How does this apply to women? In an address to the Relief
Society, President Joseph Fielding Smith, then President of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles, said this: “While the sisters have not been given the
Priesthood, it has not been conferred upon them, that does not mean that the
Lord has not given unto them authority. … A person may have authority given to
him, or a sister to her, to do certain things in the Church that are binding
and absolutely necessary for our salvation, such as the work that our sisters
do in the House of the Lord. They have authority given unto them to do some
great and wonderful things, sacred unto the Lord, and binding just as
thoroughly as are the blessings that are given by the men who hold the
Priesthood.”
In that notable address, President Smith said again and
again that women have been given authority. To the women he said, “You can
speak with authority, because the Lord has placed authority upon you.” He also
said that the Relief Society “[has] been given power and authority to do a
great many things. The work which they do is done by divine authority.” And, of
course, the Church work done by women or men, whether in the temple or in the
wards or branches, is done under the direction of those who hold priesthood
keys. Thus, speaking of the Relief Society, President Smith explained, “[The
Lord] has given to them this great organization where they have authority to
serve under the directions of the bishops of the wards … , looking after
the interest of our people both spiritually and temporally.”
Thus, it is truly said that Relief Society is not just a
class for women but something they belong to—a divinely established appendage
to the priesthood.
We are not accustomed to speaking of women having the
authority of the priesthood in their Church callings, but what other authority
can it be? When a woman—young or old—is set apart to preach the gospel as a
full-time missionary, she is given priesthood authority to perform a priesthood
function. The same is true when a woman is set apart to function as an officer
or teacher in a Church organization under the direction of one who holds the
keys of the priesthood. Whoever functions in an office or calling received from
one who holds priesthood keys exercises priesthood authority in performing her
or his assigned duties. (Dallin H. Oaks, “The
Keys and Authority of the Priesthood,” General Conference [April 2014])
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