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The Priesthood, imo, is exclusive to two things mentioned in our Article of Faith – administration of ordinances and oversight of preaching the Gospel. Even the first can include women – in the temple, and I personally think it’s hard to make a good argument that endowed women don’t possess Priesthood in a very real way. I don’t think that has to mean they must or should administer ordinances outside the temple, but I certainly think it means there’s no obviously eternal mandate that they don’t. As for healing, there is a LONG tradition of the prayer of faith healing people. I really like the anointing with oil in a formal Priesthood blessing, but I also believe that formal and informal revelatory blessings and blessings of healing and comfort have been conflated in our time in to one – and that is the central issue, imo.
I would institute a eating and exercise program to make us the healthy and fittest ward in the world. This would greatly reduce the need for “healing blessings” since fewer people would actually get sick. I would let everyone know when instructing that God is not going to save you from your problems. It is up to you to make it happen.
If I were Bishop it would mean that women had the priesthood (outside the temple) 😯 There was some mention about women being involved with baby blessings. It is perfectly acceptable for a mother to hold a young child while “Dad” or who ever else gives a blessing so I don’t see why baby blessings should be different. I’ve also heard someone use the words “those of us in the circle with authority” or something like that when a less active father was involved. I have administered a blessing before when my DH was out of town. My brothers were invited into the circle when my Dad was ordained a high priest even thought they were only elders which I don’t think is generally done. I think there’s a lot one can get away with if given the position to do so.
fmof, just as a technical clarification, there is no distinction made with ordinations within the Melchizedek Priesthood. Elders can participate in the ordination of High Priests. Yeah, if you became a Bishop, it would be a massive change without you doing anything.
I would make sure that things were not sprung on people at the last minute. I would ensure that a growing number of talks had an audio-visual element in addition to the speaker. This goes on in colleges, why is the church so far behind?
I would emphasise provident living as much as tithing. I have had an investigator chewing my ear about this recently, I have been trying to cheer her up with explaining that it’s not meant to make you go bankrupt. (I also told her not to pay tithing until after the bills!!!) Why do we just have to look at a speaker? What’s wrong with a slideshow?
I would look at the house group system found in other churches, as an alternative to the standard home teaching and FHE program.
I would rate local knowledge above orders from abroad. (Our local wards, for example, are obviously designed by someone with no idea of the local geography. I’d say my ward’s alright that way, but the two neighboring ones cover rural areas, and don’t take account of the lay of the land, transport routes etc)
I would cultivate friendly, non-aggressive relations, with other local churches and places of worship.
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