The Different Priesthood Roles of Men and Women

The Priesthood is the power by which all things are created, governed, and ultimately redeemed. Women and men both play integral roles in that priesthood responsibility, as delegated to them from the Father. Both are equally needed and important, and are required to fulfill their priesthood obligations as they covenanted to do, they simply have different assignments within that priesthood organization.

The priesthood responsibility of the woman is to provide physical birth. This is fulfilled through the righteous union of the opposite sexes through the sealing power available in the House of the Lord. Thus, as stated in The Family: A Proclamation to The World,

“All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose....

The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.”

Although some women may not have that sacred blessing of actually experiencing the physical birthing process in this life, ultimately she will be able to fulfill that priesthood responsibility if she remains true and faithful. As a testimony of that fact, she experiences the cleansing power of blood every month and is pronounced “clean”.

Men, on the other hand, have the sacred responsibility of providing an opportunity for “spiritual” birth. This process is done through the administration of the ordinances required to allow the spiritual birthing process to take place, these include faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. This may be referred to as the process of becoming “born again.” When the man faithfully fulfills his priesthood responsibility he “may become clean” as well.

Once the woman and the man have worked “with one heart and one mind”, submitting their will to that of the Father, by performing these sacred priesthood duties, they are then ready to enter the House of the Lord to administer in the “higher” priesthood saving ordinances together.

Thus, neither is the man without the woman or the woman without the man, in the Lord. Both are needed to further the beautiful plan that the Father has made to “bring to pass the immortality and Eternal life” of His children.

The Priesthood is the power by which this is accomplished.