All of these comments, both hateful and respectful, have prompted me to write this post, at the risk of being late to work. I wouldn't say the Spirit prompted me to do this, but as I am now choosing this path, I pray the Spirit will be with me as I try to acknowledge and address what I feel regarding all this monstrosity of ugliness from all sides. Forgive me if my thoughts are scattered. I have never written this down, and I have told very few people any of my thoughts and none all.
First of all, Ordain Women seeks to change the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints by increasing awareness of
Second, I do not believe it is impossible for there to be a revelation where women receive more priesthood keys than they already have, or perhaps to be set apart and ordained to different levels of the priesthood/priestesshood. BUT I do not necessarily think it will come in the form of deacon, teacher, priest, elder, high priest, patriarch, apostle, and prophet. There could be an entirely different form of priestesshood that will enrich the lives of those around us, in the Church and out. All spiritual gifts are for the enrichment of others, not the holders of those spiritual blessings--whether priesthood or otherwise. HOWEVER, I believe before we receive any sort of additional spiritual gifts (and yes, the Power of God is a gift, not an entitlement or a right) we need to recognize and honor that priesthood authority and power we women have already been given. What?! Women already have priesthood authority? You betcha! If they have a calling, they have been given priesthood authority to act in the name of Christ to fulfill their calling. If women have gone to the temple, they have been endowed with priesthood power. So, I am just as angry at those women who say they don't have the priesthood as those who say they must receive it in order to be equal. (Those wondering where in the world I'm getting this information, go to: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/the-keys-and-authority-of-the-priesthood?lang=eng. This is Elder Oak's talk from last conference, which I believe was directed to women everywhere, including Ordain Women, to help them get ready for further blessings)
Third, many people online have been commenting that Kate Kelly was excommunicated for asking questions. That is NOT why she was excommunicated. She was excommunicated for organizing a group that, as a whole, refuses to listen to the prophets, that does what may be called missionary work and organized discussions to "convert" people to the cause, and for herself being firm and obstinate in refusing to believe that perhaps, just maybe, it is for the Lord's anointed, in this case the Prophet himself, to declare revelation for the entire church, not for her to "receive revelation for the church" and try to bully the church into accepting her revelation. Does that mean she has not received personal revelation? Perhaps she has. But she does not have the authority to declare that as revelation for the church, nor to organize discussions for the teaching of the people of the Church. That would not change if she did have the priesthood. In many of these respects, she has been acting as Korihor did in the Book of Mormon, who organized his own religion with its own teachings and led many of the members of the church away, all while mocking the leaders of the church. True, the content of the message is different, but fundamentally the actions are the same.
Finally, those who insist that this whole "priesthood thing" is representative of gender inequality in the church is missing the whole point. There does exist gender inequality in some cultures, and some of those cultures bleed over into what could be called a "church culture" for different geographic regions. I am not saying that gender inequality is not a problem in those areas in which it does exist. But ordaining women to the priesthood will not change that! Do you really think that if women have the priesthood there will not be men who claim their priesthood is better because they're a man and thus hold unrighteous dominion over their wives? Do your really believe that it will get rid of the people who believe that women sin if they wear pants to church? (By the way, while I wear skirts to church, this baffled me--I grew up seeing my mom come in scrubs and other women come in pant suits. I didn't even know that there were women out there who were being sent home to change--But I don't believe that Sacrament Meeting is a place to protest this cultural blindness) Do you really think that women holding the priesthood will change the fact that some people think "the only place for women is at home with the children," or, conversely, "That woman is a stay-at-home mom? By choice? How does she ever feel fulfilled? That can't be possible!"? Do you really think that these problems, and other CULTURAL problems will magically be erased if women get the priesthood? I don't! We need to stand where we are, change CULTURAL problems where they exist, all before a revelation on high--that may or may not come--is received. We are not supposed to sit twiddling our thumbs. BUT that does not mean that going against the leaders of the church, demanding revelations that fit our desires, are what we need to do. Talk to your bishops, to your stake presidents, heck, send a letter to the First Presidency, to try to get some CULTURAL change to take place. But don't try to change the doctrine and keys of the priesthood to fit your perceived notion of God's plan as an end-all fix-all for problems that do exist.
I choose to follow the Prophet of God, to sustain him and wait for revelations to be received for the Church. Not because I am some dumb sheep, and not because I don't recognize that problems do exist. But because I believe in the scripture, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." I prayed during conference to know whether the leaders of the Church were leading us astray. I do not believe they are. I believe that I received personal revelation that they are listening to the Spirit, that they do not turn a blind eye on the members of the Church, that there are gifts out there for us to receive if we first receive the gifts we already have. Does that mean the gifts we'll receive is priesthood ordinances? Maybe, maybe not. It could mean things like increased faith, increased endurance, increased knowledge. But I will trust in God that I will accept whatever he reveals to me and to the Church.
