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This latter part of this statement is incorrect.
“Yet the endowment was not yet given; the fulness of the priesthood had not yet been restored to the earth. Nearly two years after of the dedication of the Kirtland temple, the Saints evacuated the city and abandoned their temple—not by choice but as a result of the extermination order.”
After the Kirtland Safety Society fiasco, the majority of the church members still sustained JS. However, the 1837 Kirtland crisis was an apostasy that cost close to a third of the top leadership of the elite, more well educated, and more prosperous including Warren Parrish, the Book of Mormon Witnesses, and several Apostles. Dissenters and anti-Mormons openly opposed JS and SR with lawsuits and threats on their lives. They fled to Missouri with their families under pursuit by men seeking their lives.
I have heard others say “when the world went into apostasy that God’s priesthood power and authority were taken from the earth,” but I don’t think that is accurate.
Although there was no church organization, PH existed for centuries without a church organization within righteous families. Further, John, the three Nephites, perhaps Ether, Alma and others were translated and continued as PH holders on the earth. So in reality, Satan has always been held at bay–both by the light of Christ, and by Melchizedek PH.
This comment gets the causation backward, if valid at all. To properly enter into communion with the Gods and, ourselves, become like God, we must be bound to others through temple sealings. If there are more women than men who realize their divine potential, then the community of divine beings will have more women sealed into the network of divine relationships than men. So women’s higher degree of spirituality and capacity to attain divine status is the causal factor. More women that men will be partakers and bearers of the ultimate in status and power. But of course, that status and power is an epiphenomenon of what really matters: having great capacity to participate in the work and glory of God–bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of fellow beings or otherwise helping them attain whatever their maximum potential may be.
I think one area of confusion is thinking that the oath and covenant of the priesthood only applies to men. It is clear from a close reading of D&C 84 that there is a distinction between “obtaining these two priesthoods” and “receiv[ing] this priesthood”.
In the introduction to the Oath and Convenant (verses 4-32) it becomes clear that what we are really talking about is receiving the priesthood ordinances of the Temple, which are received by both men and women.
v 5. “the glory of the Lord”
v 6. “And the sons of Moses”
v 6-30. parenthetical aside on the priesthood
v. 31 “Therefore, as I said concerning the sons of Moses”
v. 32 “filled with the glory of the Lord”
v. 6-17 Melchizedek priesthood line of authority
v. 18 Aaronic priesthood authority
v. 19-25 Melchizedek priesthood purpose
v. 26-28 Aaronic priesthood purpose
v. 29 Melchizedek priesthood offices
v. 30 Aaronic priesthood offices
In the middle (v. 19-24) we have an explanation of the glory of the Lord (v. 5 and 32).
v. 19 the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God – the authority
v. 20 ordinances
v. 21 ordinances + authority needed to manifest the power of godliness to men in the flesh
v. 22 the power of godliness is the power to see the the face of God, even the Father, and live
v. 23 Moses sought to sanctify his people (it doesn’t specify just men) that they might see the face of God (manifest the power of godliness in the flesh)
v. 24 endure his presence – enter into his rest – which rest is the fulness of his glory
What is the glory of the Lord (v. 5 and 32)? It is to enter into the presence of the Father in the flesh and live. It is accomplished through authority (the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God) and ordinances. What ordinances?
v. 4-5 “4 Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation. 5 For verily this generation shall not all pass away until an house shall be built unto the Lord, and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house.”
v. 31-32 “31 Therefore, as I said concerning the sons of Moses—for the sons of Moses and also the sons of Aaron shall offer an acceptable offering and sacrifice in the house of the Lord, which house shall be built unto the Lord in this generation, upon the consecrated spot as I have appointed—32 And the sons of Moses and of Aaron shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, upon Mount Zion in the Lord’s house, whose sons are ye; and also many whom I have called and sent forth to build up my church.”
v. 33-34 – obtain these two priesthoods – the authority
v. 35 – receive this priesthood – the ordinances
Through the authority and the ordinances we can receive the Father.
Both men and women go to the house of the Lord to be filled with the glory of the Lord through priesthood authority and ordinances and together enter into the oath and covenant of the priesthood.
Excellent article. When I was in a bishopric for many years, it was my experience that IN GENERAL women exercised God’s power more effectively than the men did. I knew and know some men who are as spiritual as any woman, but those spiritual men are outnumbered by the spiritual women I have known.
It is interesting that at least 3 Church Presidents – David O. McKay, Joseph Fielding Smith, and Ezra Taft Benson – have said that the most influential role in the world is that of MOTHER – NOT the role of prophet, apostle, stake president, bishop, or even father – but the role of MOTHER. How true!
More women are spiritual because the ‘Holy Order’ is the patriarchal order or plurality of wives.