INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- Women now may be ordained as priests in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but some members want assurance the idea was a revelation from God.
'This will be a challenge for leaders and members alike not to allow diversity of opinion to become disunity within the body,' said President-prophet Wallace B. Smith after Thursday's 3-1 vote on the revelation, which is now considered 'the mind and will of God.'
The revelation of the ordination of women priests was considered by the Orders and Quorums of the Church, then presented to the 280 delegates attending the biennial World Conference. The revelation was approved after a 2 -hour debate.
Church members consider spiritual leaders' ideas 'continuing revelation.' But when Smith offered the revelation on Tuesday, many members discussed whether to leave the church should it be approved.
'In 6,000 years God did not see fit to call women to the priesthood, and there is no scriptural bases for calling women to the priesthood,' said delegate Glen Miller of the East Oklahoma district. 'I feel this is not the will and the mind of God.'
Garland Tickemyer, of Independence, said, 'This is not the first time a prophet has favored this. When I was assistant to (former president-prophet) Frederick Smith, he said the time would come when women would be ordained into the priesthood, and he said it would come by a revelation.'
'It is the will of God,' said Lloyd Hurshman of Independence, one of the Council of Twelve Apostles, an administrative group of the church. 'I believe it is. And it will grow and prosper among the people.'
Smith emphasized the church 'is entering a significant new era of ministry.'
But some of the delegates, including many Haitians, said they were concerned because women in their culture cannot accept such roles.
All church leadership roles -- except the priesthood -- in 1972 were open to women. About 18,000 priesthood members hold top leadership positions in the local churches.
Besides opening the priesthood to women, the revelatory document also calls for the erection of a temple in Independence. The idea was proposed by president-emeritus W. Wallace Smith in 1968 and prophesied by church founder Joseph Smith Jr.
RLDS, headquartered in Independence, has a worldwide membership of more than 230,000 in 36 nations.
The Reorganized Church of the Latter Day Saints and the Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormon Church, both believe the Independence area is the site for Zion, the future heavenly city.
A site has been chosen for the temple but lack of funds delayed construction. It is to be built on a 63-acre site around the church's auditorium.
