AeonJ Posted May 19, 2011 Posted May 19, 2011 What's the official reason why women can't hold the priesthood? (providing there is one)
Bill “Papa” Lee Posted May 19, 2011 Posted May 19, 2011 What's the official reason why women can't hold the priesthood? (providing there is one)Scripture...nothing more.
Bill “Papa” Lee Posted May 19, 2011 Posted May 19, 2011 Because Church leaders say so.Because God has ordained it as such. They just follow his lead (commands).
Nathair/|\ Posted May 19, 2011 Posted May 19, 2011 All that we know is that the Lord hasn't authorized it. No arguments I've ever heard are any better than these:Reasons Why Men Should Not Be OrdainedA man's place is in the army.For men who have children, their duties might distract them from the responsibilities of being a parent.Their physical build indicates that men are more suited to tasks such as chopping down trees and wrestling mountain lions. It would be "unnatural" for them to do other forms of work.Man was created before woman. It is therefore obvious that man was a prototype. Thus, they represent an experiment, rather than the crowning achievment of creation.Men are too emotional to be priests or pastors. This is easily demonstrated by their conduct at football games and watching basketball tournaments.Some men are handsome; they will distract women worshipers.To be an ordained pastor is to nurture the congregation. But this is not a traditional male role. Rather, throughout history, women have been considered to be not only more skilled than men at nurturing, but also more frequently attracted to it. This makes them the obvious choice for ordination.Men are overly prone to violence. No really manly man wants to settle disputes by any means other than by fighting about it. Thus, they would be poor role models, as well as being dangerously unstable in positions of leadership.Men can still be involved in church activities, even without being ordained. They can sweep paths, repair the church roof, and maybe even lead the singing on Father's Day. By confining themselves to such traditional male roles, they can still be vitally important in the life of the Church.In the New Testament account, the person who betrayed Jesus was a man. Thus, his lack of faith and ensuing punishment stands as a symbol of the subordinated position that all men should take.--Dr. David M. Scholer
aspire Posted May 19, 2011 Posted May 19, 2011 Scripture...nothing more.CFR-- Where is it stated that only men may hold the Priesthood? I'm not trying to be rude I really don't know where the scripture refrence is.
Mordecai Posted May 19, 2011 Posted May 19, 2011 Priesthood is masculine. Priestesshood is what women would hold . Seriously, this is an interesting question. I think the issue is, "Why don't women lead the Church?"
CV75 Posted May 19, 2011 Posted May 19, 2011 What's the official reason why women can't hold the priesthood? (providing there is one)Not so sure they can't hold it, but they don't, at least in this life. The reason they don't seems to be hidden beyond the veil but there is an indication that only the males (brethren) were foreordained to it pre-mortally (Alma 13: 5). Reading the whole chapter, much of it can be construed to include women as it refers to "they" -- but in this life at least, it is limited to "just and holy men" (verse 26). Perhaps, since the priesthood is after the holy order of the Son, it is a male assignment or characteristic.
ChristKnight Posted May 19, 2011 Posted May 19, 2011 I think I remember seeing on the Mormon Channel's Facebook page about how Sister Julie Beck would be on an episode answering questions related to women and their connection to the priesthood. I think one of the questions was how do we understand women performing the ordinance of washing and anointing in the temple in the context of not holding the priesthood. Did anyone here her answer/know the answer?
CV75 Posted May 19, 2011 Posted May 19, 2011 Also, perhaps, just as two people of the same sex cannot reproduce, two perfect beings of the same "hood" cannot generate the spiritual power of the quality required to bring about immortality and eternal life.
ChristKnight Posted May 19, 2011 Posted May 19, 2011 I also found this interesting article-"A Gift Given: A Gift Taken-Washing, Anointing, and Blessing the Sick Among Mormon Women-A Historian Traces Changes in the Practice".
Alla Posted May 19, 2011 Posted May 19, 2011 What's the official reason why women can't hold the priesthood? (providing there is one)Women are too busy. God looked at a man and said:"Woman are able to do so many things in one day: preapare meals, do loundry, check homeworks, take kids to music lessons or sport games, clean house, read Scriptures, do Church callings, help others and ect. So, let Me make man busy, I will give him Priesthood.
Maidservant Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 A few reasons:Women are free from the requirements of priesthood in order to prepare for or meet the requirements of celestiality. Women may receive all of their covenants (endowments, marriage) and privileges without priesthood. This is a gift.A corollary of this is that women are not officially responsible for "the blood and sins of this generation", which THANK YOU, and men only become free from the blood and sins of "this generation" by making and carrying out their priesthood covenant and duties.The gender aspect is a freedom for women aspect from CHURCH responsibility and the gathering of Israel.Women and men both have priesthood in connection with each other in the patriarchal order. This also partially answers what ChrisKnight was asking about the officiating women do in the temple.Also I just posted in another priesthood and women thread about how women may have been the ones to come up with priesthood in any case, in order to create men new creatures for women. Other than the fact of course that priesthood is endlessly, aeonically ancient without mother or father or beginning or end of days.We need to keep in mind that all celestial matters are performed by priesthood (acting for or as God and with his power), so whenever a woman acts within her covenants or in the church she is at minimum performing her work as a matter of priesthood delegation and/or priesthood blessing.
Alla Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 A few reasons:Women are free from the requirements of priesthood in order to prepare for or meet the requirements of celestiality. Women may receive all of their covenants (endowments, marriage) and privileges without priesthood. This is a gift.A corollary of this is that women are not officially responsible for "the blood and sins of this generation", which THANK YOU, and men only become free from the blood and sins of "this generation" by making and carrying out their priesthood covenant and duties.The gender aspect is a freedom for women aspect from CHURCH responsibility and the gathering of Israel.Women and men both have priesthood in connection with each other in the patriarchal order. This also partially answers what ChrisKnight was asking about the officiating women do in the temple.Also I just posted in another priesthood and women thread about how women may have been the ones to come up with priesthood in any case, in order to create men new creatures for women. Other than the fact of course that priesthood is endlessly, aeonically ancient without mother or father or beginning or end of days.We need to keep in mind that all celestial matters are performed by priesthood (acting for or as God and with his power), so whenever a woman acts within her covenants or in the church she is at minimum performing her work as a matter of priesthood delegation and/or priesthood blessing.I like your post. I just have talked to my friend a couple of weeks ago about the fact that women can receive the endowments without having priesthood. Men have to do extra step.
frankenstein Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 What's the official reason why women can't hold the priesthood? (providing there is one)What I was told by a General Authority who heard it from an Apostle is "That's the way God wanted it". This is about as an "official" explanation you will get, otherwise there is no official reason.
frankenstein Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 A corollary of this is that women are not officially responsible for "the blood and sins of this generation", which THANK YOU, and men only become free from the blood and sins of "this generation" by making and carrying out their priesthood covenant and duties.CFR, to both parts I have heard some real doozies in my time but I must say this is a new one.
ERMD Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 "When our children obey the Lord and go to the temple to receive their blessings and enter into the marriage covenant, they enter into the same order of the priesthood that God instituted in the very beginning with father Adam."--President Ezra Taft Benson
phaedrus ut Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 Is the priesthood ban on women official doctrine or just a policy of men?Phaedrus
daz2 Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 It is a culturally bound practice. There are no eternal principles of which I am aware, or that are reflected in the scriptures, preventing a change in practice. Such a change, though, would rock the world of many Latter-day Saints, just as changing the practice on race/lineage would have rocked the LDS world had it occurred in the 1940s, 1950s, or 1960s. As a result, I don't think the leading councils of the Church would change the practice unless and until receiving clear, unambigous inspiration/revelation as they did in the case of race/lineage.
frankenstein Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 "women are not officially responsible for "the blood and sins of this generation", which THANK YOU, and men only become free from the blood and sins of "this generation" by making and carrying out their priesthood covenant and duties."has anyone else heard this before? or does anyone else believe this? I having much trouble trying to figure out someone reach such a conclusion?
Jeff K. Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 Yes, I have heard it before and it is reasonable. That is unfortunately all I can say on the matter.
CARPE DIEM Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 Not so sure they can't hold it, but they don't, at least in this life. The reason they don't seems to be hidden beyond the veil but there is an indication that only the males (brethren) were foreordained to it pre-mortally (Alma 13: 5). Reading the whole chapter, much of it can be construed to include women as it refers to "they" -- but in this life at least, it is limited to "just and holy men" (verse 26). Perhaps, since the priesthood is after the holy order of the Son, it is a male assignment or characteristic.What he said!
zerinus Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 What's the official reason why women can't hold the priesthood? (providing there is one)By scriptural precedent. There is no recorded instance in scripture of a female priest, or of a woman having been ordained to the priesthood.
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