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What I stand for is empowering women in a way that honors our Savior Jesus Christ. The power of Christ has been restored to the earth. It is called the holy priesthood power. It is given to men and women through covenants and ordinances performed in the temple and by laying on of hands by those in authority.
Because of recent movements in the church requesting to ordain women and the controversy surrounding their recent events I want to make it clear that I am not associated with these groups.
I don't believe women need to be ordained. However, I am sympathetic to the Ordain Women group because they sense something is missing and they have provided the needed agitation to call forth clarification from leaders regarding women's roles in the priesthood. I am ever grateful for their courage whether or not I agree with their demonstrations. We all should be. I am also saddened by the treatment they have received from those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ. Jesus was always more chastening of the hypocrites than He was of those who had been misled or deceived. I believe we can do better than this and I believe to become a Zion people we must do better.
What drives my passion for more clarity regarding a woman's role in the priesthood is my desire for women of covenant to access all their gifts to call forth the promised blessings to prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ.
This is in no way diminishes or chastises a mans role. On the contrary I believe that the more women who support and participate in using the priesthood power, the more men will feel secure and confident in their ability to use these gifts as well, and more often and vice versa.
To any covenant audience reading this blog: Do you fully understand and utilize the priesthood power that is available to you? Is there more you can do? To women: Do you comprehend how that power flows through you and how to use it appropriately? My experience is that the more I understand the priesthood the more obvious it becomes that we are complacent at best about the precious gift of the priesthood and we live far beneath what is available. Again, I believe to become a Zion people we must do better.
I have no intention to "steady the ark" I will leave that to those in authority to do so. I fully support the leadership of the church. I am not a voice of doubt, or a voice that invites criticism of the brethren, although I am not afraid to call them out on things that do not pertain to doctrine. I fully expect people to do the same to me. It is our responsibility to listen with the Spirit and glean the precious truths, it is also our responsibility to understand the humanness of others in our attempt to know what is truth. Seeds of apostasy occur when one has deified leaders and feed the seeds of doubt once they detect their human characteristics. Every leader, at some point, has decided to "stand for something" and have been "misunderstood for something" (or "misunderstood something") because of the mortal way they have delivered their message.
I believe the more women are aware of what has already been given them, they will not yearn for more. Those women who seek priesthood keys and authority regarding the governing aspect of the priesthood are walking in the desert desperately seeking for water not realizing the canteen of "living water" has been strapped to their chest all along. They need not be criticized by those who know the canteen is there but do not drink of it enough to prevent their own dehydration. These movements and their criticizers are a witness to a thirsty people who are all in need of more understanding on how to drink more freely and abundantly from the canteen.
Women (and men), who study, know the blessings that were poured out upon the women of the restoration period. These faithful women seemed to have full permission to use their priesthood power along side men. For more information, and documented church history regarding the priesthood power and gifts given to the women of the restoration see my blog titled "Where are the Prophetesses?" This leaves one with the question of whether those powers are still available to us. Why the end to the sister circles of blessing prior to and during delivery? Where are the common stories of women healing the sick? Are these privileges gone? Have they been taken away? Was it a mistake that they participated in these miracles? If these things have been taken away, don't women have the right to know why so we can do what is required to have them restored again? If women still have full permission to use their priesthood power along side men, then we need clarity and direction on what their rights and privileges are under the priesthood power they have been given.
Let's test your own knowledge of women's roles in the priesthood:
Do women have the right/ability to cast out evil spirits?
Do women have the right/ability to call forth blessings upon their children?
Do women have permission to lay their hands upon another and access healing power?
Can women accompany their husband in giving priesthood blessings?
Do women have the right to request the ministering of angels?
There are father's blessings; can a woman perform a mother's blessing?
If you know the answers to these questions with certainty. Where did you learn them? I can guarantee 98% it was not at church.
If we can do all these things, then why we are not being taught how? If we can't do some of these things, why? If we can do all these things, don't you think we should be.....daily?
I am bombarded with questions from faithful women terrified to "cross the lines" not because they are prideful, rebellious or defiant, but because they simply don't know where the lines are? This is the lacking conversation and the needed clarity that I speak of. These are the questions that aren't being answered in General Conference. Answers to these questions are the "more priesthood" women in my circles are searching for. They aren't looking for more power, they just want to know what to do with what they have been given.
LDS women in my circles in the healing arts struggle with differentiating their healing gifts with the power of the priesthood. Their husbands are also confused.
What I feel is missing for men and for women, is instruction on how to use the priesthood to its fullest capacity. We know it is through a husband and wife under the covenant, but is the role of women solely that of supporter? Does she know that through this priesthood power her spiritual gifts are amplified? Where are the classes that teach members how to access and utilize their healing gifts (which, by the way, are not gender specific). We know what we must do to qualify, (covenants, worthiness and faithfulness) but what then? What does it look like for a man and wife to fully engage in using the priesthood power in their home?
I have no doubt that through the increased missionary effort the church is making steady headway into gathering those who are seeking for truth. I would like to suggest, that when men and women are seeking to be one with the Savior by magnifying their spiritual gifts through His holy priesthood power, then will we become a truly peculiar people. Then will the power of God be evident to those on lookers seeking to know the one true God. Then will we raise children that will stay within the safety of the church because the contrast of the fallen world and the heavenly power of the priesthood of which I speak will be undoubtedly found among God's people on the earth.
This is where I stand. I am aware we live far beneath our privileges as Latter-day Saints and part of the reason is because men and women are confused about what is appropriate regarding a women's role in the priesthood.
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