Men, Women and the Priesthood

I don't have a lot of time, but I wanted to get this down before I forgot about it.

I have been thinking, off and on, about the roles of men and women. You hear about women and girls who feel like they get the short end of the stick in the Church because they aren't given the priesthood (meaning power and authority to act in God's name). Most women, when they truly understand women's roles and the Plan, don't have a problem with it and feel very blessed with their roles and privileges. However, I have been trying to figure out a way to explain it to people that don't understand, and it is difficult to do succinctly. But today I was thinking, and an analogy came to my head that I liked and would like to share...

Picture a box. A beautiful, intricately carved box of rare and precious wood. The wood is smooth, lustrous and rich in color. It is a piece of great value to be taken especial care of.
When you open the box, inside is a scarf made of extremely rare and precious silk. It is soft, with a beautiful rich color and the best quality available. Both of these things are extremely rare and valuable. In fact, they are actually valued at the exact same amount. But each has its own specific use and purpose.
The box is for holding and protecting things kept inside. The silk scarf is for valued for its beauty and softness. Would you use the box for a scarf? No. Would you use the silk to hold things or protect other things? No. Using them like that would be ridiculous, defeat the purpose of each, and ultimately ruin both the box and the silk.
I would compare the box to the role of men, and the silk to the role of women. Now, does the box have the same role as men, and the silk the same role of women? No. Work with me here--don't take this too literally! But, they DO have different purposes while both keep an identical intrinsic value.

Now the next step: What do you put on a piece of wood, especially a valuable box, to strengthen it and help it fulfill its own purpose? You would put a coat of varnish or something on it, so it would be better able to withstand wear and tear, dirt, grime or moisture, and therefore be better able to protect the silk in the box. Would you put the varnish on a scarf of precious silk? Of course not. That would ruin it. The varnish would spoil the inherent beauty and richness of the pure silk. Using the silk scarf to protect the box would also ruin it. The exposure to wear and tear, dirt, grime and moisture would make the silk unusable and worthless. And I don't think the box would be much protected, either. Trying to put varnish on the silk might make it waterproof (might being a key word there), but it would become hard and unsightly and not beautiful any longer. While the varnish enhances the abilities of the wood, it is unnecessary for the silk and would spoil its inherent beauty. The silk must rely on the box for protection and care. The box would be purposeless without holding the silk. It would just be an empty box. They both need each other to truly fulill their roles.

I believe that the priesthood for men acts much the same as the varnish for wood. The priesthood protects and strengthens the men of the Church to fulfill their roles. I believe that men are given specific, inherent qualities that, bolstered by the strength and guidance that the priesthood gives them, allows them to fulfill their duties as fathers and leaders; to preside over families and meetings and congregations in the best way possible. I believe that women would also be able to fulfill these roles to a degree--but their own specific, inherent, divine qualities would be ruined in the process. I personally think we as women would be overwhelmed, heartbroken and lost with the problems and decisions that the leadership of the Church has to face.
I believe that men, with their ability to compartmentalize, a general tendency to logic and problem-solve, and instinct to protect are the best ones for the roles they are given in the Church. I believe that women, with their instinct to help others, comfort, teach, create, and emotional (hence, spiritual) base are the best ones for the roles they are given in the Church. I believe that the best way to strive for Zion is for both to accept their own roles, appreciate the roles of the other, and work together with respect, patience, and understanding. Neither one can succeed without the other, as asserted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:11: "Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord." I believe that if we can come to understand this and put it into practice, great and miraculous things can happen as we strive to build up the kingdom of God.

So there's my two--or two hundred--cents on the subject.