The Priesthood of God

I have been feeling lately that part of my study should include the youth curriculum. Gratefully I heeded that feeling! Over the last week or so, I have included in my study "Priesthood and Priesthood Keys," which is the topic for the youth for the month of June. The questions for study and discussion are: What is the priesthood? What are my responsibilities in the work of the priesthood? What are the keys of the priesthood? How do I receive the power and blessings of the priesthood in my life? What does it mean to sustain my Church leaders? Studying these questions and considering their application for me personally have been such a great blessing. Developing a deeper love for and understanding of the priesthood has strengthened my testimony!

What is the priesthood? A beautifully concise definition of the priesthood is found in Daughters In My Kingdom, which states, "The priesthood is the eternal power and authority of God by which He blesses, redeems, and exalts His children."1 I really love James E. Faust's description, with a powerful reminder that is applicable to all who desire the priesthood to be effective in their lives, "The priesthood of God is a shield. It is a shield against the evils of the world. That shield needs to be kept clean; otherwise, our vision of our purpose and the dangers around us will be limited. The cleansing agent is personal righteousness, but not all will pay the price to keep their shields clean."2

What are my responsibilities in the work of the priesthood? Blessed by the guidance of the Holy Ghost that comes from personal righteousness, we can be guided to those whom the Father seeks to bless. While we may carry out our responsibilities in the work of the priesthood differently as men and women, the work of the priesthood is to bless God's children. Henry B. Eyring taught, "Many are praying to Heavenly Father for relief, for help in carrying their burdens of grief, loneliness, and fear. Heavenly Father hears those prayers and understands their needs. He and His Beloved Son, the resurrected Jesus Christ, have promised help. The Lord has asked each of us, His disciples, to help bear one another’s burdens. We have promised to do it."3

What are the keys of the priesthood? Neil L. Andersen explained that "the keys of the priesthood, held by members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, direct the work of the Lord upon the earth. Specific priesthood keys are conferred upon stake presidents and bishops for their geographic responsibilities. And they call men and women by revelation who are sustained and set apart to exercise delegated authority to teach and administer."4

How do I receive the power and blessings of the priesthood in my life? Linda K. Burton said, "Righteousness is the qualifier to invite priesthood power into our lives.”5 Russell M. Nelson recently taught that, in order to have priesthood power, we need to pay the price to develop the qualities of "faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity, and diligence. And don’t forget humility!"6

Sheri Dew said, "It seems clear from the scriptures that women have claim upon all blessings that emanate from priesthood keys, priesthood authority and priesthood power. We as women are not diminished by priesthood power, we are magnified by it. Endowed, covenant-keeping women have direct access to priesthood power for their own lives. The challenge and opportunity for each woman is to learn what that means and how to access that power."7

What does it mean to sustain my Church leaders? George Albert Smith said: “The obligation that we make when we raise our hands is a most sacred one. It does not mean that we will go quietly on our way and be willing that the prophet of the Lord shall direct this work, but it means that we will stand behind him; we will pray for him; we will defend his good name, and we will strive to carry out his instructions as the Lord shall direct."8

I loved that one of the topics was on sustaining Church leaders. As I was doing my personal study for the Relief Society lesson "The Temple - The Great Symbol of Our Membership," something Howard W. Hunter said really caught my attention. I couldn't seem to find the "right" place to share it in my blog on that lesson, but I knew that it was something I wanted to share. I am grateful for the opportunity to share it now. Speaking about the temple and what it takes to qualify to receive a temple recommend, President Hunter said, "You must sustain the General Authorities and local authorities of the Church. When you raise your arm to the square when these leaders’ names are presented, you signify that you will sustain them in their responsibilities and in the counsel they give you. This is not an exercise in paying homage to those whom the Lord has called to preside. Rather, it is a recognition of the fact that God has called prophets, seers, and revelators, and others as General Authorities. It is a commitment that you will follow the instructions that come from the presiding officers of the Church. Likewise you should feel loyalty toward the bishop and stake president and other Church leaders. Failure to sustain those in authority is incompatible with service in the temple."9 (Emphasis added) Think of the blessings and power of the priesthood that come into our lives because of the temple!

Perhaps the greatest blessing that comes to us from sustaining our Church leaders is our own personal spiritual safety. Shortly after being called as an Assistant to the Twelve, President Hugh B. Brown told James E. Faust that the most important thing he should do was to always be in harmony with the Brethren. President Brown simply said "Stick with the Brethren." President Faust interpreted that to mean that he should follow the counsel and direction of the President of the Church, the First Presidency, and Quorum of the Twelve. President Faust said, "That resonated as something I wanted to do with all my heart. Others may not agree with that counsel, but it warrants some consideration. I have concluded that spiritual guidance in large measure depends upon being in harmony with the President of the Church, the First Presidency, and the Quorum of the Twelve - all of whom are sustained as prophets, seers, and revelators. I do not know how we can expect to be in full harmony with the Spirit of the Lord if we are not in harmony with the President of the Church and the other prophets, seers, and revelators. My counsel to the members of the Church is to support the President of the Church, the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve, and other General Authorities with our whole hearts and souls. If we do, we will be in a safe harbor."2

The priesthood blesses our lives every day, maybe often without our even realizing it. Robert D. Hales so powerfully put that in perspective when he said, “Can you imagine how dark and empty mortality would be if there were no priesthood? If the power of the priesthood were not upon the earth, the adversary would have freedom to roam and reign without restraint. There would be no gift of the Holy Ghost to direct and enlighten us; no prophets to speak in the name of the Lord; no temples where we could make sacred, eternal covenants; no authority to bless or baptize, to heal or comfort. There would be no light, no hope - only darkness.” 10

In April 1982 general conference, Bruce R. McConkie issued the challenge to learn the doctrine of the priesthood. He said, "This doctrine of the priesthood—unknown in the world and but little known even in the Church—cannot be learned out of the scriptures alone. It is not set forth in the sermons and teachings of the prophets and Apostles, except in small measure. The doctrine of the priesthood is known only by personal revelation. It comes, line upon line and precept upon precept, by the power of the Holy Ghost to those who love and serve God with all their heart, might, mind, and strength."11

In April 2016 general conference, Bonnie L. Oscarson so beautifully taught about the "the profound claims we make as a religion." She said:

"We believe that the same Church Jesus Christ established while on the earth has been restored once again by a prophet called of God in our time and that our leaders hold the same power and authority to act in God’s name that ancient Apostles held. It is called the priesthood of God. We claim that through this restored authority, we can receive saving ordinances, such as baptism, and enjoy the purifying and refining gift of the Holy Ghost to be with us at all times. We have apostles and prophets leading and directing this Church through priesthood keys, and we believe that God speaks to His children through these prophets.

"We also believe that this priesthood power makes it possible to make covenants and receive ordinances in holy temples that will someday enable us to return to the presence of God and live with Him forever. We also claim that, through this power, families can be bound together for eternity when couples enter the new and everlasting covenant of marriage in sacred buildings that we believe are literally the houses of God. We believe that we can receive these saving ordinances not only for ourselves but also for our ancestors who lived on the earth without having the chance to participate in these essential saving ordinances. We believe we can perform ordinances for our ancestors by proxy in these same holy temples.

"We believe that, through a prophet and the power of God, we have received additional scriptures, adding to the testimony of that in the Bible declaring that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.

We claim that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God and the only true Church on the earth. It is called the Church of Jesus Christ because He stands at the head; it is His Church, and all these things are possible because of His atoning sacrifice.

"We believe that these distinguishing features can be found in no other place or organization on this earth. As good and sincere as other religions and churches are, none of them have the authority to provide the ordinances of salvation that are available in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We have a knowledge of these things, but do we believe them? If these things are true, then we have the greatest message of hope and help that the world has ever known. Believing them is a matter of eternal significance for us and for those we love.

"To believe, we need to get the gospel from our heads into our hearts!" 12

Every one of those beautiful truths has a direct tie to the priesthood! Once we get those truths from our heads to our hearts, our lives will have deeper meaning. Our lives will be different - in a good way! Different because we will be a covenant-making and a covenant-keeping people! And why is that so important? Because there are such incredible blessings promised to covenant keepers. D. Todd Christofferson said, "Divine covenants make strong Christians. Qualify for and receive all the priesthood ordinances you can and then faithfully keep the promises you have made by covenant. In times of distress, let your covenants be paramount and let your obedience be exact. Then you can ask in faith, nothing wavering, according to your need, and God will answer. God will keep His promises to you as you honor your covenants with Him."13