaway of enjoying God's good green (and red rock) earth. We decided to hike the narrows - a hike that is 60% wading through water in a river. The hike is beautiful, but finding the right footing in the bottom of the rocky/slick river can be pretty difficult. We young adults slipped and lost our balance multiple times throughout the hike. After we reached a certain point we turned to head back down to the base of the water hike but found an older woman sitting on the ground with her wrist in the freezing water. She and her husband were hiking the river when she fell and broke her wrist. We immediately offered her some ibuprofen and asked what we could do to help. Her husband was making a sling out of a plastic bag when my cute CNA girl friend whipped out her first aid kit. I watched as she kindly spoke to the lady and as she gently wrapped her arm in a sling and cushioned her elbow with a towel. She was one prepared woman! She nurtured that sweet old lady and provided her care when she needed it. Half of us then walked further down the river while we waited for the rest of our group to come down with her. I turned around and watched as my sweet friends formed a safety circle around her: two of my good strong, guy friends held on to her waist and arms on either side of her as she made her way down those slippery rocks. Imagine the comfort she felt knowing that if she did misstep, those good young men would be there to protect and stabilize her and not let her fall yet again. I was so overwhelmed with gratitude for those good boys who would be tender enough to offer this woman, a complete stranger, their strength when she needed it. My mind immediately went to the Priesthood. The Priesthood of God is never about benefitting and blessing ourselves. Anyone who is benefitted from this power of God is benefitted at the hand of another. The Priesthood is not about woman being "strong" or "prepared" enough as men. It is not about women earning more responsibility and being promoted. It is about blessing the lives of others. The other girls on the scene at the hike were not competing or thinking they should be the ones holding on to the woman going down the river. Everyone's priority was simply to get the woman the help she needed - everyone's individual gifts and abilities involved. Woman with her preparedness and nurturing abilities. Men with their strength, sense of duty, and willingness to help.
The priesthood is about serving others and we women offer other gifts and ways to serve others that men do not. God given gifts and abilities. But besides that, it's not a competition. Nothing about this gospel is a competition. Our true competition is against sin. And ALL men and women alike, high status or low, prophet or nursery leader have been drafted to fight in that competition. I support my Priesthood holders. I love watching the young boys pass the sacrament and serve us. I love feeling the protection of a humble man of God righteously using this gift. Yes it is a privilege for these men to hold the Priesthood, but I consider it an extreme privilege to be the recipient of the blessings that come from supporting and watching and encouraging the practice of Priesthood authority and ordinances - even if I am not ordained as a Priesthood holder myself. They are not the Priesthood. They hold it, yes. But it is God's power and we honor Him and His designs.
Despite "the need to be needed" (that everyone innately has) and my personal desire to give all that I can to this gospel, I do not feel inferior and discriminated against. I do not feel that I am less needed because I don't hold the Priesthood. Why? This is what it comes down to: I know my Savior Jesus Christ. I have a good enough relationship with Him to know that He is not a being to oppress, discriminate or be unfair in any way. He suffered for the very cause of justice. I encourage, no plea with, you to come to know Him as well. Come to know of His love. Faithfully seek for answers of truth, not for answers of power and validation. Come to know of your value to Him.
What are each of our priorities? To be recognized with certain authorities? To be considered equal? To have numbers and statistics be exactly matched? Those are not Christ's priorities. Just like with my friends and the woman who broke her wrist - their priority being her comfort - Christ's priorities are each one of us. People matter. Not status or title. The building of God's kingdom, requiring all of us men and women alike (or should I say different), should be our priority as well. The perfecting of the saints - everyone's individual gifts and abilities involved. It comes down to each of us becoming more like our Savior and preparing to meet Him again. It is about helping each other get there as well by practicing the pure love of Christ.
I love the Priesthood of God. I love watching my sweet male friends honor it and honor God - they seem to glow with the future godliness inside of them. I stand by them. I support them and offer the individual gifts all of us women can give as well. I support the prophet and his counselors. They are called of God. They are His mouthpieces and I will crawl to follow them. Joseph Smith was not just ahead of his time (a time when woman's rankings were just above prisoners) when he gave women places in the church, when his wife Emma was commanded by personal revelation to help in the building of Christ's church. It was necessary and prophetic. We pray and speak and expand scriptures. We serve missions, we work in the temple, we create human beings, we kiss scraped knees, and wrap broken wrists. Does this sound like a church that oppresses women? Does this sound like a church that holds women back? (See Sherri Dew's "What Do LDS Women Get?" video HERE). No. Not to me.
God has His own agenda, and if women were ever to receive the Priesthood, and I firmly believe that will not happen in this earth life, it wouldnt be because the human race petitioned it. It would be in His time and way.
I know He loves us with a perfect love that we cannot comprehend and that He has a plan and divine assignment for each of us. Man and woman alike...
Different.
Hannah, thank you for speaking my mind so beautifully, I couldn't have said it as well, but I agree whole heartedly with every word you said. Thank you for being such a beautiful writer of your thoughts, knowledge and testimony. I love you.
ReplyDeleteDenise
Wise beyond your years my dear.
ReplyDeleteThank you for putting into words what i feel, Hannah. Beautifully said. Love you!
ReplyDelete