Why I'm glad to be a Drinking Fountain

Goodness, you do not know the writer's block I've had in trying to write this post.

It seemed simple enough: it all started off with an email from my family, describing how there was a group of women who were going to try and attend the Priesthood Session of General Conference a month ago. (What is Priesthood Session? It's a meeting in the conference that all Priesthood holders are invited to attend. Why don't women attend? We'll get to that) It seemed like it would be a good idea to jump on the issue and write a blog post about it. I'd originally wanted to post the entry a bit closer to Conference, but then I got rather busy with missionary things. Sometime last week, I finally sat down to start writing, and I've been stuck ever since.

It's not exactly that I don't have anything to say--if you could see my browser window you'd see that's not the case. It's just that I don't exactly know...what I want to say. And how I want to say it.

I guess I'll start out with the basics. The Priesthood is God's power (the same force that created the world and parted the red sea), coupled with the authority (or His permission) to use it. It's given to men on earth so that they can officiate in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which we believe is God's kingdom here on the earth. So, all the leaders of the basic Church organization, from the President of the Church to the local bishop (like a pastor of other faiths) have this power and authority, and if they use it righteously, the church succeeds and grows.

So, what's the issue? Well, when I said that God gives the Priesthood to men in order to church, I didn't mean it generally, in a mankind sort of sense; only men hold the Priesthood. There are auxiliary organizations in the church that are presided over by women (The Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary), but at the core of everything, the church is presided over and run by men. (And only the men who hold the priesthood attend Priesthood Meeting)

That seems a bit sexist, doesn't it? If this were any other organization, I'd probably be on the women's side, pushing for equality.

BUT...

This church isn't just any old organization. While it has leaders such as the Prophet and the Apostles here on the earth, they're really not the ones in charge. We believe that God, our Heavenly Father, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, is the one calling the shots, and all the Prophets and Apostles do is relay His instructions to His children on the earth.

With this being true, another question pops up: if God is our Loving Heavenly Father, and all of His children are equal in His sight, why does he only want men to hold the Priesthood? Why doesn't He let women hold the Priesthood, too?

The answer (which, admittedly, I've been waiting this whole post to say):

WE DON'T KNOW.

Elder Neil L. Andersen, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, used a passage of scripture to illustrate this point beautifully (in fact, this topic, of women and the Priesthood, is what he spoke on. You should go read it/watch it/share it with friends here). The following dialogue is between an angel and an ancient Book of Mormon prophet, named Nephi:

 "And he [the angel] said unto me [Nephi]: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." (1 Nephi 11:16-17)

Even though I very often do not understand why God does things the way He does, at the core of all my beliefs and testimony is the fact that He loves me and all of His other children, and would never do anything to limit their growth or hold them back.

So, sisters, in a sense we do have an answer for you: you don't hold the Priesthood because God loves you and knows that you don't need it to realize your full potential. And perhaps that's not true of men. Perhaps, without this power from God, with all of the responsibility it carries with it (Uncle Ben was right when he said that With Great Power comes Great Responsibility. You can imagine, then, what kind of weight the infinite, eternal power of God entails), we men wouldn't be able to reach what we're supposed to become.

That's just an opinion, though.

So, what does all this have to do with water fountains, and why am I glad to be one? Well, let's think about drinking fountains: their purpose is to distribute water, a substance necessary for life. Anyone, male or female, adult or child, can come to the fountain and drink. That's not to say that the fountain has any sort of power or control over the people. It's purpose is to serve.

Thus it is with the Priesthood. Though we men hold it, we can't use it to bless ourselves. We can only use it to bless others. We are to use it to serve, and as we do, we obtain indispensable blessings for ourselves as well.

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He has an important part for each of us to play. I know that He knows best and has created a perfect plan for each of us to progress in the best way possible. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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Whew, well, that took a while to get out. I hope I've expressed everything in a way that helps you. Even if I didn't, I'll Keep Moving Forward, as I encourage each of you to do. Carry on!

-Elder Richmond

The Legend of Stu

Photo Courtesy of LDS.org

This entry of Keep Moving Forward is written in honor of Elder Nelson, my previous mission companion (see his mormon.org profile). If it hadn't been for serving nearly three months with you and listening to all your stories about "the river," I probably never would have thought of this post.

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Let's say you're looking to take a trip down the nearby Delavida River. You've got all the necessary supplies; boat, life jackets, paddles, oar, etc. You're just lacking one thing: a river guide. You've never been down the river before, and at least for this first time, you don't want to go it alone.

You consider looking in the phonebook (who am I kidding, no one looks in the phonebook anymore) looking online for some established river expedition companies, but then you get a better idea. Using your handy-dandy time machine, you zip back in time in search of Stu Williams, the first man to ever explore the river. You really want the trip to be authentic, and you figure he probably knows the river better than anyone else.

So, you jump back to the 1840's, find Stu, convince him you're not some kind of alien or wizard, and then eventually bring him to the future, promising to show him the wonders of our day (iPhone's, airplanes, flush toilets, etc.). You take him to a pond so that he can familiarize himself with modern boating equipment, and after a bit of practice, Stu says he's ready to take you down the river. So, you round up a few friends, and early the next morning you all disembark down the Delavida.

The trip is quite laid back at first. The river is calm, only requiring occasional paddling from you and a bit of steering from Stu in the back with the oars. While you float on, Stu tells you all about the history of the river and all the thrills of navigating its rapids and other hazards.

"Speakin' of which," says Stu, craning his head to the side, "pull 'er to the starboard, everyone. Don't want to run into ol' Nellie."

"Which side is starboard again?" your friend Steve pipes up.

"To th' right," says Stu, grunting as he heaves at the oars.

You follow his advice, even though you can't see any reason why. As you round the bend, though, you see Nellie, an ancient willow tree growing out of the side of the canyon wall.

"That's it? An old willow tree?" you remark.

"That might look like just another willow tree, but you can be sure there's a swarm of hornets livin' up in Nellie's branches," says Stu. Sure enough, as you pass by the tree you hear the steady drone of the insects at work.

In front of you, your friend Malorie shudders.

"Ugh. I'm glad we've got you here, Stu. I'm allergic to hornets."

"Happy to oblige," is all Stu replies, but you see a warm smile cross his face. You can tell he's enjoying himself.

"When's the next hazard?" you ask, wanting to stow your paddle for a second to drink some water.

"Well, if I reckon correctly, we should have a couple more miles of smooth sailin' until we hit another tricky bit..." Stu strokes his beard as he ponders the river.

"What's that noise then?" asks Kim, sitting up at the front.

Stu pauses, confused, listening to the river. You hear it too: the rushing of running water.

"What in tarnation..." mutters Stu. Before he has time to say anything else, your boat rounds the next corner, heading straight for a formidable whirlpool.

"Port! Port!" yells Stu, rowing with his might.

"Which one is port--"

"Left, confound it! Left!" yells Stu, cutting off Steve's question.

You all paddle frantically, seeking to cut across the whirlpool's outer edge. For a few frightening seconds, it seems as though you'll be sucked in, but eventually you pull through and shoot out of the pool's grasp. Panting, you all stow your paddles and try to catch your breath.

"What was that all about?" you ask between breaths.

"I'm not entirely sure," Stu remarks, taking off his hat and wiping his balding head. "I remember there being a little eddy around these parts, but nothing that powerful...things seem to have changed..."

Just as he says that, you pick up the sound of more rushing water.

"Stu?..." Kim asks timidly from the front.

Stu says something under his breath. You round another corner, and find yourselves facing  a sizable waterfall, created by two fallen boulders.

"What do we do?" you ask, not sure what way to paddle.

"Heck if I know! Hold tight!" yells Stu, looping his arm through a line running around the boat. You start to do the same, but not before the little boat plunges over the waterfall. The impact with the river below throws everyone except Stu from the boat. Thankfully, as you surface, you see that everyone seems to have made it through alright.

"Hang on! I'm comin' round to pick you up! Just lay on your back with your feet downriver!" Stu shouts, rowing frantically. You do what he says, but as you wait, you can't help but wonder if taking him along was the best idea after all...

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So, what do we take from this perilous adventure with an ancient river guide? A lesson about guidance in this life. Perhaps you picked up that the river Delavida would really be the river de la vida in Spanish, or the river of life (boy, I'm clever, aren't I?). So, in that case, who is Stu? I've been thinking of Stu, in this case, as the Scriptures.

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we study the Bible and consider it the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly (Articles of Faith 1:9) (to hear other members' thoughts about the Bible, head over to mormon.org). It's words give us guidance and support. I absolutely love reading the words of Christ in the New Testament; Matthew Chapter 5 and John Chapter 15 especially have found a special place in my heart.

When the Restoration of the Church took place in the 1830's, another book of scripture came forth: The Book of Mormon. This book, written by ancient prophets in the Americas, serves as another testament of Jesus Christ. It contains his words and his teachings, and supports the Bible. Together, the Book of Mormon and the Bible proclaim the truth and confound false doctrines (see 2 Nephi 3:12; the "fruit of the loins of Judah" are the jewish people (who wrote the bible), the "fruit of thy loins" (in this case referring to Joseph of Egypt) are the people described in the Book of Mormon, whom authored said book).

In addition, God revealed many things concerning His kingdom to Joseph Smith. These revelations were compiled in two other books of scripture, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price.

So, what with all these scriptures, aren't we well enough off? Shouldn't we be able to handle things pretty well with all these words of the Prophets?

In a word, no.

Just as changes had taken place in the river that Stu couldn't navigate, with only the words of prophets of times of old, we won't be able to get all the guidance we need. There's a wonderful quote from a General Authority (which I can't find at the moment) that says that, even if we had all the lost or missing scriptures in the world (the sealed portion of the Revelation of John, the rest of the plates of Ether, etc.), it would still be impossible to run the Church without living, current revelation. The words of the previous prophets can give us a marvelous base, to be sure, and we may be able to conquer some of the trials we face today based on those principles. But the bottom line is, we need modern revelation.

That's why millions of Church members flock to listen to General Conference. That's why I tear through every issue of the Ensign (the Church's monthly magazine) I can get my hands on. That's why we really, really mean it when we sing "We Thank Thee, O God, For A Prophet" (Hymns, #19)

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He knows how to help us overcome any and all trials or problems we may face in this life. I know that He sends us Prophets in order to do so. I know that the Prophets and Apostles on the earth today are called of God, and they speak the words of God. I invite all of you to hearken to their words. I do so in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Have a great week! Keep Moving Forward!

-Elder Richmond