Sacrament Meeting Talk
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Priesthood Power
It is a great privilege, blessing, and responsibility to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where the priesthood and authority of God directs and administers the affairs of the Church.
What is the priesthood?
· Eternal power and authority of God.
· Has always existed and will always continue to exist.
· Through the priesthood God created and governs the heavens and the earth.
· Brigham Young explained that the priesthood is the law by which the worlds are, were, and will be brought into existence and peopled. It gives them their revolutions, their days, weeks, months, years, and seasons.
· He further declared the priesthood to be “a perfect system of government, of laws and ordinances, by which we can be prepared to pass from one gate to another and from one sentinel to another, until we go into the presence of our Heavenly Father.
· For us here on earth, the priesthood is the power and authority that God gives to man to act in all things necessary for the salvation of God’s children.
President J. Reuben Clark made this observation: If civil government of any of our communities were to be suddenly wiped out, the Church organization could govern the community if it were given the necessary civil sanction. He stated that the teachers, who are to keep the Church in order, could act as a police force. Bishops would be authorized to hold courts; high councils and presidents of stakes would hold other courts, both appellate and original jurisdiction, with an appeal to the presidency of the Church from a decision. Then he says that the authority resides in the President of the Church to make all necessary rules and regulations for the government of the people.
It is clear that the organization of the priesthood is complete and perfect and is available and ready when the Lord comes to rule upon the earth. What a great day that will be when man lives by God’s law, the priesthood, and not by the Democrats and Republicans.
An outstanding example of the perfect organization and power of the priesthood is the one explained by President Harold B. Lee regarding his experience when he was called in 1935 to organize the Church welfare program to turn the tide from government relief and put the Church in a position where it could care for its own needy people. He said that as he prayed fervently to the Lord for guidance as to the kind of organization that should be set up, he received the clear answer: “There is no new organization necessary to take care of the needs of this people. All that is necessary is to put the priesthood of God to work. There is nothing else you need as a substitute.” This was done, and the welfare program has gone forward and is a monument to the power of the priesthood and is a model for the world.
Why is our church the only one having the true priesthood or authority from God?
The authority of the priesthood cannot be assumed by oneself, but must be delegated by God through one having authority. One of the reasons for confusion in the churches today is that man has assumed this authority without proper delegation from the Lord. A man would have no more right to give himself priesthood authority than proclaiming himself President of the United States without proper procedures being undertaken.
Priesthood line of authority --- Larry’s and Pawpaw’s
You can get your line of authority by writing to lineofauthority@ldschurch.org.
Why is the priesthood necessary in administering the affairs of the Church?
No priesthood, no church.
Our church teaches us to learn “line upon line, precept on precept”. So it is with the priesthood.
I was in a meeting several years ago where the Young Men stood and recited this in unison:
We are sons of our Heavenly Father and disciples of Jesus Christ. We bear the Priesthood of God. Our authority is above that of the kings of the earth. We pledge with all our might, mind, and strength to:
Live the gospel of Jesus Christ,
Magnify our priesthood offices and callings,
Give meaningful service,
Live worthy to receive the Melchizedek priesthood,
Give proper respect to girls, women, and children,
Serve honorable full time missions,
And become righteous husbands and fathers.
In striving towards these goals, we acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as our Master, declare that we are on His errand, and that no unhallowed hand shall stop His work. We shall carry forth His truth boldly and nobly until it shines before all the world, sweeps every land, penetrates every continent, sounds in every ear, and until the purposes of God shall be accomplished.
While listening to the voices repeat those words, I felt goose bumps all over my body. I remember thinking, “WOW!” Authority above that of kings of the earth!!! I had never thought of the priesthood in that way. What responsibilities these young men had, and look at what they can become by following the precepts listed.
An experience Elder Hugh B. Brown had before becoming an Apostle and member of the First Presidency:
Before President Hugh B. Brown was a General Authority, he served in England as an officer in the Canadian army and had great power. Men stood at attention before him and called him "sir." He was kind of cocky about having the power of an officer and loved being called Sir. One day Brother Brown received a message that he was wanted in the hospital. When he got there, someone directed him to a little room where a sick young man lay. Brother Brown remembered that he had once been that young man's Sunday School teacher. "Brother Brown," said the young man, "would you use your authority in my behalf? The doctors say I cannot live. Will you give me a blessing?" All the pride Brother Brown felt in wearing the uniform of the king disappeared as he laid his hands upon the boy's head and gave him a blessing. The help that the boy needed was not from any authority of an officer in the king's army but from the authority of the priesthood. Pres. Brown said, “I went into that hospital a proud British officer, and I came out a humble Mormon elder. Ever since then I have earnestly tried to remember that there is a power and authority given to man, not from the king or the president, but from the King of Kings, and if we live properly and do not forget that we have been so endowed, we may exercise that power in helping our fellow men.”
Today the purposes have changed somewhat and I think are even better:
Become converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and live its teachings, instead of “live the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Serve faithfully in priesthood callings and fulfill the responsibilities of priesthood offices, instead of “Magnify our priesthood offices and callings”
Give meaningful service, remains the same
Prepare and live worthy to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and temple ordinances, instead of “live worthy to receive the Melchizedek priesthood”
Prepare to serve an honorable full time mission, instead of “serve honorable full time missions”
Obtain as much education as possible, a new addition
Prepare to become a worthy husband and father, instead of “become righteous husbands and fathers”
Give proper respect to women, girls, and children remains the same
Holding the priesthood is an honor and is one of the greatest gifts a man can receive. When God authorizes any man to speak or act in his name, whether he be a deacon, teacher, priest, elder, seventy, or high priest, he expects that man to be a worthy representative.
Young men, are you becoming converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and living its teachings?
Are you serving faithfully in your priesthood callings and fulfilling the responsibilities of your priesthood offices?
Do you give meaningful service?
Are you preparing and living worthy to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and the temple ordinances? Are you preparing to serve an honorable full time mission?
Do you plan to obtain as much education as you can?
Are you preparing to become a worthy husband and father?
Do you give proper respect to women, girls, and children?
Consider this: What are the blessings of faithfully holding the priesthood?
therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.” (D&C 84:33, 38.) All is conditioned upon the magnifying of the priesthood.
Testimony
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