People frequently point out that Mormon women don’t want the priesthood, as evidenced by studies like this one or this one.  I have a theory about that. For Mormons, “wanting” a calling you haven’t been offered is a no-no, and “wanting” the priesthood, if female, is particularly taboo.  See this post or this one or this one or this one or this one.

I think this says more about our preference for top-down designation of priesthood duties than it does about how we would react as a people if the priesthood actually were expanded to all worthy members.  I wager that most women who do not “want” the priesthood would nevertheless react positively if the First Presidency offered it to women.

 

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From the Life of Eliza R. Snow

The text briefly mentions that Lorenzo Snow’s sister, Eliza R. Snow, served as president of the Relief Society.  As it is highly likely that much of Lorenzo Snow’s knowledge and appreciation for the Relief Society can be credited to his sister, I’ll begin by reviewing her Relief Society service.

Eliza R. Snow was instrumental in the initiation of the Relief Society. She was one of about 12 women whom Sarah Kimball invited to discuss the idea in 1842.  Eliza R. Snow then drafted the original constitution for the organization. Reference A  After discussing their plan with Joseph Smith, Smith expanded their original vision, telling them:

I will organize the women under the priesthood, after the pattern of the priesthood. –Joseph Smith Reference A

Joseph Smith organized the Relief Society in the format of the priesthood and gave the organization autonomy unparalleled in the modern church. Reference B

[Joseph Smith] propos’d  that the Sisters elect a presiding officer to preside over  them, and let that presiding officer choose two Counsellors  to assist in the duties of her Office— that he would ordain  them to preside over the Society— and let them preside  just as the Presidency, preside over the church; and if they need his instruction— ask him, he will give it from  time to time. Let this Presidency serve as a constitution— all their decisions be considered law; and acted upon as such. If any Officers are wanted to carry out the designs of the Institution, let them be appointed and set apart, as  Deacons,Teachers &c. are among us. -Eliza R. Snow quoting Joseph Smith in Nauvoo Relief Society Minutes Reference C

After officially organizing the Relief Society, Joseph Smith gave several lectures to the new Society.  In his personal diary, he wrote that he:

gave a lecture on the pries[t]hood shewing how the Sisters would come in possession of the privileges & blessings & gifts of the priesthood & that the signs should follow them. such as healing the sick casting out devils &c. & that they might attain unto these blessings. by a virtuous life & conversation & diligence in keeping all the commandments. -Joseph Smith Reference D 

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My first experience with team sports was playing on my ward Young Women softball team at age twelve. I was hopelessly clumsy.  Whenever I hit the ball, which was certainly never a given, I would run with track star speed for that first base, but since I almost always hit a slow grounder directly toward the first basewoman, my efforts were futile.  If the coach played me at all, she would send me to right field, the place the ball was least likely to go.  Sometimes I considered quitting, but my teammates begged me to come so they wouldn’t forfeit. Community obligation and peer pressure kept me coming; I prevented my team from forfeiting but I made them lose.

My dad, who is quite the baseball player and who had already garnered a few years of coaching experience with my younger brother’s little league teams, tried to catch me up with the other girls, but it was too late. Eventually I became fairly accurate at throwing, but unfortunately, baseball requires other skills, too, like batting and catching, and I just couldn’t figure those out.

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Terry Tempest Williams on her mother’s mystifying bequest

Source: whyy.org

Twenty-five years ago, TERRY TEMPEST WILLIAMS’ mother died of ovarian cancer, and she left Terry 54 journals, one for each year of her life. Later, when Terry went to read them, longing to hear her mother’s voice again, she found that each one was blank. In her book, “When Women Were Birds: Fifty-Four Variations on Voice,” Williams meditates on why her mother might have left the journals unfilled. What did that signify to her mother? What was her mother telling her?

Listen to the podcast here.

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Affiliating

A temple recommend criteria violation for consorting with trolls.  Or feminists. Or both.

 

Anti-Mormon

This is a word used by trolls to express disdain and vie for the honor of being placed in permanent moderation.

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