This weekend marks a momentous occasion; for the first time ever, the Priesthood session will be broadcast live. Previously it has been only broadcast to Stake Centers and talks not made public until later, giving it an air of exclusivity and secrecy. This action is in response to the efforts of feminists to promote female Priesthood ordination in accordance with blessings promised to women in Mormon temples (although the timing for those blessings to be fulfilled is arguably in the hereafter).
What will these changes yield in terms of actual outcomes? Will women ever be ordained? Will Batman and Robin catch The Riddler? Stay Tuned.
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Discuss.
Wheat & Tares 
The session was broadcast before. This is only drawing attention to it and moving beyond on- line distribution and broadcast.
I predict that there will be much reading of tea leaves and taking of credit for this announcement.
I believe, that it is inevitable that women will get the priesthood. This is not a doctrinal issue. The #1 concern for the church is growth (i.e. proclaim the gospel). When the church comes to the conclusion that ordination of women will help with growth, then it will happen. It may be years away but it will eventuality happen.
Dallin Oaks. Sunday Morning. Think Dallin Osks.
#2 I think what is holding back the growth of the church is the conservative culture that comes packaged with it.
When that is removed, and that will include the ordination of women, then it may grow. In Australia for example 90% of people under 40 are happy with gay marriage so are uncomfortable with people opposing it. LDS.org.au has had at least one anti gay marriage message on it’s site for the last couple of years.
So a missionary comes to the door, you look up the internet to get background, and even our own site repels you.
I do think women will be ordained but I think there are 10 old Apostles who have to go before God can do it through Uchtdorf. Interesting to read that Spencer Kimball prayed to overcome his culture before he could implement the lords will. May be surprised but doubt if anyone higher on the list than Uchtdorf is willing to do that.
If we could get a retirement age for Apostles of 80 that would help.
@ #4
Wow.
Why even listen if that’s how you feel.
That was one of the best general conferences ever. And after Packers talk a few years ago all were pointing to the younger Apostles saying they would change things and were more liberal on SSM and women and the priesthood. Well, the most conservative talks were from the younger apostles.
They are called of God. Things are not going to change.
Will might be right.
And 150 years from now there will historians who will remark on the interesting trajectory of what will be small sects that originated near the Susquehanna: The River Brethren and the Latter-day Saints.
#5 Will: Things are not going to change…
Said one of our prophets:
While this sounds like something that Elder Oaks or Elder Nelson could have said yesterday, it was actually President Taylor talking about polygamy. He was emphatic in saying that we wouldn’t change our views on marriage to follow the “views of the day” – kind of like your comment about things will NEVER change. That may be true, but only until they DO change. Not only did the church change a doctrinally-based practice to follow society, in the current church someone will be excommunicated for having the same views as President Taylor.
Similarly emphatic views have been expressed about blacks and the priesthood, etc. So I would be careful about saying what is “not going to change”. The history of our church is replete with examples of people saying comments like yours, yet still having change happen regardless.
Mike,
The Book of Mormon provides a clear conditional test (to raise a righteous seed: see Jacob 2) for polygamy. It is reasonable that at the time of the restoration (as at the time of Abraham) this test was necessary and at 100, 200 or 500 K this test is no longer necessary. In short, I see a reasonable justification to have polygamy in the early days of the church and no longer see the need as this righteous seed was established. There is no such test for SSM or ordaining women, so I don’t see the correlation.
Roger,
In 150 years I see us under new millennial management. For that matter, I see significant changes on the horizon in the next 15 to 20 years. We are at a significant crossroad in the history of the world – not the mythical or hysterical items such as global warming, but tangible items such as debt. The US currently borrows (not spend, borrows) 180 Million dollars every hour of every day. This is not sustainable. It will collapse. It is simple math. Greece had Germany to temporarily bail them out. Egypt had Saudi Arabia to temporarily bail them out. Prior to their respective (temporary) bailouts the world was in a frenzy. Both are tiny economies. WHEN the US economy collapses, the world economy will collapse. If the entire world combined all of their monies they could not even come close to bailing out the US. Especially considering they are all near the brink of collapse anyway. When the debt really comes due (we can no longer pay off our visa with our mastercard), life as we know it will be unrecognizable. It will be a biblical calamity, which in my opinion will spin markets and countries out of control in war and all sorts of chaos. The beginning of the end.
Hey, if you’re bringing up John Taylor and polygamy, you might want to see Denver Snuffer’s interpretation of the revelation Mike referred to.
Will,
Someone once said,
“Sometimes you might be tempted to think as I did from time to time in my youth: “The way things are going, the world’s going to be over with. The end of the world is going to come before I get to where I should be.” Not so! You can look forward to doing it right—getting married, having a family, seeing your children and grandchildren, maybe even great-grandchildren.”
Come join the Star Trek Mormons and leave behind the Mad Max Mormons. It’s better here.
Turd burgler
Will
I’m always very impressed when someone speaks of polygamy in terms of “raising righteous seed”. There’s nothing like using one’s faithful daughters as broodmares while simultaneously rewarding wealthy sons with multiple young partners. Regarding the horrible times in which we live now, I wonder if you could apply the same logic. Hasn’t the time come for one woman to gather multiple men for the support of she and her children? One income surely can’t sustain a large family in the last days, and there’s never enough time for each child to spend with dad. If there could only be several men to fill this role.
Dba,
I have been a financial analyst all my adult life and a conscientious observer my entire life. People lie, but numbers do not. We are headed for troubled times. Especially when our leaders are unwilling or unable to sit down and either increase our revenue or decrease our expenses, or both. I’m afraid it is not going to end well.
I suppose you can look at it from Mad Max lenses. I would rather prepare than panic, but I certainty would not have a mythical star trek view. Look at the preparations the church has been making, especially in the past few years. I was personally involved in the development of a 500,000 square foot warehouse building, which was purchased by the LDS church as a Bishop’s store house. The LDS church then added 1,500,000 square feet. I visited it last week. It is completely full of food storage items. Completely full. This is four times larger than City Creek Mall and twice as large as any distribution facility used by Wal-Mart. Like me, I think they sense something coming and are preparing instead of panicking. If you are prepared, you shall not fear. Prepare, don’t panic or fear.
Turd,
Take it up with Jacob, it is his term. I think he got it from a higher source.
Will,
I absolutely agree with you about leaders behaving badly. It’s sad that compromise is now viewed as a bad thing.
Turd,
Any relationship to Turd Ferguson?