AboutMichael Kelley Expertise For a different viewpoint on Mormonism for your questions, try me. I am a staunch believer in the Book of Mormon and belong to another church (the Church of Christ)that is set up identically to the Biblical church. If there are things about traditional Mormonism that trouble you or you have questions about, just ask and you might find the answers from the Book of Mormon to be quite surprising. I have been studying the scriptures diligently for 16 years under the school of hard knocks... I may not have all of the answers but will sure go find them if I don`t. I`m strongest on Biblical and Book of Mormon doctrines, and am also somewhat familiar with Mormon history and archaeology.
Question I grew up Mormon than my mother stopped going than at 15 years of age I went back with my sister and I was then baptized into the church. I really liked going and I was probably the most straight, meaning walking in the right path, than I had ever been. But I didn't feel like I fit in. There never would have been anyone my age I could have ever ever related to. Also there was a few thigns that bothered me, and thats what I want to ask about.
When I was attending church I didn't see men being rude to their wives or looking down on them in an obvious way. But I did question A LOT whether or not women were viewed as only having one purpose and that was to procriate? I know what the bible says of women, and how husbands are suppose to treat and view their wives and it actually says their equal, but I know that all people of every religion take only what they want from the bible and use it without really reading the rest. So, this experience may have just been human ignorance, or is it an actual Morman belief? Also, it seemed they pushed for men to go into missionary work more so than women. (i know they have female missionaries though) And it also seemed like they didn't really push for women to do much with their lives, like get an education. I know that if a morman woman did go to college it wasn't shunned and a lot of them did go off to college, but it was most likely BYU. And when they get out they marry a morman man and don't use their degree. (i know thats not with every case) I just got the impression that they would prefer women to stay close and not really gain much independence. That was a turn off for me to the religion b/c what's a brain if you're not going to get the chance to use it? I don't know, maybe I'm too independent for that religion, maybe thats why I felt I never could fit in with the girls my age at the time. Anyway, I could be completely wrong or maybe thats how some churches are and others aren't, I don't know. I was hoping you could clarify to me what the true religion view is on women. Thanks for your time.
Answer Hi Caitlin,
I will be happy to answer your questions. Please note that I am ex-LDS and belong to the original Church of Christ that believes in the Book of Mormon.
The LDS (Mormon) faction does seem to treat women as chattle in many regards. I came from there and have many relatives from that faction and it seems pretty common.
The Bible and Book of Mormon state that all are equal in God's eyes, bond or free, male or female, Jew or Gentile. The Bible teaches that a man should love his wife as Christ loved the church and died for it. While the Bible does state that women should submit themselves to their husbands, it also says that the husbands should love their wives and be submissive to each other. In other words if a husband treats his wife as an inferior... he does not really love her as the scriptures teach. Sometimes he does love her but poorly shows it which she misinterprets as not loving her... often resulting in her not being as submissive as she should be either. In other cases... a husband should be leading the family but due to laziness or lack of care... he doesn't and she has to take his responsibilities.
However there is a difference with holding Priesthood positions. The Bible does mention God using women in great ways many times such as with Deborah (Israel's judge) and Ruth and women who prophesied... but not once does it ever show God or Jesus selecting them in Priesthood offices or as Apostles. Jesus was not afraid to break tradition with the Pharisees and if it had been God's will to choose women into the ministry he surely would have done so. The same is true for the Nephites in the Americas. He selected only men to hold the Priesthood. The Nephites at the time of Christ's visitation were utterly submissive and would have accepted women into the ministry if such a thing were God's will.
Paul teaches that God often chooses the least esteemed to the ministry... the unlearned, the fools, morons so that man is not glorified, but rather God. Some women take it as an insult that they are not chosen into the ministry, instead it may be a compliment. Time and time again the Apostles made mistakes and had to be rebuked and corrected by Jesus.
This applies to GOD chosen men by revelation. The LDS church, and practically all churches, select men by men. Often they choose the slick orator,handsome, popular, rich etc. rather than letting God choose through revelation. The Church of Christ is the only one I know of that solely selects men through revelation, with witnesses, before any are ordained into the ministry. Most churches treat the ministry as winning a merit badge, or by degree from a Bible college... and choose men by the wisdom of men. Sometimes these men work out OK, but often they do not.
Both Bible and Book of Mormon also teach that God is unchanging... not even a shadow of variableness. So... if God does not use women in the ministry in days of old, He would not do so now. Many Churches today, in the name of misguided compassion or political correctness, not only ordain women into the ministry, but those who practice abominable sins such as homosexuality.
