A Letter to the Sisters of "Ordain Women"

Today I stumbled across a news article on the Facebook of one of my friends. The title was, "Women want to attend Mormon Priesthood Meeting in October."

I shook my head at the title. Why in the world would women in the Church want to attend Priesthood Meeting? Especially since we have our very own meeting, just for women, a week before. And it's not like the Priesthood Meeting is a big secret. The videos are posted on the Church website just days after the conference is held. 

I read through the article and found that behind this movement is a group of Latter-day Saint women called, "Ordain Women." I found their website and began to read through their purpose. 

I must say, as a fellow Latter-day Saint woman, I am deeply saddened by this group. And thus I've prepared a letter for these sisters.

Now, I must preface this by saying that I detest confrontation. Moreover, I am rather sensitive in boldly giving out my opinion, especially online, because of all the negativity that it inevitably generates from doing so. However, I felt so strongly about writing this blog. Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, recently said (and when I say recently, I mean, like 10 days ago): 

"We need more of the distinctive, influential voices and faith of women. We need you to learn the doctrine and to understand what we believe so that you can bear your testimonies about the truth of all things—whether those testimonies be given around a campfire at girls’ camp, in a testimony meeting, in a blog, or on Facebook. Only you can show the world what women of God who have made covenants look like and believe."

When I heard that counsel tonight as I was driving home, I knew that I needed to write this blog, regardless of any negativity that may ensue. So with that being said, here I go.

My beloved sisters (specifically those involved in the movement "Ordain Women"),

I have read your mission statement. I have read your goals. I have seen the news articles about you and your movement. And I feel compelled to say, that if you believe you are following the will of the Lord in this effort, you are truly misled.

Firstly, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the restored Church of Jesus Christ on the earth today. It has the same organization and leadership that it did during Christ's time--namely, prophets and apostles. You claim to believe this. And yet, your words and actions show mistrust in the Lord's chosen servants.

In Amos 3:7 it says, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."

Trust the Prophet. If He reveals that it is time for women to be ordained to the Priesthood, I will follow Him. But I will not follow a group of random women with a blog who have decided that they can no longer wait for the Lord's timing.

Your website contains a page of references. Out of those nearly 30 references, there is not one apostle or prophet, ancient or modern, cited. In fact, on your entire webpage, the only reference I could find from a prophet was a quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley, completely misinterpreted. The quickest way to apostasy is to put your faith in your own words and not in those called by God. That's why we have a Prophet. So that this kind of splintering within the Church won't happen.

Secondly, I would like to address a couple of false claims that you make on your website. According to you,

"Despite their gifts, talents, and aspirations, women are excluded from almost all positions of clerical, fiscal, ritual, and decision-making authority."

Without saying too much, I would like to say that any woman who has gone through the temple rituals knows that this is completely untrue. Women are free to participate in the temple endowment just the same as men are. There is no question in the temple recommend interview that asks if you are a man or a woman. Both are invited and encouraged to attend. As for decision-making authority, women in leadership positions make decisions all the time. And yes, they do so under the direction of the Priesthood. For that is how our Heavenly Father has designed it.

Elder M. Russell Ballard said this on the matter:

"Why are men ordained to priesthood offices and not women? President Gordon B. Hinckley explained that it was the Lord, not man, “who designated that men in His Church should hold the priesthood” and that it was also the Lord who endowed women with “capabilities to round out this great and marvelous organization, which is the Church and kingdom of God” (“Women of the Church,” Ensign, November 1996, 70). When all is said and done, the Lord has not revealed why He has organized His Church as He has."

He also cautioned:

"While your input is significant and welcomed in effective councils, you need to be careful not to assume a role that is not yours."

This is not only true of women, but of all those who do not hold the necessary keys. My husband was recently called as the second counselor in the Elders' Quorum of our ward. While he was being set apart, President Alba of the Stake Presidency said that though he was a counselor to the Elders' Quorum President, he needed to remember that ultimately the decisions would be made by the President. He is the one who currently holds those keys.

Another statement from your site took me by surprise. It said the following:

"Many Mormons respond to questions about the inequity of an all-male priesthood by insisting that men and women have distinct but equal roles. Women have motherhood, they argue, and men have priesthood. What they fail to acknowledge is that fatherhood is the appropriate parallel to motherhood."

I am not overly qualified to speak about motherhood, as I have only been a mother for a little over 3 months. However, I am a mother, and I can testify that it is NOT the appropriate parallel to fatherhood. Anyone who has given birth, I believe, can testify to that.

Yes, it takes a man and a woman to conceive a child. But that creation ultimately takes place only within the womb of a woman. A man can stand by the bedside and hold your hand as you labor, sometimes for countless hours. But ultimately that labor can only be accomplished by the woman. There is no parallel to motherhood.

Finally, I would like to emphasize the kind of attention you are getting.

In your "News" section of your blog, you cite a multitude of news coverage, from The Daily Beast to Wall Street Journal. Yet, I have read nothing about you from the General Authorities of the Church. I have seen no articles published on LDS.org or in the Ensign or Liahona magazines. I have seen not-so-subtle warnings to you from various apostles and prophets, most notably Elder M. Russell Ballard in his speech given at BYU on the 20 of August this year.

He boldly warned,

"Do not spend time trying to overhaul or adjust God’s plan. We do not have time for such. It is a pointless exercise to try and determine how to organize the Lord’s Church differently. The Lord is at the head of this Church, and we all follow His direction."

He is speaking to you, my beloved sisters.

Follow the counsel of the Prophets.

Learn true doctrine.

Heed the warnings of the scriptures.

The only scripture you quote on your blog is 2 Nephi 26:33, also severely misused. Here is another scripture from 2 Nephi,

"O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not." (2 Nephi 9:28)

I've looked through your profiles. Many of you are much smarter than me. You have advanced college degrees and years of experience beyond what I can comprehend. I should feel wholly intimidated. But I know that the Lord will not reveal anything save He reveals it to His prophet. And until President Thomas S. Monson comes out and says, "God has revealed that all faithful women be ordained to the Priesthood," I will not believe it, and neither should you.

I truly love you, my sisters. Don't forget that Christ is at the head of His Church. He is leading it. Let Him lead.

Sincerely,

Hannah Cabrera

References:

"Let Us Think Straight," M. Russell Ballard. 20 August 2013.(http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=2133)

Ordain Women: Mormon Women Seeking Equality and Ordination to the Priesthood.
(www.ordainwomen.org)

A Daughter of Levi

Today I have been thinking a lot about the mother of Moses. There isn't too much information about her in the scriptures. We know that her name was Jochebed, the wife of Amram, and that she had two other children. But in Exodus chapter two it simply says:

"And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived,  and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months."

When I read "three months" my heart skipped a beat. Maybe because I am currently the mother of a three month old. It goes on and says,

"And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink."

Wow. I just put my sleeping Lucia down in her swing for a nap and I felt a pang of sadness just because she was momentarily not in my arms. And yet this mother, this daughter of Levi, knew that the only way she could save her son was to trust the hand of the Lord and give him up. She humbly laid him in a basket and sent him down the river, knowing that God would protect him.

Yesterday I had my interview for a full-time job that would essentially have me give my baby up for a good part of each day. Just thinking about it makes me heart break a little. And yet, when I think of this unnamed Levite woman, I am given a strength I hadn't felt before. Perhaps this is the Lord's way of testing my trust and faith in Him. He will take care of my daughter while I am away and I will be able to provide for her in a way that I couldn't if I were at home.

It will still be hard. I can imagine that even though the mother of Moses was able to be his nursemaid, it was still hard to concede "mothership" to the daughter of Pharaoh I want every working mother to remember this exemplary woman and the sacrifice she made for her son. We can be strengthened in the Lord in ways we hadn't thought of before.

It's Been a While

So, I have so many thoughts and emotions and craziness floating around in my head, I thought the best thing to do would be write it all down. Or at least some of it. I mean, where better to write down the crazy ramblings of my overloaded mind than in a shamelessly public blog?

So, the last post on here is from June, when my baby was very tiny and things in my life were relatively calm. Baby has grown quite a bit (at least for me--she seems HUGE compared to how she was 3 months ago). Here's a short summary of what's happened in those 3 months.

Diego's work permit FINALLY came!! Hooray, right!? Just in the nick of time, when our savings had been almost completely depleted. It was June, Lucia was about 3 weeks old. It came on a Monday. He started applying for jobs right away. The Friday after we went to the Social Security Office to apply for his social security card (that he is now eligible for with his work permit). We got all of that taken care of and since we were in the neighborhood, we thought we'd visit my grandparents.

Well, somewhere between the Social Security Office and my grandparents' home, Diego's wallet (with his work permit, money, ID from Peru, pictures, basically everything) went missing. We looked everywhere. Nothing. We prayed. We pleaded. But it was just ...gone.

That's when I started looking for work. I was still bleeding heavily from my pregnancy, my stitches were slowly healing. I sent out several applications online.

I started working part time when Lucia was 5 weeks old. The first time I left her, I cried. I sobbed.

Then I got another job offer, a better one, also part time. Also in this time Diego started working for a construction company that would accept his Social Security card and his work permit NUMBER (he had the number, just not the physical card).

Things were going great. We could finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. We figured with our new sources of income we would be able to buy a new (used) car (for those that don't know, we are leasing a Smart Car and can't take Lucia anywhere in it), and then be able to move out of my parents' basement within about 4 or 5 months.

But then life happened. And completely decimated our budget. $100 here, $400 there--things we just hadn't anticipated. Nevertheless, we were determined to meet our goal. We rearranged our budget a bit and things seemed to be back on track. Then Diego started getting less and less hours. He still has work, but it's not as stable and we never know when they are going to call him or how many hours he'll get.

So, here I am, praying for a way for us to get a bit more income and maybe some medical benefits. Now here's a little side story.

At the same time I applied for the job I'm currently at (doing technical support part time for the Church), I applied for another job. My first week on the job I got a call for a job interview with the other job, which is with the Liahona magazine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It's a full-time position with really good medical benefits. I went to the interview at the beginning of July. I thought it went well, but at the same time I was hoping they wouldn't offer me the job because I love staying home with Lucia.

They said if I passed I would have to go through another round of interviews and that they probably wouldn't let me know until the end of July. Well, July came and went and I didn't hear anything from them so I just assumed I hadn't gotten the job (which I was kind of relieved about!)

Today I received a call from the Managing Editor of the Liahona and Ensign magazines inviting me to another round of interviews with HIS supervisor (the Director of Church Magazines). My heart broke a little when I got the call.

Is this an answer to my prayers? (More income, medical benefits...?) I just think about how much I will miss my little baby. I don't want to miss the most important parts of her life. I don't want to miss her turning from an infant into a toddler. At the same time, I know my family needs this. And I would LOVE to accept this job (if I'm even offered it...) If I didn't have Lucia I wouldn't even think twice!

Either way will be a sacrifice. If I take the job, I will be sacrificing my time with my beloved Lucia. If I don't take it, I will be sacrificing income and medical insurance for my family. I just need to figure out which sacrifice to make. Definitely have a lot of praying ahead of me!

(Oh, another side note. Someone found Diego's work permit on the I-215!! Not the rest of the wallet, but HEY, beggars can't be choosers! It came in the mail a couple of weeks ago and now he is looking for other jobs.)