Women and the Priesthood- Where I STAND!

So, it's only been 4 years since I have posted something on this blog! I began my "Blog Journey" motivated by my friend Landeelu (Tiff) who many of you know. She actually has created a business with hers. Me? Well I wrote 6-7 posts on this and moved to other things...blame it on my ADD-which some of my children have and I am sure my husband and I have some. Needless to say-I have no followers and there may not be many that read this but I still feel the need to write it!

As I have stated before, our family mission statement is one word. STAND. It represents a whole lot in that one word and all of our children know what that means. My desire to write today was to take a STAND and publicly (or not so much, depending on who reads this!) with my feelings about women being ordained to hold the priesthood.

Now, for those of you who may not be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, let me explain just a bit about the priesthood and what it is. God cannot be everywhere so he has ordained certain men to act in His place. This is the same power Jesus Christ gave to His apostles when He was on the earth. That power fell away as these men died but it was restored again when Joseph Smith brought the fullness of Christ's gospel back to the earth. (If you want to know more about that, visit Mormon.org, talk with our missionaries or me. I am always willing and happy to share what I believe!)

This priesthood power is used for many good things. Just as in the Bible it can be used to heal the sick, perform eternal ordinances-baptize, seal families together forever (not just "till death do we part) and many other things. I have watched my husband and son use the priesthood they have. It has changed them. It has pushed them out of their comfort zone in some cases (which is a good thing). It gives them many opportunities to serve others and to help others in ways they may not have considered. Watching them do this has been a blessing in my life because it softens their hearts and I see that this gift they have been given, helps them to become closer to the Savior-which is what we are all, hopefully striving for. I have literally watched my husbands heart soften (not that it was rock hard-but he is a man!) over the past 20 years as he has used his priesthood to bless our family through priesthood blessings, callings he has served in and in leading our family as a patriarch in our home. Is he perfect? No...do you know anyone who is? I do believe, however, that the Priesthood of God, that has been given to him has strengthened him, softened him, and all around given him opportunities to become an even more amazing person than I married 22 years ago! I am now more than ever before, grateful for the priesthood in our home and for priesthood leaders in my life. As I have served in callings, I have been blessed to watch what they do. As I have served on ward councils, I have seen the countless hours that Bishops put into their wards. I have worked with many great one's and appreciate what they have taught me. For some reason, the time period I learned the most about the priesthood and became even more grateful for it was a few years back when I served as Stake Young Women President. I watched the men around me on the Stake High Council as well as our Stake Presidency members, I watch them now too and have never been more grateful for the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ that we have today and the power they have to lead us and guide us. I know that they receive guidance from God, our Heavenly Father and from a living prophet today, Thomas S. Monson. I also know and understand that I, as a woman, have access to the priesthood anytime I need it.

Having said that, let me explain to you a bit about me and about you-since most of you are probably women reading this. You and I were-in general-born with soft hearts. We have an innate desire to serve, love, nurture and make things better for everyone. God planted that in our hearts. We want to be mothers, we want to help others. That is part of our nature. I have been studying for the past few years about my heart and how I can become a person with a softer heart. I am working on that but as I have studied, it is very clear that in general, women naturally have a heart that wants to love and serve...more so than men.

I guess I may be old fashioned when I say this but since the 80's there has been a strong movement to push women to be "equal" to men. Sometimes I feel we have even surpassed that and believe in some ways we are better than men. Let me state clearly and strongly that God made men and women because we need each other. I believe that "gender is an essential characteristic of individual, premortal, mortal and eternal identity and purpose." (The Family Proclamation To The World) It is important and essential for each of us to know that there are some things all of us can do well and do together but there are clearly some things that women do better than men and some that men do better than women. It seems to me that if you have any sense of self-confidence that would be readily apparent and it is okay.

In this mortal life God gives us what we need. He gives us families, trials, talents, happy times, sad times- all we have comes from Him. He has, at this time given men the ability to learn responsibility and service along with 100+ other things through the gift of the priesthood. That is not something I need right now in my life and I, for one am grateful.

Some of you may read this and completely disagree with this view point. It is mine and I will own it. We are not all the same and that is the point of this post. We do not have to be. So keep your opinion, I will keep mine but I want the world and anyone who reads this to know where I STAND in regards to women being ordained to the Priesthood and to thank a loving Heavenly Father for the priesthood in my life.