WOMEN - February 2020
What an enlightening discussion we had last week. Lots of comments, ideas, and thoughts went back and forth as we worked to figure out truths. Here are some of my notes--this is not a complete list because some of what we discussed was personal examples from Clarus members and not for sending in an email:
Priesthood authority comes with stewardship--callings, family, and personal life. Our conclusion about authority is to not go outside of our stewardship and to know when to call the elders (anointing/sealing).
There will always be differences between priesthood power for women and men. Women have priesthood power--we do not bear the priesthood nor do we hold a priesthood office, but we have the priesthood. It is as if the church has its own dictionary for the words: bear, have, and hold. Because of the covenants we make in the temple, we all have priesthood power.
Women lost how to do some of these things (mother's blessing, blessing on a home) because of the lack of formal language from the early Church.
There is a new book of essays published by Deseret Book, A Place to Belong: Reflections from Modern Latter-Day Saint Women. The book is edited by Hollie Rhees Fluhman and Camille Fronk Olson. A few of us have read some of the essays, and they are outstanding. Here are a few quotes that added to our discussion:
From the introduction:
"In this volume, when the word feminism is used, it simply refers to a commitment to resolving the diverse issues facing women. The authors in this book echo the belief of acclaimed Latter-day Saint scholar Laurel Thatcher Ulrich that the principles of feminism are 'compatible not only with the gospel of Jesus Christ but with the mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.' Or, as Neylan McBaine, author of Women at Church, put it: 'If you care about the spiritual, emotional and intellectual development opportunities available to you, your wife, your sister or your daughter, you are a feminist.'"
Quoting Eliza R. Snow, "These calls to action empowered women by encouraging them to take responsibility for change in their respective spheres." Snow said, 'The difficulty is in getting the sisters to feel like undertaking it.' She sensed women of the Church possessed the power to create positive change but worried that they would be their own stumbling block."
From Camille Fronk Olson's essay:
"Moroni's words to young Joseph Smith: 'Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet . .' The verse surprised me because I expected it to read 'I will ordain you to the Priesthood' or 'I will give to you the Priesthood.' Instead, the Lord promised to reveal the Priesthood through the prophet Elijah."
Quote from President Boyd K. Packer - April 2010 General Conference
"We have done very well at distributing the authority of the priesthood. We have priesthood authority planted nearly everywhere. We have quorums of elders and high priests worldwide. But distributing the authority of the priesthood has raced, I think, ahead of distributing the power of the priesthood. The priesthood does not have the strength that it should have and will not have until the power of the priesthood is firmly fixed in the families as it should be."