Dialogue Sneak Peek: Stephen Carter
We’re pleased to present more the first fruits of our newfound friendship with Dialogue: an advance look at Stephen Carter’s personal essay, "The Weight of Priesthood." Stephen will appear soon at BCC as a special guest (once he returns from his remote Alaskan hideaway), and in advance we invite you to download and read his thoughtful article. The article will appear in Dialogue’s Fall Issue #3803, available Sept. 1st.
Such honesty. Nice essay.
Comment by Ronan — August 25, 2005 @ 10:17 am
Ronan, that was my impression as well - very plainspoken, yet profound. I think it will be fun to grill him about this when he blogs.
Comment by Steve Evans — August 25, 2005 @ 10:19 am
I liked the bit at the end about wanting to put his hands on his children’s heads when they are sleeping. I do that too!
Comment by Ronan — August 25, 2005 @ 10:29 am
I loved that part too, Ronan.
Comment by kris — August 25, 2005 @ 10:33 am
That was beautiful.
Comment by Ann — August 25, 2005 @ 11:08 am
Really a wonderful essay. This is one of the first people I’ve ever heard talk about how it feels when everyone you taught in your mission leaves the church. For most of us, that’s an inevitable part of the mission experience–but we never talk about it. And the family relationship descriptions are perfect.
Comment by RoastedTomatoes — August 25, 2005 @ 11:34 am
Very well written story. I couldn’t help but feel a little envy, though. As a woman, I will never have direct priesthood related experiences (at least, none that I can write about and not be called a heretic). Even the weight, the resposibility that Stephen feels is envious.
Comment by Kayla — August 25, 2005 @ 1:30 pm
Kayla, is that really so? Admittedly, there’s aren’t many ordinances you can perform, but the weight Stephen describes shouldn’t be totally foreign, I don’t think… or am I totally wrong?
Comment by Steve Evans — August 25, 2005 @ 1:38 pm
Steve,
yeah… the envy (maybe the wrong word–longing, regret?) was real. I read the essay, and was very much touched by Stephens honest, straightforward prose and by the topic itself. But I also noticed that I found myself thinking, “I will never know what that feels like, but I want to.” (Mind you, I don’t always want to experience what everyone else does, but in this case, it made me reflect on the limitations I have with respect to the priesthood because of my gender).
As for the weight not being totally foreign: Certainly not. Knowledge, understanding, belief in God is weighty. Every day I reflect on things I could have done better because internally I _know_ better. But the weight as it relates to direct priesthood responsibility, I have not felt. (upholding the priesthood is similar, I concede)
Comment by Kayla — August 25, 2005 @ 1:51 pm
Anyone have a source for this?
“I found out later that Joseph Smith had some of his apostles do a healing blessing over and over again until they finally got the Spirit.”
I enjoyed reading this as well.
Comment by Ben S. — August 25, 2005 @ 2:49 pm
That was a touching article. I remeber feeling the weight of hands on my head as a child, this was physical, but no more real than the weight I felt coming off me the moment the stake president released me from my mission or the sudden weight I felt when I was made EQP.
Comment by a random John — August 25, 2005 @ 2:49 pm
Stephen writes: “I can’t imagine holding the sick or dying body of one of my children or my wife and not being able to bless them.”
If he were an average Mormon woman, this would be the reality he would live with: That he would, indeed, have to sit by holding his sick or dying child or spouse and feel unable to bless them.
True, some Mormon women are comfortable giving blessings to their children or spouses, but the vast majority of modern mormon women are reluctant to call upon the Powers of Heaven themselves in any way that involves the laying on of hands, lest they be seen as heretical or even apostate. It is a wonder that more Mormon women don’t feel like Kayla.
Comment by LRC — August 25, 2005 @ 5:32 pm
This essay is excellent. I share Kayla’s longing to know the feeling of administering the priesthood. I have ambivalent feelings about the priesthood. On the one hand, I am very resentful of the administrative power (and sometime abuse of that power) of men in the church; on the other hand I am immensely grateful for the priesthood. It has worked miracles in my life. I often ask my husband after he has given me a blessing what it felt like, how he knew what to say, whether he really believes what he is saying is coming from God. No doubt that adds to the weight he feels in bearing the priesthood!
Comment by Christina — August 25, 2005 @ 6:17 pm
Ben S.
I know that Truman Madsen mentions the multiple blessings incident in his Joseph Smith: The Prophet lectures. I don’t know what the original source was.
Comment by a random John — August 25, 2005 @ 11:48 pm
I finally had a moment to read the full article and found it quite moving. There were many images that I identified with, but the most poignant (for me) was the issue of Faith. My magnitude of Faith has vascillated more than other aspects of my spiritual life. I can look back to certain points and see that I had Faith in Jesus for tangible outcomes. More times than not, however, I lack the faith, doubting my relationships.
I look forward to Stephen’s comments.
Comment by J. Stapley — August 26, 2005 @ 5:27 pm
Ben S.,
I believe that incident is also cited in Andrew Ehat’s Masters’ Thesis.
Comment by A Nonny Mouse — August 29, 2005 @ 3:55 pm