Woman and the Priesthood References

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"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

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 

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.

Counsel to Emma - Counsel to All Women

View in PDF file HERE

Women in the Church