Sunday Thoughts

Today has been a spiritual feast of great doctrine, reminders of how we should be conducting our lives, challenges to do a little better, a little bit of guilt (my own) for not doing enough, and being around good friends that envelop me in love.

And then I read a post from one of my favorite bloggers, "Middle-Aged Mormon Man".  He has a way of writing about gospel topics in a way that just makes sense in the world today.  It makes me want to take those principles and embed them into my heart and try to live a little better.  The topic today stems from the fact that there are some women who claim that they could be better members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints if they were allowed to hold the priesthood.  They have been protesting and causing a big uproar, even trying to break into the Priesthood session of General Conference (which I find funny since it was broadcast on television so that all could see anyway). Apparently some of these women are facing disciplinary action from the Church.

Ordain Women launches new push for Mormon priesthood

My opinion on this subject is that I find it interesting that these women actually think that they can get the rules changed by petitions and protests.  Obviously they do not have a true understanding of the basics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  If they did they would understand that no man on earth has the right to make changes such as that.  Thomas S. Monson, is the President of the Church, the Prophet, and as such he has been given the power to administer the affairs of the Church - but only if he runs it according to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose church it is.  President Monson is entitled to direct revelation from Jesus Christ to provide the necessary leadership to run the Church.  And in that capacity the Prophet or President of the Church will do Jesus Christ's will, not the will of man.

LDS.org provides the following information:

President Wilford Woodruff declared that we can have full confidence in the direction the prophet is leading the Church: “The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray.  (“Excerpts from Three Addresses by President Wilford Woodruff Regarding the Manifesto”; emphasis added).

President Harold B. Lee taught this same principle: “You keep your eye upon him whom the Lord called, and I say to you now, knowing that I stand in this position, you don’t need to worry about the President of the Church ever leading people astray, because the Lord would remove him out of his place before He would ever allow that to happen” (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, ed. Clyde J. Williams [1996], 533).

President Gordon B. Hinckley gave similar assurance to Church members: “The Church is true. Those who lead it have only one desire, and that is to do the will of the Lord. They seek his direction in all things. There is not a decision of significance affecting the Church and its people that is made without prayerful consideration, going to the fount of all wisdom for direction. Follow the leadership of the Church. God will not let his work be led astray” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1983, 68–69; or Ensign, Nov. 1983, 46; emphasis added).

So, my belief is that these women either do not have a full understanding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or they have been deceived into believing doctrine that is not true.

Here is the link to the great post by Middle-Aged Mormon Man:  FINDING SIMPLE TRUTHS AMID CHAOS