LDS Church Discipline and Kate Kelly: The View of One Mormon Girl

In the news.  That's the phrase to describe my church these days.  Most recently, it's been because of church discipline.  Ordain Women leader, Kate Kelly, has been brought to Church discipline and subsequently was excommunicated.  I will join the conversation:

First, a definition of terms: What is Ordain Women?  Ordain Women is a movement of women in the LDS Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) that advocates women holding the priesthood.  I might add that it is not a majority movement, just a very vocal one.  If you took the percentage of LDS women who agree with Ordain Women, and related that same percentage to the US population, you wouldn't even have enough to get a petition considered by the US Government. 

In the LDS Church, the priesthood is held by men only.  All men in the church in fact.  My dad received the Aaronic Priesthood when he joined the church at the age of seventeen, and received the Melchizedek Priesthood a year later.  My brothers both received the Aaronic Priesthood when they turned twelve.  They both received the Melchizedek Priesthood when they were eighteen.  Every man in the church has the same story. It may seem weird for all men to be in the priesthood, but that's an important point. They are not in the priesthood. The hold the priesthood.  It's not a "body" like in many Christian churches.  It isn't necessarily church leadership either.  Women (who do not hold the priesthood) have leadership roles, just as men do.  Mormons believe that the Priesthood is the power of God.  So it doesn't really belong to men anyways.  Men are, rather, authorized to officiate in the ordinances of the priesthood, and they hold the keys to authorize others.

However, the role of women is different.  Women are serving the purposes, missions and designs of God in other ways.  It has been said in Mormonism that men are the presiding aspect of God.  Women are the creating aspect of God.  I explained it that way to a Non-Mormon, Native American coworker.  Apparently, her tribe believes similarly, and she summed it up as, "Women create life.  Women create peace. Women create comfort."  I think that's a very good way to put it.  They are the nurturers.  And that isn't an unimportant job at all.

Now we need to define excommunication. Excommunication in the LDS Church is the nullification of all covenants, ordinances and the end of LDS membership.  Those who are excommunicated may not take the sacrament (eucharist, essentially), speak or pray at a church meeting, enter the temple, or hold a church calling (have a job in the ward), or wear the temple garment (the famous "Mormon underwear").  Excommunication need not be, and is not intended to be, a permanent situation.  It is intended to be a state that leads to repentance. It is not taken lightly, and it is also very misunderstood.  Excommunication is a decision that takes place after several meetings of the person and a church disciplinary council. If the person in question chooses not to attend, that is their right, but it does not stop the proceedings.  Shortly put, excommunication is to make sure that you do not damn yourself by doing something you are not worthy to do.

If you want my analysis of women and the priesthood, I wrote about it early this month here.  But one thing I must clarify:  Kate Kelly's excommunication has nothing to do with women and the priesthood.  The problem is that she was combative, organizing protests and continued to do so after being asked to stop.  That was the problem.  Really, she pushed herself out of the church.

In the LDS Church, we are encouraged to ask questions. Asking is at the core of our souls, our culture and our beliefs.  We were founded (or we think of it as restored) because of a fourteen-year-old boy's questioning prayer.  All missionaries will always invite those they teach to follow what they call "Moroni's Invitation" to ask God if what they are teaching is true.  You are never told to follow blindly, and always told that you need your own witness of the truthfulness of the gospel being taught.  At the end of every general conference, the prophet changes the words, but essentially says, "Don't take our word.  Go home and pray about all the stuff we just told you."  However, when you ask a question, you must be willing to accept an answer you may not have wanted.

Ironically, Kate Kelly's actions led me closer to understanding why women don't have the priesthood than the other way.  As a younger woman, I did take some issue with women not having the priesthood.  I wish I could say otherwise, but I cant.  However, all this stuff around women and the priesthood has led me to really investigate the Priesthood and ponder it.  Today, somewhat from the fact that I've now been through the temple, and somewhat from exploring the doctrine in the scriptures and more, I understand why women do not hold the priesthood, and I am completely at peace with that.  Me wanting to hold the priesthood was like a fish wanting to fly--Completely outside of my eternal destiny and role.  I was not seeing all the abilities, rights and privileges that I had as a woman, because I was too busy coveting what men have.

I am not happy that Kate Kelly was excommunicated.  But I know it is an important step for her repentance, and I hope that she can find it in her heart to come back to the church and be received again in full fellowship.  She is obviously a talented woman, and I look forward to building the Kingdom of God with her once again in the future.