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Cover image: “Light Bearers” by Annie Henrie Nader
Some may wonder what priesthood authority, if any, women have in a church where only men are ordained to priesthood office and preside as priesthood leaders, but women in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have always had priesthood authority.
Although this authority has been a revealed part of the Church from the beginning, it has not always been clearly understood by many Church members. This article seeks to clarify this important doctrine by explaining three ways women have priesthood authority in the Church and one way that is unique to men.
Note: I am not the first to write on this important topic. Barbara Morgan Gardner (Helping Female Students Rise to their Spiritual Privileges, Religious Educator 18, p. 117-139) and Wendy Ulrich have examined many of the same prophetic sources and drawn similar and related conclusions. These articles have inspired me and I recommend them to the reader who desires to know more about the topic of women and the priesthood in the LDS church.
1. Women have priesthood authority in their Church callings
In a landmark talk on women and the priesthood, Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught: âWe are not accustomed to speaking of women having the authority of the priesthood in their Church callings, but what other authority can it be? When a womanâyoung or oldâis set apart ⊠she is given priesthood authority to perform a priesthood function ⊠Whoever functions in an office or calling received from one who holds priesthood keys exercises priesthood authority in performing her or his assigned dutiesâ (Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign May 2014). As this powerful statement declares, women are given priesthood authority through the setting apart to their Church callings.
Although this was a novel idea for many members of the Church, it is grounded in the early revelations of the Doctrine and Covenants. For example, only three months after the Church was organized, the Lord told Emma Smith that âthou shalt be ordained under his [Joseph Smithâs] hand to expound scriptures, and exhort the church, according as it shall be given thee by my Spiritâ (D&C 25:7).
In our day we use the term âordainâ exclusively for priesthood ordinations of men and would use the term âset apartâ to describe the authority Emma is promised here (see footnote 7a). However, we should recognize the importance of this revelation in establishing the role and authority of women in the Church. Despite statements in the Bible that âwomen keep silence in the churchesâ (1 Cor. 14:34), this early revelation restores the rightful and authorized place of women in the Church to teach and preach scripture just like ordained elders (see D&C 20:42 for the same language describing the work of elders).
Furthermore, the Lord has revealed that âall other authorities or offices in the Church are appendages to this [Melchizedek] priesthoodâ (D&C 107:5). This means that the auxiliary organizations of Relief Society, Young Women, Young Men, Primary, and Sunday School, are all appendages that are attached to the priesthood. This means that they derive their authority from the priesthood to assist in the work of salvation.
Indeed, as Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained, âit is truly said that Relief Society is not just a class for women but something they belong toâa divinely established appendage to the priesthoodâ (Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign May 2014). This is in harmony with what the Prophet Joseph Smith taught when he first organized the Relief Society âin the order of the priesthood after the pattern of the Churchâ and commissioned them to not only ârelieve the poor,â but to âsave soulsâ (See Gospel Topic Essay: Joseph Smithâs Teachings about Priesthood, Temple, Women).
2. Women have priesthood authority and power through the Temple endowment
In another key talk on women and the priesthood, Elder M. Russell Ballard explained that âwhen men and women go to the temple, they are both endowed with the same power, which by definition is priesthood power. ⊠Access to the power and blessings of the priesthood is available to all of Godâs childrenâ (Elder M. Russell Ballard, Ensign Sept. 2014). Although women are not ordained to priesthood office, they are endowed to priesthood power and authority in the temple.
This concept is consistent with the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple where the Prophet Joseph Smith prayed: âAnd we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over themâ (D&C 109:22, emphasis added). The term âservantsâ is gender neutral and applies equally to both men and women.
In the temple, women and men are both endowed with spiritual power and authority as they âmore completely and fully take upon [themselves] the name of Jesus Christâ (Elder David A. Bednar, Ensign May 2009). The full blessings of the temple endowment were first revealed in Nauvoo and were administered to both men and women.
It is through this endowment of priesthood power and authority that women are authorized to âperform and officiate in holy rites in the Churchâs templesâ (Gospel Topic Essay: Joseph Smithâs Teachings about Priesthood, Temple, Women). As Elder Ballard has explained, âAll who enter the house of the Lord officiate in the ordinances of the priesthoodâ (Elder M. Russell Ballard, Ensign Sept. 2014, emphasis added). Although there was a time in early church history when some women exercised this priesthood authority outside of the temple to administer to the sick, it was later clarified that the authority of women to perform ordinances belonged more exclusively to the temple (Gospel Topic Essay: Joseph Smithâs Teachings about Priesthood, Temple, Women). Since that time, Church members have been encouraged to follow the New Testament precedent to âcall for the eldersâ when they are sick (James 5:14).
3. Women have priesthood authority through temple marriage to preside with their husbands over their posterity for time and eternity
The Family: A Proclamation to the World states that âby divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness,â ⊠âmothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children,â and in these complementary roles âfathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partnersâ (âThe Family: A Proclamation to the World,â Ensign, Nov. 1995). Although fathers are called to preside, their wives are called to be their equal partners. Inherent in this divine partnership is the idea that mothers preside with their husbands over their children.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained, âA most important difference in the functioning of priesthood authority in the family and in the Church results from the fact that the government of the family is patriarchal, whereas the government of the Church is hierarchicalâ (Ensign Oct. 2005). To illustrate his point, Elder Oaks shared from his own life experience: âWhen my father died, my mother presided over our family. She had no priesthood office, but as the surviving parent in her [temple] marriage she had become the governing officer in her family. At the same time, she was always totally respectful of the priesthood authority of our bishop and other Church leaders. She presided over her family, but they presided over the Churchâ (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign Oct. 2005).
This order of family government, where fathers and mothers preside over their children, is called the patriarchal order and is entered into through eternal marriage. President Ezra Taft Benson explained that, âthe order of priesthood spoken of in the scriptures is sometimes referred to as the patriarchal order because it came down from father to son. But this order is otherwise described in modern revelation as an order of family government where a man and woman enter into a covenant with Godâjust as did Adam and Eveâto be sealed for eternity, to have posterity, and to do the will and work of God throughout their mortality. If a couple are true to their covenants, they are entitled to the blessing of the highest degree of the celestial kingdomâ (President Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign Aug. 1985).
As President Benson explained, this patriarchal order of family government through eternal marriage is what allows us to enter the highest degree of the celestial kingdom. The Lord revealed to the prophet Joseph Smith that âin the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this [patriarchal] order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]â (D&C 131:1-2). This order is what also allows us to preside over our families for time and all eternity. As the Lord explained to Adam [and implicitly to Eve] âI have set thee to be at the head; a multitude of nations shall come of thee, and thou art a prince over them foreverâ (D&C 107:55).
These blessings of presiding over our families for eternity in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom are the blessings of becoming like our Heavenly Father and Mother. As Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained, âIf righteous men have power through the gospel and its crowning ordinance of celestial marriage to become kings and priests to rule in exaltation forever, it follows that the women by their side (without whom they cannot attain exaltation) will be queens and priestesses. (Rev. 1:6;Â 5:10.)
Exaltation grows out of the eternal union of a man and his wife. Of those whose marriage endures in eternity, the Lord says, âThen shall they be godsâ (D&C 132:20); that is, each of them, the man and the woman, will be a god. As such they will rule over their dominions foreverâ (Mormon Doctrine, 613; Note: the term âgodâ can apply to both exalted men and women in the scriptures. The term âgoddessâ is not used in Church doctrine).
Only men are conferred the priesthood and ordained to priesthood office.
Although women have priesthood authority through their callings and by virtue of temple ordinances, we typically would not say that women âhold the priesthoodâ because they are not conferred the priesthood or ordained to priesthood office. As the Gospel Topic Essay states, âneither Joseph Smith, nor any person acting on his behalf, nor any of his successors conferred the Aaronic or Melchizedek Priesthood on women or ordained women to priesthood officeâ (Gospel Topic Essay: Joseph Smithâs Teachings about Priesthood, Temple, Women). This is also true in our temple work for the dead, where we ordain men to be elders as part of their vicarious endowment but do not ordain women to priesthood office.
From the beginning, only men have been ordained to priesthood office. As the Lord revealed to the prophet Joseph Smith, âThe order of this priesthood was confirmed to be handed down from father to sonâ on whom it ârightly belongsâ (D&C 197:40, emphasis added). It is important to remember however, that âmen are not âthe priesthood.â Men hold the priesthood, with a sacred duty to use it for the blessing of all of the children of Godâ (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign May 2014). Thus, regardless of who holds the priesthood, âaccess to the power and blessings of the priesthood is available to all of Godâs childrenâ (Elder M. Russell Ballard, Ensign Sept. 2014)
Why men are ordained to the priesthood and women are not has not been clearly revealed and it is wise for us to not speculate with ideas that might be confusing or condescending. Elder Dallin H. Oaks has explained, âIf you read the scriptures with this question in mind, âWhy did the Lord command this or why did he command that,â you find that in less than one in a hundred commands was any reason given. Itâs not the pattern of the Lord to give reasons. We [mortals] can put reasons to ⊠commandments. When we do, weâre on our ownâ and our answers can turn âout to be spectacularly wrong. Letâs donât make the mistake thatâs been made in the past⊠[of] trying to put reasons to revelationâ (Lifeâs Lessons Learned, 68â69).
Although the reason for why men are given priesthood authority has not been revealed, the Lord has revealed what men are supposed to do with this priesthood. As mentioned earlier, priesthood holders are to use their priesthood authority to administer the blessings of the gospel and its ordinances to all of Godâs children (D&C 107:18-20). However, men have a particular responsibility to administer these blessings to their families as priesthood fathers.
Fathers are to use the priesthood to bless and administer ordinances to their family
One of the greatest revelations on priesthood given in our dispensation is found in Doctrine and Covenants 107. Although several verses were added to the revelation later (see section heading), when it was originally revealed it concluded with a climactic lesson about fatherhood. It revealed that Adam was the first priesthood father and he used his priesthood to administer ordinances and bless both his sons and his daughters to bring them all into the presence of God (D&C 107:53-54). He also ordained his own sons so that they could in turn bless their own posterity with that priesthood (D&C 107:41-53).
As a result, D&C 107 is not just a revelation on priesthood, but a revelation on fatherhood. It reveals that, in the beginning, priesthood was tied to fatherhood and that fathers were primarily to use their priesthood to bless and serve their families. In fact, Abraham referred to priesthood as the âright belonging to the fathersâ and âthe appointment of God unto the fathersâ (Abr. 1:2,4). We see this principle in action today as faithful fathers use their conferred priesthood authority to bless their babies, baptize and confirm their children, and administer to their sick family members.
As Church historian Steven Harper has explained, âOne immeasurable result of Doctrine and Covenants 107 is the way it gives meaning to men’s lives. Section 132 emphasizes the priesthood’s exalting power for women and men, but the particular power of section 107 gives ordinary, even inadequate men both duty and destiny that can motivate them to rise to far greater heights of service to God and family than they would if left to their natural inclinations. The revelation came at a time when American culture was beginning to erode fatherhood. Noting how the exalting priesthood principles of section 107 seemed to have a powerful influence on Joseph’s own father, historian Richard Bushman went so far as to say that âin restoring priesthood, Joseph restored fatherhoodââ (Harper, Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants, p.397-399).
This connection between fatherhood and priesthood helps us interpret what the Family Proclamation means when it states that âby divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their familiesâ (Ensign, Nov. 1995). Historically, some fathers have neglected these responsibilities or assumed that this commission gave them a right to be the boss and practice âunrighteous dominionâ (D&C 121:39; see Oaks Ensign Oct. 2005). In reality, to preside as a priesthood leader means to serve (Matt. 23:11) and fathers are to fulfill their unique calling to preside, provide, and protect by using their priesthood to bless and serve their families (D&C 107:40-53).
This means that the greatest purpose for men holding the priesthood is not to serve as Bishops or Stake Presidents, but to serve as fathers. Fatherhood âis an eternal calling from which you are never released. Callings in the Church, as important as they are, by their very nature are only for a period of timeâ (President Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign Nov. 1987). Truly, as President Harold B. Lee repeatedly taught Church leaders, âThe most important of the Lordâs work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own homesâ (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 134).
Conclusion
Although we do not know all the reasons for why men and women have the different roles that they do in our Heavenly Fathersâ plan, we do know that these roles are intentionally not the same. Many in our modern culture assume that gender roles must be the same for them to be equal, but living prophets have consistently taught a different message. For example, Elder Dallin H. Oaks has taught that âIn the eyes of God ⊠women and men are equal, with different responsibilitiesâ (Oaks, Ensign, May 2014).
This echoed the words of Elder M. Russell Ballard who has taught that âmen and women are equal in Godâs eyes and in the eyes of the Church, but equal does not mean the same. The responsibilities and divine gifts of men and women differ in their nature but not in their importance or influence. God does not regard either gender as better or more important than the otherâ (Ballard, Ensign, sept 2014).
The different gifts and roles of men and women are intended to complement each other. âThe natures of male and female spirits complete and perfect each other, and therefore men and women are intended to progress together toward exaltationâ (Elder David A. Bednar, Ensign Feb. 2006). It was never intended that man or woman be alone. As President Boyd K. Packer taught, âAt first, Adam was alone. He held the priesthood, but alone, he could not fulfill the purposes of his creation. No other man would do. ⊠Except Adam and Eve by nature be different from one another, they could not multiply and fill the earth. The complementing differences are the very key to the plan of happinessâ (Packer, Ensign Nov. 1993).
As the story of Adam and Eve powerfully teaches, men and women are not created to be in competition with one another, striving to be independent of the other. On the contrary, Eve was created to be a âhelp meetâ or worthy companion to Adam (Gen. 2:18, footnote b). In other words, she was created to be his âequal partnerâ (Family Proclamation). She was figuratively created from his rib to teach us that she belonged at his side, created by God as his complementary equal. And together, with their different but equal roles, they were to serve and bless each other and their children for time and for all eternity (Moses 5:1-5). This they both did, with the authorization and approval of God and his holy priesthood.
vickieDecember 2, 2017
these are my own thoughts, I believe that there was and is only one POWER and that is in God our Father and through His Son Jesus Christ and through the HOly Spirit can we have authority to do our callings on this earth. our callings have to do with being a wife and husband mother and father and callings in church. I have never had a problem with the man being at the head of the family. I grew up that way. I have never agreed with feminist ideas. I feel that we are all special in who we are being it man or woman. God's house is a house of order and having it the way we do with man and woman...it creates order and it is the way it is in Heaven as we have a Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother. I know that my Father and Mother in heaven love me and all their children. I never think about power I only think about the authority I have in my callings in the church and at home.
Dale G. MooreDecember 2, 2017
Brenden Taylor gave a very good explanation of the difference between power and authority in the Priesthood. Too often in the past we have used the words interchangeably, leading to confusion about their meaning. The idea of the two births has been expressed by Sister Valerie Hudson, in her talks and writings about the Two Trees.