Modern Day Faith

A current question on the minds of some women in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that of Priesthood equality.  There is a group called Ordain Women that is trying to bring their preparedness to light in the eyes of the leaders of the Church.  There are many opinions as to whether the group has faith or not, aside from the opinions about their actual quest.

The purpose of my post today is not to agree or disagree with their desire to hold/authorization to use the Priesthood, rather my intent is to discuss Faith.  I will not cite many stories or script today, though I plan to research stories of faith in the Canon of the Church: Continuing Revelation, The Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price; as well as personal experience.

I have come to know that true faith searches and asks, it looks for truth constantly, as it should.  I believe that faith must be founded in Jesus Christ and His ability to bring all hidden things to light.  I believe that The Father gives to those who ask in the name of Christ with 'a sincere heart and real intent.'  Those things are important because they tell us about ourselves and what we are willing to do.  For me real intent means that as I bring a question to the Lord in faith, I am willing to heed the answer.  I am willing to obey His answer.

Those who are against this group of women and what they seek, I ask myself, "If the Lord says yes and the faithful women of the Church were to be ordained to the offices of the priesthood, making a covenant with the Lord to live worthily of that ordination, do I have faith to act in accordance to that revelation?  Even without a revelation concerning this matter, do I have faith that He knows all and will let nothing frustrate His work?  Is that faith reflected in what I do and how I treat others?  Remember that to some it is given to have exceedingly great faith.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may ^aknow the ^btruth of all things.

 6 And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.

 7 And ye may ^aknow that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, ^baccording to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever.

(Moroni 10:5-7)

 

I believe that the preface required to verse 5 is to study and bring all things before the Lord to know the truth of them.

 

Now, to those women who believe in ordaining women, that it is something worthy of their faith and attention, I ask, "Does my faith allow me to continue in all steadfastness and diligence in the kingdom of God if His answer is 'No.' or 'Not now.'" In scripture there are countless stories of peoples who had to wait upon the Lord for long periods of time.

 

The responses to this group's actions have intrigued me.  I see little faith and much anger, the two don't work very well together.  I hear belittlement and backbiting in the words of women on both sides of the issue.  In Acts 19 there is a townclerk who offers great words of wisdom, "ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing ^arashly." (verse 36)  I do believe that doing things rashly is much different than timeliness or doing things with much prayer and fasting.

 

Personally I will not disclose my opinion regarding women and the priesthood, as my opinion is not worthy of your attention nor will it persuade anyone to believe one way or another.  I will, however, try to persuade us to follow the counsel given in Romans 14:

 

 1 Him that is ^aweak in the faith receive ye, but not to ^bdoubtful ^cdisputations.

 2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth ^aherbs.

 3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not ^ajudge him that eateth: for God hath received him.

 4 Who art thou that ^ajudgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

 5 One man esteemeth one ^aday above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

 

I do not know exactly who the weak are but I do know that the Lord tends to use the weak as in Doctrine and Covenants 133:58, "To ^aprepare the ^bweak for those things which are coming on the earth, and for the Lord’s errand in the day when the weak shall ^cconfound the ^dwise, and the little one become a ^estrong ^fnation," and the Lord will make sure that "The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly." (Isaiah 32:4)

 

God Bless,

~Anna