Misunderstandings can arise when people equate priesthood ordination with the priesthood power and authority of God.
Yet “the priesthood” is the literal power of God, and is much more multifaceted than we realize.
Wendy Bird-Reese shares four priesthood truths that will help you understand that “the heavens are just as open to women who are endowed with God’s power…as they are to men who bear the same priesthood”. As she shares the difference between “patriarchy” and “hierarchy” and “ordination vs authority and power”, you’ll see how she came to know Heavenly Father grants the priesthood to His sons AND daughters as they strive to fulfill their missions on the earth.
The following is an excerpt taken from her latest full-length talk, “Divine: Understanding Priesthood Power, Authority, & Godhood for Women“. We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.
Misunderstandings can arise when people equate priesthood ordination with the priesthood power and authority of God.
Yet “the priesthood” is the literal power of God, and is much more multifaceted than we realize.
Wendy Bird-Reese shares four priesthood truths that will help you understand that “the heavens are just as open to women who are endowed with God’s power…as they are to men who bear the same priesthood”. As she shares the difference between “patriarchy” and “hierarchy” and “ordination vs authority and power”, you’ll see how she came to know Heavenly Father grants the priesthood to His sons AND daughters as they strive to fulfill their missions on the earth.
The following is an excerpt taken from her latest full-length talk, “Divine: Understanding Priesthood Power, Authority, & Godhood for Women“. We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.
Wendy Bird-Reese
Last year I spoke at an FSY (For the Strength of Youth) Event. After I gave a presentation, about a half dozen beautiful girls came up to me afterwards and said what about men and the priesthood? Some had tears in their eyes and you could tell that they were really feeling a lot of deep emotion, feeling a little less valued simply because they are female. Because I only had ten minutes between when that presentation that ended and the next presentation, there wasn’t enough time to teach them much about women in the priesthood. But it did start me on a journey.
After speaking with these girls, the Spirit touched my heart and said, “You need to learn more about this, and you need to teach this better.” In doing so, I was led to discover some things that I could share. Former President Jean H. Bingham once said, “The power of God is much more than just a single entity known as the priesthood. It is the literal power of God, and as such, it is multifaceted.“
That about sums it up.
There is much more to the priesthood than we even know. However, I would like to share with you four truths that I’ve learned about the priesthood that might help these young women learn more about the priesthood and help them to see the topic with a different perspective.
In preparation for this talk, I wanted to take the pulse of some people and find out more about what people understood about priesthood. So I gave them a test. (We called it a survey, but really it was a test.) And on this test, I asked what their understanding was of the priesthood. It was given to about 400 people, mostly members of the church, evenly split between men and women, and teens and old people. Their answers were enlightening, to say the least. It highlighted a lot of areas where we can do better. in teaching and understanding the principles of the priesthood.
However, I would like to share with you four truths that I’ve learned about the priesthood that might help these young women learn more about the priesthood and help them to see the topic with a different perspective.
Wendy Bird-Reese
Last year I spoke at an FSY (For the Strength of Youth) Event. After I gave a presentation, about a half dozen beautiful girls came up to me afterwards and said what about men and the priesthood? Some had tears in their eyes and you could tell that they were really feeling a lot of deep emotion, feeling a little less valued simply because they are female. Because I only had ten minutes between when that presentation that ended and the next presentation, there wasn’t enough time to teach them much about women in the priesthood. But it did start me on a journey.
After speaking with these girls, the Spirit touched my heart and said, “You need to learn more about this, and you need to teach this better.” In doing so, I was led to discover some things that I could share. Former President Jean H. Bingham once said, “The power of God is much more than just a single entity known as the priesthood. It is the literal power of God, and as such, it is multifaceted.“
That about sums it up.
There is much more to the priesthood than we even know. However, I would like to share with you four truths that I’ve learned about the priesthood that might help these young women learn more about the priesthood and help them to see the topic with a different perspective.
In preparation for this talk, I wanted to take the pulse of some people and find out more about what people understood about priesthood. So I gave them a test. (We called it a survey, but really it was a test.) And on this test, I asked what their understanding was of the priesthood. It was given to about 400 people, mostly members of the church, evenly split between men and women, and teens and old people. Their answers were enlightening, to say the least. It highlighted a lot of areas where we can do better. in teaching and understanding the principles of the priesthood.
However, I would like to share with you four truths that I’ve learned about the priesthood that might help these young women learn more about the priesthood and help them to see the topic with a different perspective.
Priesthood Truth #1
There are two different priesthood governing frameworks. One is eternal, one is temporary. I’m not talking about two different priesthood offices (like the Melchizedek and the Aaronic Priesthood). I’m talking about two different governmental frameworks. One is called the “patriarchal” or the familial priesthood, and the other one is called the “hierarchal”, sometimes called administrative or ecclesiastical priesthood.
In a 2005 General Conference talk, President Dallin H. Oaks once said, “A most important difference in the functioning of priesthood authority in the family and in the Church results from the fact that the government of the family is patriarchal, whereas the government of the Church is hierarchical. The concept of partnership functions differently in the family than in the Church.“
One is eternal. One is temporary.
I live in Provo and I work in Orem. I’ve been watching the Orem Utah temple go up and, for many months, there were scaffolding structures all over the temple. The scaffolding is a steel structure on the outside of a building. It often contains plywood, allowing workers to stand on the structure and reach different places as they build. The purpose of the scaffolding is to make it a safe, secure way for a structure to be built. However, something that’s really important about scaffolding is that once the building is built, the scaffolding goes away. It’s temporary.
What does scaffolding have to do with the two different types of priesthood?
Just as scaffolding is eventually taken down and put away to reveal the final completed building, so, too, will the mortal administrative functions of the church eventually fade as the eternal family comes fully into view.
Elder L. Tom Perry once said, “The church is the scaffolding for individuals and families as they engage in the most important building projects of their lives. I look to the church, the scaffold, with which I build an eternal family.“
Have you ever thought of it that way? That the priesthood is the scaffolding that helps us to build the eternal family.
In his 2015 Women’s Conference talk, Elder M. Russell Ballard stated, “Although the Church plays a pivotal role in proclaiming, announcing, and administering the necessary ordinances of salvation and exaltation, all of that, as important as it is, is really just the scaffolding being used in an infinite and eternal construction project to build, support, and strengthen the family. And just as scaffolding is eventually taken down and put away to reveal the final completed building, so too will the mortal, administrative functions of the Church eventually fade as the eternal family comes fully into view.“
That was a life changing message for me. I hope that you are capturing the vision of what that means. We are a family-centered, church-supported structure, and so is the priesthood structure as well. Eventually this scaffolding will reveal the eternal destiny of our families.
Priesthood Truth #1
There are two different priesthood governing frameworks. One is eternal, one is temporary. I’m not talking about two different priesthood offices (like the Melchizedek and the Aaronic Priesthood). I’m talking about two different governmental frameworks. One is called the “patriarchal” or the familial priesthood, and the other one is called the “hierarchal”, sometimes called administrative or ecclesiastical priesthood.
In a 2005 General Conference talk, President Dallin H. Oaks once said, “A most important difference in the functioning of priesthood authority in the family and in the Church results from the fact that the government of the family is patriarchal, whereas the government of the Church is hierarchical. The concept of partnership functions differently in the family than in the Church.“
One is eternal. One is temporary.
I live in Provo and I work in Orem. I’ve been watching the Orem Utah temple go up and, for many months, there were scaffolding structures all over the temple. The scaffolding is a steel structure on the outside of a building. It often contains plywood, allowing workers to stand on the structure and reach different places as they build. The purpose of the scaffolding is to make it a safe, secure way for a structure to be built. However, something that’s really important about scaffolding is that once the building is built, the scaffolding goes away. It’s temporary.
What does scaffolding have to do with the two different types of priesthood?
Just as scaffolding is eventually taken down and put away to reveal the final completed building, so, too, will the mortal administrative functions of the church eventually fade as the eternal family comes fully into view.
Elder L. Tom Perry once said, “The church is the scaffolding for individuals and families as they engage in the most important building projects of their lives. I look to the church, the scaffold, with which I build an eternal family.“
Have you ever thought of it that way? That the priesthood is the scaffolding that helps us to build the eternal family.
In his 2015 Women’s Conference talk, Elder M. Russell Ballard stated, “Although the Church plays a pivotal role in proclaiming, announcing, and administering the necessary ordinances of salvation and exaltation, all of that, as important as it is, is really just the scaffolding being used in an infinite and eternal construction project to build, support, and strengthen the family. And just as scaffolding is eventually taken down and put away to reveal the final completed building, so too will the mortal, administrative functions of the Church eventually fade as the eternal family comes fully into view.“
That was a life changing message for me. I hope that you are capturing the vision of what that means. We are a family-centered, church-supported structure, and so is the priesthood structure as well. Eventually this scaffolding will reveal the eternal destiny of our families.
Priesthood Truth #2
Men are not the priesthood. Have you ever heard someone say, “We would like to thank the priesthood for passing the sacrament.” or “The priesthood will set up chairs for our activity.” These phrases are wrong. Here the word priesthood is being equated with males, right? Well, men are not the priesthood. The priesthood is God’s power. Traditionally and culturally we’ve had that in our minds and so now we get to correct that. Men are not the priesthood. Priesthood is not a gender. It’s a power.
Let’s read “Priesthood Principles” in the Church Handbook. This was really eye opening for me. It says, “The priesthood is the authority and power of God. Through the priesthood, Heavenly Father accomplishes His work “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).” Here is the powerful part, “God grants authority and power to His sons and daughters on earth to help carry out this work.“
Wait, what? Did I just read that correctly? God grants authority and power to his sons and daughters?
Yes. Maybe we need to pull this church handbook out more often. It also says, “God’s priesthood power flows to all members of the Church—female and male—as they keep the covenants they have made with Him. Members make these covenants as they receive priesthood ordinances.“
Ooh, this is getting good.
Priesthood Truth #2
Men are not the priesthood. Have you ever heard someone say, “We would like to thank the priesthood for passing the sacrament.” or “The priesthood will set up chairs for our activity.” These phrases are wrong. Here the word priesthood is being equated with males, right? Well, men are not the priesthood. The priesthood is God’s power. Traditionally and culturally we’ve had that in our minds and so now we get to correct that. Men are not the priesthood. Priesthood is not a gender. It’s a power.
Let’s read “Priesthood Principles” in the Church Handbook. This was really eye opening for me. It says, “The priesthood is the authority and power of God. Through the priesthood, Heavenly Father accomplishes His work “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).” Here is the powerful part, “God grants authority and power to His sons and daughters on earth to help carry out this work.“
Wait, what? Did I just read that correctly? God grants authority and power to his sons and daughters?
Yes. Maybe we need to pull this church handbook out more often. It also says, “God’s priesthood power flows to all members of the Church—female and male—as they keep the covenants they have made with Him. Members make these covenants as they receive priesthood ordinances.“
Ooh, this is getting good.
Priesthood Truth #3
Men and women are both endowed with the same priesthood power when they make sacred covenants with God. Elder Ballard said this, “When men and women go to the temple, they are both endowed with the same power, which by definition is priesthood power. The endowment is literally a gift of power. All who enter the house of the Lord officiate in the ordinances of the priesthood.”
When I went through the temple, I realized I was getting an endowment and that it was a gift, but it was never explained to me, “Wendy, when you go to the temple, you’re going to receive an endowment of priesthood power; a gift of priesthood power.” I never understood that. But it’s very clear when you look into it.
President Julie B. Beck said, “The priesthood is God’s power. It is His power to create, to bless, to lead, to serve as He does…Don’t confuse the power with the keys and the offices of the priesthood. God’s power is limitless and it is shared with those who make and keep covenants.“
Priesthood Truth #3
Men and women are both endowed with the same priesthood power when they make sacred covenants with God. Elder Ballard said this, “When men and women go to the temple, they are both endowed with the same power, which by definition is priesthood power. The endowment is literally a gift of power. All who enter the house of the Lord officiate in the ordinances of the priesthood.”
When I went through the temple, I realized I was getting an endowment and that it was a gift, but it was never explained to me, “Wendy, when you go to the temple, you’re going to receive an endowment of priesthood power; a gift of priesthood power.” I never understood that. But it’s very clear when you look into it.
President Julie B. Beck said, “The priesthood is God’s power. It is His power to create, to bless, to lead, to serve as He does…Don’t confuse the power with the keys and the offices of the priesthood. God’s power is limitless and it is shared with those who make and keep covenants.“
I want to pause here for just a minute because I want to acknowledge the real pain that a lot of our sisters are experiencing because of the hierarchical structure of our church. I acknowledge that pain and that difficulty is to turn a blind eye and to close the door to a revelation that can help us as we try and work together, especially as we look for ways to help women feel more valued and their voices heard. We can make some appropriate cultural and traditional changes. In a real way, we see some of those changes already happening. I love those changes that are happening and I anticipate that we’ll see even more. Still there are lots of ways to help women feel more valued, if we’re looking for them.
I want to pause here for just a minute because I want to acknowledge the real pain that a lot of our sisters are experiencing because of the hierarchical structure of our church. I acknowledge that pain and that difficulty is to turn a blind eye and to close the door to a revelation that can help us as we try and work together, especially as we look for ways to help women feel more valued and their voices heard. We can make some appropriate cultural and traditional changes. In a real way, we see some of those changes already happening. I love those changes that are happening and I anticipate that we’ll see even more. Still there are lots of ways to help women feel more valued, if we’re looking for them.
Let’s go back and remember what Elder Ballard said, “women and men who go to the temple are both endowed with the same [priesthood] power“.
I’d like to share with you about how I felt priesthood power in my life as a sister. I teach at a very small school, and one time I had a student come up to me, and she was in an emotional crisis. That’s the best way to describe it. She was a mess. And all I could think of was that she needed a priesthood blessing and she needed it right then. And my heart sank because I was the only person in the building, the only teacher in the building, and I knew that I could not give her a priesthood blessing but there wasn’t anyone else around. And I thought, “She really needs a blessing, what do I do?” And the thought that came to me was, “You cannot lay your hands on her head and give her a priesthood blessing as one ordained to a priesthood office, but you can bless her.” The thought came to me to take her into my office where we knelt down on the floor and I prayed. And the words came to my mind that I needed to say. I started to tell her what I felt the Spirit witnessed to me that Heaven wanted her to hear and it was powerful. And it surprised me. I wasn’t expecting it. But I knew in that moment that I was using priesthood power to bless this young woman. It was an experience that I’ll never forget.
Since that time, I’ve had many experiences like that where I felt revelation and priesthood power that heaven has shared with me so that I could bless and comfort God’s children.
I testify of President Russell M. Nelson words as he says, “The heavens are just as open to women who are endowed with God’s power flowing from their priesthood covenants as they are to men who bear the priesthood.” I have felt that. I know that is true.
Women have priesthood authority. President Dallin H. Oaks said, “While we are not accustomed to speaking of women having the authority of the priesthood in their callings, what other authority can it be? Whoever functions in an office or calling received from one who holds priesthood keys exercises priesthood authority in her or his assigned duties.“
We can do better in understanding and teaching this principle. Remember, “just as scaffolding is eventually taken down and put away to reveal the final completed building, so, too, will the mortal administrative function of the church eventually fade as the eternal family comes fully into view.“
Let’s go back and remember what Elder Ballard said, “women and men who go to the temple are both endowed with the same [priesthood] power“.
I’d like to share with you about how I felt priesthood power in my life as a sister. I teach at a very small school, and one time I had a student come up to me, and she was in an emotional crisis. That’s the best way to describe it. She was a mess. And all I could think of was that she needed a priesthood blessing and she needed it right then. And my heart sank because I was the only person in the building, the only teacher in the building, and I knew that I could not give her a priesthood blessing but there wasn’t anyone else around. And I thought, “She really needs a blessing, what do I do?” And the thought that came to me was, “You cannot lay your hands on her head and give her a priesthood blessing as one ordained to a priesthood office, but you can bless her.” The thought came to me to take her into my office where we knelt down on the floor and I prayed. And the words came to my mind that I needed to say. I started to tell her what I felt the Spirit witnessed to me that Heaven wanted her to hear and it was powerful. And it surprised me. I wasn’t expecting it. But I knew in that moment that I was using priesthood power to bless this young woman. It was an experience that I’ll never forget.
Since that time, I’ve had many experiences like that where I felt revelation and priesthood power that heaven has shared with me so that I could bless and comfort God’s children.
I testify of President Russell M. Nelson words as he says, “The heavens are just as open to women who are endowed with God’s power flowing from their priesthood covenants as they are to men who bear the priesthood.” I have felt that. I know that is true.
Women have priesthood authority. President Dallin H. Oaks said, “While we are not accustomed to speaking of women having the authority of the priesthood in their callings, what other authority can it be? Whoever functions in an office or calling received from one who holds priesthood keys exercises priesthood authority in her or his assigned duties.“
We can do better in understanding and teaching this principle. Remember, “just as scaffolding is eventually taken down and put away to reveal the final completed building, so, too, will the mortal administrative function of the church eventually fade as the eternal family comes fully into view.“
Priesthood Truth #4
“God” is an office in the priesthood and is a partnership between a man and a woman. How do I know this? Open your Gospel Library App. Search “God and Godhead” in Guide to the Scriptures. This tells us that the title of God is used to describe God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost. So therefore, God is a title, or an office in the priesthood, not a person’s name. Think of how we use the title bishop. He’s a person, right? But we refer to the bishop as his title. Same thing with God. We’re talking about a person, but it’s not his name. It’s actually a title.
In the Family Proclamation, it says, “all human beings, male and female, are created in the image of God.” So if God is a title and a partnership, that means there’s a male and female component to it. Where do we get that?
Genesis 1:26-27. “And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness…So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.“
Bruce R. McConkie once said, “In the true Patriarchal Order, man cannot attain a fulness of joy here, or of eternal reward hereafter alone…Godhood is not for men only. It is for men and women together.” It’s a partnership: Mr. God cannot be a god without Mrs. God. Men and women cannot be exalted without each other.
In the survey I took, many of the comments I received were that men have the priesthood and women have the babies. Elder Ballard teaches us a better way of seeing that. He says, “In the eternal perspective, both the procreative power and the priesthood power are shared by husband and wife.”
Do women have a part in procreation? Yes, and so do men.
Do women have a part in the priesthood? Yes, along with men.
We both work together in procreation and in priesthood power, but we do it differently. The counterpart to motherhood is fatherhood. It is fatherhood, not priesthood. We are part of a divine plan designed by Heavenly Parents.
Want a fun challenge?
- Explore Doctrine and Covenants 132 and look for the plural nouns.
- Go read the Mother in Heaven Gospel Topics Essay. It says, there is a godly potential of men and women.
Priesthood Truth #4
“God” is an office in the priesthood and is a partnership between a man and a woman. How do I know this? Open your Gospel Library App. Search “God and Godhead” in Guide to the Scriptures. This tells us that the title of God is used to describe God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost. So therefore, God is a title, or an office in the priesthood, not a person’s name. Think of how we use the title bishop. He’s a person, right? But we refer to the bishop as his title. Same thing with God. We’re talking about a person, but it’s not his name. It’s actually a title.
In the Family Proclamation, it says, “all human beings, male and female, are created in the image of God.” So if God is a title and a partnership, that means there’s a male and female component to it. Where do we get that?
Genesis 1:26-27. “And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness…So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.“
Bruce R. McConkie once said, “In the true Patriarchal Order, man cannot attain a fulness of joy here, or of eternal reward hereafter alone…Godhood is not for men only. It is for men and women together.” It’s a partnership: Mr. God cannot be a god without Mrs. God. Men and women cannot be exalted without each other.
In the survey I took, many of the comments I received were that men have the priesthood and women have the babies. Elder Ballard teaches us a better way of seeing that. He says, “In the eternal perspective, both the procreative power and the priesthood power are shared by husband and wife.”
Do women have a part in procreation? Yes, and so do men.
Do women have a part in the priesthood? Yes, along with men.
We both work together in procreation and in priesthood power, but we do it differently. The counterpart to motherhood is fatherhood. It is fatherhood, not priesthood. We are part of a divine plan designed by Heavenly Parents.
Want a fun challenge?
- Explore Doctrine and Covenants 132 and look for the plural nouns.
- Go read the Mother in Heaven Gospel Topics Essay. It says, there is a godly potential of men and women.
Heavenly Mother
Our Young Woman theme states “I am a beloved daughter of heavenly parents, with a divine nature and eternal destiny.” Where else do we see that we have heavenly parents? The Family Proclamation teaches that “each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents with a divine nature and destiny.” Because we know we have heavenly parents, we know have both a Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother. Still there’s a lot we don’t know about Heavenly Mother. We want to fill in the blanks because we so desperately want to know more about her. This leads to a lot of speculation and, unfortunately, some of this speculation is just wrong.
I hear a lot in the classroom of kids saying we don’t know a lot about her because she’s too sacred to talk about. That is a false notion. No where does it say that she should be held in this sacred silence.
I believe that we understand our Heavenly Parents as we study the life of Jesus Christ. How does Jesus teach us about Heavenly Father? We actually don’t know a whole lot about Heavenly Father; there are very few times when we are actually told specifics. And yet, Jesus teaches us concepts of Heavenly Father as he says, “If you know me, you know my Father.”
That being said, could it also be true that in knowing Jesus more, we learn more about our Heavenly Mother? After all, He is the product of two parents. Look at how Jesus treats women. It’s fascinating and it’s beautiful.
So what do we absolutely know about Heavenly Mother? Here are three truths.
- She’s the divine prototype for all women.
- As we study about her, we see the eternal role in the priesthood for all women.
- She worked in partnership with our Father to design the great plan of salvation.
(I can just imagine seeing your faces right now.)
The title God can also refer a woman. How do I know this? There’s this really cool article, “A Mother There: A Survey of Historical Teachings about Mother in Heaven.” These are the terms that were used by some of our past leaders in describing our Heavenly Mother:
- Eternal Mother
- God their Eternal Mother
- Mother God
- Mother
- God the Mother
Our Heavenly Father sent his Son, but Heavenly Mother also sent her Son. That’s powerful to me. What I have learned about Mother in Heaven and about her role in the salvation of mankind leads me to also trust that she would never do anything that wasn’t in the best interest of her daughters and sons. Sometimes it’s frustrating to feel unseen, unheard or undervalued as a woman, but because I know that my Heavenly Mother was involved in the plan of salvation, I know that it is the best plan for me.
When the angel asked Nephi, “Knowest thou the condescension of God?” Nephi answered honestly. “I know that he loveth his children, nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.” Is it possible since we just learned that God is a partnership between male and female, and that we do have a Heavenly Mother, that we could also say, “I know that they loveth their children, nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things, but I’m willing to trust.“
Heavenly Mother
Our Young Woman theme states “I am a beloved daughter of heavenly parents, with a divine nature and eternal destiny.” Where else do we see that we have heavenly parents? The Family Proclamation teaches that “each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents with a divine nature and destiny.” Because we know we have heavenly parents, we know have both a Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother. Still there’s a lot we don’t know about Heavenly Mother. We want to fill in the blanks because we so desperately want to know more about her. This leads to a lot of speculation and, unfortunately, some of this speculation is just wrong.
I hear a lot in the classroom of kids saying we don’t know a lot about her because she’s too sacred to talk about. That is a false notion. No where does it say that she should be held in this sacred silence.
I believe that we understand our Heavenly Parents as we study the life of Jesus Christ. How does Jesus teach us about Heavenly Father? We actually don’t know a whole lot about Heavenly Father; there are very few times when we are actually told specifics. And yet, Jesus teaches us concepts of Heavenly Father as he says, “If you know me, you know my Father.”
That being said, could it also be true that in knowing Jesus more, we learn more about our Heavenly Mother? After all, He is the product of two parents. Look at how Jesus treats women. It’s fascinating and it’s beautiful.
So what do we absolutely know about Heavenly Mother? Here are three truths.
- She’s the divine prototype for all women.
- As we study about her, we see the eternal role in the priesthood for all women.
- She worked in partnership with our Father to design the great plan of salvation.
(I can just imagine seeing your faces right now.)
The title God can also refer a woman. How do I know this? There’s this really cool article, “A Mother There: A Survey of Historical Teachings about Mother in Heaven.” These are the terms that were used by some of our past leaders in describing our Heavenly Mother:
- Eternal Mother
- God their Eternal Mother
- Mother God
- Mother
- God the Mother
Our Heavenly Father sent his Son, but Heavenly Mother also sent her Son. That’s powerful to me. What I have learned about Mother in Heaven and about her role in the salvation of mankind leads me to also trust that she would never do anything that wasn’t in the best interest of her daughters and sons. Sometimes it’s frustrating to feel unseen, unheard or undervalued as a woman, but because I know that my Heavenly Mother was involved in the plan of salvation, I know that it is the best plan for me.
When the angel asked Nephi, “Knowest thou the condescension of God?” Nephi answered honestly. “I know that he loveth his children, nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.” Is it possible since we just learned that God is a partnership between male and female, and that we do have a Heavenly Mother, that we could also say, “I know that they loveth their children, nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things, but I’m willing to trust.“
My Testimony
Ironically, when I was asked the questions about women and the priesthood, the theme for FSY was Trust in the Lord.
Can I trust? Can I trust in the Lord with all of my heart, leaning not into my own understanding, but acknowledging Him, and believing that I have a part in the priesthood power and authority that He has given to mankind on earth? Absolutely, with all of my heart. Someday all the scaffolding will come down. Someday we’ll have a better picture of the purpose of why we were here on Earth and we’ll see things so much more clearly. I testify, until that day comes, we can trust in the Lord. We can trust that He loves His daughters and His sons equally and that we all have a part in priesthood power and authority in helping the children of God attain their highest potential. I testify of that.
My Testimony
Ironically, when I was asked the questions about women and the priesthood, the theme for FSY was Trust in the Lord.
Can I trust? Can I trust in the Lord with all of my heart, leaning not into my own understanding, but acknowledging Him, and believing that I have a part in the priesthood power and authority that He has given to mankind on earth? Absolutely, with all of my heart. Someday all the scaffolding will come down. Someday we’ll have a better picture of the purpose of why we were here on Earth and we’ll see things so much more clearly. I testify, until that day comes, we can trust in the Lord. We can trust that He loves His daughters and His sons equally and that we all have a part in priesthood power and authority in helping the children of God attain their highest potential. I testify of that.
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©2023 copyrighted under Our Turtle House and Jumping Turtle, LLC
To watch or listen to this (and dozens of other full-length talks from your favorite speakers), log in on the Our Turtle House App. Don’t have the Our Turtle House App? No Problem! Get your free 7-day trial here.
©2023 copyrighted under Our Turtle House and Jumping Turtle, LLC
This was brilliant! It answered to many questions I had…plus several I didn’t even know I had! Thank you so much for this article!!!
You are very, very welcome. 🙂
Love this!
Wasn’t it fantastic!?! We’d love to hear which parts stood out to you the most.
A friend sent me this article. today. She did not know that I had wondered about this. I have always said that I don’t think most men who hold the priesthood realize what authority they have been blessed with. The priesthood gives them the authority to call down the powers of Heaven & often perform miracles. I know this is true. I had been living with an incurable illness ” Multiple Sclerosis for years.
The left hand side of my body always had pins & needles. Sometimes I could not talk, sometimes I needed to be fed , or turned over in bed. sometimes I could not move more than 1 finger. Sometimes I could function & led a fairly active life. MS has stacks & remissions. Whenever I was going to have a bad attack the pins & needles would intensify. This was my warning to go to bed and be ready for whatever would come next.
One day I had my warning that I was in for a serious attack. A friend Cy Talabock called and asked if I wanted a priesthood blessing. I said no. My home teacher Robert Ahlborn called & asked me if I wanted a blessing, again I said no.
Robert asked why? I told him I had read the book Faith Precedes the Miracle & learned sometimes we pray for things so hard that Father grants it, even if it is not best for us. I wanted Fathers will to be done.
Robert said “don’t you know that when you receive a priesthood blessing the will of Father is done. I answered , no I didn’t know that . In that case, I would love a blessing as I find it hard to be dependent on others for everything.
In those days we went to church twice a day on Sundays. When it was time for the evening session we went. After Sacrament , my husband and my two kids went into a room on side of the office. Frank had to help me walk in & my voice was difficult to understand as I sounded handicapped. It was just my son, my daughter, Frank & myself. We did not pray that I would be cured, but that the will of Heavenly Father be done.
Cy & Robert joined us. Cy anointed me & Robert blessed me.First he admonished me to do certain things, then he told me I was close to Heavenly Father before I came & there would be joy in heaven when I returned but I would not leave this earth till my mission was complete.He then said “by the powers of Heaven I command this illness within you to leave.I don’t know what he said after that as all I could think was he said the wrong thing. He was supposed to say the will of Heavenly Father be done.
I turned to him and said Robert you said the wrong thing, You were supposed to say will of Heavenly Father be done. Robert answered with tears in his eyes that was the will of Heavenly Father.
I was almost 34 then,The pins and needles disappeared I was able to resume life with no restrictions.. I made 80 last month. The doctors had said I would not live to be 50 & would probably spend most of my life in a wheel chair. On a 1-10 scale my MS was a 10+. From that day to this I have been fully functional. If I had not lived through it I would be searching for a reasonable explanation. I know what the power of the priesthood is.
I was new in the church then.Our family had been baptized just over a year. There are many things I believe and some I know. I know the priesthood power is real. I know miracles happen today, I know God knows what is best for me far more than I do. I know that because Frank & I were sealed in the Temple that even though he died 6 years ago we will be together again , if I live up to my covenants.. We retook our vows, this time for time & all eternity , not just till death do we part.
I did not know women shared in the priesthood.
I have been pondering the priesthood & eternal progression.
This article enlightened my mind.I wondered why we never heard much about Heavenly Mother .I pushed it out of my mind & said Trust in God, & when it is time you will know. I wished I could take my knowledge of the Power of the priesthood & help priesthood holders to know what authority they had. I have often thought so many of these men have no idea of the power they have.
I hope you will help us further explore this subject. I am anxious to know how we sisters can use this privilege to help others.
Thank you.
Barbara
We are so blessed to read your comment. Thank you for your kind words. We highly recommend that you listen to the full talk to hear all the other incredible things Wendy Bird-Reese shared with us! Let us know if you need the link!
I love this article! Very insightful, informative, and thought provoking. I have been studying this question of late, “What is power in the priesthood?” The more I study, the more I realize that we are approaching the topic of the power of the priesthood all wrong…not quite grasping or understanding what that power is or how it works. After reading this article I am beginning to understand more and more what the power of the priesthood is and how it looks.
Nephi in his vision: And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.
This verse has been on my mind constantly since President Nelson said we would have front row seats to witness what Nephi saw only in vision. After reading this article and multiple others I realize Nephi saw the people were armed with the priesthood power and were using it to protect themselves, their families, and others who grow tired of this exhausting world.
Thank you for this article! It’s incredibly well done and has given me further insight to the scriptures and what the power of God looks like!