By looking at the words of the early Mormons, one can see that even the first-hand participants in the "restoration" process can't answer the above questions.
BYU's religion department attempts to figure out when the Mormon priesthoods were restored. Make sure to notice the dates on some of the sources used. Also take note of the quotes from this list that were not used in this article.
Some thoughts and quotes on why discriminatory practices have been used to prevent certain people from obtaining Mormon priesthoods.
Several of those who have written about this topic have now been excommunicated even though what they have written is correct.
How did the Mormon power structure come in to being? How did it evolve in the early days of the church? Find out in this lenghty, well-documented treatment of the subject.
How has the Mormon power structure evolved since the largest body of the church moved to Utah? D. Michael Quinn documents and discusses modern changes and happenings within the upper quorums of the Mormon church.
Are feminism and Mormonism compatible? Some think so. Unfortunately, several of them have been excommunicated for voicing their opinions.
"I see the Declaration as proof of Priesthood Correlation's assumption of Relief Society autonomy."
Janice Allred writes about her confrontations with those who think they have authority over her by virtue of their sex.
Sterling comments on the efforts made to get blacks the Mormon priesthood.
A look at how people are to act in the church. Those in power know and set all the rules, but they aren't for public consumption. Everyone else is supposed to figure things out and fall in line.
Rigdon is largely responsible for the formation and organization of the early church power structure which has continued to a large degree to the current day. Find out about the man Utah Mormons have barely heard of.
Ezra Taft Benson doesn't mince words when it comes to who is in charge and who Mormons are to blindly follow.
In what appears to be closer to scripture than anything else produced by the church in the past few decades, males are commanded to be the breadwinner and females are commanded to have kids and raise them.
In an effort to preserve the priesthood currently being available to men only, neo-orthodox Mormon leaders have frowned on discussions of the early Mormon doctrine of a "Mother in Heaven". BYU professors have their jobs in jeopardy if they bring up the subject.