After the Church turned women away from the Priesthood session this past spring, Michael Otterson, the managing director of public affairs of the LDS church addressed Ordain Women with this statement: “We might wonder what the Savior’s reaction would have been had the many prominent women in his life taken such a course. If Mary Magdalene, or Mary, his mother, or Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, had demanded ordination to the Twelve, had spoken publicly about their insistence and made demands such as we hear today, how would Jesus have felt, who loved them every bit as much as he loved the Twelve?”
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His question caused me to ponder… How would Jesus respond to Ordain Women? What do the scriptures teach us about how Jesus interacted with women and their questions, even their demands? As I read the story of the woman of Canaan in Matthew 15, I was struck by the similarities between her story and Ordain Women, and it provided the answer I believe the Savior Himself would give.
22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
The woman of Canaan was not of the house of Israel and the revelation to take the gospel to the Gentiles would not be till after the resurrection. Like Ordain Women, she is asking for a blessing, seemingly ahead of its proper time. Her request was against the “doctrine” of the time, against the “rules,” a violation of the culture and religious structure.
25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
Like Ordain Women, the woman of Canaan was persistent in her righteous desires.
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.
The Savior’s initial 2 answers were to deny her the blessing she sought. Yet, she persisted, and like so many in the church today, the disciples of Christ just wished she would go away. But yet again she asked in faith and the Savior then answered her.
27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
This is what the scriptures teach us about how the Savior responds to women. Not just the first part, not just the middle, but the whole thing. He blessed her for her faith. He knew the doctrine, she knew the doctrine. She knew the culture and the rules. But, her faith was greater than the rules, she knew it, and He knew it, and He blessed her for it according to her righteous desires. Great is the faith of women. I believe women should be ordained.