Why Does The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Send Out Missionaries?

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-02-2000-mormon-missionaries?category=missionary/introduction-to-mormons&lang=eng

I've heard that some people say that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints send their young men out on missions because it is a "rite of passage". Obviously, they haven't been around many young men. I've not yet met any young man who would give up his job, car, music, cell phone, and laptop, leave his girlfriend, and postpone his college plans, so he could travel to a strange place where he would have doors slammed in his face all day, just for a "rite of passage". 

Did Joseph Smith Start The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

https://www.mormon.org/beliefs/jesus-christs-church

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, find that an odd question. It is like asking if Moses made up the Ten Commandments. Moses was a prophet. Prophets listen to what God has to say, then they teach it to the people. They have the assignment to help the rest of us learn how to be happy and know what we need to do to return to our Heavenly Father someday. 

Aware of our weaknesses, God has always used Prophets to help us learn and grow. The Old Testament contains the record of God's dealings with man through His prophets. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ set up His Church, gave His Apostles priesthood authority, and designated Peter to be the prophet who would continue to receive revelation for His church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Early-day Saints (saints just means a church member). (see Peter receiving revelation to take Gospel to Gentiles)

What Do I Feel about the New Ministering Program Announced in General Conference?

What do I feel about combining priesthood quorums in wards and about the new ministering program? Excited! I feel that we are being asked to raise to a new level, and that we are being helped to become people who will prepare the way for the Savior's second coming. 

I know there will be some who wonder how I can "blindly" follow the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I don't wonder. I know I could never blindly follow anyone, but I'm not expected to simply follow. All members of The Church are encouraged to gain their own testimony of what changes the Lord wants to happen. This means

Quotes I like about Priesthood

From the Young Women leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. https://www.lds.org/blog/how-to-help-young-women-see-their-value-in-the-church?cid=HP_WE_25-10-2017_dOCS_fBLOG_xLIDyL2_

                                           Sister Marriott: We’ve 

heard it, but it’s hard to get it into our minds, to make that shift that the priesthood is not the men of the Church. Priesthood is the power of God, and we all work with that power—not necessarily with keys or even with duties described in the scriptures, but we all have this power as we fulfill our covenant responsibilities.

Priesthood, Leadership, and Service

https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/category/new-testament-gospel-art-book?lang=eng

I have often wondered why people seem so upset that women do not "hold" the Priesthood. They seem to view the men's Priesthood responsibilities as the men having all power and dictating their will to submissive women. (I think it is rather funny to think women would go along with that!) What must be remembered is that God's power can only be used if a person is righteous, and His power can only be used to serve others.  

This is one of the last lessons that the Savior taught his disciples. Listen to the Savior's response when the mother of James and John, two of his disciples, came to him and asked if her sons could sit on the Savior's right and left in His kingdom (have positions of honor). 

How is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Organized?

How is the Church Organized? https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/topics/priesthood?lang=eng

I like how this video explains how the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the same now as it was when Jesus Christ set up His church when He lived upon the earth. All Church organization is to support and help families.

A Woman Member's Thoughts on Priesthood and Personality

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One day I was doing some writing on my Perspectives on Personality blog about how Thinker types (logic, task oriented, 3/4 of men) can better relate with Feeler types (value, people oriented, 3/4 of women). I was giving suggestions to Thinker types on how to relate more personally to Feeler types, when the thought came to my mind that what would help the most was if the Thinker gave service to the Feeler.  Suddenly, I realized that this is part of why men are given Priesthood assignments -- it is help them learn to serve and love. For women, we naturally see a need and meet it. We don't need as much structure to reach out to others. That is just how we are.

I can see how assigning men to watch over others helps them focus on the needs of the people they are responsible for, whether it is in his family, or in his ward (local church group).

Do Men Have a "Right" from God to Subjugate Women?

https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/category/teachings-bible-images?lang=eng&start=1&end=40&order= love this picture of Christ leading by serving

A Jewish friend commented on my last post about the place of women in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

"As far as the place of women in religious life, I know of no religion that doesn't have a bunch of excuses about why women are not allowed into the priesthood, etc.  Religion has an age old history of being male dominated."  She also explains how women are kept out of important positions in their Jewish Temple. 

This is my reply to her.

It truly is scary some of the things people do and then try and excuse their behavior by saying it is "religious". Men have often claimed a "right" from God to subjugate women. I believe that they will be held accountable for their unrighteous actions.

What Place Does the new Prophet Think Women Should Have?

People often wonder if the new Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Russell M. Nelson, will give the women in the Church more power. By that, I assume they want to know if the women will have the same responsibilities as the men have. The flip side of that thought is that the men would have the same responsibilities as the women. The premise is that men and women are both equally capable leaders, which is true, but aren't there some things that we each naturally do better? 

I think a lot of the concern is that the Church is organized in a Patriarchal order with men being called by God to assume general administrative responsibilities. This does not mean that they have some "divine right" to tell women what to do and women are to merely meekly obey the men's orders. No, men are given by God responsibilities in keeping with their most noble desires to love, protect, serve, and bless their families and those around them. Women, think about that; men who are encouraged to really be there instead of dumping all the responsibility for the family and everything else on your shoulders.

Am I a Suppressed Woman?

 General Relief Society Presidency. Left to right: Sharon Eubank, 
Jean B. Bingham, and Reyna I. Aburto.

Yes, I'm a wife and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ o Latter-day Saints , but am I suppressed? Hardly! I think most women members would find that funny. We are often overwhelmed by the load of leadership responsibility we carry.

I think where most people get confused and think that women in The Church are dominated by the men because they have heard that women are "not allowed to hold the Priesthood". Actually, the women are given the same priesthood power when we make covenants in the temple. When we promise to keep the Lord's commandments, He blesses us, both men and women, with some of His power to enable us to grow and to accomplish the things He wants us to do.  Priesthood power is what enables women to guide their family, teach, and lead the children, young women, and women of the Church.

But you might say that the women are not allowed to hold leadership positions. It is true that men and women have been given different responsibilities. Men have the responsibility for general administration. Women have responsibility lead the children, young women, and the women of The Church under Priesthood guidance.

How The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Organized

I wrote this a few years ago to answer a friend's question.

Here is a quick overview of how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is organized.

We believe that the same gospel and church organization which the Lord established in his mortal ministry has been restored again to the earth. This is why the name of our church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (to distinguish us from the former or early saints).

We believe that the Lord guides his people today just as he always has, through a prophet and twelve apostles. These men have a few assistants to help them provide leadership to a large area of the world. Since these men devote their entire time to furthering the work of the Lord, they are paid a modest maintenance salary. These are the only paid clergy in the church.

Priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, men and women are full equal partners both in the home and in the church. Men are given Priesthood responsibilities to provide spiritual leadership, and women have the natural responsibilities of Motherhood to nurture, teach, and lead. As we work together in complementary roles we all benefit.

I have watched my sons grow as they have been given Priesthood responsibilities a little at a time. At 12 a worthy young man can be ordained a Deacon and pass the Sacrament, collect fast offerings, and help keep up the church building. At 14 a worthy young man may be ordained a Teacher. His duties include those of a deacon plus they serve as home teachers; visiting families in the ward (local church group) and helping them. They also prepare the bread and water for the sacrament. At 16 a worthy young man may be ordained a Priest. He then has the authority to do all that a Teacher does plus he may baptize, and administer the sacrament. At 19 our oldest son was ordained an Elder. He had had four years of seminary during high school and was an official ordained minister as he served a two year mission in Ohio.

Are Women in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Dominated by the Men?

This video is the reflections of President Gordon B. Hinckley, our last prophet, after his wife, and partner of many years, had died a few months before. I met Margaret Pay Hinckley. She was an incredible woman. I can understand why he would miss her so much.


One woman informed me that married women in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "main responsibility is to procreate and be a companion to her husband." Isn't that also man's main responsibility to have a family and be a good husband?  She also stated that though women in The Church "can contribute to decisions, men still make the decisions".

I'm glad she told me this because after 45 years as a woman in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I would have never guessed that I was a second class citizen dominated by my husband. What I have seen is