Are We All a "Royal Priesthood"?

Image from Wikimedia Commons, user Ariely, CC 3.0 unported

Women in the LDS church can heave a sigh of relief: they will probably never have to conduct a sacrament meeting or preside at a stake conference. They don't have to ask a blessing on the bread and water served as communion, or pass it around to the members. They won't have to baptize anyone, perform a marriage, or direct a funeral. They don't have to lead a prayer in the temple prayer circle or pretend to be Jesus at the veil. I know several LDS women that are content to be left out of these things: they don't want the responsibility of holding the priesthood and doing what is expected of the men who do.

There are some male members that for one reason or another never obtained the priesthood or never progressed to a higher level of priesthood. These male members are looked down upon as though something is wrong with them.

Would either of these two groups, women and men with less priesthood, be astonished to know that they actually are priests of God after all?

No need for approval of earthly church leaders or laying on of hands or finishing any checklist of rules...if only Mormons would consult and believe their Bibles they would see this:

1 Peter 2

King James Version (KJV)

⁵ Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

⁹ But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

Revelation 1:5-6

King James Version (KJV)

⁵ And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

⁶ And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

And our great High Priest is Jesus:

Hebrews 4:14

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.