Female Seership

Source

In my earlier posts I asked and attempted to answer questions about the participatory roles of faithful women today. The duties and expectations for men are so clearly outlined within the priesthood offices; I think it would go a long way to have such expectations for women. After much praying, pondering, and reading the scriptures I have made two very startling (in a good way) discoveries, which I will further explore below: 1) The power of women is, among other things, divine seership. 2) Mother Earth assists in giving mankind its sight to see.

Female Seership in the Scriptures

Examples of women who could see and interpret emblems:

1. Eve could see the fruit was good
2. Rebekah saw who should receive the father's blessing
3. Mary saw that she would have a son of God, though the means she did not know
4. Elizabeth saw his name was John (I'm convinced Zacharias was mute so that he could write out his son's name and make this a visual experience representing his wife's seeing powers)

The astounding thing for me was finding the pairings of insightful women with men who were literally blind, which underscores her distinct power:

• Blind Isaac and Seeing Rebekah
• Blind Simeon* and Seeing Ana

I don't have time for it right now, but I'd really like to dissect the differences (if any) between Simeon and Ana because this could represent the parallel work of men and women intended for the Church today. They were on the same side in their example of receiving the Christ and it could be telling to see where they echoed each other, and where they uniquely complimented each other.

*Not written in scripture, but traditionally known as blind

Mother Earth, a Divine Urim and Thummin

The Restoration story features the use of the Urim and Thummin and seer stones, which are naturally derived from the earth. Likewise the Book of Mormon describes how the brother of Jared produced stones to overcome the darkness (i.e. blindness) in the barges headed for the promised land. Throughout the scriptures clay is used to restore sight to the blind. In all of these examples, Mother Earth expands the vision of men who would otherwise be limited without her. Latter-day doctrine even informs us that, one day, the entire earth in "its celestial condition will be a Urim and Thummim."

Convergence is a Sign of Seership

A Society of Seers

I have been blessed in my life to have good, righteous women in it. In the past year I was able to gather my elect sisters into an experiment of sorts. We would pray and ponder various thoughts and concepts and convene together in person and (mostly) online to discuss our insights. What we've found over and over again is that even when we study things separately, we often arrive at very specific and even unconventional conclusions in common. These conclusions are so specific as to make coincidence unlikely. I take such convergence to be a sign of seership in action, a look through the divine lens, if you will.

I wish to repeat here that The President of The Church is THE prophet and seer for The Church; what women have is on an individual scale, with the potential to change homes, communities, and nations.

The Proclamation: A Bait and Switch for This Convert

When I joined the church, the reasons new converts gave for their conversion sounded like this most of the time:

• I know the Book of Mormon is true
• I have a testimony of The Restoration
• Joseph Smith was a Prophet
• This Church has priesthood authority

When Prop 22 rolled out in California, there was a renewed focus on The Proclamation, and I started to hear these reasons more and more:

• I love my family
• I love my boyfriend/husband
• I love tradition

Though not given as THE reason for adopting Mormonism, I have heard from convert men that the Church's strong stance against homosexuality through The Proclamation was definitely a draw for them. (Oddly enough, such commentary also paves the way for racist opining... Are these the recruits we want to shoulder the priesthood moving forward?) 

And while I don't have sound data on this, my personal observation has been this irony: With the Proclamation focusing on the heterosexuality of a marital union rather than the priesthood power to perform sealings, I have seen more marriages occur outside the temple (with sealings to follow in a year) than before its emphasis.*

Actual results for #lds

When I joined the Church, Instagram wasn't a thing (man, I'm getting old) but when we conjured up imagery of being a good Mormon it mostly centered on preaching the Gospel and helping others across the globe. Now when we seek #lds, #mormon we are bombarded with pictures of women looking "modest is hottest" in gender-traditional clothes and cute couple selfies. That's all correlation not causation, of course... But seeing as the Book of Mormon (written for our time) says next to nothing about marriage, homosexuality, and looking #totescute you might begin to understand why I find this abrupt shift in priorities so alarming and make an association. 

WHERE IS THE CHURCH I JOINED?!

In Sunday school I would rather discuss the implications of, say, the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood or overcoming poverty, but instead we're talking about how it's Us against the World, and by marrying a man I really "defended the family." Defended how, from what, from whom?

With Utah as our canary in the Mormon coal mine, shouldn't its high(est) rates of sexual violence and child sexual abuse, pornography use, and its push for perfection through plastic surgery alongside sky-rocketing mental illness all be signs of where we should focus our talks on family values? My wearing lady-like skirts with lipstick and passively not being gay in accordance with The Proclamation doesn't add anything to over-coming these challenges. And while you might point out that document does contain condemnation of abuse, that has hardly been the focus of our discussions on it.

Moreover, if the point of belaboring The Proclamation is to remind homosexuals they do not fall into Gospel ideals, I would like to speak on their behalf and say they're already well-aware. Like, so much so we lose precious human beings to suicide routinely in our church.

INSPIRED?

In Elder Oak's talk yesterday he mentioned that it was important for us to know about the origins of The Proclamation. He happened to confirm what Chieko Okazaki had said, that this document about families was created without any insight from women. He then used indirect wording to describe The Proclamation's origins: "Language was proposed, reviewed, and revised," and "a proposed text was presented to the First Presidency," which is a missed opportunity to snuff out reports that The Proclamation was conceived in partnership with the law firm Kirton McConkie in anticipation of legal challenges to same-sex marriage. --A fight that was solidly lost here in the USA. 

Finally, Elder Oaks posits that embrace of The Proclamation is a measuring stick for converted Latter-day Saints. Given that this document is not canonized, never received by common consent, I was taken aback by this suggestion. It's true, I don't display this document in my home... But I keep the covenants I made when I joined the Church, which includes mourning with those who mourn the Gospel they once knew and recognized.

*Not that I personally have a problem with that, but I know the Church cares a lot about temple marriages. 

Orientation

This week has been all about the employee on-boarding process. The hiring department requested a list of my vaccinations and I was informed I could receive whatever injections were deficient in my case (none, thankfully). I was also reminded of which online training modules were still pending completion. Once I have everything I need, I will be able to walk through the doors of my hospital as a full-fledged employee and have a sense of belonging.

Had I shown up and been asked to repeat my already completed courses, or re-inject my vaccines I would have been confused. Instead the orientation process is, thankfully, only about getting me what I need to move forward. The temple is the same way.

Think about it. Wouldn't it be weird if in the temple we repeated our own baptism and confirmation? If that happened we would likely ask ourselves why we were doing them over. We might even ask ourselves if our first baptism and confirmation had been invalid or incomplete.

And yet so often we go to the temple expecting its rituals to represent and/or recreate our entire life's experience. Besides that being a false standard, it sets us up for despair when what remains needed for completion is different between men and women. –Just imagine if during employee orientation we felt someone else was already the stand-out or favored one because he was given several booster shots, a chest X-ray, and many more training modules. That would definitely be the wrong interpretation, even the opposite conclusion as one could easily argue that employee was way behind his counterpart(s).

Below I have created a table of the "series" of gifts bestowed in and out of the temple. I think it serves to highlight the dichotomy between the sexes that would make holding the temple ordinances as all-encompassing to be misguided:

With this in mind, I wish to discuss an insight I had recently. Well, several insights, actually. The first continues with the theme of re-envisioning the temple's functionality.

In the above diagram I'm showing my current interpretation of priesthood power(s). When I think of them, I like to imagine literal offices in a building. In blue we see the "Melchizedek," written in quotes because this is a name given to avoid the overuse of the name of the Lord. (The Aaronic priesthood is not a separate entity and is thus shown as an appendage.) Above the blue building is the yellow skyscraper with its ever-growing levels of glory. This represents the Patriarchal Order of priesthood. Though "patriarchy" conjures up male-only imagery, I have concluded that this actually equates to "of the family." It is in this category that the definition of God means male AND female. The green section depicts the highest office in the Melchizedek priesthood, which overlaps with the Patriarchal Order, and can currently be accessed only in the temple setting.

Since the part in blue represents the power of Christ, and the yellow section is the only place where female divinity exists in its fullness, we see God the Son as being the link between the two as represented above.

Going back to the "building" diagram, I think it important to add the component of keys as represented here by the asterisk. They open up the doors to each office on its respective level in the priesthood. I have also added stairs to the highest level of the Melchizedek priesthood to signify an ascent to a higher order within it where another, final door remains.  Along these lines, Elder Boyd K. Packer gave a talk once using a parable about keys and vaults. He seems to be touching upon the Patriarchal Order when he describes a man and woman turning their keys at the same time to inherit their greatest treasure (shown in my diagram by the door on the left with two asterisks, keyholes for the priesthood keys). He adds that woman shouldn't be troubled that man has two keys when she only has one... And to that I say absolutely!, especially since I offer that that man's second key was  received from woman. Yes, his greatest power stems from her.

Also, I have added "House of Israel" and "Many Mansions" to describe the extent of each building. If woman is coming to earth from royal birth (so regal you must stand when she enters the room) she is, among many things, not lacking in inheritance when it comes to real estate. In contrast, man has a single, relatively modest house. To meet in the middle (green section), she must be appointed (read: anointed) to his humble abode and he gets to be written into her will. Talk about the guy marrying up!

(It's worth pausing here to recall the start of this epic post where I point out that if one were to take this exchange at face value and no context, it would look really unfair towards the woman.)

I had always known to think of Jesus Christ as the intermediary, but seeing Woman hold both keys to the final door leading to the Patriarchal Order got me to see her in that in-between role, as well. Her role in that position stems from the fact that God the Father (and Mother) is too holy to deal directly with man (His greatness being like a fire would consume him). And Jehovah, before being born to an earthly mother, was too holy to be in contact with earthly man (a natural enemy to God). This is where Eve comes in. For how near to the angels is woman! She is the virtue (angel) who can act upon Adam as she is under the direction of Jehovah who is under the direction of God.

Above I have drawn a symbolic representation of how I see God dealing with man on earth.  In The Creation he is forming man through the protective inner layer of Jehovah, who is covered by the outer lining provided by Eve. What characteristic allows Eve to be in contact with both Heaven and Earth? You can find that answer in the temple. But if you're not in a place for that, consider the evidence of this Heaven-Female-Earth dynamic right before our eyes. A pregnant woman, for example, straddles both Heaven and earth as she creates a person somewhere in-between. She then births a child who, if taken before the age of accountability, has a spirit worthy of returning to God. How near to the angels, indeed.

(At this point I would like to point out that Eve is not Adam's mother, but did take part in his creation which in one sense, does make her the mother of all living.

Also, analogies are never perfect when it comes to things divine, and in this case the limitation is that this imagery of the glove makes it seem like Jesus and Eve are objects being acted upon. That is not the case. This is meant to show the harmony, even fluidity of their doing the Father's will.)

When Eve finally does obtain knowledge, it is through transgression and the protective barrier is essentially rent in twain by this. I show in the middle image the break in Eve and even Jesus Christ who must eventually take upon Him our sins. Absent here is God the Father who cannot be among man in this fallen state for reasons mentioned above.

To recreate the protective barrier, Jesus Christ is born of woman and creates a cross-link (pun not intended, but boy does it work) which allows Adam and Eve to interact with God the Father again.

If we zoom in, we see that Adam has a much closer connection to both Jesus Christ (now represented in yellow) and God the Father (not shown) after The Fall. I posit that this is through the Melchizedek Priesthood. In order to complete the arch, Eve (represented in purple) now has this one area where she needs to work through her husband, Adam, only when he submits to the hand of God.

If we zoom out in this cross-section view, we see Eve represented on the whole and note that she is far from broken and has an identity many times greater than that part of her that is dependent on Adam.

Thus we see how one mundane experience in life coupled with some faith can lead to all sorts of thoughts and insights in the temple. I'm very excited to go back and ponder on this some more, and feel compelled to again remind any and all readers that this is the gospel according to Monique. You do you.

p.s. Upon returning to this post soon after writing about Eliza R. Snow here, I just realized that the hymn "O My Father" is the equivalent of a FUBU (For Us, By Us). It's the story of woman's mortal journey, realizing she came from an exalted sphere, and tapping into that divine power which gives her revelation concerning both our Father and Mother. So fab!

He Presides... With Equality?

Today I asked on an open forum (to LDS and non-LDS alike) if  one person is assigned to preside can there be equality in a two person relationship? Equality being defined as the quality or state of being equal : the quality or state of having the same rights, social status, etc. I was looking for logic, a study of semantics, and anything but mental gymnastics.

I'll spare you the subsequent discussion, but from it I came to the following conclusion and observations:

IF this relationship is to work there appears to be 3 possibilities:

1. Equality achieved so long as partners take turns with authority
2. "Preside" needs to be redefined
3.  "Equality" needs to be tossed out and replaced with something else, something like "functional," or "efficient"

(Interestingly, only from the straight white male commentators came the suggestion that "equality" itself needs to be redefined, which I refuse to list here.)

I'd like to dive into the second option here. 

Already we have seen an evolution of terms defining men's authority from God. First we were told Adam would "rule" over Eve (Genesis 3:16). Later, we've been reassured (by President Kimball) this word means to "preside." Preside itself is defined as: To be in charge of something. The intransitive verb means "exercising guidance, direction, or control." In one of my many lessons on The Proclamation I was told it is a man's duty to do the "3Ps," Preside, Provide, and Protect. (Women have the letter N, for nurture.) I think it's worth examining each of these Ps individually as their differences may further elucidate what our expectations are within a male-female union. 

Preside: Many Latter-day saints take this to mean the husband is the head of the house. He is the ultimate authority, and so on. My brother-in-law, much to my pleasant surprise, noted that this thinking comes from the letters of Paul, which uses imagery that is meant to be "descriptive NOT prescriptive." In other words, when Paul describes the man as being in charge, he is using standards for a relationship with which his audience would be familiar at that time in order to paint a picture. He was not, however, endorsing this setup as a fixed principle. If it were not so, if Paul's words are to be taken as prescriptive, then in the very next chapter (Ephesians 6) would any of us argue servants/slaves today should still serve their masters "with fear and trembling"? I doubt it. 

Whether or not you agree with this interpretation of Paul, it stands to reason that one cannot call two people equal when one is at the top and the other is beneath. Instead, as I have earlier suggested, I believe we call upon words like "submit" and "sustain" when referencing women because they are coming from a higher realm (pre-mortally) and must condescend (enter a less dignified level, waive privileges of rank) to function in the lower offices of man's earthly priesthood. With this arrangement, presiding takes on the meaning of maintenance. Even in the janitorial sense. Man, as a presider, is charged with the upkeep of the offices of the Aaronic and Melchezidek priesthoods. He is to ensure the doors are open, authority is granted to work within them, and all members of his family have obtained the proper ordinances therein. Anything beyond this would seem (to me) out of the bounds of what God had intended. 

Provide: I was told this specifically means men are to make the money. That they are to toil and sweat in the fields as a result of The Fall. As it stands, my husband does work to provide for our family, but right now he's sitting on a cushioned desk chair in an air conditioned office in front of a fancy computer screen. He is hardly dying to get bread on the table. How come he gets to be exempt from the repercussions of The Fall while so many other people are sweating it out in the fields? And what about those scenarios where dad stays home with the kids and mom has a career? Are those couples frustrating gospel truths?

Again, I think we need to update our interpretations of these expectations. If you ask me (and this is my blog), providing means doing all that you can within your power to meet the needs of your individual family unit. This often involves anticipating the needs of others and preparing for hardships as we can no longer count on life being a breeze. Women are charged with this expectation, too, but I think it needs to be said specifically to men who naturally think in "I" terms over "we" (see Moses 5:10).

Protect: Many will tell you that because men have physiological advantages over women, protection is limited to muscle power over would-be threats. While there is something really hot about that imagery, I think there's more it than that. 

Lately I've been going back to this concept of the temple endowment being a further endowment for women, and that would imply they were given key tokens and signs prior to coming to earth. We know that when Lucifer fell, he took a third of the host of heaven with him, and I would imagine women were in that number. Is it possible or even likely that these fallen females shared with Satan the key words and tokens given to them premortally? The more I think about it, the more I believe it. To me, this would explain how certain phrases and images (tokens, signs) seemed to confirm to Eve that she could trust Satan in the garden. Because she was the first to eat the fruit and that setup was, essentially: the right message; wrong messenger, the solution was for Adam to offer protection as one not vulnerable to this specific type of attack. He must stand between the Adversary and Eve. 

How does that protection work? I believe not every name/sign/token was given prior to Lucifer's exit. I think some key pieces were administered at the veil of mortality to woman (preparing her for life on earth) and away from Satan's eyes and ears. Once a husband acknowledges that power within his wife, he will safeguard her by doing all he can to keep the Spirit in their environment. When temptation is placed before him he will consult with her to gather strength and push it away. He will pray continually for both their sake and sacrifice to obtain the blessings of peace in their home. 

Another possibility, when Satan observes man and woman, he knows the latter can see him perfectly, he is unable to make a surprise attack. Man is more likely to appear like a fledgling calf, just getting its eyesight. It then seems that while woman would be a prize catch, man is the easy hunt, which runs counter to what we would look towards for protection. Yet perhaps man is meant to be the decoy, and we are counting on him to sprint away unharmed. Those who condition themselves for the race against capture do so by making and keeping priesthood covenants; pride, abuse, greed, and lust make for spiritual carcasses on the field.

Closing thoughts:

With each of these terms and definitions I have arrived at conclusions that are guaranteed to be counter to what most LDS people are thinking on this subject. Some women love putting their man in charge as head of the house. They have a spirit of deference, which frankly I don't have (but would make my life a lot easier, let's face it). I've used this space to gather ideas and clarify thoughts that help me in my situation. I need to reconcile my insights from the temple with the cooperative paradigm of equal partners I'm shooting for in marriage. In other words, this is how Monique strengthens home and family. 

That Time I Said the Word 'Ovaries' from the Pulpit

This is a talk I gave at church that manages to merge charity and gender equality, in the Sabbath setting:

Good morning brothers and sisters,

I was initially assigned to speak on Moses 1:39, which reads: “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” This verse quotes God as He reveals Himself to Moses, who is transfigured to withstand His presence. And that is what I wrote my talk on before I realized I would be out of town the weekend for which I had been scheduled to speak. I asked if I could be switched to this Sunday and obviously that worked out, but I was then told I should try to fold in today’s theme of the Sabbath. It was back to the drawing board: Moses 1:39 and the Sabbath day, how do I combine the two? I wasn’t sure I could do it until I had pondered much, took it to prayer, and reflected on recent experiences I’d had.

I returned to Moses 1:39 with new eyes. What stood out to me about it was that God’s greatest work centered on the individual. The life of Christ on earth echoes this fact. On the Sabbath day, we read in Matthew Chapter 12 that Christ went about teaching in the synagogue –lessons that I’m sure were tailored to his audience– and healed the sick one by one. We know that we are to follow this example and, that each of us is here today, is proof that we’re trying.

So today I’d like to speak to you about consecrating your Sabbath day for 1) an improved Church experience, 2) that we might heal the sick, and 3) reclaim individual worth.

Before I go any further, I want to make sure to define some terms starting with Immortality and Eternal Life. Immortality is a free gift given to every mortal born on earth. When Christ died and was resurrected, this is what He gave all of us. Eternal life is perfection in Jesus, which allows us to live with God again. The Sabbath, as I’m sure you know, is a day given to mankind to commemorate the day of rest at the Creation, put away our cares of the world, and focus on God.

Now let me take you through a day in the life of the Sabbath as it focuses on progressing towards eternal life:

1) IMPROVED CHURCH EXPERIENCE

It’s Sunday morning and you’d like to sleep in, but you know you have church to attend. Isn’t this supposed to be a day of rest? Funny enough, in that same chapter (Matthew 12), even Christ “walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth NONE (emphasis added).” As you can see, we’re in good company.

So you get yourself together, and any other members of your household, read your scriptures, and come here hoping to make it on time for the sacrament. What better opportunity during the week to focus on Moses 1:39? To remember that He suffered, bled, and died for us that we might return to live with our Father in Heaven. This is also a time to remember what we’ve covenanted, OR what we promise TO COVENANT, at this stage in our lives. Baptism brings with it a charge to bear each other’s burdens, mourn with those who mourn,  and comfort others that we may be filled with the Holy Ghost and obtain that great glory, eternal life. We should reflect on these promises during the sacrament, and carry those thoughts with us to Sunday school.

Now we’re in the second hour of church, the classroom setting. The Bible provides several examples of Christ’s exemplary teaching, which pulls from parables and relies on the Spirit to deliver His message. There are also great examples of the disciples asking good, earnest questions. Then there are the Pharisees. Why do we read so much about them and what they do on the Sabbath day? I believe they provide cautionary tales of how NOT to spend your Sundays, of how one might frustrate God’s work on the earth.  This is worth exploring.

Starting with some background: The Pharisees are a subset of the Jews, or covenant people, during Christ’s time on earth. They pride themselves on their knowledge of the scriptures, tout their lineage, and love the letter the law. They were also xenophobic, not willing to have contact with non-Jews. --Which was, of course, a tricky matter as Roman rule had arrived.  On Sundays, I like to play Bible Videos for my children and in them the Pharisees are typically portrayed as large, prominent, and menacing men who would love nothing more than to trap the Savior in a contradiction to His authority. While my heart goes out to Jesus for having to put up with that, reflecting on Moses 1:39 I am reminded that the work of God WILL roll forth to all lands and all people regardless of what the Pharisees try and do. This makes them look pathetic. Taken in context, I see that their world is changing, power is shifting, and even the scriptures foretell their eventual fall from grace. I can see they’re scared. They’re afraid of the son of a carpenter, a young man, born in a stable to a migrant family. That says a lot. For it appears their words and actions are reactionary (key point: reactionary). And THAT is a trap we ourselves must avoid.

So how do we prevent being as the Pharisees at church? How do we check our insecurities, our hang-ups, at the door that we might cultivate goodness? Ever since President Uchtdorf gave his now popular talk, ‘The Merciful Obtain Mercy,’ otherwise known as the ‘STOP IT’ talk, I’ve given much thought to this. If we are to sustain God’s work and glory, which yearns to bring ALL of us home to heaven, then as President Uchtdorf states: “We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children.” It’s really that simple. In my own case, I’ve found if I think to comment on something in class and it requires a comparison –ANY COMPARISON– it’s going to fall flat, it’s going to shoo away the Spirit. So yes, I’m trying to stop that.

2) HEALING THE SICK

This is a matter near to my heart. Today, as in all times, there are many who are afflicted physically, emotionally, and spiritually including among us.

With respect to spiritual suffering, how do we begin to heal those wounds? This question perhaps brings us to that time between classes or right after the third hour when we’re mingling with people in the hallway. What can we do during such times to alleviate spiritual suffering? Let me warn you that one way NOT to behave is what I’ve observed to be a “Hunger Games” approach to the Gospel. Mind you, I have not seen an episode of this show, but from what I gather it has to do with survival of the fittest, last man standing wins… Let me be clear, caring only about yourself in your journey towards eternal life while others lie wounded along the road is a sure way to bring down God’s contempt. And we know this, because that’s what, in effect, the tale of the Good Samaritan is about. What’s telling is that in that story, it’s a Levite who’s down and his fellow church members pass him by. It takes a Samaritan, one of the “undesirables” in society, to extend charity, or the love of Christ. Returning to Moses 1:39, if God’s greatest work and glory is our immortality and eternal life, then I suspect standing by idle as one falls away is the opposite of that. What Christ wants, what He demands of us, is that we do NOT dismiss those who are struggling. President Uchtdorf again spoke about this in the October 2013 conference:

“One might ask, ‘If the gospel is so wonderful, why would anyone leave?’ Sometimes we assume it is because they have been offended or lazy or sinful. Actually, it is not that simple. In fact, there is not just one reason that applies to the variety of situations. Some of our dear members struggle for years with the question whether they should separate themselves from the Church.”

Let us not be the one to add to that struggle! If you see someone having a hard time, may I suggest telling them you’re glad they came or if you noticed their spouse hasn’t been to church in some time, tell them they’re missed and ask if it’s okay to pay a friendly visit. Do something, and do it with genuine love.

3) INDIVIDUAL WORTH

Now you’re home, you’re trying to teach your children the Gospel or perhaps this is part of your calling. I didn’t grow up in the Church so I rely heavily on others’ examples as to how to do this.

Someone I love and respect has a ten year old daughter, another teenage daughter, and two sons, so from time to time I’ll request her seasoned advice in this area. As I was asking her about how best to teach our children she told me about her challenges regarding the 10 year old. She said that with her sons, the curriculum is clear. Teach them about the offices of the priesthood and their responsibility in them. With her youngest daughter, however, she was struggling to give her personalized lessons. On one Sunday this sweet child commented that someone had told her she was “needed” at church, but she didn’t understand why because she’s “just a girl.” This statement floored her mother, for here was a girl with no hidden agenda, she wasn’t suing for power, and her comment was anything but prideful. It gave her pause and it did the same for me.

After further investigation it was discovered that this 10 year old girl had received the impression, possibly from her older sister, that the so-called individualized lessons she could look forward to would be ones that happen to hinge upon sexual maturation. --Namely marriage, reproduction, and the covering up of “her lady parts.” And while there are lessons to be had there, no one wants to feel like her value depends on her ovaries. So to avoid this happening to my own daughter, I’m working on two specific things: The first is, I ask myself if what I’m teaching is in proportion to how much it is emphasized in the Book of Mormon, which was truly written for our time. Second, I pull from a unique experience I had when I was living in the city. A church member there (in Chicago) had Turner’s Syndrome, which is a congenital condition caused by having only ONE X-chromosome. (That’s it.) Not XX (standard female). Not XY (male).  Just X ZERO. Interestingly, it was from this person (for whom puberty did not apply) that I learned what God’s love for the individual woman is focused on. Being different, she used her Sabbath days to build a ministry of caring for the ones who felt like they didn’t fit in.  She still had the divine feminine powers of discerning where there was a need for charity and acting on it. Like a mother hen, she took people under her wings. THAT is something I can teach my daughter, teach my children, when we have our precious time together on the Sabbath. Taking it back to Jesus will always reclaim individual worth.

It then appears that the answer at the end of the Sabbath day is the same as it was at the beginning: The worth of souls is great in the sight of God, even the individual person for whom God sacrificed that we all might have immortality and eternal life.

Of Time, Office, and Power

UPDATE 2 (2021): The temple wording has changed, but the framework of the Church hasn't. I'm going to file this under the "still potentially helpful" category. 

UPDATE 1 (2018): I wrote this post some time ago. I still agree with the conceptual framework and I know that it is in harmony with temple wording, and that we are awaiting further light and knowledge. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell put it, "The story of the women of God, therefore, is, for now, an untold drama within a drama." I build upon that today to say there is more women can do than simply wait and see if we will ever have equality. We can tap into our powers of seership, healing, and summoning now.  Yes, there is more to the story than what is presented at church on Sunday, and 165 hours remaining in the week to claim it.

Y-axis = Office; X-axis = Time (pre-mortal to mortal to eternal)

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS 
NOT SUGGESTING MOTHERHOOD = PRIESTHOOD

Last year I sat in on a speech therapy session with a patient who suffered a stroke, I didn't think this experience would make me ponder the role of men and women in the Church, but it did. As the therapist began to explore and suggest strategies for the patient to relearn how to do fundamental things for himself, his wife kept interrupting to say she could do those things for him. She had missed the point of her husband’s acute rehabilitation stay. The speech therapist had to explain that this was a time for him to learn how to do things for himself, even when the results were considered inferior to what she could provide. It was the only way for him to make progress. “It’s like he’s starting out as a little child, and I have to support him, don’t I?” Her response confirmed her understanding, and seemed in line with how Latter-day Saint women are asked to sustain the brethren as they grow within offices of the priesthood.

Above I’ve charted a visual representation of “office versus time” to describe how I see things playing out for both genders. It shows woman’s condescension to this mortal realm in which things are governed by lower offices, namely the Aaronic and Melchezidek priesthoods. At this stage in the Plan, Woman agrees to accept conditions as they are, as they benefit Man’s spiritual growth. She may carry out callings with authority granted within those offices, but is not permitted to perform ordinances outside the temple using power not allocated to her. – That is not to say that she is incapable of performing ordinances (she does, after all, have that "other priest(ess)hood"), but much like a person who has the skills to drive, they are first required by governing laws to have a permit. They also need keys. And I believe these permissions are not given to women directly because mortality has rolled forth in the direction of the Father (not the Mother). Or in other words, this is Man's acute rehabilitation program, not so much Woman's. She has already proven herself true and faithful to the principles of the Gospel (reference: initiatory).

I never intended to test it out, but I can share a personal experience in which I used my “other priesthood” power to confirm that it is real. It was 2012 and I had come home from delivering my daughter. I was suffering from terrible cramping and my newborn was struggling with nasal congestion. Hearing her gasp for air was upsetting my condition even more and my husband appeared torn as to who he should care for in that moment. I could bear it no longer and I instinctively raised my arm to the square, called down a healing blessing upon me and my family, and a current of energy came through the house. The baby went straight to sleep, by belly stopped aching, and peace was restored. My husband was just as shocked as I was. 

I’ve gone back to the temple to ponder that moment and the stories of other women with similar experiences. I’ve been amazed by how many others have essentially picked up the keys* and hopped behind the priesthood wheel when they felt the situation (usually urgent) called for it. Why was this otherwise limited to the temple? Why couldn’t I share priesthood duties with my husband out in the open? As I reflected on Eve cleaving onto Adam -- who is progressing in the direction of Heavenly Father-- I see that this is a temporal setup. This is not the big picture. This is our temporary and literal sub-mission, as we assist our husbands in becoming clean and wise.

X-axis (time) removed. 

What do we as women get out of this? A physical body. A companion who is loving and whole and ours for eternity. We gain families and a knowledge of the Savior who helps us to progress. On a broader scale, women throughout time come to earth with their unique endowments, whereas relatively few men on earth ever obtain divine power. I have to believe that at some point we thought this was a good deal. And I have faith that it is, but it does help to see a way out of the mortal setup. A light at the end of the tunnel, if you will. For that reason, I have figuratively merged each office as they stack on top of each other like an escape ladder (see above). Since Woman left her high estate to join Man on the ground level, she too must obtain the signs and tokens from the mortal endowment (his first; her further) in order to climb  through the levels of the Aaronic and Melchezidek priesthoods. I strongly believe that after the sentinels are satisfied, we will rise up together using the key(s) designated to woman (and revealed to man)  and that, finally, we can unveil our glory. This may happen either in this lifetime (2^nd anointing) or the next (exaltation). But it will happen.

At this point, many would say that I’m suggesting women are merely accessories to their husbands and have little to add to this earthly existence. No. In all things men are to counsel with women who actually hold the highest calling to be assumed by mankind: motherhood. And why is it called the highest? It's more than a platitude. Motherhood is a by-product of a higher priest(ess)hood office in which daughters gained skills and power from Heavenly Mother pre-mortally. By extension it must needs be above the Melchezidek and Aaronic offices. This divine nature is meant to bless mankind and goes beyond human reproduction. Thus the Church suffers as a whole when “the priesthood” overlooks women’s contributions and/or doesn’t request their insight when going about its business. It is not good for man to be and —if I might add— act alone when so much strength and power is literally at his side. God is best served and the Adversary rebuked when man and woman work together as a team. That this ideal is not always upheld by imperfect people does not change those underlying principles.

(Others might say this analogy paints men as immature compared to women, at least at the start. I have no comeback for this, especially when I reflect on how Adam is portrayed in the temple.) 

I pray this perspective offers hope, but I don't expect others to see eye-to-eye with me and that's okay. I personally find hope in it, but acknowledge that real life applications sometimes miss the mark. There are plenty of men, for example, who presume that because they “hold the priesthood” they are superior to women (oh, irony). Many misconstrue the charge to preside in the home to imply ownership when, to me, that mostly means they are accountable for each family member receiving all the ordinances pertaining to the Aaronic and Melchezidek priesthoods. I also concede that current constraints on women’s authority likely go beyond what God had intended. 

Extensions of priestesshood, now gone 

Above is an image showing extensions of priestesshood that have been performed here on earth previously, but were done away with during the Era of Correlation. In my estimation, acts such as mothers' blessings of daughters prior to birthing do not take away from man’s apprenticeship in the Aaronic and Melchezidek offices, but instead elevate the family. Even so, this opinion of mine and aforementioned short-comings do not stir within me a desire to shatter the framework I’ve described here. I’m inclined to work within it and pray the missing pieces will come together again. For I have faith that, while certain aspects may be lacking, the broader design or rungs on the ladder will nevertheless lift both man and woman. 

This brings me back to my stroke patient. After we spoke with his wife she was committed to letting her husband practice and progress. Our neuropsychologist added that as the husband's decision-making capacity improved, it would bolster his spirit and their marriage if she were to hearken refer to him when appropriate. We also emphasized that she should remain with her husband to prevent him from ever falling. This woman was his key to safety.  As they prepared for their eventual discharge from the hospital, I couldn’t help but think their situation is a lot like what Adam and Eve covenanted to do. They were facing hardship together, each with his/her portion to contribute, but united in a goal to ease each other's burdens and return home. It seemed unthinkable then, that should this patient gain enough strength in his arm that he would raise it to do anything but serve his wife with gratitude. Such is the case with power in the Aaronic and Melchezidek priesthood(s), with its promised homecoming even sweeter. 

*I presume this is possible either because 1) being from a higher office grants a general "master" key or 2) the sealing between husbands and wife allow her access onto his power. After talking it over with friends, I'm inclined towards the former since young unmarried women do not need ordination to the Aaronic priesthood prior to entering the temple. 

You're not Angry with Gays; You're Frustrated with God

America recently suffered a terrible tragedy in Charleston when nine African-American people were gunned down in their church during Bible study. I expected the uproar from the general public to be much more than what it was, and my hope that fellow Latter-day Saints would speak up against this was tempered by reality. Asking around, I learned that this tragedy was rarely mentioned in our meetinghouses the following Sunday.

In contrast, lately it seems that every lesson we have connects back to gay marriage and the recent Supreme Court ruling that upholds this practice. This topic seems to be at the forefront of LDS minds, so much so that I'm starting to feel like this is the Church of the Heterosexual Family of Latter-day Saints. Because when it comes to participating in civil discourse, this one topic alone seems to motivate Church members to participate.

There are obvious factors that make marriage-equality front and center in Mormon conversations. Our Church's doctrine rests on the divine powers of each gender working together. We have The Proclamation hanging in our homes. Our Prophet had even urged us to vote for propositions limiting the definition of marriage as heterosexual in nature. But the trigger, the agitator causing this explosion of commentary, I suspect it's rooted in something else.

I believe most of us are afraid to wrestle with God. Scared to acknowledge that His one true church preaches a plan of happiness that fits the privileged (i.e. heterosexual, married, fertile), but is devastating to its outliers, at least in this lifetime. And it is with that fear and those unsettled feelings that so many Church members react, projecting their insecurities onto homosexuals and their sympathizers.

Because the truth hurts. And here it is:

Klinefelters Syndrome

Gender (XX = female; XY = male) is central to God's plan for His children. And yet He co-creates humans who are XXY, XYY, and XO.

He also brings children into this world who are homosexual from the start. In order to be part of the Church, most* of them must forsake romantic love altogether and choose celibacy. That doesn't sound like happiness to most people. Some will say that gays are treated no different than single heterosexuals who are waiting for marriage, but in that case there is always hope. For gays, the one and only "hope" is that this significant part of who they are will be "fixed" in the eternities.

So, if you're a member of the Church and you're heterosexual with fertility intact, congratulations! You truly are a winner in the game o' life. But if by no fault of your own you don't fall into the zone of glory, then you're in a painful predicament. And that's not something the rest of us like to think about. It makes God look... well, not so kind. Members of the Church in general do not want to grapple with those implications and wish to avoid the reminders. - Which is becoming easier to do as relatively few LGBT members feel welcomed in our pews anymore. So instead they focus on the gospel of the family, defend The Proclamation (whatever that means), and tell their children that temple marriage should be their highest goal.

But when you focus on the gospel of Jesus Christ, that whole bit about mourning with those who mourn gets more difficult to avoid. Ponder it long enough and your heart will begin to hurt for gays, for African Americans in this country, and so on. While making temple covenants is admirable, it's likely your focus will shift to the foundation of those covenants which is charity. Likewise, it will have you asking some tough questions of God the Father and that's a distressing place to be. And yet, I think it's where we all need to go. I much prefer supplication to Him whose ways seems mysterious, than leaning onto our own understandings which, so far, has done little to change social policies, but has done a lot of damage to solidarity among the children of men.

Update: I'm sharing this personal statement by a gay member of the Church because it carries the most weight and it too speaks to other possibilities that will only come through prayer.

*Before you go referencing Josh Weed and mixed-orientation marriages, ask yourself if you could do the same.