Priesthood

Women are not considered priests nor prophets in the LDS Church when you study their training manuals. On the other hand, a boy can be a deacon as young as twelve years old (Gospel Principles, chapter 14, p. 88).

In the Bible, we see that women are priests and/or prophets. Women belong to a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). There were female prophets in the Old Testament (Exodus 15:20, Judges 4:4, 2 Kings 22:14, 2 Chronicles 34:22, Nehemiah 6:14, Isaiah. 8:3). We find a similar thing in the New Testament. Anna was a prophet (Luke 2:36). Philip had four unmarried daughters who prophesied (Acts 21:7-9). And women prayed and prophesied (1 Corinthians 11:5). Jesus makes us kings and priests (Revelation 1:6; 5:10).

The book The Way to Perfection has some interesting teachings about the priesthood:

• If there is no priesthood, then no truth and no act can be performed (p. 211).

-> Only men can perform the acts.

• There is no knowledge of God without the priesthood (p. 211).

-> Apparently women who do not have the Mormon priesthood cannot receive knowledge of God from the Holy Spirit.

• Exaltation depends on priesthood (p. 218).

-> But Mormon women are not considered priests ... so how are they exalted to become Goddesses? Or must Mormon women rely on their husbands to exalt them?

• There is no priesthood without exaltation (pp. 219, 221).

-> Does this mean women will become priestesses after they become Goddesses?

• Those in the first resurrection shall be priests (pp. 303, 305).

-> Aren't they priests before they die? Or is this a reference to women only?

• The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14) is symbolic of the priesthood (p. 220).

-> But when you study this parable, Jesus is not excluding women. This parable I believe is symbolic of all Christians who will need to answer to Christ at the Second Coming.

-> Besides, can a Mormon hide his priesthood and yet continue to have the priesthood (Matthew 25:25)? How will he lose his hidden priesthood when he is cast into outer darkness (v. 30).

When you study teachings of the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith, LDS women do not have the testimony of Jesus:

"Though only one man speaks as the prophet of the Church, the spirit of prophecy enables all to testify of Jesus Christ."

"No man is a minister of Jesus Christ without being a Prophet. No man can be a minister of Jesus Christ except he has the testimony of Jesus; and this is the spirit of prophecy" [see Revelation 19:10]. John the Revelator says that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy [see Revelation 19:10]. "Now if any man has the testimony of Jesus, has he not the spirit of prophecy? And if he has the spirit of prophecy, I ask, is he not a prophet? And if a prophet, will he not receive revelation?" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church - Joseph Smith, chapter 33, p. 384).

Read his words very carefully and apply reverse logic to it. Since an LDS woman is not a prophet, then she does not have the spirit of prophecy. And since she does not have a spirit of prophecy, then she does not have the testimony of Jesus. And since she does not have a testimony of Jesus, then she is not a minister. Only Mormon males have the testimony of Jesus according to Joseph Smith.

How is the priesthood determined in the LDS Church?

"He had reference to those whom God should call in the last days, who should hold the power of priesthood to bring again Zion, and the redemption of Israel; and to put on her strength is to put on the authority of the priesthood, which she, Zion, has a right to by lineage; also to return to that power which she had lost" (D&C 113:8).

The Religion 430-431 - Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual (2004) says, "The great majority of those who have come into the Church are Ephraimites. It is the exception to find one of any other tribe, unless it is of Manasseh. It is Ephraim, today, who holds the priesthood. It is Ephraim who is building temples.

I wonder why only Ephraim and Manasseh hold the priesthood. Why is only Ephraim building temples?