By Lorie Winder
“We rejoice that we are privileged to live in this season of the history of the Church when questions are being asked about the priesthood. There is great interest and desire to know and understand more about the authority, power, and blessings associated with the priesthood of God,” wrote General Relief Society President Linda K. Burton in the June, 2014 Ensign. Those of us who support women’s ordination couldn’t agree more.
Like many, we ask:
- Are there some historical precedents in Mormonism that point to women’s ordination?
- Which LDS beliefs relate to and support the extension of priesthood to all worthy adult members of the Church?
- Is priesthood essential for exaltation?
- Should differences between men and women or among individual members determine whether or not we have access to a full range of opportunities for growth and service?
- If women appropriately exercise the power and authority of the priesthood, as Elder Oaks has taught, why not priesthood keys and office?
- Is there room for moral activism in the Church?
Our interest in these and many other questions prompted Ordain Women to launch a series of discussions on women and priesthood, complete with study packets that can be used to facilitate local conversations.
The first two discussions, “See the Symptoms” and “Know the History,” were presented in live Google Hangouts on May 15—the 185th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Priesthood—and May 29. New discussion packets will be released every Thursday through June 26 with an accompanying live Google Hangout.
This Thursday evening at 7:00 PM MDT, we’re pleased that several well-known LDS authors who have written ground-breaking theological/historical articles on women and priesthood are among the participants joining Ordain Women’s Lorie Winder, author of “Power Hungry,” and Mormon Matters’ Dan Wotherspoon for the live third discussion, “Study the Scriptures”:
- Nadine Hansen, author of “Women and Priesthood”
- Linda K. Newell, author of “A Gift Given; A Gift Taken: Washing, Anointing, and Blessing the Sick among Mormon Women” and Mormon Enigma
- Margaret Toscano, author of “Put on Your Strength, O Daughters of Zion: Claiming Priesthood and Knowing the Mother”
Don’t miss out. Join the discussion via Ordain Women’s live Google Hangout and add your questions and comments to ours via Twitter.
Previous Discussions: (previously recorded)
Watch Discussion Three live here at 7:00 pm Mountain Time on Thursday, June 5. Prepare by reading this packet: Study the Scriptures. Ask questions via Twitter @ordainldswomen with the hashtag #ordainwomen or by writing in the comments section of the event at Google +. (If you press play, you will see a countdown to start time until the hangout actually begins. Then you may watch live. You may also watch a recording of the hangout here later, after the live hangout is completed.)
Lorie, thank you so much for sharing this information here. I think genuine discussion is a beautiful thing, because whatever we feel about this issue, understanding our sisters and brothers is essential, and gaining more knowledge is always a good thing.
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