I read this. It's more intellectual approach to the "Ordain Women" Movement trying to get the Priesthood.
Tonight, when Trent and I were discussing this, we
felt that the root of this is their own pride and selfishness-----they
think they are "unequal" or suffering in some way by not having the
"title" or "power" that the men have.
I believe the contrary....if there is any inequality, it's on the
men's side. If I am sick, Trent can bless me. If Trent is sick, I cannot
bless him. He suffers his pain without a priesthood power being
exercised whereas if I am sick, I receive a blessing that he cannot in
return receive.
Deseret News did a piece on this and had the official response from the church:
"Kate
Kelly, one of the organizers of the action to request priesthood
meeting tickets for women. "This is an important step toward a future
where Mormon women will participate side by side with our brothers in
all areas of church leadership and life."
“To
me, agitating on the issue is a question of self-respect,” she said. “I
respect and value the church and myself too much to be silent on this
question. I truly believe that God wants us all to equally share the
burdens and blessings of the priesthood. The ordination of women would
put us all on equal spiritual footing with our brethren, and nothing
less will suffice.”"
I
admit confusion...I don't see where this Kate Kelly thinks that we do
not participate in church leadership and life. Women carry leadership
roles and are needed to fulfill responsibilities just like men...not the
same, but similar. We are not supposed to be the same. It's just not
genetically engineered that way, and I'm glad. Again, I think she is
prideful and selfish. She has let a perceived inequality seep in and has
not stepped back to actually view just how much she DOES receive by
allowing the men to be ordained to the Priesthood. Frankly, I thought
the issue was going to die when I first heard about it because I thought
it was so idiotic on so many different levels and the reasoning was
flawed and biased. But it looks like this whole movement is not going
away quietly and now trying to assimilate themselves to the Blacks
before they received the Priesthood.
"This Thing Was Not Done in a Corner"
President
Hinckley was already getting these types of questions in interviews
with Mike Wallace (scroll down a bit to the question and answer segment.
Mike asks him an initial question on women and their role, and then
after health and moral code, he tries again to dig deeper in the "men
running the church" question):
And I really like what this lady said:
Kathryn Skaggs, who writes her widely read blog, A Well-Behaved Mormon Woman,
from her home in Murrieta, Calif., said she believes she speaks for
that vast majority of Mormon women when she expresses frustration "that
this small element within the church who are pressing for the priesthood
use the media to draw attention to themselves, as if they speak for all
Mormon women."
"They don't represent us," Skaggs said in a telephone interview. "That's
not to minimize those who have these passionate feelings about women
being ordained to the priesthood. But my personal church experience
suggests that most of us are at peace with how the Lord has chosen to
establish his kingdom upon the earth. And there's a bit of resentment
that the beautiful messages of conference might be overshadowed by this
small group that doesn't even represent the feelings of mainstream
Mormon women.
"I just really have a hard time feeling good about it," Skaggs
continued. "They are taking the attention away from the reason we have
general conference in the first place: to listen to what living prophets
have to say to us. Instead, they are trying to get the living prophets
to listen to them. That just seems wrong to me."
Elder Maxwell said, "events will require of each member that he or she decide whether or not
he or she will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more
difficult to halt longer between two opinions" (http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=909)
