A modest question:

[Sleeping in EQ]

Should Latter-day Saints recognize that a prophetess presides over the Relief Society?

[clackamascoug]

The small p is a help. What form of Priesthood would she hold?

[Sleeping in EQ]

The small p is a help. What form of Priesthood would she hold?

Prophets and priests do not have to be the same person. A prophetess does not have to hold the priesthood. Anna (Luke 2) didn't hold the priesthood. Neither did Debra (Judges 4).

Moreover, the gift of prophecy is not described in scripture as being sex-specific.

[Sullyute]

Should Latter-day Saints recognize that a prophetess presides over the Relief Society?

Heck, I would love it if 15 elderly gentlemen across the aisle would recognize it.

[Goatnapper'96]

Should Latter-day Saints recognize that a prophetess presides over the Relief Society?

Why? Would it just make the women feel better? Seems to me that unless the mormon church is willing to give the womenfolk the priesthood efforts to make them "feel better" is about as useful as pissing into the wind.

Is it so the masses will know that womenfolk can be prophetesses? Is prophetesses even a word?

[Sleeping in EQ]

Why? Would it just make the women feel better? Seems to me that unless the mormon church is willing to give the womenfolk the priesthood efforts to make them "feel better" is about as useful as pissing into the wind.

Is it so the masses will know that womenfolk can be prophetesses? Is prophetesses even a word?

For me, it would not be about making anyone "feel better."

Prophetesses is a word. You used it, didn't you?

[creekster]

For me, it would not be about making anyone "feel better."

Prophetesses is a word. You used it, didn't you?

Then what would it be about?

[NorthwestUteFan]

Quite a conundrum. I recall somebody getting into trouble for stating that the Initiatory process in the temple is a priesthood ordinance, therefore the women who perform Initiatories ALREADY hold the priesthood. (I assume women do the Initiatories for women, I never really looked into it...)

This is part of the problem with claiming ONLY the Prophet can receive revelation for running the church, but turning around and stating everybody is allowed to receive revelation for the organizations under their purview. The Relief Society General Board, therefore, should be able to receive revelation for the RS organization?

[DapperDan]

Quite a conundrum. I recall somebody getting into trouble for stating that the Initiatory process in the temple is a priesthood ordinance, therefore the women who perform Initiatories ALREADY hold the priesthood. (I assume women do the Initiatories for women, I never really looked into it...)

If memory serves it's not so much that someone got in trouble for stating that, it's that that is what was stated for years by the likes of JS, BY and others.

[NorthwestUteFan]

I thought it was the excommunicated anti-mormon lady who stood up and shouted at the president (Benson?) during Gen Conference about the church 'oppressing women'. I remember that one on live TV.

[Rosebud]

Why? Would it just make the women feel better? Seems to me that unless the mormon church is willing to give the womenfolk the priesthood efforts to make them "feel better" is about as useful as pissing into the wind.

Is it so the masses will know that womenfolk can be prophetesses? Is prophetesses even a word?

Hmmm.... here's a quick brainstorm of a few things that a new title might help make happen:

1) It might send the message that women can preside over their own organizations.
2) It would remind people that prophetesses exist.
3) It would help people realize that female spirituality can encompasses presiding as well as nurturing.
4) It might psychologically empower female leaders to work towards ending the trend of men defining women over the pulpit. I think it would be great if presiding women would take on the task of working to define feminine spirituality. A female leader who understood that she was a prophetess might feel more free to seek personal spiritual guidance and might have more confidence in promoting an agenda that differs from what is being prescribed by male authorities. It's just that dependence on you all for knowledge about ourselves is pretty circuitous (especially considering that you don't tend to understand us all that well much of the time).


In regards to number four, can you guys imagine how weird/creeped out you might feel if you were constantly being hammered with talks by female authorities reminding you of your masculine roles in god's kingdom?

I think, though, that we'll get the priesthood via personal ordination (rather than through a sealing to a man) around the same time we're allowed to openly consider the existence of female prophetesses and worship Heavenly Mother.

[SoCalCoug]

Mothers who know receive prophecy.

[NorthwestUteFan]

So how long until we get a thread posted on CUF by some poor soul who had to go confess to his female ecclesiastical leader his addiction to (enjoyment of?) punography?

Besides, anybody who know ANYTHING about the church recognizes the RS, Primary, and to a lesser extent the YW programs are about the only things keeping our collective heads above water.

[Rosebud]

So how long until we get a thread posted on CUF by some poor soul who had to go confess to his female ecclesiastical leader his addiction to (enjoyment of?) punography?

A couple weeks ago I spent about 4 hours listening to a good friend talk about her traumatic divorce. She brought up the difficulties she ran into when the bishop more naturally sided with her husband's positions because, in her opinion, they were more familiar to him. I think it would be ideal, personally, if the ward were to have both a presiding mother and a presiding father. That way no 'poor soul' would feel unrepresented (like my friend) or obligated to confess sexual sin to someone of the opposite gender.

[falafel]

So how long until we get a thread posted on CUF by some poor soul who had to go confess to his female ecclesiastical leader his addiction to (enjoyment of?) punography?

Besides, anybody who know ANYTHING about the church recognizes the RS, Primary, and to a lesser extent the YW programs are about the only things keeping our collective heads above water.

What about a female that has to confess sexual sins to a male ecclesiastical leader?

On a side note, I realized this last week that the men in my ward are discussed by ward leadership (i.e. bishopric) 2x as much as women are. We have Ward Council 2 times a month. The rest of the weeks, we have PEC. The two meetings are practically identical, except that Ward Council includes the RS, YW, and Primary organizations while PEC does not. Each meeting is held the same way, we go around to each axillary and ask them about members that are struggling, etc. So, following that model, the inactives in EQ are discussed every single week, while the inactives in RS are discussed only 2 times a month. Seems like we could cut out all of the PEC meetings and just meet 2 times a month.