Mormon Women, Liturgy, and Priesthood

Earlier this week Alison and I went to the University of Utah with Blake, Debbie, and Kristin to see Blake's cousin, Jonathan Stapley, present a lecture in conjunction with the release of his book: The Power of Godliness: Mormon Liturgy and Cosmology. The event was sponsored by the Mormon Women’s History Initiative. We heard about the event when Blake's aunt Julie tagged Debbie in an announcement for the event on Facebook and encouraged her to go. I was personally undecided about whether or not I would go until a few hours before the event. I was not sure what to expect. The title of the lecture was "Mormon Women, Liturgy, and Priesthood"

I am thrilled with my decision to go. The lecture was interesting and relatable. Jonathan is a Mormon scholar. He has been researching and writing about Mormon history for over a decade. He is also a contributor to the blog By Common Consent.

The lecture focused on some of the key concepts that he explores in his book. He started out by discussing the concept of the liturgy. Liturgy is a word that is not often used in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It is the ritualized system of worship - the services, ceremonies, and patterns in which believers regularly participate. In this way, the word liturgy encompasses the culture of the church but includes much more than just the culture.

Jonathan went on to discuss changes in the liturgy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints over time. I am not going to summarize everything he discussed in this lecture, but rather I want to capture a few thoughts and ideas I had as I listened to his lecture.

As I stated earlier, going into the lecture I was unsure of what to expect. From the title, it seemed like the lecture may be controversial or in some ways clash with the teachings of the church. It was quite the opposite. The lecture focused on changes to the liturgy of the church over time through an examination of written text by members and leaders of the church.

The main concept that was discussed is that change is inevitable. I found this idea to be critical because I know it is easy for me to think that the way the church is run today is the way it has always been run. Or that the policies in the church today have always existed in their current form. This is simply not true. There are two very significant examples that Jonathan discussed. One is the change in church policy that allowed people of African descent to hold the priesthood. The other was a change in the policy of work done on behalf of those who are dead. There was a time in the history of the LDS church when an individual could only be sealed to their ancestors who were members of the church prior to their death. These are two of many examples. The point is that there are elements of the liturgy of the LDS church that will change over time. As I pondered this concept I thought of another example in the New Testament. Peter received revelation to take the gospel to the Gentiles, even though this had been strictly prohibited in the scriptures prior to that revelation. I think too often it is easy to interpret scripture in all forms as absolute, fixed, and unchangeable. This, in fact, is not the case there are numerous examples of when God has through his servants revealed changes.

I do not suppose to know the will of God and what will or will not change at some future time. I do know that the atonement of Jesus Christ is eternal and that the core principles surrounding the atonement, such as faith and repentance have always been and will continue to be central to our faith. I think it is easy to get caught up in teaching and focusing on the policies of the church. I feel like today the handbook has become almost scripture. I think that is so interesting because it has changed significantly over time and I would be willing to bet it will continue to change significantly over time.  I will not base my faith on the policies espoused in the handbooks of the church. My faith is rooted in the core principles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I learned some things that I did not know. I did not know that for many years women did not have the authorization to pray in sacrament meetings. There have been other changes as well. There was a time that women could be witnesses of ordinances. Over time, this has become a role withheld for those holding the priesthood. In the past few years, we have seen significant changes to the role of women in the church. For example, the role of women in the temple has been expanded.

Elder Oaks also gave a significant talk in the April of 2014. He said, "We are not accustomed to speaking of women having the authority of the priesthood in their Church callings, but what other authority can it be? When a woman—young or old—is set apart to preach the gospel as a full-time missionary, she is given priesthood authority to perform a priesthood function. The same is true when a woman is set apart to function as an officer or teacher in a Church organization under the direction of one who holds the keys of the priesthood. Whoever functions in an office or calling received from one who holds priesthood keys exercises priesthood authority in performing her or his assigned duties."

It seems our understanding of women and the role of women in the church is evolving. I do not know where this will lead, but I do know that I believe in a God who loves all of his children. I also believe there will be meaningful roles for all in the kingdom of heaven. I think we will continue to see that role change and expand in the coming years. As Jonathan said - change is inevitable. I have great hope that change will lead to greater inclusivity and understanding.

After the speech, we all bought a copy of Jonathan's book, got a picture with him, and thanked him for the lecture. It was very interesting and gave us a lot to think about.