Woman and the Priesthood References

Click on the titles or book images to access the links:

"Helping Female Students Rise to Their Spiritual Privileges"

by: Barbara Morgan Gardner

“Women of Dedication, Faith, Determination, and Action”

by: President M. Russell Ballard

"A Plea to My Sisters"

by: President Russell M. Nelson

"Why We Are Organized into Quorums and Relief Societies"

By: Julie B. Beck

“Endowed with Priesthood Power" 

By: Sister Jean B. Bingham, Sister Sharon Eubank, Sister Reyna I. Aburto

"Men and Women and Priesthood Power"

by: President M. Russell Ballard

"Rise up in Strength, Sister in Zion"

by: Bonnie L. Oscarson

"Priesthood Power - Available to All"

Linda K. Burton

"The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood"

President Dallin H. Oaks

Priesthood and Sisterhood

Priesthood and Sisterhood: An Equal Partnership 

Grethe Ballif Peterson 

 

President Kimball spoke more precisely and extensively than ever before to the women of the Church. He described the great possibilities of womanhood and methodically discussed what women need to know and need to do. In the Church's women's conference in the fall of 1979, he stated unequivocally that men and women have full equality as spirit children. Then, quoting Elder John A. Widtsoe, he said, "The place of woman is to walk beside the man, not in front of him nor behind him." President Kimball continued: "Within those great assurances, however, our roles and assignments differ. These are eternal differences, with women being given many tremendous responsibilities of motherhood and sisterhood and the men the tremendous responsibilities of fatherhood and the priesthood." (My Beloved Sisters, Deseret Book, 1979, pp. 35, 37.) 

President Kimball seemed to be making a distinction that I had not heard before. He was talking about the responsibilities of men and women, equating motherhood with fatherhood, which we certainly understand, and then sisterhood with priesthood. He seemed to be talking about a parallel relationship in the function of priesthood and sisterhood, a relationship that is obviously important, but one that we haven't thought much about.

View the complete article HERE

Priesthood Quorums

Gospel Topics - Quorums - Read HERE

Keys of the Priesthood

 Click on the images below for larger view.

Read more HERE

Priesthood

 

Gospel Topics - Priesthood - Read HERE

Elder L. Tom Perry on the Priesthood

Women and the Priesthood

Elder Dallin H. Oaks

General Conference - April 2014

"The Keys and the Authority of the Priesthood"

I come now to the subject of priesthood authority. I begin with the three principles just discussed: (1) priesthood is the power of God delegated to man to act for the salvation of the human family, (2) priesthood authority is governed by priesthood holders who hold priesthood keys, and (3) since the scriptures state that “all other authorities [and] offices in the church are appendages to this [Melchizedek] priesthood” (D&C 107:5), all that is done under the direction of those priesthood keys is done with priesthood authority.

How does this apply to women? In an address to the Relief Society, President Joseph Fielding Smith, then President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said this: “While the sisters have not been given the Priesthood, it has not been conferred upon them, that does not mean that the Lord has not given unto them authority. … A person may have authority given to him, or a sister to her, to do certain things in the Church that are binding and absolutely necessary for our salvation, such as the work that our sisters do in the House of the Lord. They have authority given unto them to do some great and wonderful things, sacred unto the Lord, and binding just as thoroughly as are the blessings that are given by the men who hold the Priesthood.”⁷ 

Levitical Priesthood

D&C 13:1. Who Are the “Sons of Levi”?

President Joseph Fielding Smith explained that “after the children of Israel came out of Egypt and while they were sojourning in the wilderness, Moses received a commandment from the Lord to take Aaron and his sons and ordain them and consecrate them as priests for the people. (Ex. 28.) At that time the males of the entire tribe of Levi were chosen to be the priests instead of the firstborn of all the tribes, and Aaron and his sons were given the presidency over the Priesthood thus conferred. Since that time it has been known as the Priesthood of Aaron, including the Levitical Priesthood.” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:63.)

D&C 13:1. What Is Meant by the Sons of Levi Offering an Offering of Righteousness unto the Lord?

The Prophet Joseph Smith commented as follows on this scripture:

“It is generally supposed that sacrifice was entirely done away when the Great Sacrifice [i.e.,] the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus was offered up, and that there will be no necessity for the ordinance of sacrifice in the future; but those who assert this are certainly not acquainted with the duties, privileges and authority of the Priesthood, or with the Prophets.

“The offering of sacrifice has ever been connected and forms a part of the duties of the Priesthood. It began with the Priesthood, and will be continued until after the coming of Christ, from generation to generation. …

Spencer W. Kimball

"My Beloved Sisters"

Chapter - "Be Thou an Example"

We had full equality as his spirit children. We have equality as recipients of God's perfected love for each of us. The late Elder John A. Widtsoe wrote: "The place of woman in the Church is to walk beside the man, not in front of him nor behind him. In the Church there is full equality between man and woman. The gospel, which is the only concern of the Church, was devised by the Lord for men and women alike." 

Within those great assurances, however, our roles and assignments differ. These are eternal differences, with women being given many tremendous responsibilities of motherhood and sisterhood and the men the tremendous responsibilities of fatherhood and the priesthood—but the man is not without the woman nor the woman without the man in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 11:11.) Both a righteous man and a righteous woman are a blessing to all those whom their lives touch.

Unrighteous Dominion

Unrighteous Dominion
By Elder H. Burke Peterson
 

Avoiding Unrighteous Dominion 
By James S. and Jeanne N. Jardine