Women and the Priesthood: My Two Cents

 

 

The climate in our society recently has caused me a lot of thought; particularly as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The debate surrounding whether women should be ordained to the Priesthood causes me concern for my boys and my girl.  It seems we live in a time where society would have boys and men apologize for their manhood as much as it wishes to convince girls that they have somehow received the short end of the stick.  It appears that girls cannot win unless boys lose and the whole thing frightens and saddens me. 

I feel blessed to be a woman and honored to be a mother.  When I hear other women aspire to have the same duties as men I truly feel confused.  I believe one of the greatest gifts that has been given to women is one of a willing and loving heart.  A heart that is capable of strength that can only be measured by an eternal ruler.  I think of the beauty of my body and it's ability to grow life beyond my own.  The love that I feel for my children is unique and incomparable to any other form of earthly love.  I think of women who are not able to have children and see in them the capability to achieve this love without bearing their own children.  The desire to serve and succor seems to come so easily to women.  I've known some women where this is not true and yet they seem to be the exception that proves the rule.  When I ponder the Lord's relationship with women I see trust.  He trusts to women a sharing of his procreative power and literally endows our bodies with the ability to grow life.  Men obviously have a part in that process as well but it is comparatively small.  On the other hand, when I look at the Lord's relationship to men I see trust as well.  He has given to them the authority to act in his name but only to bless others.  Women are not left out of the blessings of the priesthood just the administration of it.  I honestly feel like I'm blessed twice!  I know there are some that will point to fatherhood and say it is synonymous with motherhood.  As someone who has lived without a mother for the last 31/2 years I can attest that fathers, no matter how righteous, make very poor substitutes.

I once sat in the Draper temple in the chapel there and truly saw for the first time a huge painting of the risen Christ appearing to Mary Magdalene. I think for the first time in my life I understood the value that women hold in the heart of the savior.  I saw in Mary the very essence of womanhood.  Sensitivity, devotion, love, concern, and a natural desire to serve were the female gifts that brought Mary and other faithful women to the tomb.  She alone sat and wept for her Lord.  Christ's apostles were doers and their faith lead them to act and to do and Mary's faith led her to feel.  Her feelings must have been of great importance to the Lord because He appeared to her first and in private.  God needs doers and feelers and he made both.  As society encourages women and girls to abandon their sensitivity in favor of male attributes I feel like we will all stand to lose something very special....the Marys around us.

Some women who believe that women should be ordained sight examples of how capable women are and that they could easily fulfill priesthood roles.  I wholeheartedly agree that women are capable of lots of things and yet is capability the only consideration?  In my current role as Primary President I could easily name ten other people, men and women, who are more capable than me to be Primary President.  However, the Lord chose me to lead the children in my ward at this time.  Perhaps, I have something I need to learn or maybe the children have something they need to learn from me or perhaps the people who have been called to follow have something they need to learn as well.  Such is the beauty of the gospel.  The Lord knows each one of us and he knows where each person will grow the most. I think one of my biggest concerns with the women asking, sometimes demanding, for priesthood ordination is that it feels like they are trying to counsel the Lord about what is best for them.  The relationship between men and women does not have to devolve into an us or them scenario.  Men and women can have differing responsibilities but have equal importance in the sight of society and surely God.      

If, when my Claire turns twelve, she looks at her male counterparts as they pass the sacrament and believes that she is somehow less or that she has been overlooked by not holding the priesthood then I will have failed miserably as both a woman and a mother.  My hope is when she sees her male peers act in their priesthood offices that she will feel joy in her heart that they have the opportunity to serve as the Lord has asked them to and that she will give reverence for their office and for the trust that has given to them.  I hope she won't feel the need to push off "girly" things to achieve the world view of value.  I hope she will cling to her innate value that was placed their by a loving Heavenly Father

If, as my boys age and hold the power of the priesthood, believe that they have been given license to control women then I will have failed miserably as a mother.  My hope is that they will see their authority as a calling of service and one where their love for others can be more deeply developed.  I hope when they look at women that they will have reverence for her gifts one of which was their gift of life.  I hope that they will recognize that women have dignity, purpose, and deserve their respect. I hope they don't feel like they have to apologize for their gifts and that they show gratitude for the gifts given to women.