Priesthood and Women question


Roseslipper
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ok I need some help Im teaching the class chapter 17 on the Priesthood. so the priesthood is power Gods power which men grown in, most men dont realize the importantance of this power and how strong it can be. But as a woman who is single, no husband, no sons, I know she can get a Priesthood blessing as well, But if there is no priesthood around and a woman has faith her faith can do miracles too, womans faith grows in the use of the power of God, just like the Priesthood so how do u explain this when there might be new converts in the class or nonmembers why men hold the priesthood and woman dont? is it just as simple as God gives each sex different roles....???? Iguess Im confussed on how to explain this.....please help in simple words.....thank you.:eek:

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God can grant miracles in any way, any time, for any one, that He chooses. That's why it's called a miracle, and LDS members don't have a 'monopoly' on miracles.

The Priesthood is God's power given to Man to help Him administer in His Kingdom on earth (Priesthood Authority) and bless the lives of others (Priesthood Power) through ordinances.

Without priesthood power & authority, the ordinances - though well-meaning - are not recognized. Ordinances include: sacrament, baptism, confirmation and gift of the Holy Ghost, ordinances of the temple and others.

Priesthood blessings are given for the healing of the sick or for comfort. While all blessings are predicated upon our faith, it is comforting and helpful to those who request such a blessing to hear a blessing pronounced upon them, than to just offer a prayer. Blessings for the sick are an ordinance using consecrated oil and ideally with two holders of the Melchizedek Priesthood. Blessings of comfort, such as a father's blessing, can be done by one Melchizedek Priesthood holder.

So, the main difference is that a prayer is simply that - a prayer to God. A blessing, is where a Priesthood Holder is acting as 'voice' and pronouncing a blessing upon the individual.

I hope this helps?

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As far as why men hold the priesthood and women don't... that's a whole other discussion. And depending on your teaching style... I'd have a little fun with it.

Most secular men (outside the Church), if not given responsibility or feel needed somewhere... would probably attend the "Church of the NFL" every Sunday. Isn't that what we see in the world around us?

There isn't any such thing as a "weaker" sex, or one being more 'righteous' than the other. But the Lord needs willing hands, and has orchestrated His Church so that EVERYONE can participate in the building of the Kingdom in various capacities.

In the Proclamation to the World regarding the Family, we see how the traditional roles of husband and wife are to work together as one. This is the way we also see Church leadership - to work together as one - as Christ works with His Church.

There is strength in celebrating our uniqueness and not trying to get everyone to be "the same". That's not in the Lord's plan. No calling or position is "higher" than another. No one is paid more because they are Bishop instead of the Nursery leader.

If women could pronounce blessings, then (hypothetically speaking) wouldn't women always call on other women for their blessings of comfort? What incentive would there be for husbands to live worthily when their wives can just call on their girlfriends in the ward to help them?

Just some thoughts.

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ok u said the Priesthood holder is acting as voice...voice of GOd I asume u r saying. BUt I know a women who placed her hand on her son who was so sick, and he was healed immediatley. that was not through the Priesthood ordiance, but the faith of her son and the mother. many times their is no Priesthood holder around, or can get there fast enough.

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I actually wouldn't try to get into the "why" of it, because there's really no official doctrine about that. If somebody asks why, simply say "Because that is the Lord has set it up at this time. Perhaps some day He'll explain why it is, or we'll find out why it is when we get to the other side of the veil. As for now, we don't know."

When you get into conjecture and guessing at what was going through the mind of God when He developed the particulars of His Plan there's great danger of causing confusion and misunderstanding, and as a teacher, I would avoid doing that at all costs.

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I would tend to agree with Jenamarie about not getting into it if you can avoid it. However, if it does come up the following may help.

In "The family: A Proclamation to the World" we learn:

ALL HUMAN BEINGS—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

It is important to note that gender is an eternal quality that comes with specific characteristics of identity and purpose.

By 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 families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.

Here we learn a little more about what role each gender plays in God's plan.

I like the following excerpt from Priesthood and Church Government by John A. Widstoe of the council of the twelve (1939):

Why should God give His sons a power that is denied His daughters? Should they not be equal in His sight as to status and opportunity to perform the labors of life? Since women are just as necessary in life as are men (indeed life were impossible without them), justice demands their recognition before their Father in Heaven. Surely, a just God can have no favorites!

This division of responsibility is for a wise and noble purpose. Our Father in Heaven has bestowed upon His daughters a gift of equal importance and power, which gift, if exercised in its fullness, will occupy their entire life on earth so that they can have no possible longing for that which they do not possess. The "gift" referred to is motherhood-the noblest, most soul-satisfying of all earthly experiences. If this power is exercised righteously, woman has no time or desire for anything greater, for there is nothing greater on the earth!

... Woman may claim other activity, but motherhood should take precedence in her entire life.

One beautiful way this whole concept was explained to me is that men and women are powerful equals with special roles that each is tasked with by eternal design. The greatest blessings of the priesthood to be had in the temple can only be had by a husband and wife. Women bear the greater part of the procreative responsibility and as such are trusted with the responsibility from God to bring spirit children who kept their first estate into mortality. While a woman can't simply make children on her own, she is blessed with the power to cultivate a life within her and allow it passage from pre-mortality to mortality. Once children are brought into the world (mortatlity) again it is a joint effort between father and mother to teach and raise the child, but the father is now tasked with and blessed with the power to give the child those ordinances necessary to provide safe passage from the second estate into the eternities. Thus both have played an equal part in the great plan of happiness.

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ok I need some help Im teaching the class chapter 17 on the Priesthood. so the priesthood is power Gods power which men grown in, most men dont realize the importantance of this power and how strong it can be. But as a woman who is single, no husband, no sons, I know she can get a Priesthood blessing as well, But if there is no priesthood around and a woman has faith her faith can do miracles too, womans faith grows in the use of the power of God, just like the Priesthood so how do u explain this when there might be new converts in the class or nonmembers why men hold the priesthood and woman dont? is it just as simple as God gives each sex different roles....???? Iguess Im confussed on how to explain this.....please help in simple words.....thank you.:eek:

Strictly speaking, healing is a gift of the spirit. That being said, there is indeed a priesthood ordinance of anointing and blessing the sick, and I would say take full advantage of that as appropriate.

Skippy is correct that the principle stewardship of priesthood is governance.

The Priesthood is God's power given to Man to help Him administer in His Kingdom on earth (Priesthood Authority) and bless the lives of others (Priesthood Power) through ordinances.

I think this is laid out pretty well in that first section "Priesthood bearers are messengers of the Almighty, with authority delegated from heaven to administer holy ordinances." The old mission analogy is you get caught speeding 3 times. The first time, a man in an ice cream truck stops you and tells you you're in trouble and writes a ticket on a sticky pad. Do you pay this ticket? of course not! Who is this wacko?! The second time a lawyer stops you, informs you of his knowledge of the law, cites the specific portions you've violated, and writes you a ticket. Do you pay this ticket? Of course not! But he clearly knows the law and has studied it, wouldn't you pay? Nope, his legal knowledge does him no good. The third time a police officer writes you a ticket. Do you pay this ticket? You better! Here is a person with authority for enforcing the law. There's that word - authority.

It's your lesson, but I think some interesting discussion can come from the middle section "The priesthood helps us find happiness in this life and throughout eternity." Specifically, how does the priesthood help us find happiness in this life (I think the eternity one is obvious)? How has it brought you happiness?

The object of the priesthood is to make all [people] happy, to diffuse information, to make all partakers of the same blessings in their turn.

What information is diffused through the priesthood? In what way is there an equalizing effect ("all partakers of the same blessings") (I genuinely don't know the answers to these. I'm sure I could think about it and come up with something that would satisfy me, but I would also enjoy hearing what others think (anytime I do this with a lesson, I'm prepared to hear a few moments of silence, and I'm also prepared to just move on if no one has anything))?

For the last section, "Righteous priesthood holders seek diligently and energetically for spiritual gifts to help them serve others." If you had more time, I think it would be interesting and enlightening to pass around some questions in elders quorum and the high priests group asking "how can the women in your life best help you to live up to your priesthood covenants and duties?" And then discuss the answers in your class. Perhaps it would be good to discuss how to raise children to respect God's authority on earth, and especially how to prepare boys to receive and honor the priesthood (and how to train them - this may benefit single mothers in your class).

Edited by mordorbund
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The Plan of Salvation can be looked at as a circle. We come from Heavenly Father in pre-mortality, we pass through the gate of mortality, we go through the mortal experience and then we pass through another gate to post-mortality back to Heavenly Father. This entire cycle is brought to pass through the Power of the Priesthood. Woman, through the exercise of that priesthood power, is charged with opening the first gate to bring us from the Father to mortality. Man, exercising that same power, is charged with opening the second gate to bring us from mortality back to the Father. 2 gates, 2 gender roles, one Priesthood power exercised equally. Man cannot open the first gate just like woman cannot open the 2nd gate. But, at the same time, woman cannot open the first gate without the help of man and man cannot open the second gate without the help of woman. They are, in every sense, in tandem in the execution of the Plan of Salvation.

But, it is always adviced to stick to the manual. Because, you have to be ready to answer all the questions that come up. So, if you stick to the manual, you can answer questions from the manual and know you're not delving into non-doctrinal things that does nothing more than confuse people.

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ok I need some help Im teaching the class chapter 17 on the Priesthood. so the priesthood is power Gods power which men grown in, most men dont realize the importantance of this power and how strong it can be. But as a woman who is single, no husband, no sons, I know she can get a Priesthood blessing as well, But if there is no priesthood around and a woman has faith her faith can do miracles too, womans faith grows in the use of the power of God, just like the Priesthood so how do u explain this when there might be new converts in the class or nonmembers why men hold the priesthood and woman dont? is it just as simple as God gives each sex different roles....???? Iguess Im confussed on how to explain this.....please help in simple words.....thank you.:eek:

I think you have reached a most important point in being concerned with single sisters. In truth single brothers are also a concern because the truth is that salvation can be obtained as a single individual but exaltation is not for single individuals but for families. There are two parts in the exaltation of families. First is the the union of a man and a woman in marriage and Second is the sealing of parents to children.

I submit that for exaltation not only must there be a celestial marriage but just as necessary are children. We all must be sealed not just as husband and wife but as children to parents and as parents to children. The problem occurs because for many obvious reasons there are conditions in this life that both spouses and children cannot or will not be sealed or the sealing completed for otherwise worthy individuals. It is my understanding that all such difficulties will be rectified during the millennium for any individual that so desires to obtain exaltation.

In the mean time it is not beneficial for single individuals or those that have not completed their genealogy and the sealing of all their ancestors in this life, to not feel that they can serve G-d and their fellow man with as much dignity and honor as anyone (including those married with children).

The Traveler

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Faith is power, and power is priesthood.

When a man or a woman exercise the power of God, through faith, they use priesthood.

The highest order of the priesthood requires a man and a woman to use their power together.

Men hold authority to govern and administer the kingdom on earth by virtue of priesthood keys.

Edited by james12
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As fantastic as priesthood blessings (health, comfort, etc) are, they are not terribly important.

There is a category of ordinances called saving ordinances. I'd focus on those first. No man can give himself a saving ordinance. So frankly I don't see man having the priesthood as some kind of advantage over women. If men could walk into the water and self-baptize or put their hands on their own head and pronounce a blessing, then that would be an advantage. They cant. They are as fully dependent on priesthood holders as women are for saving ordinances.

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As fantastic as priesthood blessings (health, comfort, etc) are, they are not terribly important.

There is a category of ordinances called saving ordinances. I'd focus on those first. No man can give himself a saving ordinance. So frankly I don't see man having the priesthood as some kind of advantage over women. If men could walk into the water and self-baptize or put their hands on their own head and pronounce a blessing, then that would be an advantage. They cant. They are as fully dependent on priesthood holders as women are for saving ordinances.

Hmmm...I guess my bishops have been terribly misguided when they emphasize the importance of priesthood blessings.

And here I thought they knew what they were talking about....

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What do you mean they aren't terribly important?

Hmmm...I guess my bishops have been terribly misguided when they emphasize the importance of priesthood blessings.

And here I thought they knew what they were talking about....

In the context of ordinances necessary for salvation, the kinds of blessings being discussed aren't that important. Helpful, advantageous, inspiring, and useful, sure. But their importance is practical and emotional and only tangentially related to eternal progression.

That isn't to say I completely agree with what garry is saying, but I can see where he's coming from.

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I find it interesting that arguably the first ordinance in mortality is performed by women - Birth.

I have some concerns about calling birth an ordinance in the context of priesthood ordinances.

Also, I think it would be better to say that women perform the first ordnance in mortality.

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In the context of ordinances necessary for salvation, the kinds of blessings being discussed aren't that important. Helpful, advantageous, inspiring, and useful, sure. But their importance is practical and emotional and only tangentially related to eternal progression.

That isn't to say I completely agree with what garry is saying, but I can see where he's coming from.

Then he should say that they aren't AS important as the saving ordinances. Not a blanket statement that Priesthood blessings are really not that important.

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ok I need some help Im teaching the class chapter 17 on the Priesthood. so the priesthood is power Gods power which men grown in, most men dont realize the importantance of this power and how strong it can be. But as a woman who is single, no husband, no sons, I know she can get a Priesthood blessing as well, But if there is no priesthood around and a woman has faith her faith can do miracles too, womans faith grows in the use of the power of God, just like the Priesthood so how do u explain this when there might be new converts in the class or nonmembers why men hold the priesthood and woman dont? is it just as simple as God gives each sex different roles....???? Iguess Im confussed on how to explain this.....please help in simple words.....thank you.:eek:

I don't think we know why men hold it and women don't. Many different speculations.

Women do have faith, by faith are miracles brought to pass.

Men have faith as well, by faith miracles are brought to pass.

How does Priesthood work?

God gives men authority to do certain things in His name (Meaning to represent Him).

The Power of God will be manifest because of the faith that the man and/or woman who are associated with the blessing possess.(Meaning if neither have faith, then no miracle will be there.)

So if Priesthood depends on faith, then what does it do?

It gives special blessings from the Lord that He desires to give us, upon which there can be no other way to receive them. (Ordinances of Salvation)

Other blessings may be received in another way, but the Priesthood allows people to exercise faith in a special way in that they come unto Christ through the Priesthood Holder. (Priesthood Blessings) The act of faith allows you to receive blessings that increase and strengthen the faith that was already possessed.

Lastly there are administrative blessings which people receive for callings, which is to give the recipient authority to act in God's name for a particular area of service as well as all necessary blessings and abilities to fulfill that service.

These blessings only come if you have faith. Didn't Mary Fielding Smith pray that her oxen would be healed and they were healed? Yes. God does not withhold blessings from us when we need them. However, when we have access to His authority, I feel He expects us to go the right channels. That is the first exercise in faith for the miracle to happen. The rest of the exercise in faith comes during and after as you believe during the blessing and then obey the counsel afterwards.

These are some ideas that I thought would be helpful. Good Luck!

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  • 4 weeks later...

I want to thank you all for your input I did chapter 17 yesterday its over Yeah!!! And it was great I was told by many. I try to make them exciting and intersting so people will be listening instead of a sleep.. I know I've slept through alot of them haha. I put the Priesthood on one side of the board and RS. on the other and asked the sister for words that described the priesthood and rs. and showed them that it was very much the same Priesthood to love, serve, teach the one and build His CHurch R.s Is to love, serve, teach the one and build His church. I gave two examples one that happened to a brother and one that happened to a sister who is married to a nonmember......

then I asked 2 brothers to come up in front of the room with me...was going to have 4-6 but our ward was split in 4 directions didnt know what to exspect and I played a reporter aND i interview the priesthood in a way that would teach all in the room. Those brave men!!and asked the women if they had any ?s for them......had one of the men share his line of authority and another one bear his testimony. It was wonderful!!!so thanks again.......

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