#8 Restoration of the Priesthood

D&C 13, 20:38;67; 27:12-13; 84:6-30; 107:1-20; 110:11-16

This question is for the men in the room. When I say the phrase “king of the castle” what comes to mind? What does that mean to you?
Man + lazy boy + remote + drink + treat + basically doing what you want, how you want, when you want, without nagging from your wife or kids right?
Is it safe to say that God is the ultimate king of the castle?
Even though the Lord can do what He wants when He wants how He wants, He still gives his family (us) freedom to choose how, when, what we choose to do. He not only gives us the freedom to live and make choices, He actually has blessed us with the same power that created the earth.

A more powerful explanation of this power is found in History of the Church 5:554 and ensign Nov. 1979, “The most powerful force known to mankind in time or eternity is the holy priesthood.” “By it the earth was created and the planets are held in their orbits, but even more impressive is the knowledge that to have “the power of the Melchizedek Priesthood is to have the power of ‘endless lives’” “By the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood, the entire church and kingdom of God on earth functions, is administered, and rolls triumphantly to its foreordained destiny.” “In short, the priesthood is the divine power needed by every son and daughter of God to lift them from a life of corruption, through the merits of the Redeemer, to a spotless life of splendor in the presence of their eternal Father.” (D&C student manual p. 430)

Did you catch that all men and women need this power?!!

As I learned and studied about this power, power that I have never appreciated to it’s fullest, mainly because I felt that Priesthood power was for the men and yes, I can use it by getting blessings through them and stuff like that, but as I studied this week about the Priesthood I learned that the Priesthood isn’t just a power that we use off and on. It plays a huge part in our lives, or can play a huge part in our lives daily, if we put it into affect.

Let me just give you 2 more quotes that will get us set up for what we are going to learn today. Both are found in my D&C student manual p 431

“As you think about what it means to be a worthy holder of the priesthood, do you realize that in being given the priesthood a man receives an endowment (a gift) of the Spirit to enable him to administer the affairs of his own life and the lives of his family in power? Think of it! When a worthy priesthood bearer places his hands on another and pronounces a blessing of guidance in an ordinance or for a calling or for health, there is an outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord that both sanctifies the action and reveals the nature of the blessing.”
**Did you catch that, the priesthood is a gift of power! Power to use in your individual lives and those whom you bless with it, and as you bless yourself and others you are harnessing and using the same power the Lord has to create this earth.

“Inherent in the priesthood is the principle of representation. Priesthood is the delegated authority of God, and so far-reaching are its powers that when those holding them are in harmony with their duties and have the spirit of their calling, their official words and acts are as valid as if God Himself were personally present saying and doing those things.”

We’ve heard that one before but I felt it needed to be mentioned again, but I also wanted to point out that it said that the Powers are “so far-reaching” meaning eternal, I will explain more on this in a second.

So to recap, if we can administer our daily affairs through the power of the priesthood, and to use it as though God himself were here administering to us and our families through it, perhaps we should examine closer what blessings the power of the priesthood can give us daily and how we can use it to govern our lives.

If you are a woman and thinking that this lesson and power is only for the men, think again, I have found out some things about this power and the blessings we can receive from it, that we have not recognized as being a power to govern our lives as well.

As I was thinking about the Lord’s house and how He governs it, I gained a respect of what I can do in my own life and home. So that is what we are going to do. Discuss what it means to use the priesthood in our homes and how we can improve upon what we already know and do by examining closer what blessings we get from the priesthood and what those can do to help us on a whole new level.

In True to the Faith p125 under Priesthood and the Family it states the basic things we can do to govern our homes through the priesthood power. “The most important exercise of the priesthood takes place in the family. Each husband and father in the Church should strive to be worthy to hold the Melchizedek Priesthood. With his wife as an equal partner, he presides in righteousness and love, serving as the family’s spiritual leader. He leads the family in regular prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. He works with his wife to teach the children and help them prepare to receive the ordinances of salvation (D&C 68:25-28). He gives priesthood blessings for direction, healing, and comfort.

Those are some of the basics now let’s go a little deeper. I am going to pass out scriptures, get in groups of 4-5, go through your scripture as a group and come up with things you can do in your homes to use these blessings in your daily lives and/or to govern your homes.

Aaronic Priesthood-

D&C 13:1 Key of ministering of angels
Pres. Hinckley “That means, as I interpret it, that if you live worthy of the priesthood, you have the right to receive and enjoy the very power of heavenly beings to guide you, to protect you, to bless you” Nov. 1982, 45

*Let’s discuss a little more indepth what a blessing ministering of angels can be and how we can use it. Let’s go to the next scripture but we will be back to finish pulling out the blessing in this verse 13:1
3 Nephi 7:18 daily ministering, In what ways can we use daily ministering?
(Story of heavenly help with Bryson)
There was a time when my son asked to go somewhere and I wasn’t sure I agreed with it as first and I didn’t know why, it seemed completely innocent, however, as he persisted in begging, and I couldn’t come up with a good reason not to let him go, I had decided to concede, when in my mind pictures of past moments came to my mind out of nowhere, and as I thought on them some more I realized that my angels were trying to tell me something, I confronted him with what my thoughts were, still unsure if they were correct. Sure enough, my thoughts were well founded, not that he was being out right rebellious, the whole situation was an innocent lack of understanding and communication on his and my part. As I spoke to him in depth about my thoughts, how they came, and that the only reason they warned me of something was because Our Heavenly Father cared enough about him that He didn’t want him to get into a situation that could have been detrimental to his future life, he realized that his choice wasn’t perhaps the wisest one. I also explained to him that the Lord also loved me, enough that He knew I needed a little extra help raising one of His children; and if that means giving me a heads up on something like we were confronted with, He will do it. I testify to you we can use the ministering of angels daily, for me to raise my family in a way that is pleasing to him or anything else we may need.
Moroni 7:25 lay hold on all good things Ministering of angels also means laying hold on all good things. All-what could that mean? Do you need creativity at work or in callings, do you need a good job? All good things-leave it to your imagination-all the good things you can lay hold upon through angels? What can we do to get this blessing? It is already given to us but what can we do to actually receive it?
Moroni 7:29-31 Angels show themselves to the strong and faithful and firm mind in every blessing
**Dallin H. Oaks spoke of the relationship between partaking of the sacrament and receiving the ministering of angels: “Through the Aaronic Priesthood ordinances of baptism and the sacrament, we are cleansed of our sins and promised that if we keep our covenants we will always have His spirit to be with us. I believe that promise not only refers to the Holy Ghost but also to the ministering of angels, for ‘angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ’ (3 Nephi 32:3). So it is that those who hold the Aaronic Priesthood open the door for all Church members who worthily partake of the sacrament to enjoy the companionship of the Spirit of the Lord and the ministering of angels” Nov. 1998, 39

*if we want to see angels and put ourselves on the same plain as they are where we can see them we need to have their same mindset, think like they think, with an eternal perspective, we need to have pure faith that they are there and exsist, we need to look for them, we need to recognize when they are talking to us or showing us things. If I had taken those thoughts my angels were trying to show me and tossed them off as being ridiculous and a form of paranoia then perhaps my son would be on a different, not so good path right now. If we ignore them they will be still and let us figure things out on our own. And along with Elder Oaks quote, we need to put ourselves in places where we can get closer to them, gain more power in overcoming weakness by taking the sacrament.
*Let’s go back now to 13:1
D&C 13:1 Gospel of repentance (like onion layers-only through the priesthood can you heal past, present and future, because it is an eternal power. Eternal, meaning it is for everyone on the earth, just like the atonement is eternal. Women it is only because the Priesthood is on the earth today that we too can talk to angels, have revelation, have gifts of the spirit. Yes, they hold the keys and the authority, but we still have the opportunity to harness that power ourselves personally, just because it has been restored to the earth, it is power, not something tangible that you get handed to you but power, a gift you can take part of just by putting into our daily walks of life. We can partake of the power, we just don’t have the keys and authority to use it as they use it.

D&C 84:88 I (Lord) goes before your face, He will be on our left and right and in our hearts, His angels round about us to bear us up
How do we receive and use this blessing daily? Use Him to give you courage to conquer fears, stand and lead at work, at church, at home, if you really believed and harnessed the power of the priesthood you would know that with The Lord in our hearts, before our faces, and angels round about us? Can we really go wrong? Does that mean we will never fail? No, but if we do fail we have the courage to try a new path, because we will know our angels and our Lord would never let us fail unless they were trying to influence us to choose differently

D&C 107:18 all spiritual blessings Name some spiritual blessings-How can we use them daily? By using our spiritual blessings we are using the power of the priesthood. Help, love, peace, happiness, revelation, etc.

JSH 1:74 Because of the priesthood power and ordinances of baptism the scriptures were opened in a way that could never been attained w/o priesthood power-even though they had urim and thumim because this power is eternal it encircles all earth’s inhabitants!
Through the priesthood power reading scriptures takes on a whole new meaning. When we read and use the priesthood new meanings enter into our minds and lives. I testify this happens to me every week!!! And I have the priesthood power to thank for my learning.




Melchizedek Priesthood-

Teachings of Joseph Smith p112 “All are bound by the principles of virtue and happiness, but one great privilege of the Priesthood is to obtain revelations of the mind and will of God. It is also the privilege of the Melchizedek Priesthood, to reprove, rebuke, and admonish, as well as to receive revelation.”
Through the priesthood we can know when it is proper to reprove and rebuke our kids, neighbors, etc. Then we will also receive revelations to uplift and help with later. For example, have you ever had an experience where you had a great relationship with a friend, co-worker, or neighbor and you’ve always kind of avoided gospel topics, because you were afraid to push them away, but then one day you just blurted out something that perhaps you thought would be offensive, because you called them to repentance, but it turned out that was just what they needed to hear right then, that is using the priesthood. As we pray to know the words and the timing it will come.

Teachings of Joseph Smith p166-167 “Although there are two Priesthoods, yet the Melchizedek Priesthood comprehends the Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood, and is the grand head, and holds the highest authority which pertains to the priesthood, and the keys of the Kingdom of God in all ages of the world to the latest posterity on the earth; and is the channel through which all knowledge, doctrine, the plan of salvation and every important matter is revealed from heaven.”
Do you want all knowledge, doctrine, and important matter made known, then pray, use the channel of the priesthood and pray for it. Use that power daily.

D&C 42:61 Mysteries, peaceable things, Joyful things
In a world like today when there is so much negativity floating around, so much sorrow, sadness, wouldn’t it be nice to be happy even though you are out of a job, your dog died, your wife left you? (sorry just thinking of an old country song for a moment) Our temporal situations may not be what we believe to be ideal right now, but I believe the Lord is trying to teach us that money isn’t happiness, We need to learn to be happy and peaceful inspite of what is going on around us! So how do we use the priesthood here? This is one of those times that father’s blessings, patriarchal blessings and such come into play, they can give us the peace and happiness, the perspective we need to make it through one more day.
D&C 84:20 Ordinances-power of godliness-mysteries of God (of woman (Rev. 17:7))As we gain our ordinances, baptism, Endowment, Sealings, through the priesthood we gain power of godliness. This means Mysteries of God. Men what is your biggest mystery? Women right? Do you think they can ever be figured out? By using the power of the priesthood you can figure us out! That part was just a joke (kind of) If heaven can’t clue you in you are hopeless! Ha ha

D&C 107:10, 12, 18 Administer of spiritual things agreeable to commandments and covenants We don’t have to be elder’s quorum president to enjoy this blessing. We can use the power of the priesthood to administer spiritual things in our families and individually.
D&C 107:19 Mysteries of Kingdom opened, commune with assembly, enjoy presence of God and Jesus,
* “The higher priesthood after the order of the sone of God, we are told, in a modern revelation (107:18-19),…holds not only the power of the ministration of holy angels to be seen personally, but also the power of beholding the face of God the Father, that through the power and manifestations of the spirit of God and of his angels we may be prepared to enter into the presence of God the Father in the world to come, and enjoy continual communion with him, and be crowned with the glory of the celestial kingdom, to stand in our place and calling to all eternity, in connection with all those who hold the priesthood in the eternal worlds.” Orson Pratt J OF DIS. 18:363
** only with the melchizedek priesthood can we see God, this doesn’t mean that if we as women don’t have the keys to this priesthood. It’s just saying that with this priesthood on earth all who are worthy and partake of this blessing can see God! So what can we do? Use the atonement to repent and make ourselves ready to stand in His presence.

D&C 84:19-22Knowledge of God- President Fielding Smith observed: “it is impossible for men to obtain the knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom or the knowledge of God, without the authority of the Priesthood. Secular learning, the study of the sciences, arts and history will not reveal these vital truths to man. It is the Holy Pristhood that unlocks the door to heaven and reveals to man the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. It is this Divine Authority which makes known the knowledge of God! Is there any wonder that the world today is groping in gross darkness concerning God and the things of his kingdom? We should also remember that these great truths are not made known even to members of the Chruch unless they place their lives in harmony with the law on which these blessings are predicated. (D&C 130: 20-21) (Church History and Modern Revelation 1:338)
I believe that Elder Russell M. Nelson used this priesthood blessing in his job as a heart surgeon. He tells stories of times he was in a surgery and thoughts came to his mind of something he could do that would help his patients heart, and fixed problems that he had no idea were even there. By listening to those thoughts and praying for that help long before going into surgery, he made many discoveries and inventions that are now in medical journals and in use in the medical world. The Lord knows more about the heart than any scientist, why not tap into that knowledge to help people?

D&C 110:11-16 See visions of heaven, see God, see great and dreadful day, know day of Lord’s coming. It is through this power that we can know when the Lord is coming. Remember when we were talking in the BofM when Nephi who was just in Zarahemla finds himself at the temple in Bountiful the day the Lord comes. We will know. I know we can partake of that blessing but only if we stay close to the Lord and His angels, and use the power of the priesthood offered to everyone to be ready for the promptings of what to do and when.

I want to end with How to exercise the Priesthood righteously because it was very powerful to me when I read it. And remember, just because it says priesthood holder doesn’t mean that we women aren’t just as accountable and admonished here, because we too can live our lives through the power of the priesthood.
P127 True to the Faith “If you are a priesthood holder, remember that the priesthood should be a part of you at all times and in all circumstances. It is not like a cloak that you can put on and take off at will. Any ordination to a priesthood office is a call to life-long service, with the promise that the Lord will qualify you to do His work according to your faithfulness.
You must be worthy in order to receive and exercise priesthood power. The words you speak and your everyday behavior affect your ability to serve. Your behavior in public must be above reproach. Your behavior in private is even more important. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord declared 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” (D&C121:36). He warned priesthood holders:
“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. Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself: (D7C 121:37-38)

I don’t believe the Lord can be any plainer than that, if we fail to use the priesthood to govern our lives and homes daily in righteousness we may be risking the influence of the only place, and beings that can help us come out of this mess of a world. I testify the Priesthood power is real, it is for all of us, through it and the power of the atonement, that are so interconnected that it is sometimes hard to tell between the two, we can live happily and with peace, through help of our angels, and the Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ amen.