Dear First Presidency:
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy…” Acts 2:17-18
This scripture passage was impressed urgently upon me many years ago by the Holy Spirit and I was puzzled by this impression. It was a passage that was obscure to me and had no significant meaning or import previous to this time. Why? What was I supposed to do with it?
Then in March of 2013, I sat in a small room on the campus of the University of Utah and witnessed daughters of Zion, handmaidens of God stand and prophesy and I understood.
Like the prophets of old, they soon found themselves reviled, mocked, scorned and stoned by the chief priests and by the people.
Still, we persist; calling the church to repentance and inviting it back into recognition of the radical inclusiveness of God’s enduring love expressed so beautifully in John 3:16 and 2 Nephi 26.
I come to you as a beloved daughter of our Heavenly Parents and express my abiding hope that these passages of scripture will pierce your hearts and compel you to throw open the iron gates of what you think you already know and earnestly seek the counsel of the Lord regarding the exclusion of women from the blessings and opportunities of priesthood service.
Laura Pennock
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