Can you please cite where in the Bible (or Book of Mormon) Jesus Christ or the Heavenly Father — whom I assume are the ultimate authorities — say that women are not suited for being prophets or members of the LDS church leadership. If there is none such citation, then on what authority does the church exclude women from leadership positions?
2 Responses to “Can you please cite where in the Bible (or Book of Mormon) J…”
Carlos Bravo
2011-07-31 21:56:38
The Church is led by prophets and apostles, just as Christ's original church was led anciently.
Hi Stefan. I was thrilled to receive an email from you because, coincidentally, my brother is currently serving his mission in Slovakia! He has mentioned Bratislava in several of his letters home. What a pleasure to be able to communicate with someone from Slovakia. Let me answer your question.
First off, it is not true that women cannot serve in church leadership positions. In fact, women serve in some of the highest church positions, including as the heads of several of the church's auxiliary organizations. The leadership on the local level is similarly structured. Women pray, preach sermons, head local church organizations, and even administer ordinances (ceremonies) in our temples.
Women are also entitled to receive personal revelation just as men are. While it may be true that only men are called to be the Prophet of the church, women, through personal revelation, can prophecy and edify.
There is great scriptural precedence for restricting what Mormons call the "priesthood" to men, at least outside of the temple. The great prophets of the Old Testament were men, as were all of the twelve apostles that Christ called. Women have always played critical roles in Christ's church, and they continue to do so. God does not love men more than women; all are equal in His eyes. But he has created men and women to be different, and their divinely ordained roles in the church, we can only suppose, are tailored to the strengths of each gender.
One final point. It is true that Christ and Heavenly Father are the ultimate authority in the church. However, it is not true that our access to them is restricted to the scriptures alone. Leaders in the church, including women leaders, can also discover God's will through direct revelation. God speaks to His modern-day servants just as He spoke anciently.
Art Sherwood
2011-07-31 18:07:45
Hi Stefan. With all due respect, the premise of the question here is faulty. You are making the assumption that unless the the Bible or the Book of Mormon has a specific quote from Heavenly Father or Jesus about a particular doctrine or practice that that doctrine or practice must necessarily be false or unfounded.
This has never been the case. Prophets in all times have been called of God and given authority to declare the word of God to the people living at the time. This continues today.
The current church policies regarding who is ordained to the priesthood and who is called to various church positions are set forth by the First Presidency of the Church and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. We regard these men as prophets, seers and revelators and understand that the policies they establish are done so by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. We may not understand the reasons for all of the policies, God doesn't always tell us the "why", but we can gain a personal witness that they are true regardless.
Now, nowhere in church policy does it state that women are not suited for the priesthood or for church leadership. Women play a very important role in the church. The are many women in church leadership positions in many of the organizations in the church. As for why there are no women in the Quorum of the Twelve or the First Presidency or why they have not been ordained to the priesthood, the simple answer is that God, for his own reasons, has not laid that responsibility on their shoulders. We don't take these duties on ourselves, we don't seek after these positions, we simply accept them and serve when we are charged with them. Just because a person has not been called to a position of leadership or has not been ordained to the priesthood does not mean they are not suited or worthy of such callings. It merely means that the Lord has some other purpose for them at the time.
First off, it is not true that women cannot serve in church leadership positions. In fact, women serve in some of the highest church positions, including as the heads of several of the church's auxiliary organizations. The leadership on the local level is similarly structured. Women pray, preach sermons, head local church organizations, and even administer ordinances (ceremonies) in our temples.
Women are also entitled to receive personal revelation just as men are. While it may be true that only men are called to be the Prophet of the church, women, through personal revelation, can prophecy and edify.
There is great scriptural precedence for restricting what Mormons call the "priesthood" to men, at least outside of the temple. The great prophets of the Old Testament were men, as were all of the twelve apostles that Christ called. Women have always played critical roles in Christ's church, and they continue to do so. God does not love men more than women; all are equal in His eyes. But he has created men and women to be different, and their divinely ordained roles in the church, we can only suppose, are tailored to the strengths of each gender.
One final point. It is true that Christ and Heavenly Father are the ultimate authority in the church. However, it is not true that our access to them is restricted to the scriptures alone. Leaders in the church, including women leaders, can also discover God's will through direct revelation. God speaks to His modern-day servants just as He spoke anciently.
This has never been the case. Prophets in all times have been called of God and given authority to declare the word of God to the people living at the time. This continues today.
The current church policies regarding who is ordained to the priesthood and who is called to various church positions are set forth by the First Presidency of the Church and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. We regard these men as prophets, seers and revelators and understand that the policies they establish are done so by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. We may not understand the reasons for all of the policies, God doesn't always tell us the "why", but we can gain a personal witness that they are true regardless.
Now, nowhere in church policy does it state that women are not suited for the priesthood or for church leadership. Women play a very important role in the church. The are many women in church leadership positions in many of the organizations in the church. As for why there are no women in the Quorum of the Twelve or the First Presidency or why they have not been ordained to the priesthood, the simple answer is that God, for his own reasons, has not laid that responsibility on their shoulders. We don't take these duties on ourselves, we don't seek after these positions, we simply accept them and serve when we are charged with them. Just because a person has not been called to a position of leadership or has not been ordained to the priesthood does not mean they are not suited or worthy of such callings. It merely means that the Lord has some other purpose for them at the time.