In this episode of Church History Matters, hosts Casey Griffiths and Scott Woodward sit down with special guest Lisa Olsen Tait to explore one of the most frequently asked and historically complex questions in Christian history: Were women ever allowed to be priests or hold priesthood authority? Together they examine the evidence not only within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but also across broader Christian traditions, tracing how different communities have understood women’s spiritual authority over time.
From the early Christian world to modern debates, the conversation carefully separates assumption from documentation and myth from history. The discussion also highlights a pivotal moment in Latter-day Saint history—temple worship in Nauvoo, where in the Nauvoo Temple men and women participated in sacred ordinances involving priesthood functions in ways that were new and significant. What did this mean in the 1830s? How did early Latter-day Saints understand women’s relationship to priesthood power? With careful scholarship and a positive, faith-centered approach, this episode offers historical clarity while inviting thoughtful reflection on women, authority, and divine partnership throughout Christian history.
