1. Perspective on Priesthood and Ordination
I don’t think ordination is necessary and have advocated for a “priesthood of all believers” for many years (including when I was still a member of Community of Christ). The Reform Mormon Doctrine and Covenants makes it clear in Doctrine 12 and multiple proclamations that the priesthood is something that is inherent in everyone and is bestowed by God.
Nevertheless, I don’t think we should forbid participating in the ritual of ordination if someone or a community feels that they need it. In Community of Christ I felt a call to be a Matriarch, but for no other reason than I having a polyamorous family, I wasn’t permitted to be ordained into any office of the priesthood. Despite that particular church not recognizing my calling, I began serving in that capacity and gave a couple Matriarchal blessings. However, when I left Community of Christ, I wanted my previously-denied priesthood calling to be recognized by my community, and so I asked my friend to ordain me. It was a very affirming experience – I felt my community telling me that they love and trust me. That is very much the approach I take toward the functional purpose of ordination.
2. Relationship with the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ
Historically, LGBT folks haven’t been treated well within Mormonism, however one sect, the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ, is a strong exception to this. This church was explicitly affirming of LGBT folks, and they were key figures in the founding of this church. They had visions and revelations, made their own scriptures, and carved out a place for themselves in the Restoration.
In case it’s news to anyone, I am a part of the LGBT community, namely I am bisexual and transgender. I have wanted to connect with other LGBT Mormons, and I have found many who are the same age or younger than me. However, I have wanted guidance from LGBT Mormons who are older than me so I can seek their wisdom when I need it, but unfortunately they are few and far between. I think this is in large part due to how the LDS church has treated us as well as the AIDS epidemic. So, when I learned about the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ, I was absolutely thrilled to see that there was a community of people like me who were pioneering generations before me.
John Crane was a co-founder of this group, and during his time in it he wrote many articles in the church’s official and unofficial publications. He received and shared many revelations, a number of which were compiled with others’ revelations in the book of scripture “Hidden Treasures and Promises”. Despite John leaving that church in the late 1980’s, he has continued to be a wonderful steward of this scripture, making it available in multiple places on the internet. On top of that, he has always happily talked to anyone about his spiritual journey and what he learned during that time. I first personally encountered John in comments on facebook, but John also has talked to Steve Shields, who authored the encyclopedia “Divergent Paths of the Restoration”, and Crane gave Shields a lot of information about the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ, thus helping preserve the memory and legacy of those LGBT Mormon elders.
Because of who John is, what he has experienced, and what work he has done, he is someone that I admire a great deal. I have since had the blessing of getting to know John through periodic facebook messages, and he has continued to graciously answer any questions and give any resources I ask for.
3. My Question to John
Traditionally speaking, “the sealing power” is something that is conferred in a similar way as priesthood is, and is a sort of ordination. As with priesthood, I have written multiple times (like here and here) about how a new theological approach to sealing based off of the “priesthood of all believers” is necessary. Nevertheless, I wanted to feel connected to John and all of the LGBT Mormon elders who came before me. So, I asked John if he would be willing to give me the sealing power, which was given to him my Tony Feliz, which was given to him by Harold B. Lee. I believe I already have the sealing power, but my asking John this was really just an excuse to grow closer to the people I admire through a shared ritual.
John took my request seriously, and thought and prayed about it for 6 days. John ended up sending me a 5-page document back as his response.
John affirmed that he sees priesthood, and by extension the sealing power, as a gift imparted from God which cannot be imparted by humans to other humans. He gently encouraged me to seek the sealing power directly from the heavens instead of seeking it from him.
One of the things that struck me was his previous experiences with people asking him for the sealing power. Tony Feliz, one of the other co-founders of the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ, had previously been a sealer in the LDS church. Tony came to suggest that the authority and validity of the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ was because of the power to seal that had been conferred upon him. Tony made a big deal out of giving this power to John and NOT giving it to others, such as Pam Calkins and Bob McIntier (who were other leaders in their church). The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ came to become quite obsessed with how much priesthood a person had, and John said that’s where it all went wrong.
After Tony and John left the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ in the late 1980s, Bob and Pam became the leaders of the church. Several members of the church approached John asking for the sealing power, and it seemed as if Bob and Pam were okay with it, so he gave it to those seeking it. However, Bob and Pam ended up getting quite upset, because they felt as if John had circumvented their hierarchical authority.
The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ has been dissolved for over 15 years, and many of the people who were a part of it have passed away. Today, John is an independent practitioner, but is also quite friendly with the Reform Mormons; he comments frequently in our facebook group and has given several talks at our conferences. When I asked John for the sealing power, he said that he didn’t want to make it seem like he was building a hierarchy and/or subverting Rob Lauer, who has been a pillar and theologian in the Reform Mormon community for many years.
Because of both of his current views on priesthood and the experiences with giving the sealing power to others in the past, John told me that no, he would not give me the sealing power.
I was moved by how much thought and care John put into his response. I explained to John that I wasn’t interested in “authority”, but was instead interested in being connected to him and the previous LGBT Mormons in a unique and special way, and this seemed like a way to do it, but nevertheless I felt affirmed that my previous outlook was considered a good one by a man I respect as an elder.
John was happy and relieved that I accepted his answer, and noted that he would love to meet in person someday so we could talk more about our shared tradition and experiences as LGBT Mormons. Ultimately, this is the connection I was seeking <3
I read Evan’s response and was equally thrilled. She accurately described my response to her and my experiences in the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ. I deeply appreciate her friendship and support. Ever since leaving the RCJC, I have pondered what we did right and how we went wrong. It was the single greatest learning experience of my life. Over the years, I have been trying to share what I have learned, but nobody seemed to be listening. I am grateful that Evan is listening. And the fact that she is doing so, makes me all the more want to be careful about what I say and do, and make sure it reflects the will of the Lord, to the best of my ability.
I learned something from Evan’s response, and that not only does the ordinance, itself, give us the faith and hope that the Lord recognizes that sealing or binding ordinance, but the practice of ordaining and blessing one another also binds the giver and the receiver together. The Lord is forever teaching and revealing new things to us, and we must always be open to receive truth no matter who or where it comes from. There is also a bond which occurs between teacher and learner. Thank you, Evan, for teaching me today.