Sunday School
What is the Priesthood?
It is the power that governs the universe. It is a delicate balance, we are all intelligent beings and must not take away other's free agency.
What do we use the Priesthood for?
We use the Priesthood for blessings such as
*Healing of the sick
*Confirmations
*Ordinations/setting apart
*Patriarchal blessings
We also use the Priesthood for saving ordinances such as baptism, sealing's in the temple, receiving revelation, and much more.
Joseph Smith History 1:68-72
"We still continued the work of translation, when, in the ensuing month (May, 1829), we on a certain day went into the woods to pray and inquire of the Lord respecting baptism for the remission of sins, that we found mentioned in the translation of the plates. While we were thus employed, praying and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light, and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us saying:
He said this Aaronic Priesthood had not the power of laying on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that this should be conferred on us hereafter; and he commanded us to go and be baptized, and gave us directions that I should baptize Oliver Cowdery, and that afterwards he should baptize me.
Accordingly we went and were baptized. I baptized him first, and afterwards he baptized me--after which I laid my hands upon his head and ordained him to the Aaronic Priesthood, and afterwards he laid his hands on me and ordained me to the same Priesthood--for so we were commanded.
The messenger who visited us on this occasion and conferred this Priesthood upon us, said that his name was John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James, and John, who held the keys of the Priesthood of Melchizedek, which Priesthood, he said, would in due time be conferred on us, and that I should be called the first Elder of the Church, and he (Oliver Cowdery) the second. It was on the fifteenth day of May, 1829, that we were ordained under the hand of this messenger, and baptized."
Joseph Smith Jr. and Oliver Cowdery went unto the Lord to receive a better understanding or baptism, because of this John the Baptist appeared unto them. He restored the Aaronic Priesthood keys to the Earth again.
Doctrine and Covenants 107:14 & 20
"Why it is called the lesser priesthood is because it is an appendage of the greater, or the Melchizedek Priesthood, and has power in administering outward ordinances...
The power and authority of the lesser, or Aaronic Priesthood, is to hold the keys of the ministering of angels, and to administer in outward ordinances, the letter of the gospel, the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, agreeable to the covenants and commandments."
Doctrine and Covenants 13:1
"Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth; until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness."
The Priesthood will not be taken away from this earth again "until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness." What an amazing blessing for us to know that the Priesthood is not going to be taken away from the earth until the Coming of Christ!
Doctrine and Covenants 107: 18-19; 22-23
"The power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church--
To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant...
Of the Melchizedek Priesthood, three Presiding High Priests, chosen by the body, appointed and ordained to that office, and upheld by the confidence, faith, and prayer of the church, form a quorum of the Presidency of the Church.
The twelve traveling councilors are called to be the Twelve Apostles, or special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world--thus differing from other officers in the church in the duties of their calling."
What are the spiritual blessings of the church that you receive, even on a day to day basis?
I know for myself that I can receive answers to my own prayers; I am able to be healed from a sickness through the power of the Priesthood AND my faith. I feel/hear promptings from the Spirit as long as I am worthy and actually listening to him.
When people are put into callings, they must be sustained--the law of common consent. If you sustain individuals, pray for them and support them in their endeavors! They can feel our prayers for them and they are greatly appreciated.
Doctrine and Covenants 128: 11
"Now the great and grand secret of the whole matter, and the summon bonum of the whole subject that is lying before us, consists in obtaining the powers of the Holy Priesthood. For him to whom these keys are given there is no difficulty in obtaining a knowledge of facts in relation to the salvation of the children of men, both as well for the dead as for the living."
Keys are the directing power; Bishops have the keys to decide in what direction the ward will go. Keys are very specific, certain callings allow the priesthood to use their keys for specific things.
No comments:
Post a Comment