Mormonism and gender issues/Women/Role in the Church/Priesthood/Did Joseph ordain women to the priesthood

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Did Joseph Smith ordain women to the priesthood?

Questions

Did Joseph Smith (or other early leaders) ordain women to the priesthood?

To see citations to the critical sources for these claims, click here

Answer

Ordination of women to the priesthood is a matter of doctrine that is contrary to the Lord's revealed organization for His Church.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in a letter responding to the Ordain Women movement's request for tickets to the April 2014 General Priesthood Session. (17 March 2014)

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There has been some confusion over the language used of the first organization of the Relief Society—but it is not clear that we should understand this as a priesthood ordination. Certainly none of the early leaders of the Church understood Joseph to have done so.

Detailed Analysis

Did Joseph Smith ordain women to the Priesthood?

The basis for the suggestion that Joseph ordained women usually comes from the language used when he first organized the Relief Society. When the Relief Society was originally set up, it seems to have been intended to function in a way similar to the priesthood (but largely autonomous - it was not originally set up as an auxiliary to the priesthood in the sense that it exists today - that shift comes later). It had a similar organization (a presidency, councils, and so on).

The original minutes from the Relief Society's founding are available on-line as part of the Joseph Smith Papers project.

A look at these minutes illustrates the parallels in the type of language used. For example, on page 8:

If any Officers are wanted to carry out the designs of the Institution, let them be appointed and set apart, as Deacons, Teachers, etc., are among us."

Later on the same page:

Moved by President [Joseph] Smith, that Mrs. [Emma] Smith proceed to choose her Counselors, that they may be ordained to preside over this Society, in taking care of the poor."

And later again on the same page:

President Smith ... stated that she was ordained at the time,....

These leaders are thus are set apart, just like deacons and teachers are, but they are not set apart as deacons and teachers (that is, they are not ordained to priesthood office). We certainly have no record of women serving as deacons, teachers, priests, elders, etc. in Nauvoo or afterward.

John Taylor's later witness is important, because it was him that ordained Emma and her two counselors at the founding meeting of the Relief Society. He said:

"Some of the sisters have thought that these sisters mentioned were, in this ordination, ordained to the priesthood. And for the information of all interested in this subject I will say, it is not the calling of these sisters to hold the Priesthood, only in connection with their husbands, they being one with their husbands.

Notes

Further reading and additional sources responding to these claims