Power of the Priesthood

As our Home Teachers came last night to give Hyrum a blessing for his upcoming surgery, I am reminded of how the Priesthood has blessed and provided for our family over the course of my life. I think this is the first time that someone other than family has been asked to provide this gift. As the spirit filled my home, I am reminded of the many previous blessings that have been offered for healing, comfort, at the beginning of school years, and just because. I have seen many miracles in my lifetime and I give all the credit to the Priesthood around me. I wanted to use this post to share my knowledge of this Priesthood.

The following excerpt is from a talk given by Boyd K. Packer in the April 2010 Conference entitled "The Power of the Priesthood".

The Priesthood is the authority and the power which God has granted to men on earth to act for Him. When priesthood authority is exercised properly, priesthood bearers do what He would do if He were present.

Authority in the priesthood comes by way of ordination; power in the priesthood comes through faithful and obedient living in honoring covenants. It is increased by exercising and using the priesthood in righteousness. The priesthood does not have the strength that it should have and will not have until the power of the priesthood is firmly fixed in the families as it should be.

Now, fathers, I would remind you of the sacred nature of your calling. You have the power of the priesthood directly from the Lord to protect your home. There will be times when all that stands as a shield between your family and the adversary’s mischief will be that power. You will receive direction from the Lord by way of the gift of the Holy Ghost.

From this article I have learned a couple of things. 1)any one time worthy man can receive the Authority of the Priesthood, but 2) only those that continue to live worthy of that Priesthood have the Power of the Priesthood to exercise it according to the Lord's will.

Just like with pretty much everything,it is the day to day living the Gospel of Jesus Christ that give us the Power of the Priesthood. Just like the Men that hold the Priesthood, I believe that those on the receiving end need to also be worthy of the Priesthood. It is a wonderful gift that the Lord has given us as families to feel his Spirit up close and personal.

I just love listening to John H. Groberg of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy, his message given in April 2001 also describes the beauty of the Priesthood.

Through its power, ordinances are performed which, when accompanied by righteousness, allow families to be together forever, sins to be forgiven, the sick to be healed, the blind to see, and even life to be restored.

God wants us, His sons, to hold His priesthood and learn to use it properly. He has explained that:

“No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned.

“By kindness, and pure knowledge.”

For if we “exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men [especially our wives and children], in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.”

Thus, we see that while the power of the priesthood is unlimited, our individual power in the priesthood is limited by our degree of righteousness or purity.

This explains to me that the Priesthood is not meant for the Fathers and Husbands to exercise control over their children and wives, but a way to serve them.

Just as clean wires, properly connected, are required to carry electrical power, so clean hands and pure hearts are required to carry priesthood power. Filth and grime slow or prevent the flow of electrical power. Unclean thoughts and actions interfere with individual priesthood power. When we are humble, clean, and pure of hand, heart, and mind, nothing righteous is impossible.

What a great analogy this is. Are our personal "wires" clean and properly connected?

I hope that what I have learned will benefit my readers. I encourage you to keep your wires clean and ready to serve those in need. The Priesthood is a wonderful blessing that the Lord has chosen to bestow upon our Fathers and Husbands, as daughters and wives I hope we can encourage our Brothers, Fathers, Husbands, Sons to see the good that can be done when the Priesthood Power is used correctly. It is an awesome responsibility as Mother's I think to teach our Son's the responsibility that is theirs, but also to teach our Daughters to help the men in their lives to live worthy of the Authority that they have to gain the Power of the Priesthood and to use it to bless the members of their Family both in the home and the community