If a woman prays in General Conference, will women then be ordained to the priesthood?
News about a women praying for the first time in the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often mistakenly called the Mormon Church) began circulating through social media in March 2013.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Mormon activists urged others to write letters to “six high-ranking LDS leaders, including apostle Jeffrey R. Holland and three women who oversee church auxiliaries.” About 1,600 letters from 300 people were written in response to the “Let Women Pray in General Conference” drive and were “personally delivered” by organizers to the leaders or their secretaries. Organizers have not received a direct response.
LDS Church spokesman Scott Trotter would neither confirm nor deny the report. He said that “decisions on speakers and prayers at general conference were made late last year.” He added, “Customarily, details of the conference programs are not announced until general conference.”
Quoting Elder L. Tom Perry, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ, the Deseret News reported the reason for not releasing the list of conference assignments:
“While we make assignments and plan ahead for our meetings, there is always the option in the church for the presiding authority to make changes as led by the Spirit. We rely on heaven’s guidance in our meetings. General conference is no different. That’s why we do not typically publish a program in advance.”
Women speak in the general conference sessions and they routinely pray in other church meetings. There is no church policy prohibiting women from praying in meetings.
The possibility of a woman praying in general conference pleases many women of the Church. Neylan McBaine, a Mormon blogger, columnist, and founder and editor in chief of “The Mormon Women Project” said that she has seen many indications “that our church leadership is not only aware of but proactively addressing the concerns of women church-wide.”
Some women, while pleased, also think Mormon women have always had a voice in general conference. “‘To be honest, I never really noticed that women weren’t praying in the general sessions,’ said Mary Jane Woodger, a professor of church history and doctrine at church-owned Brigham Young University. ‘To me, women have always prayed at general conference, but that’s probably because I’ve always considered the general women’s meeting and the general Young Women’s meeting as part of general conference.’”
“For many years there were specific conference sessions for Relief Society, Primary, and Young Women, the LDS instructional auxiliaries led by women. In those conferences, women were always called upon to speak and pray.” More recently there have been annual meetings for the Relief Society and Young Women (held the Saturday prior to general conference weekends, in September and March respectively).
The Deseret News reported that “a review of 15 different conference reports from past general conferences revealed several trends as far as general session invocations and benedictions are concerned. In the earliest days of LDS general conference, prayers were usually offered by the general authorities of the church, and occasionally by local priesthood leaders. Later the tradition turned to returned presidents of LDS missions and visiting stake presidents—all male priesthood leaders. More recently general conference prayers have been offered by members of the church’s expanding Quorums of the Seventy.”
If women are given the opportunity to pray in general conference, it does not follow that they will be ordained to the priesthood.
In the Church of Jesus Christ, men are ordained to offices in the priesthood, and both women and men preside and serve in the auxiliaries of the priesthood. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ (often mistakenly called Mormons) believe that the
“…priesthood is the eternal power and authority of God by which He blesses, redeems, and exalts His children. Heavenly Father’s worthy sons are ordained to priesthood offices and are assigned specific duties and responsibilities. They are authorized to act in His name to look after His children and to help them receive ordinances and make and honor covenants. All Heavenly Father’s sons and daughters are equally blessed as they draw upon the power of the priesthood.”1
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ taught: “While we sometimes refer to priesthood holders as ‘the priesthood,’ we must never forget that the priesthood is not owned by or embodied in those who hold it. It is held in a sacred trust to be used for the benefit of men, women, and children alike.”2
Leaders in the Relief Society, an auxiliary of the priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ, affirmed their understanding of the purpose and blessings of the priesthood:
“It is significant to me that the women were organized under the authority of the priesthood,” said Elaine L. Jack, twelfth Relief Society general president. “We sustain the priesthood and are sustained by its power. The sisters of the Church . . . treasure our opportunity to be full partakers of the spiritual blessings of the priesthood.”3
Sheri L. Dew, who served as a counselor in the general Relief Society presidency (now the largest and oldest women’s organization in the world), said,
“Sisters, some will try to persuade you that because you are not ordained to the priesthood, you have been shortchanged. They are simply wrong, and they do not understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. The blessings of the priesthood are available to every righteous man and woman. We may all receive the Holy Ghost, obtain personal revelation, and be endowed in the temple, from which we emerge ‘armed’ with power. The power of the priesthood heals, protects, and inoculates all of the righteous against the powers of darkness. Most significantly, the fullness of the priesthood contained in the highest ordinances of the house of the Lord can be received only by a man and woman together.”4
Notes:
1. Blessings of the Priesthood for All: An Inseparable Connection with the Priesthood
2. Blessings of the Priesthood for All: An Inseparable Connection with the Priesthood
3. Blessings of the Priesthood for All: An Inseparable Connection with the Priesthood
4. Blessings of the Priesthood for All: An Inseparable Connection with the Priesthood
References:
Will a woman pray at Lds genearl conference?
Female Mormons set to pray in April, breaking new ground for church
This article was written by Paula Hicken, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Paula Hicken was an editor with the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship from 2000 to 2013. She earned her BA degree in English from Brigham Young University. She edited Insights, the Maxwell Institute newsletter, and was the production editor for Faith, Philosophy, Scripture, Hebrew Law in Biblical Times (2nd ed.), Third Nephi: An Incomparable Scripture, and was one of the copy editors for Analysis of the Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon. She also helped manage the Maxwell Institute intellectual property and oversaw rights and permissions. She has published in the Ensign, the Liahona, the LDS Church News, and the FARMS Review.
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