Lisa Olsen Tait

Lisa Olsen Tait, a Church History Department scholar specializing in women and priesthood, guides a historical tour of female spiritual authority. The conversation traces early Christian and 19th-century views, highlights Nauvoo temple innovations where men and women participated in sacred rites, and examines how rituals, sealing, and temple practice shaped evolving understandings of priesthood.

Lisa Olsen Tait, historian of Latter-day Saint women’s history, traces 19th-century debates about women and priesthood using Relief Society minutes and archival sources. The conversation covers early meanings of ordain, Nauvoo temple roles for women, evolving language about women ‘holding’ priesthood, reforms that separated office from priesthood, and mid-20th-century shifts toward priesthood-motherhood ideas.

Lisa Olsen Tait, historian of Latter-day Saint women’s history, outlines how 19th-century women administered healing and bedside rituals. The conversation covers spiritual gifts, examples like Zina Huntington and Eliza R. Snow, temple and Relief Society practices, and shifting cultural and institutional responses to women’s healing roles.

Lisa Olsen Tait, a managing historian for women's history in the Church History Department, dives into the crucial role of the Nauvoo Relief Society in temple restoration. She explains how Joseph Smith envisioned it as a grassroots initiative pivotal for priesthood restoration. Tait discusses notable leaders like Eliza R. Snow and examines the complexities of women's roles in temple practices. The conversation highlights the overlap between Relief Society, temple ordinances, and the profound impact of women's contributions to church history.

Join historians Lisa Olsen Tait and James Goldberg as they explore the fascinating history of the Church's Young Women organization, tracing its origins from a small group in Brigham Young's Lion House to a vital entity shaping young women's lives today. They discuss the essential skills taught through the organization, the impact of societal pressures, and how past struggles with modesty and worthiness influence current experiences. Their insights reveal a rich tapestry of empowerment, leadership, and evolving identities that have guided generations of young women.