Priesthood: "The Power of Godliness"

Readings:

1. a. 
   Doctrine and Covenants 84:33–44; 121:34–46.
2. b. 
   Doctrine and Covenants 107 (supplemental scriptures).

The Priesthood, in the LDS Church, is not a certain order or group of persons who have a certain degree or education that entitles them to be in charge of a congregation. The definition of Priesthood on the Church website is:

The word priesthood has two meanings. First, priesthood is the power and authority of God. It has always existed and will continue to exist without end (see Alma 13:7–8; D&C 84:17–18). Through the priesthood, God created and governs the heavens and the earth. Through this power, He exalts His obedient children, bringing to pass “the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39; see also D&C 84:35–38).
Second, in mortality, priesthood is the power and authority that God gives to man to act in all things necessary for the salvation of God’s children. The blessings of the priesthood are available to all who receive the gospel. (“Priesthood Authority” Handbook 2, Administering the Church)

These definitions give us necessary understand regarding its use and purpose:
1. It is THE power of God, given BY God.  It cannot be attained by going to school.
2. It is a power, used to create and govern as God sees fit, not an achievement of humans.
3. It is used to help people progress, learn to obtain salvation through Jesus Christ, whose priesthood it is.

Since it's purpose is to help people progress and it's blessings are available to all, the blessings are what we need to pay attention to.  It is true that men in the LDS church are the only ones who can administer through the priesthood. There are plenty of theories as to why this is.  There are many women who feel jilted because they don't GET to administer priesthood ordinances.  This is a non-issue for me.  Administering in the priesthood is not an equality issue - not a why do you get to and not me issue. If the purpose of the priesthood is to help us progress, help us understand the atonement through promises and ordinances, help us know that Jesus Christ and God are all-powerful, I do not have to be a holder of the priesthood to know those things.

DC 84:35-39 says:

35 And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord;
 36 For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me;
 37 And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father;
 38 And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.
 39 And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood.

"He that receiveth my servants receiveth me" tells me that whether I hold the priesthood power to administer and bless or not, as long as I receive the servants that do, both the servant and I receive the Father and his kingdom.  That is the end goal.  Thinking of holding the priesthood as an equality issue, is taking the eye off the ball - the end goal is receiving the Father and his kingdom.

To receive the Father and his kingdom there are five ordinances (four for women) administered by the priesthood that are necessary:
1. Baptism
2. Bestowing the Gift of the Holy Ghost
3. Actually receiving the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood (for men) is an ordinance
4. Making covenants and promises through receiving an endowment or gift (of guidance) through on ordinance actually called an "endowment" in a temple of God.
5. A man and woman being sealed together in marriage is the last and crowning ordinance administered by the Priesthood.

Both the administration and reception of these ordinances are serious matters (DC 84:40-44):

40 Therefore, all those who receive the priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved.
 41 But whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath received it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come.
 42 And wo unto all those who come not unto this priesthood which ye have received, which I now confirm upon you who are present this day, by mine own voice out of the heavens; and even I have given the heavenly hosts and mine angels charge concerning you.
 43 And I now give unto you a commandment to beware concerning yourselves, to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life.
 44 For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.

As the last verse says: "you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God."  If you believe in God, believe in the word that he sends is timely for his timing and ours and for our good and for our faith. Assigning him unjust, narrowminded  judgement as to whether he or his prophets are racist, sexist or prejudice is just that, narrowminded because we only see the here and now.  I highly doubt that when we get to heaven, we will be the ones saying "I told you so" when it comes to equality issues (not that he would say that either, because he has the perfect love).

Here's the other thing regarding the purpose of the priesthood (DC 121:34-35):

 34 Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
 35 Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—
 36 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.
 37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, 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.

If there is anyone, man or women, who seeks to hold the priesthood for any other reason than what God intends, "the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved."

When the priesthood is exercised and supported appropriately, you will see this (DC:121:41-46):

41 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;
 42 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—
 43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;
 44 That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.
 45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; 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.
 46 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.

The Priesthood is for our progress, our education in the plan of God and for us coming to know God, his son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.  All can progress and receive these things whether we administer in the priesthood or receive of its administrations.

More information about the Priesthood on the LDS Church website.

"Be Not Deceived, but Continue in Steadfastness"

Readings:  Doctrine and Covenants 26; 28; 43:1–7; 50; 52:14–19;

The reading for this week are based upon answers that were received in response to issues the Prophet Joseph Smith was experiencing with people who got offended and left the church or caused problems for the church in their wake.  The purpose in the Sunday School manual is stated as thus: "To help class members understand how they can avoid deception and apostasy."  Yo would think that becoming offended over trivial things would not be an issue for a true believer of Christ.  But it is.  Because we are human and we experience ever-changing mixture in perspectives, emotions, situations, families, friends, colleagues, injustices, unfairness, weakness, sickness, successes and so on.  Those who are the very strongest in following the Savior will be able to get over offense or avoid offense, but that does not mean they can avoid their strength being tested.

There are three instance mentioned in the Sunday School lesson: 1) One man claimed to have a stone that helped him receive revelations about the church, but were actually against the word of God received by the called prophet. 2) Another was a disagreement over milk and cream that was brought before the prophet Joseph for settlement of the matter.  The woman that was decided against left the church along with her husband, who then became an enemy of the church. 3) A man received a letter from the prophet Joseph informing him that he was called by God to preach the gospel to others, but the man's name was misspelled in the letter and he felt that if a prophet of God misspelled his name, perhaps he was not a prophet at all. The man later left the church.

Each of these instances and many others in the scriptures teach us that in order to remain strong in testimony of Jesus Christ, our testimony must actually be of Jesus Christ and his gospel and not in man who is at times frail and weak.  We are all learning.  Jesus Christ knows this and is merciful. It would do us good to remember this and be merciful as well.  Elder Jeffry R. Holland, of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles, reminded us of this in the last General Conference:

Brothers and sisters, this is a divine work in process, with the manifestations and blessings of it abounding in every direction, so please don't hyperventilate if from time to time issues arise that need to be examined, understood, and resolved. They do and they will. In this Church, what we know will always trump what we do not know. And remember, in this world, everyone is to walk by faith. So be kind regarding human frailty—your own as well as that of those who serve with you in a Church led by volunteer, mortal men and women. Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we. And when you see imperfection, remember that the limitation is not in the divinity of the work.

The Lord tells us to forgive and let God be the judge (I love this doctrine!)
DC 64:8-11

 8 My disciples, in days of old, sought occasion against one another and forgave not one another in their hearts; and for this evil they were afflicted and sorely chastened.
 9 Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.
 10 I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.
 11 And ye ought to say in your hearts—let God judge between me and thee, and reward thee according to thy deeds.

Even those who serve as our leaders need a measure of mercy as well, as they are just as human as we are.

Other ways to become offended or thing to avoid apostasy mentioned in the lesson are:
Pride
Not recognizing the prophet as the source of revelation
Being critical of leaders' imperfections
Being offended
Rationalizing disobedience
Arguing over points of doctrine
Not reading the word of God (scripture/prophets' words)
Not forgiving
Not accepting points of doctrine on faith
Paying attention to the false teachings of the world

Presiding Bishop H. David Burton taught: “One of [Satan’s] insidious strategies is to progressively soften our senses regarding what is right and wrong. Satan would have us convinced that it is fashionable to lie and cheat. He encourages us to view pornography by suggesting that it prepares us for the real world. He would have us believe that immorality is an attractive way of life and that obedience to the commandments of our Father in Heaven is old-fashioned. Satan constantly bombards us with deceptive propaganda desirably packaged and carefully disguised” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1993, 60; or Ensign, May 1993, 46).

Take note of the feelings you get when you are offended or feel gypped, or put upon, or start rationalizing.  They are not good feelings and do not come from God. They come from the opposition, Satan.

DC 50:2-3

 2 Behold, verily I say unto you, that there are many spirits which are false spirits, which have gone forth in the earth, deceiving the world.
 3 And also Satan hath sought to deceive you, that he might overthrow you.

2 Ne 2:27

7 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

We have a choice to continue in steadfastness.  We will be hurt, we will be offended, we will feel gypped, we will be weak, we will feel unfairness. God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost will help see us through these things and make us stronger IF we choose the path of liberty and eternal that they offer.

"Seek ye out of the best books"

Readings:  DC 88:77-80  DC 88: 118, 122-125  2 Timothy 3:7  2 Nephi 9:28-29  Matt 11:29

• D&C 6:7
• D&C 11:21–22
• D&C 19:23
• D&C 90:15
• D&C 93:36–37, 53
• D&C 130:18–19
• D&C 131:6
• D&C 136:32–33

There are some important statements and pieces of information in the Doctrine and Covenants that help us to understand the God wants us to learn:

DC 93:36-37

36 The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.
 37 Light and truth forsake that evil one.

It is obvious today that there is much to learn and our society places heavy emphasis and much value on educating ourselves and our children in order to be successful.  We can learn from all sorts of resources, using all sorts of tools.  But, the Lord in the above verses makes a distinction between learning and learning from God. What God teaches is light and truth. Not just any retained information or experience (good or bad), but information that God gives, or is the author and creator of, which is everything. But the antagonist of God, Satan, would love nothing more that to give information that would confuse the pure light and truth that God gives. So, we need to learn to distinguish between learning information and learning information from God.

DC 130:18-19

 18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.
 19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

The more light and truth one can gain in this life, the better the advantage in the world to come.  But the knowledge gained in this verse is through diligence and obedience.  There are many people who are diligent in gaining their education, but fewer who can be obedient to God at the same time and therefore fewer who receive light and truth given by God.

DC 136:32-33

32 Let him that is ignorant learn wisdom by humbling himself and calling upon the Lord his God, that his eyes may be opened that he may see, and his ears opened that he may hear;
 33 For my Spirit is sent forth into the world to enlighten the humble and contrite, and to the condemnation of the ungodly.

How do we gain light and truth from God? And how do we differentiate it from information given by Satan?  These verses say, we need to humble ourselves and actually ask the Lord, then the Holy Spirit will enlighten us and condemn the ungodly. The phrase,"easier said than done" is a glaring understatement regarding learning real truth and real light from God.  However, the more we try and practice, the easier it becomes to discern truth from falsehoods and light from darkness.

In order to differentiate between God's light and knowledge and other knowledge, we must come to know God.  Where do you go to get to know God, what do you do?  To begin with, the authoritative resource is the Bible, the book that the Lord wrote through his prophets. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Christ and his words.  These two are proclaimed the word of God, by God and his Son Jesus Christ, so as far as authoritative resources go in getting to know God, the Father and Jesus Christ, these are a sure bet.  There are other resources that have been sanctioned by God and Jesus Christ as well: The Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price, literature given by Jesus Christ through ancient and modern prophets, there are also words given through modern prophets and apostles we have today. All of these resources actually quote one another because God is unchangeable and so are his truths, but each book gives a different perspective on His truths. By learning His word from His source and asking questions or asking for a confirmation from the Holy Spirit about what we read and study, we can be assured we are learning divine truth.

Another way to learn truth is to teach it, which sounds backwards.  But the Lord tells us in the scripture below that we are to teach what we know, then we will be instructed more perfectly (emphasis added):

DC 88:76-80

 76 Also, I give unto you a commandment that ye shall continue in prayer and fasting from this time forth.
 77 And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom.
 78 Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;
 79 Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms—
 80 That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you.

This is one of the ways that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is different than many churches.  It has lay clergy, leaders who have other jobs to earn their living, and people of the congregation are the speakers for the congregations and sunday school learning.  Some people may not feel comfortable listening to a speaker who does not profess an authoritative knowledge of the truths of God. However, if the speaker is speaking or teaching by the spirit, quoting scripture from God and applying it to life, and the learner or listener is listening by the spirit, there is no higher authoritative learning. Learning by the Holy Spirit is the key!

Regarding secular learning, society places high value on learning more for greater success.  This is very clear. As indicated is the previous scripture passage, we are to learn about everything we can - things abroad, about wars and perplexities of nations, and all things.  All knowledge will help us to progress, if we apply it or discard it appropriately.  But if the purpose of is purely to become wealthy, and the knowledge of God is disregarded, in the end, you will perish. Jacob, a prophet from The Book of Mormon said that doing so is part of the plan of "the evil one":

2 Nephi 9:28-29

 28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.
 29 But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.

The Lord tells us in the beginning of the Doctrine and Covanents (similar words are found in the Bible and The Book of Mormon):

DC 6:7

 7 Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.

I the end, it is not the wealth that your knowledge brings you that will be of value, but the wisdom you gained from that knowledge and how you applied it.  Because you can be a very knowledgable and informed person, but still be ignorant in the things that matter eternally.

DC 131:6

 6 It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.

The Word of Wisdom. Actually there are many.

Readings:

1. a. 
   Doctrine and Covenants 89 (the Word of Wisdom).
2. b. 
   Doctrine and Covenants 49:19–21; 59:15–21; 88:124(supplemental scriptures).

Within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there is a common phrase: "the word of wisdom."   This is more that just one word, and it refers to the general code of health. I have a tender spot in my heart for these particular doctrines of the gospel.  Because our spirit and our body make up our soul, it stands to reason that we need to take care of both and usually taking care of one helps take care of the other.  Both body and spirit were given to us from a loving Heavenly Father and given for us to maintain and care for, so I don't think it comes as a surprise that He didn't leave us without some recommendations to help in the care of our bodies.

Mormons are known for a few things, for better or worse, among those things are: we don't drink coffee, tea or smoke/use tobacco products.  These guidelines come from the 89th section of the Doctrine and Covenants.  Emma Smith, the prophet Joseph's wife did not like cleaning up the tobacco after meetings, which led to Joseph asking Heavenly Father about health practices.  Section 89 is a revelatory response concerning the issue regarding tobacco as well as other healthy practices.

The Lord says the Word of Wisdom is given to specific people: the weak.  This doesn't mean those who are not strong or those who do not have self-control.  The weak in this sense are those who are humble, those who are ready to learn and apply this principle.  I suppose it could mean that those who seem weak or silly in the eyes of the world:

 3 Given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints.
 4 Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation—

Other items of note in these two verses regarding the purpose of the word of wisdom are 1) It is a principle of promise - the Lord gives us many commandments which we are blessed for in one way or another, but these principles come with explicit and many time rather obvious promises, which I will list later. 2) The Lord gives a general code of health because He knows there are and will be conspiring people who will use the violation of the body in one way or another to destroy our spirits.

So here are the items listed in DC 89 that are NOT GOOD for the body:

1. a. 
   D&C 89:5–7. (Wine or strong drink.)
2. b. 
   D&C 89:8. (Tobacco.)
3. c. 
   D&C 89:9. (Hot drinks, defined as tea and coffee.)

Along with these things, more recent revelation instructs us not to use any illegal drugs or substances containing illegal drugs, any habit-forming substance, unless under the care of a competent physician, or the mis-use of prescription or other drugs.  I will not list the reasons behind this as there are plenty of scientific studies indicating the harmful consequences of the use of all of the above, and there are plenty of stories indicating the harm they have done to persons and families. I will point out though, that the Lord knew all of this and revealed it to Joseph Smith long before scientific studies proved such ill effects.

Here are the items listed in DC 89 that are GOOD for the body:

1. a. 
   D&C 89:10. (Wholesome herbs—nourishing vegetables and plants.)
2. b. 
   D&C 89:11. (Fruit.)
3. c. 
   D&C 89:12; see also D&C 49:19. (Flesh of beasts and fowls.)
4. d. 
   D&C 89:14–17. (Grains.)
5. e. 
   D&C 88:124. (Retiring to bed early and rising early—getting adequate sleep.)

A good guideline for the purpose and amount of foods is given in DC 59:18-20

 18 Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
 19 Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.
 20 And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.

Here are the promises from the Lord for obeying these words of wisdom and warning:

1. a. 
   D&C 89:18. (Physical health.)
2. b. 
   D&C 89:19. (Wisdom and great treasures of knowledge.)
3. c. 
   D&C 89:20. (The ability to run and not be weary and walk and not faint.)
4. d. 
   D&C 89:21. (Protection from the destroying angel.)

There are many things that can be debated here, as there are many that have had different experiences and effects of using or eating a special kind of food or substance or herb that helps them or hinders them.  Perhaps a specific food or herb or oil or exercise or medicine helps you and you couldn't live without it.  That's just fine.  I think what the Lord is telling us in section 89 that all of these principle apply to the huge majority of the popualtion - drugs, alcohol, tobacco, addictive substances, etc are not good for merely ALL people.  Eating a wholesome, balanced diet is good for ALL people.  If you have needs or deficiencies or issues that require a different balance that the majority of the population than it is up to you to ask the Lord for help in obtaining that balance, as he will help the individual as well as the general population.

I think though that there are underlying principles here that are sometimes overlooked in the written words of section 89.  I think the Lord is trying to teach us, by way of "the word of wisdom", patience, temperance, self-control, good judgement, resistance, balance, the importance of proper education, and to always look to the creator of all things.  These things are hard to learn in a world (especially in the U.S.) where food, medication and drugs are abundant - even a hobby, they are fairly easily accessible and information regarding them abound (both accurate and inaccurate).  All of these learning principles apply to our spiritual nourishment as well and therefore benefits both body and spirit.  What better way to help our spiritual progress that to make sure we have a learning experience that is as constant as taking care of our bodies?