As some
of you may know, there are some women—and by "some", I mean roughly
1,300…which is about, eh, .01% of LDS women—that are currently asking—and by
"asking", I mean DEMANDING—to be given the Priesthood.
150 of
these individuals stomped temple grounds requesting to get tickets to the
Priesthood Session of General Conference; a session that they knew they would
not be admitted to since it is a session of Conference that is designed to
uplift and speak directly to men and boys about their roles and responsibilities (just as men are not
admitted into the Relief Society Broadcasts, the General Women’s Session of
Conference, Time out for Women, etc.). These same individuals claim that Mormon women are being
oppressed by not being ordained as priesthood holders.
Seriously?
When I
first got wind of this issue last year, all I could see in my mind was Veruca
Salt from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory; the little girl who is never
satisfied with what she already has. She needs it all. She wants it all. She
demands it all.
Now that this controversy is gaining more and more attention, I feel that it is my duty to stand up for what I know to be true and what I believe in. I feel like it's important to help people realize--whether you are Mormon or not, active or inactive in the faith--that NOT ALL MORMON WOMEN FEEL THIS WAY.
In fact, I passionately, full-heartedly, and respectfully disagree 150%.
To begin, I would like to refer to an article
that I read describing these recent events. In this article, there were words that… frustrated
me. Baffled me. Aggravated me.
[Kate] Kelly
said the group doesn't feel like it belongs in the free-speech zones, provided
by the city for protestors who demonstrate during the church's semiannual
general conferences in April and October.
"We
feel as faithful, active Mormon women we have nothing in common with people who
oppose the church and want to protest against it," she said. "The church is its members. We aren't
against the church, we are the church."
Firstly,
it behooves me to think that there are active women (and men) in the church who
truly think that the laws and doctrine of this church, which we know are made
by God, can be taken to a vote or petitioned.
Which
leads me to my second thought: “the church is its members. We aren’t
against the church we are the church”
Please
tell me you’re kidding.
As we
established before, God, the Eternal Father and his son, Jesus Christ, created
the laws/doctrine of this gospel.
AKA --> God’s church = The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Meaning,
this is His doctrine, His laws, His commandments, His
plan, and His great and everlasting
sacrifice is at the very heart and center of this faith.
The Lord is the church.
Jesus Christ is the church.
AND, as
much as it sucks to hear, the church would get along just fine without you,
without me, and without all those who think their way is better than the Lord’s
way.
This is
not a new concept for Mormons who understand the doctrine.
Do these
“Ordain Women” activists really think
that their way is better than the Lord’s way? Do they really think doctrine can suddenly be determined by consensus? Sure,
it can in other churches or in
government.
But we
are not talking about other churches
and this is certainly not a
government issue.
This is not a policy that can be viewed or changed if you
gather enough signatures. We do not
vote for our Prophet, nor do they appoint themselves.
As
Latter-Day Saints, we also believe that God chooses His prophets and apostles
that help govern His church on the earth today. In Doctrine and Covenants 1:38
we read the words of Heavenly Father in regards to His doctrine, "whether
by mine own voice or the voice of my servants, it is the same".
Knowing
that the Almighty God and His son, Jesus Christ, govern this church, you would
think that it would just be common knowledge—or just common sense—that this
doctrine that we speak of was not determined by consensus. Yes, we believe in
modern day prophets. BUT, you must remember, these prophets and apostles act as
mouthpieces for the Lord—they did not make the rules nor did they create the
doctrine. They received divine revelation from Heavenly Father and act in His
name.
Ok. Back to
the issue.
These
“Ordain Women” activists proclaim that in order to solve issues of gender
inequality within the church, they want to be ordained with the priesthood.
…Two
things:
1. “Equal”
does not mean “Same”
Let me just say, being treated equally does not mean we are all treated the
exact same way or get the exact same privileges all the time.
If being
treated equally meant being treated the same, then this would mean:
- · Stand-up
urinals would be found in ALL bathrooms, not just the men’s room. Woohoo!
- · The exact
same sports programs would be found at ALL schools for both genders everywhere,
so you couldn’t have a men’s football team without having a women’s football
team, a men’s soccer team without a women’s team, a women’s cheerleading team
without a men’s cheer team, a men’s wrestling, baseball, volleyball, water polo,
lacrosse, etc. without having the same women’s teams. Oh, well, there goes most
of your programs! Sorry kids!
- · Men would now have the ability to give birth. Congrats fellas, now you can say you did most of the work and actually be right.
- · If a
crime is committed, whether it is petty or serious, there is a
one-size-fits-all solution. No need for judges if we’re all treated the exact
same way!
- · There
would be no sales or coupons—why should Sally have to pay $25.99 for a pair of
sandals when Julie gets to buy the same pair for half off during the store’s
big sale? Not the same! Not fair! Oppression!!
These are
just a few examples, but I think you’re pick’n up what I’m put’n down.
These
women are saying that in order for women to be held at an equal (or greater)
level to men, they need to be treated the same way as men. Which apparently
means they need to have the priesthood. Which leads me to my second point:
2. The
“Gender Inequality” that these women are referring to is an issue with society not the Mormon religion.
Sure, we
can talk for days about how women are degraded and treated more as objects than
as people. But that’s an issue that we can thank society, the media, and the
“natural man” for, not religion. Well, not Mormonism anyway.
I have
been actively involved in this church for 12+ years now and I have never felt inferior to men. Sure, I’d
get jealous when they got to go camping, river rafting, and learned how to build
their own fires when I had to work on my Personal Progress.
But that pinch of jealousy didn’t translate to
“gender inequality”. That translated into “better use of budget” :D
As an LDS
woman, married and sealed in the temple for time and all eternity to the
coolest guy in the world, I completely, totally, absolutely, 100%, forevermore,
support my husband as the one and only Priesthood holder in our home. When we
start popping out babies, it is my hope that if we are blessed with boys, they
will get to enjoy all the things that boys should enjoy:
bugs,
mud, backyard adventures, catching lizards, getting into a little mischief, video
games, sports, dinosaurs, race cars, super heroes, animals, or whatever else
they are interested in and are passionate for.
I hope
they look up to their father as the wonderful example he is of a man who loves,
cherishes, and supports his wife and family, that works hard in all aspects of
life, who serves selflessly, and lives as a worthy Priesthood holder and uses
this power to bless the lives of others.
I also
hope my boys will desire to live their lives in such a way that they too can
receive the priesthood and exercise that priesthood in ways that the Savior
did.
There are
things that my hubby and future boys will do that I will never do, and that's perfectly
ok with me. There are things that I can do or will get to do in my life that my
boys and main squeeze will never do, and that's totally fine.
Why?
Well, because we are different. We are different people with different
purposes.
And
that’s OK!
More
importantly, we are held at an equal value in the eyes of our Heavenly Father,
but created for different purposes.
My
husband slash partner in crime and I are equally important, but we each hold
different responsibilities, abilities, talents, purposes, opinions, and even
some interests.
I don’t
need to sit down and make a list of all the ways we are different or how we are
similar because that's not what's important. What's important is that I know who I am, I know God’s plan, and I follow him in faith.
I know I am a divine daughter of Heavenly Father and have been given special
privileges and terrifying responsibilities that I know I will be accountable
for in the next life. We, as women, are more precious than rubies in the eyes of
our Heavenly Father (Proverbs 31:10).
Despite
our differences, we were made for each other. We complete each other. And by
“We”, I mean men and women. Husbands and wives. Nathan and me.
Yes, men
and women are different; physically, mentally, and even spiritually. I believe
that there’s a big reason why we were
created differently; if we were all created the exact same way and had the same
abilities and responsibilities, then we wouldn’t need each other!
Well,
guess what? WE NEED EACH OTHER. Not only do we physically need each other in order to keep our race from going extinct, but we need each other for eternal purposes too.
Men and
women have strengths and weaknesses that differ from one other, but when you
put the two together—when a man and women join forces—they learn and grow in
ways that they never would have had they been alone. (“By our powers
combined…”)
Really,
this whole ordaining women thing sounds to me like a relatively small group of women, though quite loud,
who are so caught up in what they want, they don’t realize what they already
have.
Ladies,
We can
pray to our Heavenly Father and he WILL answer our prayers. Don’t take this for
granted.
We can
attend the temple and participate in ordinances that will open the gates for us
to receive blessings that will last for eternity.
We can
receive the blessings and power of the priesthood if we live worthily
We have
the gift and power of the Holy Ghost
We have
the opportunity to participate in the Relief Society program and fulfill our
callings in such a way that will allow us to act as angels on earth and bring
relief and blessings to those around us that we serve.
By HIS divine
design, we have the ability to nurture, love and create life—that’s as close to
the heavenly veil as it gets.
Ladies,
We have
EVERYTHING.
Ladies,
we don’t need to have the priesthood to reap the blessings of the priesthood.
Ladies,
we don’t need the Priesthood to bless the lives of others. We can already do
that.
End the
power struggle. You won’t win.
I believe
Him when He says: "seek not to counsel the Lord, but to
take counsel from his hand." To take that further, I am certain
"that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over
all his works" (Jacob 4:10).
It is my
hope and prayer that women (and men) everywhere can use General Conference as a
reverent time to prayerfully seek answers to sincere questions. It is my
testimony that if you open your heart up to only know the truth, you will not
only get the answers you’re seeking, but you will grow closer to your Father in
Heaven and by doing these things, you will come to better understand who you
are and your divine role as God’s child.
Amen
& Happy General Conference!
