I Believe in Being Courageous: Women and Ordination

Bitter attacks happen all the time when it is presented on social media. It's like we all of a sudden became politicians on Capitol Hill. I hope this isn't one of those and that it may lead to a civil discussion and thoughts. I share my feelings as a weak and imperfect man. I have my faults and I am striving to be better.

I've posted about LDS women and some of them wanting ordination to the priesthood in the past. I received a lot of discouragement and rude comments. They tend to argue how they are being persecuted but I feel I have seen just as much judgment and rude comments come from them as towards them.

I also received comments from individuals who have thanked me for trying to be calm and supportive of church doctrine. And that's the thing here, this is doctrine, not a church policy.

I've seen two forms of supporters for women getting the priesthood thus far:
1) Women and men who actually want women to hold the priesthood and
2) women and men who support asking questions in the church.

I highly support asking questions. It's a historical fact that that's what has changed and developed so many things for the Restoration. I am grateful for those questions and decisions made by many people. I am too (to contrary belief) grateful for the sisters of Ordain Women to ask the question of women receiving the priesthood and for greater equality in the church. That is something I am impressed with! I love it. I've asked many questions myself and I feel that there have been answers and there haven't been answers. So here's my beef, I believe the Brethren have listened to these loving sisters' questions and an answer has been given. Several times.

Elder Oaks gave an incredible message last night at Priesthood Session about priesthood authority. It was straight forward, clear, and powerful. He began stating what priesthood is, that men are not the priesthood. He talked about the power of keys and the administration thereof. That there are several appendages to the priesthood power and keys. One of which was a calling in the priesthood offices. He also then stated that Relief Society was an appendage of the priesthood by it being called and under the priesthood authority of keys by the bishop. The same with female temple workers and sister missionaries. What an incredible explanation!

He stated that only men hold the priesthood and that "in the eyes of God, women and men are equal with different responsibilities." I believe that to be true. I believe that roles of men and women are like a choir. There are a handful of parts in a song sung by different groups. Each group a part. Each part together, in harmony, makes it sound like what the composer meant it to be.

But many will be offended by this notion. I believe these individuals have been deceived to think this is what God must do. I have a good handful of friends that are part of such desires. I love them and believe their intentions are well-intended. So how can I not support them for this motion? The same way I love my great aunt who chose to live an alternative life style and encourage her, with love, to come back to church. I love my great aunt and I know she loves me. When we talk after a little while, it's like we have been together our whole lives and never separated. I love her laugh and big hugs. And through all this love, it doesn't mean that  I have to support her in her decision that is against church doctrine. The same with these sisters; nothing stops me from loving them (in fact, there may be a bit more love for them than usual) but I don't support their actions and desires (except for the asking questions part, I do like that).

If you are one of them that support the ordination of women and you've made it this far in my post, I might have offended some of you. I've probably made you want to "unfriend" me and give me dirty looks on BYU campus like a few do. I apologize if I hurt your feelings but I don't apologize for believing and sharing what God has sustained for His plan. I encourage you, like my great aunt, to move forward and come in line with God's will. We love you and God loves you.

Also,  this happened last night:

A Night with Women from the Greek Orthodox Church

An  experienced that happened in early November of 2012 in Amman, Jordan:  

               The Christian world in the Middle East has continued to be a foreign subject to me regarding my studies and exposure. After last week’s experience with the Coptic Church, I was able to see a church setting much differently than my own and come to the conclusion that there were some similarities between the Islam and Christianity in how sacred some things are. People’s mentality towards things can be similar but in the Middle East it seems that strong practicing Muslim and Christian women’s mentalities are very different.

                Turns out a group of BYU students have been going to the Greek Orthodox, Church of Our Lady, on a weekly basis to their week night Sunday school type of class, maybe more equivalent to an LDS institute class. They would go to practice their Arabic and learn more about the Christian culture. This particular night no one could go but one of the BYU girls. She couldn’t go alone so she invited me to head on out. It also was supposed to be their Halloween party. We show up to the church and quickly notice it is not a Halloween party (lucky I just used my scarf from Scotland as my costume) and rather a normal class similar to the class I went to at the Coptic church but there seemed to be many more people and the father was speaking into a microphone so that everyone could hear him. My friend Sally and I sat near the back after she looked for her friends but to no avail, she couldn’t find them.

               

                The sermon was about a huge array of topics. Some of the topics included doing good unto others and following the example of Christ. You could tell that everyone appreciated the Father very much because each time someone spoke with a comment or a question they would express gratitude for the Father. The chairs that Sally and I sat in were almost like thrones, a large wooden chair with arm rests. Turns out instead of pews, each chair was like this with not too much room between you and the chair in front of you. When the sermon was done, Lucy’s two women friends found her and began talking to her. Lucy introduced me to them and they seemed to cling to me as close as they could without touching me. While sitting in my throne like chair, they stood right in front of me so I couldn’t stand up or leave if I wanted to. In the Middle East, I have learned to keep a large bubble around me when it came to women, I would not allow them to get near me and me near them. This bubble that I have spent two months building was popped and I couldn’t do anything about it. I almost felt physically violated because their legs were right next to mine and I couldn’t do anything about it. They continued to stand in front of me as they talked to others around them. And to my dismay, the Father showed up and wanted to greet me. I wanted to meet him and speak with him but not in this setting. So I lifted my hand up over the person sitting next to me and we shook hands from a far distance. I was surprised he didn’t mention anything to the women and their distance next to my legs. I finally had to ask them to move so I could get up.

               

                These two women then wanted to invite Lucy and I out to coffee and tea at a restaurant type of setting. Lucy and I agreed but it seemed to take about 40 minutes to finally leave the church because the two women, including my friend Lucy were busy talking to people of both gender, hugging and farewell kissing non-stop. Lucy and I rode with one of the girls to this more modern café house. The two women were more free in there dress, shoulders were showing, lower cut shirts and they let their hair hang loose. This is again the opposite of the conservative Muslims that I have met, they reminded me a lot of normal American women with their appearance. I do not feel that these women were the type that you would consider “loose” but were at more liberty to dress the way they wanted and to speak with who they wanted. During our discussion at the café while they drank their coffee and Lucy and I our shakes, they both vocally mentioned they wanted to marry American men. I wasn’t sure that was a hint or not to me but it sure they liked how American men are more forward in wanting to date and having a relationship than Arab men are. They were fairly attractive women in their mid-30’s and seemed to love to gossip. Shortly after getting our drinks, another group of Lucy’s friends showed up and these two women kept to themselves. I was able to hear their speaking topics which were about the other girl’s clothes, how she was still single, and how she wore glasses. Honestly, I think they were jealousy of her because the other girl that just joined us, though maybe not as pretty as the other two girls, she seemed to be much more confident and happy. After a long two hours in this café we finally left without getting a ride from the one that gave Lucy and I a ride back so we took a taxi.

                This was a whole new perspective to women in a different social setting. I have met a good handful of Christian women from Jordan, most of them were Greek Orthodox, and they all seem to be fairly independent women. These two women seemed to be the rare of the rare in their interactions with me. I am not offended or upset, almost rather more amused by their interactions because they were so different than what I had expected to be the case. Though they may have been on the extreme side it was a good picture of the difference between a conservative Muslim woman and a Christian woman. The Christian women are more open in what they want to say, they dress more freely and don’t seem to have the pressure to get married or date like that Muslims do, or so it seems from this situation.