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Is anyone else familiar with this progressive Mormon women’s organization? Here is the url http://www.whatwomenknow.orghttp://www.whatwomenknow.org” class=”bbcode_url”> If you go to the bottom of the page and click on the link All Are Alike Unto God, it talks about how women should be able to do comfort blessings by using the Priesthood like they did back in early church history. Did anyone know of this stuff? A buddy of mine posted it on FB. It was rather interesting. I agree with a lot of it.
I know about the group and the historical issue. Frankly, I don’t like the name they chose, since it was a direct slap at Pres. Beck and her GC talk that, in my opinion, was misinterpreted badly by many people. I have no problem with women laying on hands (or holding someone) to give blessings of comfort – but, right now, I won’t advocate for mentioning the Priesthood when they do it. It can be done as a prayer of faith just as easily without any controversy for most people, and I just don’t believe in picking unnecessary fights.
I personally have a tough time with the idea of a “reformist Mormon” who believes that the Church needs to make major changes. The reformist position for a TBM seems contradictory to me. And if the priesthood were to be extended to women, would such a priesthood power be real? I spent some time being something of a reformist, but I’ve since realized that the Church is what it is and has its own reasons for making the decisions that it makes, and people probably are best served by approaching the individual doctrines of the Church on a take-it-or-leave-it basis (or by making accommodations for their own viewpoint.). Reformists are likely to meet only with frustration, and if they want to stay in the Church, it’s probably best for them to find ways to make the Church work for them instead of working to try to get the Church to make major changes. Yup. Knew all that. Women in Mormonism up until around the early 1900’s used to give “priesthood” blessings for healing the sick, and there were also blessings or quasi-ordinances midwives would perform for women in childbirth. Those are a couple of examples. And of course there’s the temple, where I personally think it’s clear women have priesthood power and authority. Women are anointed to become queens and priestessesthere. They perform the Initiatory for women, pronouncing blessings as part of that, and they co-officiate in the Endowment ceremony. The Relief Society used to be an independent organization with it’s own governance and budget, NOT an auxiliary to the male priesthood hierarchy.
How our church deals with this going forward? *shrug* I don’t know. The history is coming back into the Mormon cultural consciousness more. I think status of women in the church in some shape or another is GREATLY affecting activity rates among the “young women” and young adult age brackets in the LDS church. I’ve heard we are losing 80% of that age group to inactivity. They lost 100% of my daughters and wife, unfortunately.
There are different schools of thoughts in the world of Mormon feminism (is priesthood ordination a goal or not). We have a general policy for our site not to officially be tied to activist movements either pro or against the church. Individual participants here can do what they want of course. I personally support priesthood for women, but that’s just my personal view.
I was personally suprised and impressed by GBH’s answer to Larry King about what it would take for LDS women to receive the priesthood. Essentially he said, “It would take a revelation from God to the living prophet.” And we do believe in revelations, don’t we? 
I’m really divided on this issue. As a woman, I think that it makes sense for women to have the priesthood. I think I would like it if RS were more of an independent organization.
On the other hand, it works very well in my family for my husband to have the priesthood and I not.
I guess it is like drinking beer, it is something that I wouldn’t mind for people that want it, but it isn’t something that I want for myself.
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