A complete Priesthood

Mother's Day in church often brings about outstanding talks and examples of motherhood. This year, however, our meeting was filled slightly differently. The question posed was, "How does honoring your priesthood honor women?" Hmmm, it sparked my interest. Some of the points this particular speaker raised: 1. After the Lord created the woman, the world was complete. 2. To attain the highest level of paradise when we die, it takes a man and a woman. One cannot make it without the other. 3. Responsibilities of womanhood are so high in the scriptures - making their highest priority to enable God's children to return to him. I listened with interest.

When we read in Genesis and again in Moses, we have a full account of the creation of the world. The one in Moses does seem to give a few more details than the Genesis account - I think from re-translating several times over. I had always known the rough procession of things, though it had never really occurred to me, that the Lord was not done until he had given Adam a woman. Not because she was an after-thought, but because his work was not done and Adam's companionship not complete until he had a way to return to live with the Lord. We know the Lord gives no commandments unless he prepares a way for us to accomplish them, so why would this circumstance be any different?

I was speaking with my neighbor several weeks ago and had a discussion similar to this next point. I realized that this is something you only understand through personal study because our church doesn't REALLY teach it. We know there are three degrees of glory in heaven, or rather that based on what level of spiritual progression you have attained here is also what you will stay with on the other side. It makes sense when you consider the Prophets themselves have often said 'the longer they live, and more they study, the more they know less than they thought they knew'. So while I may strive to listen to the Spirit and choose good over evil, should I attain the same level of enlightenment on the other side as those Prophets? I shouldn't - I'm not ready to handle it, really. So what I learned through study is there are three degrees of heaven. And they are ALL good. It will be as heaven to each person as they are ready. Those with lesser light in their life have a degree that be-suits them, and with those that are more ready - a higher light. Also those spirits that just barely gained a body and returned to God were not contaminated here and therefore can have the highest glory. But as we progress toward heaven, we must have a complete priesthood and know all the keys to get there. You cannot know all of that information without having a man with you as a woman, or vice versa for a man. Men must be tempered by women and women strengthened by man. I'll try to readress this if it doesn't make sense, so let me know.

And finally, we learn that women are beloved of God and given the HIGHEST responsibility as caretakers of the home and children. There are several examples that show the mother is the responsible party in the household.
Genesis 24:60 "And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions..."
Genesis 27:13"And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them."
2 Kings 4:19 "And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother."
Alma 56:47-48 "Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

I left the meeting with more appreciation in my heart for the responsibility of motherhood and women.