FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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Revision as of 23:16, 31 March 2012
- REDIRECTTemplate:Test3
This page is based on an answer to a question submitted to the FAIR web site, or a frequently asked question.
==Contents
Questions
==
Why do women not exercise priesthood authority in the Church?
==Answer
==
God is the Father of all humanity, and no one—male or female—is more valued than other. LDS doctrine regards the marriage of a man and woman as the basis of heaven. No man will ultimately be saved without a worthy wife; likewise, no woman will be saved without a worthy husband.
Detailed Analysis
Priesthood is God’s authority as delegated to mortals. Priesthood exists only to serve and help others. As Jesus taught, “whosever will be chief among you, let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:27). Anyone who uses priesthood authority to assume a dictatorial stance or to manipulate or control others automatically forfeits any legitimacy (DC 121꞉36-46). At present, the duty to carry out priesthood tasks has been assigned to men. This does not imply that women are incapable or unqualified for such duties. However, because members of the Church regard priesthood authority as coming from God, they do not feel at liberty to confer it upon any except those whom God has commanded.
Early Christian practice
Tertullian says that there were "writings which wrongly go under Paul's name" were forged by a presbyter (Elder) in Asia to give "a license for women's teaching and baptizing."[1] The necessity of such a forgery suggests to some that women did not routinely teach and baptize in the early Church.
Potential benefits
The reasons for conferring priesthood only upon men have not been revealed.
Many have noted that, especially in western societies, men are increasingly disengaged from concern for women and children, and are more self-focused. Some observers have noted that LDS priesthood service does an excellent job of socializing men—especially young men—into greater concern for others, less self-indulgent behavior, and more socially-responsible modes of life. Giving men a duty that "only" they can provide may therefore help offset this cultural tendency of the modern era.
== Notes ==
- [note] Tertulian, "De Baptismo," in 17 Ante-Nicene Fathers, edited by Philip Schaff (Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886)3:677. ANF ToC off-site This volume