Valentinus wrote:
I see this as a problem within Mormonism. Why would Joseph Smith ordain women to priesthood only to have BY suspend and stop it? Oddly, there is a letter that talks about womens rights within priesthood. In fact, it was written by the FP with Joseph F. Smith as president.
Actually if you were to ask Brigham himself he'd probably tell you that he did not put a stop to it. He'd probably point to the Endowment and the Relief Society as evidence. He'd probably tell you it would be no good to tell his wife Eliza R. Snow that she wasn't a "High Priestess according to the Hebraic" order. That said, yes, it's been disemphasized in a dramatic way. The reason?
I could dream up a few, but the one that makes the most sense to me is that Brigham did not want to submit to the President of the Melkhizedek Priesthood. Up to June 27th, 1844 that had been a portfolio held by both Joseph and Emma Smith as Co-Presidents. Upon Joseph's death she was the sole President of the Melkhizedek Priesthood. And Brigham didn't like her terms because she was not exactly a fan of a certain number of "Joseph's measures."