Joseph Smith Promised Female Priests | Church History Matters I Women & Priesthood Series EP09

0:00 Thanking Lisa & additional resources 5:00 Priesthood definition 1 - Holy Order 10:14 Priesthood definition 2 - Church Offices 13:40 Priesthood definition 3 - Celestial Order 15:18 Priesthood definition 4 - Temple Workers 20:45 Priesthood definitions 5 - God’s power 30:26 Priesthood definition 6 - Authority & Keys 39:39 Recap - Women & Priesthood relationship? 44:15 Single sister missionaries 54:37 Heavenly Mother history 1:01:36 Heavenly Mother doctrine 1:12:00 Conclusion - Purpose of the Priesthood In this episode, hosts Scott Woodward, Casey Griffiths, and Lisa Tait explore the six different ways Church leaders have defined priesthood throughout the Church's history and how each of these definitions uniquely relates to women. Throughout this episode they discuss the powerful and often overlooked theme of Joseph Smith’s vision of women as part of a “kingdom of priests.” From the earliest days of the Restoration in 1830, Joseph Smith taught expansive ideas about spiritual authority, inviting women into sacred spaces like the temple and organizing the Relief Society with language that echoed priesthood power, purpose, and covenant identity. Women in the early Church blessed the sick, participated in temple ordinances, and understood themselves as active contributors in building God’s kingdom—not just as supporters, but as partners in a divine work rooted in shared access to heavenly power. As the Church grew and developed through the 19th and 20th centuries, the way these teachings were interpreted and practiced shifted, leading to a more formal distinction between priesthood office and women’s roles. Yet the original vision of a covenant community—where women and men alike are endowed with spiritual power—continues to shape conversations today. This episode traces that journey from Joseph Smith’s Nauvoo teachings to the present, highlighting both the continuity and the tension in how Latter-day Saint women relate to priesthood authority, and inviting viewers to reconsider what it means to truly become a “kingdom of priests” in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.