Lesson: The Powers of Heaven

Yesterday our lesson was on The Powers of Heaven, Elder David A. Bednar, taught by Trudy Cook

I love that Trudy prints out the talk and numbers the sections so that we can refer to various sections during our discussion.

And discussion is what we had. Trudy acknowledged that we all have different feelings and questions about the Priesthood because these are valid for women in the church today. But it was also acknowledged that we are thankful for the restoration of the authority to act in God's name, and that it's blessed our lives.

I invite each of you to consider how you would respond to the following question posed to the members of the Church many years ago by President David O. McKay: “If at this moment each one of you were asked to state in one sentence or phrase the most distinguishing feature of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, what would be your answer?” (“The Mission of the Church and Its Members,” Improvement Era, Nov. 1956, 781).

The response President McKay gave to his own question was the “divine authority” of the priesthood. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stands apart from other churches that claim their authority is derived from historical succession, the scriptures, or theological training. We make the distinctive declaration that priesthood authority has been conferred by the laying on of hands directly from heavenly messengers to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

I think it's important to recognize that the Priesthood is the current mechanism of administration that makes possible the salvation of all on earth at this time. The future may be different. Think of the promises made in the temple about what is ordained and may be fulfilled for us.

Priesthood is the means whereby the Lord acts through men to save souls. One of the defining features of the Church of Jesus Christ, both anciently and today, is His authority. There can be no true Church without divine authority.

The expectations for how the Priesthood is to be handled are clear.

A priesthood holder is expected to exercise this sacred authority in accordance with God’s holy mind, will, and purposes. Nothing about the priesthood is self-centered. The priesthood always is used to serve, to bless, and to strengthen other people.

Priesthood power can only be accessed upon personal righteousness. I have felt that many times from good men who truly seek the Lord's will.

As we do our best to fulfill our priesthood responsibilities, we can be blessed with priesthood power. The power of the priesthood is God’s power operating through men and boys like us and requires personal righteousness, faithfulness, obedience, and diligence. A boy or a man may receive priesthood authority by the laying on of hands but will have no priesthood power if he is disobedient, unworthy, or unwilling to serve.

And we know that the powers of heaven are available to all through personal righteousness, faith, prayer, and our own relationship to God and Christ. Yet we long to be more equally yoked.

The sisters rarely complained or criticized, but they often responded as follows: “Please help my husband understand his responsibility as a priesthood leader in our home. I am happy to take the lead in scripture study, family prayer, and family home evening, and I will continue to do so. But I wish my husband would be an equal partner and provide the strong priesthood leadership only he can give. Please help my husband learn how to become a patriarch and a priesthood leader in our home who presides and protects.”

I reflect often on the sincerity of those sisters and their request. Priesthood leaders hear similar concerns today. Many wives are pleading for husbands who have not only priesthood authority but also priesthood power. They yearn to be equally yoked with a faithful husband and priesthood companion in the work of creating a Christ-centered and gospel-focused home.

This talk is also instructive in that it joins many Priesthood talks where the men and boys of the church are encouraged (chastised?!) to be clean, righteous examples, on the Lord's errand, worthy to act when needed. Sisters, we need to know that our concerns are known and the leadership tries to address them.

Brethren, I promise that if you and I will prayerfully ponder the pleas of these sisters, the Holy Ghost will help us to see ourselves as we really are (see D&C 93:24) and help us recognize the things we need to change and improve. And the time to act is now!

Discuss this with the men in your lives, with support and encouragement.

e

Talk: Temple Power

Several of you asked for the list of questions from my talk about temple power. I include most of the talk here including the questions.

Temples—Power in the ordinances, covenants and the blessings

I.  God wants a powerful people

From the days of the Old Testament, the Lord has commanded His people to build temples—sacred structures where He could teach, guide, and bless them. The temple in Solomon’s time was a place of prayer and a place of animal sacrifice, which was fundamental to their worship. The Lord told the Moses and Israelites to build a portable tabernacle that would be their temple while they traveled in the wilderness.

Today’s temples are also sacred places where God may dwell; they are places of prayer, but we no longer offer animal sacrifices because that was done away with when Jesus Christ became the Eternal Sacrifice for our sins.

So why would we need temples today? What purpose do they serve?

I’d like to focus on just one of the purposes of today’s temples: God wants a powerful people.

"Through the blessing of gospel knowledge we know we are here now in mortality because we are supposed to be here, now, trailing clouds of glory, fully prepared for the unique challenges and complexities we would face in the latter part of the latter days.

"[God] never intended for us to face the perils of mortality alone, having only our own strength, wisdom and power to draw upon. So He has made it possible to access his power. And God wants a powerful people." [Sheri Dew, God Wants a Powerful People - good book, highly recommend]

II.  Why God shares his power

Why does God want a powerful people?

George Q. Cannon taught “God has reserved...choice spirits to come forth in this last dispensation, because of the greatness and the magnitude of the work to be accomplished...It has required apparently the most valiant men and women to come forth in the last days…[because] this is not a short lived dispensation; it is to go on increasing in power...until it shall fill the whole earth….And, of course, it requires great valor, great obedience and great gifts in order to accomplish the end that is to be attained under the promise of God. The Lord has permitted spirits to be born among the various races of mankind that are fitted and qualified to accomplish this great work.” (Gospel Truth, p. 18)

There are a few things we know about God’s power and his work. [ideas from Sheri Dew]

1. God wants a powerful people. He wants a people who know and learn what Ammon knew and learned that in “his strength,” meaning the strength of the God, they “can do all things” (Alma 26:12). [There are 501 references to power in the scriptures.]
2. He gives His power to those who are faithful and who qualify. D&C 59:4 "And they shall also be crowned with blessings from above, yea, and with commandments not a few, and with revelations in their time—they that are faithful and diligent before me.
"
3. We therefore have a sacred obligation or opportunity to seek after the power of God and then use that power as He directs. John 1:12 "...as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons [and daughters] of God, even to them that believe on his name"
4. When we have the power of God with us, nothing is impossible. (Luke 1:37)

The most powerful expression of the priesthood

The kind of power I’m talking about is not same as the world’s definition of power. In the world, power is associated with fear and unrighteous dominion. I’m talking about the protective power to resist the influence of the adversary, the enabling power to better serve God, and the enobling power to become like Him. These forms are power are found in the temple.

Most of us have experienced the power of the priesthood in our lives through very personal blessings of healing and comfort, but the most powerful expression of the priesthood is found in the temple ordinances. They are significant, binding, long-lasting, eternal and true.

The fulness of Priesthood (God’s power on earth) is received through washings, anointings, solemn assemblies, oracles in holy places, conversations, ordinances, endowments, and sealings, as stated in the D&C 124.

We are invited in the Kirtland Temple dedicatory prayer in D&C 109:15 to “go forth from this house armed with [God’s] power, and that [His] aname may be upon [us], and [His] glory be round about [us], and [His] bangels have charge over us."

"God has endowed his people with power because He loves us, yearns for us to return home, and knows full well that only with His help—and drawing upon His power—may we expect to return to His loving, grateful, welcoming arms." (Sheri Dew)

So...we have a great work to do. He endows us with power through temple ordinances. He wants us to return to Him.

III. How we access that power/How God shares his power

There are other ways God shares his power. Or, stated differently, there are many ways we can access His power. Let me list a few. [some of these ideas from Sheri Dew]

• There is power in the word of God. Alma said that the preaching of word had a “more powerful effect upon the minds of people than the sword, or anything else.” (Alma 31:5) Studying scripture gives us power.

• There is power in the Gift of the Holy Ghost. It reveals to us the “truth of all things” and after we receive the Holy Ghost, we may “speak with the tongue of angels” (2 Nephi 32:2).

• There is power in the priesthood. Worthy holders of the priesthood may speak what the Lord would say to us, and whatever they bind on earth is bound in heaven. Through the priesthood we have restored to us the ordinances of baptism, receiving the gift and power of the Holy Ghost (opening the doors of powerful personal revelation), the gift of knowledge known as the endowment, and the sealing powers that bind families together for eternity.

• There is power in the House of the Lord. Nephi understood this. He said "And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things.
"
• There is power in purity. Pure hearts, pure minds and motives, pure judgments, pure desires and intents, pure morally. D&C 121:45 "Let virtue garnish your thoughts unceasingly...then shall your confidence wax strong in the Lord.
"
• There is power in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Because of the Atonement we have access to His grace, or enabling power, and to His redemptive power; power that frees us from sin; power to be healed emotionally, physically, and spiritually; power to mend broken hearts and free us from all manner of captivity. (Luke 4:18); power to loose the bands of death (Alma 7:12); power to do good works; power to turn weakness into strength (Ether 12:27) and power to receive salvation through faith on His name. 


When these ways that God shares his power are stated like this, we can see more clearly how the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ heals, protects and lifts us. It becomes less a to-do list, restrictive and burdensome, and more a motivation to put our lives in order so that we can receive God’s power more often.

Each of these is a talk or lesson in and of itself. But let’s focus on the power in the House of the Lord.

IV. What is the power in the House of the Lord? And, how can we better access it?

In the House of the Lord worthy members receive the Endowment. The Endowment is a gift of power from God. It is the instruction and covenants of the Holy Priesthood that they need in order to attain exaltation. The endowment includes instruction about the plan of salvation. (from Guide to the Scriptures at LDS.org)

A worldly Endowment is usually a gift of money or property that allows an individual or organization to more forward with it’s cause. Money is a form of power in our world.

But in the temple the endowment is a gift of knowledge that gives us personal power and therefore collectively the spiritual power to further the Lord’s work and kingdom on earth.

We’ve all heard the phrase “Knowledge is power”. It comes from a Latin phrase. It implies that with knowledge or education one's potential or abilities in life will certainly increase.

If knowledge is power then celestial knowledge is celestial power. It’s the power to become the person God wants us to be, to be clean, to be sanctified, to know God “when He shall appear, [because] we will be like Him”. (1 John 3:2)

Knowledge of the plan of happiness is powerful to make us happier.

Priesthood knowledge is priesthood power in the hands of men and women alike, in the temple.

Let me share one example of how temple knowledge has given me power.

In the temple we learn that Eve opened the door to our second estate for all God’s children by partaking of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. She made it possible for us—all of us on earth, past, present and future—to progress from our premortal life to this life, from our first estate to our second estate.

In the temple we learn how Adam or the Sons of Adam through the power of priesthood ordinances open the door to progress from our second estate to our final estate and to exaltation with God.

That knowledge itself comforts, lifts and gives me perspective about the important roles of women and men on this earth, of motherhood and fatherhood, and priesthood ordinances. It clears the air of so much cloudy thinking out there today. That is powerful to me.

This knowledge increases my testimony of the need for restoration of the priesthood for administration of the church, of why we do missionary work, and why we build temples. To make the exaltation accessible to all. It gives more meaning and motivation to me. It makes me grateful for Eve, and I reverence and honor her for that difficult choice in the Garden of Eden, when so many religions in the world malign her. The knowledge helps me choose better actions in my life, and a better prioritized way of living.

That’s just one example. Every part of the temple endowment, ordinance and covenants give us more knowledge, and therefore power, if we choose to attend.

Sister Sheri Dew, Former General RS presidency counselor:
“The temple is a place of refuge and revelation….In the temple it becomes clear what it means to be “in but not of” the world...We are taught how to draw upon the power of God. How to part the veil. How to deal with Satan. How to fulfill our foreordained mission. How to cope with suffocating pressure and heartache. And, most important, how to come into the presence of God.”

All that is powerful.

Besides knowledge, participating in ordinances and keeping covenants give us power.

“An ordinance is a sacred rite or ceremony with spiritual meaning.

“A covenant is an agreement between God and man or woman, but they do not act as equals in the agreement. God gives the conditions for the covenant, and men and women agree to do what He asks them to do. God then promises men and women certain blessings for their obedience.

"Principles and ordinances are received by covenant. Members of the Church who make such covenants promise to honor them. ...The Lord’s people are a covenant people and are greatly blessed as they keep their covenants with the Lord.” [Guide to the Scriptures, LDS.org]

By participating in ordinances and making covenants we demonstrate to ourselves, witnesses, angels and God an increased commitment to keep the commandments, to be virtuous, and to build the kingdom.

This commitment is not to be taken lightly and one should prepare for temple attendance.

In return we are promised great blessings of spiritual and physical health. We receive “power from on high” to face the challenges of life.

The sacrifices we make to receive temple ordinances are worth every effort we can make.

Temple covenants and knowledge start outside the temple.

The chapel, for example is an ordinance room. The sacrament is a sacred weekly ordinance we receive by covenant.

Baptism is the first ordinance of the gospel, the gate to other ordinances. Most of us have entered that gate. We stepped onto the pathway to the temple when we were baptized. We have entered into God’s kingdom by covenant and ordinance, and have begun to progress toward Him.

Learning to serve and serving diligently moves us along the temple path.

In the book Daughters in My Kingdom, the History and Work of Relief Society, there is a  caption under a picture of two sister missionaries in bike helmets, with name tags, standing next to bicycles. It says “As Latter-day Saint women [and men] make and keep covenants, the Lord strengthens them to serve in His Kingdom."

Taking advantage of all the Priesthood has to offer moves us along the temple path.

“Men and women alike are magnified, purified, sanctified, strengthened, sealed, enobled, and ultimately perfected by priesthood power.” (Sheri Dew, p. 156)

Better access to God's power

For those who have been to the temple, consider several questions for better access to God’s power.

With what was I endowed or gifted in the House of the Lord?

What does that gift mean to me and how may I use it?

What do I learn there? What do I learn to do?

What do I learn about the power of God versus the power of the adversary?

What do I learn about communicating with the heavens?

What does it mean to receive a “fulness of the Holy Ghost” (D&C 109:15) and a fullness of the priesthood?

When a man and a woman enter the new and everlasting covenant of marriage, what kind of power do they share?

[Suggested in God Wants a Powerful People]

Additional ways to seek His temple power

For all of us temple-attending or not, here are some additional ways to seek His temple power.

• Keep the covenants you’ve already made. I’m speaking to every 8-year-old and older. Those of us who have been baptized and made a covenant.
• Increase your understanding of the temple. Start with studying D&C 88, 109, 131, 132.
• Pray to know his will for you and have the power to carry it out. Be humble, be teachable. God will lead you along.
• Understand that the gospel is simple in it’s steps of progression. Each step prepares us for the next.
• We move through at our own pace. We don’t judge another's pace, but are patient, kind, and encouraging. Remember we are all on the path.
• We “don’t run faster than we have strength” yet we don’t shy away from covenant-keeping.
• We strive for greater commitment and righteousness in exchange for His gift of knowledge and power.
• We each move along the path in the same way—by study, prayer and faith.
• Seek for more experiences that will bolster your faith.

Faith is the key to gaining access to the power of God whether we are able to attend temple or not.

“Every spiritual experience, every answer to prayer, every spiritual confirmation should increase our confidence, our faith, that God knows who we are and that He will respond to our needs. Faith is not a bulwark against tribulation, but an assurance that the Lord is overseeing all.” (Sheri Dew, p. 126)

V.  I have felt the power and blessings of the temple, in 3 ways, among others.

1. The blessing of remembrance.

In my circumstances, I don’t have or take the opportunity to attend the temple often. Nearly every year it’s on my list of resolutions to attend more often. But I am blessed with remembrance of parts of the endowment. The phrases and promises come to mind often at just the right time or in the right circumstance.

Every day when I put on the sacred temple garment I’m reminded of the meanings there.

Often Wade and I discuss this principle or that and how our understanding is enhanced by temple knowledge.

When we were newlyweds we set a goal to go to the temple every week and try to memorize certain important parts. This helped us grow up and provided a foundation for our marriage.

It is a blessing to remember and ponder the temple in my mind.

2. The blessing of perspective

Temple knowledge helps me see the big picture. It helps clarify what things need to drop away and what needs to be added to my days. It helps me remember the most important things.

Also, there is a spirit of peace there like few other places on earth. A sense of renewal and rest can be found for a few minutes, then I can see my way forward.

The temple provides the blessing of perspective.

3. The blessing of personal revelation

Many of you seek His whisper, or His love at the temple. We take our problems, our worries, our concerns to a place of peace and quiet, and hope for an answer. I have done this too. I’ve attended the temple with Young Women presidencies with prayers and concerns over certain young women, with Primary Presidencies for the same reason, with Wade to ask for wisdom and strength to parent a troubled child better, with Relief Society sisters to strengthen sisterhood and unity.

And I have received answers.

If there is any place on earth to hear the voice of God or to feel His presence it will be in His house. I go humbly and seek for His will and wisdom and power. And it comes.

The temple is a place of personal revelation.

In conclusion

We are all on the road to the temple. The temple is a place of power in these latter days when we so need it. We have the opportunity to seek after the power of God. He wants a powerful people. We look to Him for knowledge, strength and love, so that we may better resist the adversary, better serve in the Kingdom, and eventually become like Him.

e

References:
God Wants a Powerful People, Sheri Dew
Come to the Temple, Boyd K. Packer
Why Latter-day Saints Build Temples, lds.org
Coming to Ourselves, Robert D. Hales
The Way of the Disciple, Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Of Things That Matter Most, Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need, Richard G. Scott

Lesson: Two Lines of Communication

Teachings for Our Time Two Lines of Communication
By Dallin Oaks, taught by Owenna Nagy

Our Heavenly Father has given His children two lines of communication with Him—what we may call the personal line and the priesthood line.

All should understand and be guided by both of these essential lines of communication.

I. The Personal Line
In the personal line we pray directly to our Heavenly Father, and He answers us by the channels He has established, without any mortal intermediary.

This personal line of communication with our Heavenly Father through His Holy Spirit is the source of our testimony of truth, of our knowledge, and of our personal guidance from a loving Heavenly Father.

The direct, personal channel...is so essential that we are commanded to renew our covenants by partaking of the sacrament each Sabbath day. In this way we qualify for the promise that we may always have His Spirit to be with us, to guide us.

The personal line is of paramount importance in personal decisions and in the governance of the family.

I feel to add two other cautions we should remember in connection with this precious direct, personal line of communication with our Heavenly Father.

First, in its fulness the personal line does not function independent of the priesthood line.

Similarly, we cannot communicate reliably through the direct, personal line if we are disobedient to or out of harmony with the priesthood line.

II. The Priesthood Line
Unlike the personal line, in which our Heavenly Father communicates with us directly through the Holy Ghost, the priesthood line of communication has the additional and necessary intermediaries of our Savior, Jesus Christ; His Church; and His appointed leaders.

Because of what He accomplished by His atoning sacrifice, Jesus Christ has the power to prescribe the conditions we must fulfill to qualify for the blessings of His Atonement. That is why we have commandments and ordinances. That is why we make covenants. That is how we qualify for the promised blessings. They all come through the mercy and grace of the Holy One of Israel, “after all we can do”

The priesthood line is the channel by which God has spoken to His children through the scriptures in times past. And it is this line through which He currently speaks through the teachings and counsel of living prophets and apostles and other inspired leaders.

I feel to add two cautions we should remember in connection with reliance on the vital priesthood line.

First, the priesthood line does not supersede the need for the personal line. We all need a personal testimony of truth.

Second, like the personal line, the priesthood line cannot function fully and properly in our behalf unless we are worthy and obedient.

III. The Need for Both Lines
Both lines are essential to His purpose to bring about the immortality and eternal life of His children.

An early scriptural account of this need is in Father Jethro’s counsel that Moses should not try to do so much. The people were waiting upon their priesthood leader from morning till night to “enquire of God” (Exodus 18:15) and also to “judge between one and another” (verse 16). We often note how Jethro counseled Moses to delegate by appointing judges to handle the personal conflicts (see verses 21–22). But Jethro also gave Moses counsel that illustrates the importance of the personal line: “Thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do” (verse 20.

In other words, Israelites who followed Moses should be taught not to bring every question to that priesthood leader. They should understand the commandments and seek inspiration to work out most problems for themselves.

Our missionary work is another example of the need for both lines. The men and women who are called to be missionaries are worthy and willing because of the teachings they have received through the priesthood line and the testimony they have received through the personal line. They are called through the priesthood line. Then, as representatives of the Lord and under the direction of His priesthood line, they teach investigators. Sincere seekers after truth listen, and the missionaries encourage them to pray to know the truth of the message for themselves through the personal line.

Achieving balance
We must use both the personal line and the priesthood line in proper balance to achieve the growth that is the purpose of mortal life. If personal religious practice relies too much on the personal line, individualism erases the importance of divine authority. If personal religious practice relies too much on the priesthood line, individual growth suffers. The children of God need both lines to achieve their eternal destiny. The restored gospel teaches both, and the restored Church provides both.

Photo credit

Lesson: Individual Worth

Thanks to Charity for reminding us that we came to earth not to find our self-worth but bringing with us our self-worth. We love you Charity and so appreciate your heartfelt teaching.

The worth of a soul
is it's capacity to become like God.

Much of Charity's lesson was taken from a BYU speech, by Sheri Dew,  You Were Born to Lead, You Were Born for Glory.

You were born to lead

You have been told countless times that you are a chosen generation reserved for the latter part of the latter days. Just two months ago, in general conference, President Gordon B. Hinckley said once again: "You are the best generation we have ever had" ("An Ensign to the Nations, a Light to the World," Ensign, November 2003, 84). It's akin to being chosen to run the last leg of a relay, where the coach always positions his strongest runner.

You were recommended to help run the last leg of the relay that began with Adam and Eve because your premortal spiritual valor indicated you would have the courage and the determination to face the world at its worst, to do combat with the evil one during his heyday, and, in spite of it all, to be fearless in building the kingdom of God.

You simply must understand this, because you were born to lead by virtue of who you are, the covenants you have made, and the fact that you are here now in the 11th hour.

It takes courage, and determination to do that. And God has trusted us with the tasks of building the kingdom. We must recognize and realize our potential.

The simple fact is that our Father did not recommend Eve or Moses or Nephi or countless other magnificent exemplars for this dispensation—He recommended you and me.

Do you think God would have left the last days to chance by sending men and women He couldn't count on?

A common theme of patriarchal blessings given to men and women your age is that you were sent now because our Father's most trustworthy children would be needed in the final, decisive battle for righteousness.

That is who you are, and it is who you have always been.

God wants a powerful people

If God wants a powerful people who can withstand the wiles of the devil--and He does--and if we were born to lead in these latter days--and we were--then we need to understand how God makes His power available to us and how we gain access to that power.

 1. There is power in the word of God. 

Alma and the sons of Mosiah learned that the preaching of the word--meaning the gospel of Jesus Christ--has a "more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than . . . anything else" (Alma 31:5). There is power in the word to heal our wounded souls (see Jacob 2:8), to help us overcome temptation (see 1 Nephi 11:25), to prompt us to repent (see Jarom 1:12), to humble us (see Alma 32:14), to help us overcome the natural man (see Mosiah 3:19), to bring about a mighty change in our hearts (see Alma 5:13), and to lead us to Christ.

President Boyd K. Packer taught: True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. ["Little Children," Ensign, November 1986, 17]

In other words, the word of God can transform us.

Do you realize that the scriptures contain the answer to every life dilemma? 

A casual understanding of the gospel will not sustain you through the days ahead, which is why it is imperative that you immerse yourself in the word of God. 

2. There is power in the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The gift of the Holy Ghost is a gift of power.

The Holy Ghost inspires and heals, guides and warns, enhances our natural capacities, inspires charity and humility, makes us smarter than we are, strengthens us during trials, testifies of the Father and the Son, and shows us "all things" that we should do (2 Nephi 32:5).

No wonder President Hinckley has said: "There is no greater blessing that can come into our lives than . . . the companionship of the Holy Spirit" (Boston Massachusetts Regional Conference, priesthood leadership session, 22 April 1995; quoted in TGBH, 259).

Because the Holy Ghost will show us everything we should do, it only makes sense to learn how He communicates—or to learn the language of revelation.

Our challenge is not getting the Lord to speak to us; our challenge is understanding what He has to say (see D&C 6:14).

3. There is power in the Priesthood.

There is power in ordinances. All who are baptized and receive the Holy Ghost are eligible to speak the words of Christ and qualify for eternal life. Those who are endowed with power in the house of the Lord need never face the adversary alone. Couples worthy to be sealed at an altar in that holy house are gifted with power.

The power of the priesthood heals, protects, and inoculates every righteous man and woman against the powers of darkness. 

...Priesthood power safeguards us from the world, binds heaven and earth, subdues the adversary, blesses and heals, and enables us to triumph over mortality. Every ordinance of the Melchizedek Priesthood helps prepare us to live in the presence of God.

I am deeply grateful for the power of the priesthood and the gift of having full access to this power, which when used righteously is the only true power on earth.

 4. There is power in the House of the Lord.

In the temple we learn how to deal with Satan, how to live in the world without letting it stain us, how to fulfill our foreordained missions, and how to come into the presence of God. The best place to learn about the temple is in the temple. Our kept covenants will eventually save us. And that is power!

5. There is power in the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

He taught me that He not only paid the price for sin but compensated for all of the pain we experience in life. He taught me that because of His Atonement, we have access to His grace, or enabling power--power that frees us from sin; power to be healed emotionally, physically, and spiritually; power to "loose the bands of death" (Alma 7:12); power to turn weakness into strength (see Ether 12:27); and power to receive salvation through faith on His name (see Mosiah 3:19).

It is because of the Atonement that, if we build our foundation on Christ, the devil can have no power over us (see Helaman 5:12).

Rise to your potential

You were born to lead as mothers and fathers, because nowhere is righteous leadership more crucial than in the family. You were born to lead as priesthood and auxiliary leaders; as heads of communities, companies, and even nations. You were born to lead as men and women willing "to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places," because that's what a true leader does (Mosiah 18:9; emphasis added).

You were born to lead, and, in the words of Isaiah, you were born for glory (see Isaiah 62:2–3).

Barbara B. Smith, on our individual worth:

No woman was ever quite like you.

The Lord made only one, without carbons.

You are not repeated and not repeatable.

No one else can do what the Lord sent you to do.

The value of what you have to contribute will come through
the expression of your own personality,
that particular spark of the divine that make you unique,
setting you off from every other living creature.

The mark you leave on the world, on the hearts and minds
of others is as distinct as your thumb print.

~ Sister Barbara B. Smith

[Read more from Sheri Dew's book God Wants a Powerful People or borrow the book from me. Very inspiring and motivating. e]

New Bishopric Called

It was a busy day at ward conference today in the Valley Forge 1st Ward.  Bishop Hood, Brother Jackson, and Brother Hall were released by President Coe and a new bishopric was called.  We are so grateful for all the love and service Bishop Hood and his counselors have given the ward, and we hope they know how much we appreciate all that they've done for us.  We could feel their love for all the members of the ward and we are so grateful for the sacrifices that have been made over the past years by them and their families.

The new bishop that was called is Richard Pope, and his counselors are Brother Bruce Kneeland and Brother Thom Kinghorn. We are excited to get to know them better and we hope we can do all we can to support them and their families in their upcoming service!

Bishop and Sister Pope

Lesson: Priesthood Organization

Gospel Principles, Lesson 14, Priesthood Organization
Taught by Marie Tiller

The Priesthood is on the earth today

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is governed by the priesthood. The priesthood, which is always associated with God’s work, “continueth in the church of God in all generations, and is without beginning of days or end of years” (D&C 84:17).

It is upon the earth today.

Men young and old are baptized into the Church, and when they are judged worthy they are ordained to the priesthood. They are given the authority to act for the Lord and do His work on the earth.

Where can you find such a body of men

Where on earth can you find a body of men who unitedly espouse chastity before marriage and complete fidelity after marriage, who abhor pornography, abuse, and denigration of women, who love their wives and want to have children, who share in the burdens of home-life including child-rearing and housework, and who seek to follow the example of Jesus Christ and bless the lives of others through their callings and by the power of the Priesthood?!

Here in the restored church of Jesus Christ. It is the best, most blessed place to be as a woman today.

Those who hold the Aaronic Priesthood have authority to administer the outward ordinances of the sacrament and baptism.

Those holding the Melchizedek Priesthood have the power and authority to lead the Church and direct the preaching of the gospel in all parts of the world. They administer all the spiritual work of the Church. They direct the work done in the temples; they preside over wards, branches, stakes, and missions. The Lord’s chosen prophet, the President of the Church, is the presiding high priest over the Melchizedek Priesthood.

It is a blessing to have this order and organization in our homes and in the church. It is how the Lord accomplishes the great work of His church at this time, and around the world.

[If you are new to the church or need a refresher, please review the offices, duties and special callings in the Priesthood at the lesson link above.]

The Relief Society is an auxiliary of the priesthood
All organizations in the Church work under the direction of priesthood leaders and help them carry out the work of the Lord. For example, the presidencies in a ward’s Relief Society, Young Women, Young Men, Primary, and Sunday School organizations serve under the direction of the bishopric.

These organizations are called auxiliaries to the priesthood.

They bless the lives of each member according to their needs.

Through the organization of the Priesthood we have the opportunity to invite God's power into our lives through our own faith, by worthy men who seek to bless our lives, and through the ordinances and covenants of the gospel and the temple.

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Lesson Recap: The Priesthood

The Priesthood

Gospel Principles, Lesson 13

By Margie Clark

Elder Boyd K. Packer in a talk entitled The Power of the Priesthood said...

Some years ago I gave a talk entitled “What Every Elder Should Know: A Primer on Principles of Priesthood Government.” Later, when it was to be published, I changed the title to read “What Every Elder Should Know—and Every Sister as Well.”

I include the sisters because it is crucial for everyone to understand what is expected of the brethren. Unless we enlist the attention of the mothers and daughters and sisters—who have influence on their husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers—we cannot progress. The priesthood will lose great power if the sisters are neglected.

It's important for us to understand and love the Priesthood and the power it can have in our lives. Margie had us divide up into 5 groups and answer these questions, and relate them to our lives.

What Is the Priesthood?
The priesthood is the eternal power and authority of God. Through the priesthood He created and governs the heavens and the earth. By this power the universe is kept in perfect order.

Our Heavenly Father delegates His priesthood power to worthy male members of the Church. The priesthood enables them to act in God’s name for the salvation of the human family. Through it they can be authorized to preach the gospel, administer the ordinances of salvation, and govern God’s kingdom on earth.

Why Do We Need the Priesthood on the Earth?
We must have priesthood authority to act in the name of God when performing the sacred ordinances of the gospel, such as baptism, confirmation, administration of the sacrament, and temple marriage. If a man does not have the priesthood, even though he may be sincere, the Lord will not recognize ordinances he performs.

Men need the priesthood to preside in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to direct the work of the Church in all parts of the world.

How Do Men Receive the Priesthood?
The Lord has prepared an orderly way for His priesthood to be given to His sons on the earth. A worthy male member of the Church receives the priesthood “by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof”

Article of Faith #5: We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

This is the same way men received the priesthood long ago, even in the days of Moses: “And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron” (Hebrews 5:4).

How do men properly use the Priesthood?
The priesthood should be used to bless the lives of our Heavenly Father’s children here on earth. Priesthood holders should preside in love and kindness. They should not force their families and others to obey them. The Lord has told us that the power of the priesthood cannot be controlled except in righteousness (see D&C 121:36).

When a man uses the priesthood “by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned” (D&C 121:41), he can do many wonderful things for his family and others.

Men use priesthood authority to preside in the Church in such callings as branch president, bishop, quorum president, stake president, and mission president. Men and women who hold positions in the Church as officers and teachers work under the direction of priesthood leaders and under the guidance of the Holy Ghost.

What blessings come from the Priesthood?
The Lord has promised great blessings to righteous priesthood holders who use the priesthood to bless others: “Then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever” (D&C 121:45–46).

Think of time when the Priesthood has blessed your life.

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Video: Restoration of the Priesthood

The new Mormon.org is live! Check out this video where ordinary church members talk about why the restoration of the Priesthood is important to them. Restoration of the Priesthood video.

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Lesson: Prophets of God

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7).

Many people live in darkness, unsure of God’s will. They believe that the heavens are closed and that people must face the world’s perils alone. How fortunate are the Latter-day Saints! We know that God communicates to the Church through His prophet. With grateful hearts, Saints the world over sing the hymn, “We thank thee, O God, for a prophet to guide us in these latter days” (Hymns, no. 19).

A prophet is...

A prophet is a man called by God to be His representative on earth. When a prophet speaks for God, it is as if God were speaking (see D&C 1:38).

A prophet is also a special witness for Christ, testifying of His divinity and teaching His gospel.

A prophet teaches truth and interprets the word of God.

He calls the unrighteous to repentance.

He receives revelations and directions from the Lord for our benefit.

He may see into the future and foretell coming events so that the world may be warned.

A true prophet is always chosen by God and called through proper priesthood authority (see Articles of Faith 1:5).

Why do we need a living prophet today?

The prophet is the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has the right to revelation for the entire Church. He holds “the keys of the kingdom,” meaning that he has the authority to direct the entire Church and kingdom of God on earth, including the administration of priesthood ordinances.

How do we sustain the living prophet?
Many people find it easy to believe in the prophets of the past. But it is much greater to believe in and follow the living prophet. We raise our hands to sustain the President of the Church as prophet, seer, and revelator.

We should pray for him. His burdens are heavy, and he needs to be strengthened by the prayers of the Saints.

We should study his words. We can listen to his conference addresses. We can also subscribe to the Ensign or Liahona so we can read his conference addresses and other messages he gives.

We should follow his inspired teachings completely. We should not choose to follow part of his inspired counsel and discard that which is unpleasant or difficult.

Great blessings from obeying

When we do as our prophet directs, blessings pour down from heaven.

If we obey, the Lord promises, “The gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory” (D&C 21:6).

[Read the entire lesson]

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Lesson Recap: Sustaining the Priesthood

Sustaining the Priesthood as the authority of God on the earth.

Taught by Nancy Martin

Growing up in Utah County Nancy had to the opportunity to visit Timpanogus Cave. At some point in the middle of the tour the guide would ask everyone to notice the exit and entrance, Then they would turn the lights off. In the pitch dark, again they would ask everyone to point to the exit and entrance. When the lights were turned on again it was surprising the many different directions fingers were pointing.

The priesthood can be compared to a flashlight. It keeps us safely on the path, helping us and others return to God.

We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity...
“...who sustain the Priesthood as the authority of God on the earth.”

Why was that statement included in the Relief Society declaration?

It's a truth that a house divided against itself cannot stand. As members of the church we are here to be one in purpose and progress under God's direction with the administration of saving Priesthood ordinances, and in blessing the lives of others.

D&C 121:36 states, “That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.”

That power can be felt in our lives.

Sustaining
Perhaps the batteries can be compared with the worthiness necessary for men to exercise the Priesthood. We as sisters and fellow saints can do much to sustain and support those who hold the Priesthood, to encourage their worthiness, to “charge their batteries”.

How do we sustain our brethren who hold the priesthood?

Suggestions given by the class include showing gratitude for their service, for their worthiness, for the power of God in our lives. It's especially important that we not be critical. Prayer is also a powerful way to support and sustain one another in callings, as husbands are away from the family, and in behalf of our leaders. We can notice our husband's and son's good efforts, express confidence in them, make it easy for them to serve and be appreciative.

His power is available to all
All sisters have equal claim to the blessings of the Priesthood as the men. We can receive all saving ordinances of the Gospel. We can serve faithfully in church callings and leadership positions. We can receive blessings of comfort and healing.

Men and women can influence one another “only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile” (D&C 121:41-42).

If men of the Priesthood and the women that support them are “full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish [their] thoughts unceasingly; then shall [their] confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon the soul as the dews from heaven” (D&C 121: 45).

Thanks Nancy for your lesson, today.

Ellen



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