Why can't women hold the Priesthood?

[_Drifting]

On another thread gdemetz said (in reference to Ellen White):

You stated it. She knew better than to claim that title! Although some women have been prophetesses, meaning that they have the testimony of Christ which is the spirit of prophesy, the have never held the priesthood, or the authority to act in the name of God, in ancient times or in modern times.

So why is that the case?
The Priesthood, according to the Gospel Principles manual, is delegated by Him "to worthy male members of the Church. The Priesthood enables them to act in God's name for the salvation of the human family. Through it they can be authorized to preach the gospel, administer the ordinances of salvation, and govern God's kingdom on earth."

So, why has God decided that women cannot be allowed to hold the Priesthood?

[_MsJack]

You stated it. She knew better than to claim that title! Although some women have been prophetesses, meaning that they have the testimony of Christ which is the spirit of prophesy, the have never held the priesthood, or the authority to act in the name of God, in ancient times or in modern times.

Deborah was a judge in Israel with the authority to give orders to the commander of Israel's armies (Judges 4:4-7). Miriam was co-leader of Israel right alongside Moses and Aaron (Micah 6:4) whom God spoke through (Numbers 12:1-2). If those examples don't count as women having authority to act in God's name, then there are no examples of men having authority to act in God's name, either.

So, why has God decided that women cannot be allowed to hold the Priesthood?

Because . . .

(1) Women can have babies / Women have motherhood, men have priesthood

(2) Women are more spiritual than men. Men need the priesthood just to keep up.

(3) If women had the priesthood, they would do everything and they would do it so much better than the men do it, and there would be nothing left for the poor men to do, and then the men would stop attending church altogether.

(4) Women do hold the priesthood, either through their husbands or the endowment.

(5) Holding the priesthood amounts to a lot of tiresome, awful work, so God is just sparing women from that.

(6) Women have access to all of the blessings of the priesthood anyways, so why does it even matter?

(7) Most LDS women are okay with not having the priesthood, so there's really no need for change.

(8) Eve was the first to eat from the tree in the Garden of Eden, so God withheld the priesthood from women to punish them.

(9) The people of the church aren't ready for it. It will be given to women in time.

(10) We just don't know / Because God says so.

(11) Only liberal churches which have embraced radical feminism ordain women.

[_Tobin]

Women in the Mormon church do hold the priesthood. They are prohibited from exercising that priesthood outside of the temple because of current-day man-made policies in the LDS Church.

[_Buffalo]

Because conservative religious movements are often at odds with the ongoing civilizing process that brought an end to acceptable racism, slavery, treating women as chattel, etc.

[_bcspace]

They can if they use Palmolive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzmTtusvjR4

[_Quasimodo]

They would have to call it 'Priestesshood'. A clumsy word even for Mormons.

[_son of Ishmael]

(12) The current church leadership dosen't like to share power/authority

[_Drifting]

If women held the Priesthood who would cook dinner?