- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
I took my son to an end of the school year LDS combined youth activity at a local park. I was sitting down, eating my hot dog when one of the sister missionaries came up to me and said, “Hi, can I ask you a question since your a man and you hold the priesthood?”
“Sure,” I replied.
She asked me how long after baptism can a man receive the priesthood? I responded that there really isn’t any waiting period to receive the Aaronic priesthood and be ordained to the office of a priest. She explained that they have an investigator (that her companions were talking to) and they are wondering if they can baptize him and then how much longer would they need to wait before he could baptize his children. I answered that this would depend on the MP and the Bishop working together to get the ordination and the permission to perform a live ordinance lined up.
The experience was jarring to me because even though I have been to church only a few times in the last six months, I was still identified as an authority figure on the subject because I am demonstrably male by someone who spends all their time living and breathing church teachings.
I think we have culturally and doctrinally created an environment where women defer to men.
Roy wrote:
…The experience was jarring to me because even though I have been to church only a few times in the last six months, I was still identified as an authority figure on the subject because I am demonstrably male by someone who spends all their time living and breathing church teachings.
Roy, I’m not sure that the sister Missionaries identified you as an “authority figure” on this subject as much as someone they identified as
someone who is open & easy to talk to. Assuming that is true, that’s a wonderful quality to have. Keep in up.
What Minyan Man said, plus: I think there is an assumption that men understand “men things” and women understand “women things” – and that men understand priesthood ordination because they have been ordained.
I think that makes your point to a degree (by identifying areas and topics of deferment) – but I think it isn’t as all-encompassing / sweeping as the post makes it sound.
It also might be that your demeanor indicates that you are used to being a leader and answering questions (and finding answers if needed). Or that you were one of the nearest individuals who wasn’t running around doing something, but was available for questioning.
Regarding “deferral” stuff – it depends on the personality of the individual to a specific degree.
My father tended to view the majority of priesthood stuff as “organizational/logistics stuff” and that his role was more of a “divine agent/representative/go-between family (or family member) and God (or the organization)” and less of a “final decision-maker” or “potential oracle”.
Yes, I was certainly nearby. The missionaries were having a conversation with their investigator and I was within line of sight. I agree that this is considered a manly thing and the purview of men.
In my experience, in South America, we were often the experts on church doctrine and processes in our particular areas and I would not have asked a random member a question like that. However, we are not in South America and I was able to answer the question so this missionary was correct in assuming that I would be a good choice to talk to.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.