Sustain Priesthood

When Harold B. Lee was President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles he said this: “We must learn to give heed to the words and commandments that the Lord shall give through his prophet, ‘as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me; ...as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.’ (D&C 21:4-5.) There will be some things that take patience and faith. You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may contradict your political views. It may interfere with some of your social life. But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord himself, with patience and faith, the promise is that ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory.’ (D&C 21:6)” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1970, 152; or Improvement Era, Dec. 1970, 126).

I fully and wholeheartedly sustain our beloved prophet, his counselors, and the twelve apostles. Christ has called a prophet on the earth today to lead and guide His church. He has called the apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators. They are His mouthpiece. If they were not doing His will, they would not be in the positions that they are in. They and they alone have the keys to receive revelation for the Church as a whole. The minute you think you know better than them, you are walking on dangerous ground. I don’t believe that I would receive revelation, even if only for myself, that would contradict their counsel. At this time, they have said that only men shall hold the priesthood. That is good enough for me, and I sustain them completely in that decision. It saddens me to know that there are women who feel they are not equal to men in the gospel. I have never felt this way. Men have their roles. We as women have our roles. Just because those roles are different does not mean they are not equal. Elder John A. Widtsoe explained it this way, “Men have no greater claim than women upon the blessings that issue from the Priesthood and accompany its possession. ... The man holds the Priesthood, performs the priestly duties of the Church, but his wife enjoys with him every other privilege derived from the possession of the Priesthood. This is made clear, as an example, in the Temple service of the Church. The ordinances of the Temple are distinctly of Priesthood character, yet women have access to all of them, and the highest blessings of the Temple are conferred only upon man and his wife jointly” (Priesthood and Church Government [1965], 83).

I love this gospel. I sustain the prophet and the leaders who have been called by God to guide us to do His will. I know that even though I may not understand why certain things are the way they are, through prayer and faith I can at least come to know that it is right and good and the way it needs to be at this time. I’m so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who allows us to question and is willing to answer those questions if we are but willing to listen.

Pam Grant