1 Corinthians 11

With apostolic insight, our inspired writer here proclaims certain basic and eternal principles pertaining to men and women and their relationship to each other. In view of these, he then approves or disapproves of certain local customs and traditions, not that the local customs were of themselves either good or bad, but that the practice either added or diminished from the proper reverence for and adherence to the great basic concepts being set forth.

(Moses 3:18-24, Doctrine & Covenants 25) Paul, thus names four great gospel principles in this order: As God is the head of Christ, and Christ is the head of man, so man is the head of woman. Such is the Lord’s eternal order of government and control (v.3). As a man is the image and glory of God, so woman is the glory of man (v.7). Such specifies the relative position of the sexes. There cannot be two equal heads (v.8-9). It takes a man and a woman together to gain the glorious state of exaltation (Doctrine & Covenants 131:1-4). Such is the whole object and end of the gospel, and as such it forms a kind of degree of equality between the sexes, still, however, leaving the man to preside over the woman as God presides over the man (v.11-12). (Moses 3:18-24, Doctrine & Covenants 25)

“The house of the Lord is a house of order and not a house of confusion; and that means that the man is not without the woman in the Lord, neither is the woman without the man in the Lord; and that no man can be saved and exalted in the Kingdom of God without the woman, and no woman can reach the perfection and exaltation in the kingdom of God alone. That is what it means. God instituted marriage in the beginning……

…He made man in his own image and likeness, male and female, and in their creation it was designed that they should be united together in sacred bonds of marriage, and one is not perfect without the other. Furthermore, it means that there is no union for time and eternity that can be perfected outside the law of God, and the order of His house. Men may desire it, they may go through the form of it, in this life, but it will be of no effect except of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost” (Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 272).

Man Preside, protect, provide Woman Nurture 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Followers of me” Christ and His prophets are prototypes. Follow them! 1 Corinthians 11:2 Joseph Smith said they had all the ordinances! Keep the ordinances, keep the commandments!

1 Corinthians 11:5 “Every woman that prayeth or prophesieth” Women are not one whit behind men in spiritual things; perhaps, on the whole, they are ahead of them; in the very nature of things there will be more women than men living in the state of family exaltation hereafter. And women, here and now, are as much entitled to revelation, visions, and gifts of the Spirit as are men.

1 Corinthians 11:15 “Heresies” What are heresies? Heresies abound in the sectarian world. False doctrines are manifest at every hand. God is not a spirit essence, without body parts, or passions, that fills immensity and is nowhere in particular present, for instance; nor is it true that revelation ceased with the ancient apostles.

His warning seems to be about the “True Church His warning seems to be about the “True Church.” For instance, what of the views of some on the revelation, on the age of the earth, on the theories or organic evolution, on the resurrection of the sons of perdition, on second chance for salvation, on whether God is progressing in truth and knowledge, and so forth? Heresies and false teachings are thus used in the testing process of this mortal probation.

1 Corinthians 11:27 “Unworthily” This is the first account of the Sacrament. The Gospels are not yet written chronologically. 1 Corinthians 11:27 “Unworthily” Greek for carelessly and without thought!

This penalty applies only to those who partake of the sacrament in total and complete unworthiness and rebellion. Personal worthiness is an essential prerequisite in all gospel ordinances; otherwise the performances are not sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, thus gaining efficacy, virtue, and force for this life and for the life to come (Mormon 9:29, Doctrine & Covenants 46:4, 3 Nephi 18:28-32).

1 Corinthians 11:30 “Many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” Both temporal and spiritual sickness and death are here promised those saints who partake unworthily of the sacrament, because of sins committed after baptism!