0:00 Title Sequence 2:40 Definitions - “Order of Priests” 9:26 Authority & Evolving definitions 15:38 Any priesthood scriptures referring to only men? 20:10 Are men the head? 26:05 How the early Church compared to other denominations 30:36 Definition of “ordain” & “expound” (D&C 25 Emma) 37:50 Priesthood participation in the Kirtland temple 42:28 Priesthood participation in the Nauvoo temple 47:15 Relief Society & Temple Priesthood 52:00 Unprecedented priesthood & Emma Smith 57:30 Holy Order of Priests & Priestesses 1:03:31 The Anointed Quorum & Restoration of the Priesthood 1:09:40 Conclusion - Connecting the Priesthood through all dispensations 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 ordained priests or allowed to belong to a priesthood? 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 officiated 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? With careful scholarship and a positive, faith-centered approach, this episode offers historical clarity while inviting thoughtful reflection on women, priesthood, and divine partnership throughout Church history.