Lesson Summary: October 27, 2013

Catherine B. led our discussion on Elder Neil L. Anderson's talk "Power in the Priesthood" from the October 2013 General Conference.  A great supplement to this talk and subject is Elder Boyd K. Packer's talk "What Every Elder Should Know—and Every Sister as Well: A Primer on Principles of Priesthood Government" and his April 2010 talk "Power of the Priesthood".

"A man may open the drapes so the warm sunlight comes into the room, but the man does not own the sun or the light or the warmth it brings."  (Power in the Priesthood - By  Neil L. Andersen (2013 October General Conference)


                            Partnering with Priesthood Power

What
Heavens have borne record regarding what the priesthood is and is not.

•“Priesthood is the authority and the power which God has granted to men on earth to act for Him. When priesthood authority is exercised properly, priesthood bearers do what He would do if He were present.” [Packer, “Power of the Priesthood”, 4/10]
•“Priesthood is the means whereby the Lord acts through men to save souls.” [Bednar, “Powers of Heaven”, 4/12]
•celestial power gifted to a telestial world to elevate the experience

Who
•“The priesthood is the power and authority of God given for the salvation and blessing of all—men, women, and children.” [Apostle Anderson, GC, 10/13]

How is Priesthood power realized for women?

Ordination
confers
AUTHORITY
⇓
Permission

Worthiness
confers
POWER
⇓
Spiritual Capacity

“Righteousness is the qualifier … to invite priesthood power into our lives.” Sister Linda K. Burton, BYU Women's Conference

“In the ordinances … the power of godliness is manifest.” [D&C 84:20]

"As we are worthy, the ordinances of the priesthood enrich our lives on earth and prepare us for the magnificent promises of the world ahead." [Anderson 10/13]

Ordinances ⇒ Covenants ⇒ Power ⇒ Light

          wherever you are on your path of discovery      |     questions for contemplation

1. Others Centered – in what ways do you participate in blessing others?

• Inherent in “what” is that Priesthood power designs only to bless others

"A priesthood holder is expected to exercise this sacred authority in accordance with God’s holy mind, will, and purposes. Nothing about the priesthood is self-centered. The priesthood always is used to serve, to bless, and to strengthen other people."  [Bednar, “Powers of Heaven”, 4/12]

• Understanding of workings is magnified through experience w/ service

2. Active – how do you make Priesthood power active in your daily experience?

• Apostle Bednar lament

Attribute       Women            Men
Access          constant           requires engagement
Strength        varies               varies

"My message ...to all is that we can live every hour “blessed by the strength of priesthood power,” whatever our circumstance." [Anderson 10/13]

“One breaks the priesthood covenant by transgressing commandments—but also by leaving undone his duties. Accordingly, to break this covenant one needs only to do nothing” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 497).

"The priesthood does not have the strength that it should have and will not have until the power of the priesthood is firmly fixed in the families as it should be." [Packer, “Power of the Priesthood”, 4/10]

3. For Everyone – harnessing the globe with Priesthood power to bless others?

“We need everyone. The tired or worn out or lazy and even those who are bound down with guilt must be restored through repentance and forgiveness. Too many of our priesthood brethren are living below their privileges and the Lord’s expectations.” [Packer, “Power of the Priesthood”, 4/10]



How is this power manifest to you?
How do I firmly affix the priesthood in my home?

Lesson Summary: October 20, 2013

Katie S. delivered the lesson from Chapter 20 of the Lorenzo Snow Manual, The Kingdom of God Moves Forward.

video

“In the large corridor leading into the celestial room, I was walking several steps ahead of grand-pa when he stopped me and said: ‘Wait a moment, Allie, I want to tell you something. It was right here that the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to me at the time of the death of President Woodruff. He instructed me to go right ahead and reorganize the First Presidency of the Church at once and not wait as had been done after the death of the previous presidents, and that I was to succeed President Woodruff.’
“Then grand-pa came a step nearer and held out his left hand and said: ‘He stood right here, about three feet above the floor. It looked as though He stood on a plate of solid gold.’
“Grand-pa told me what a glorious personage the Savior is and described His hands, feet, countenance and beautiful white robes, all of which were of such a glory of whiteness and brightness that he could hardly gaze upon Him.
“Then [grand-pa] came another step nearer and put his right hand on my head and said: ‘Now, grand-daughter, I want you to remember that this is the testimony of your grand-father, that he told you with his own lips that he actually saw the Savior, here in the Temple, and talked with Him face to face.’” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, Chapter 20: The Kingdom of God Moves Forward)

“The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.” - Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 4:540.

• What do you do in the face of persecution or trials?

"So it has been and so it ever will be with us. Notwithstanding our difficulties may appear very great, yet there will be means provided for our escape if we ourselves perform the duties incumbent upon us as the children of God. But it may become necessary in the future—and this is the point I wish to make—for some of the Saints to act the part of Esther, the queen, and be willing to sacrifice anything and everything that is required at their hands for the purpose of working out the deliverance of the Latter-day Saints.
First we should know that we are the people of God. … It is our business to step forward as did Esther, and be willing to risk all for the salvation of the people. In undertaking her task, Esther said, “If I perish, I perish.” [See Esther 4:3–16.] … But the people of God will not perish. There will always be a ram caught in the thicket for their deliverance [see Genesis 22:13]. …" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, Chapter 20: The Kingdom of God Moves Forward)

" and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? " (Esther 4:14)

• How can I build up the Kingdom of God?

"This is the Church of Jesus Christ. God will not allow His Church to drift from its appointed course or fail to fulfill its divine destiny..... "I am reminded of a time in the Savior’s life when many abandoned Him.¹⁰ Jesus asked His twelve disciples:

“Will ye also go away?

“Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.”¹¹

There are times when we have to answer the same question. Will we also go away? Or will we, like Peter, hold fast to the words of eternal life?

If you seek truth, meaning, and a way to transform faith into action; if you are looking for a place of belonging: Come, join with us!

If you have left the faith you once embraced: Come back again. Join with us!

If you are tempted to give up: Stay yet a little longer. There is room for you here.

I plead with all who hear or read these words: Come, join with us. Come heed the call of the gentle Christ. Take up your cross and follow Him.¹²

Come, join with us! For here you will find what is precious beyond price."  - "Come, Join with Us" By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

October 2013 General Conference memes

All from lds.org, click the image to go to the talk.

                 

Lesson Summary: September 29, 2013

Brother T. led a discussion about the Lords perfect law of love.
We were given a hand-out with scriptures and questions, and then we split into 10 small groups.  

Pondering on the following 33 versus of scripture (see below), consider the following questions:  

1) What do you understand about our Lord’s perfect law of love?  

2)   In the light of the Lord’s perfect law of love, with as much detail as you are willing to imagine and hope for, describe what your personal family life, our church community life, local community life, and perhaps world community life would be like if each of us lived His perfect law of love perfectly?  Is what you are imaging what you really want (Mosiah 18:11)? What are you willing to do (in your life, this week, today?)  to bring it to pass?  (Why are these questions so hard to answer?)

3) To what degree does your moment-to-moment understanding of our Lord’s perfect law of love determine your willingness to invite others to enjoy the fruits of the gospel of Jesus Christ? 

John, Chapter 15, New Testament

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

 4 ^aAbide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

 5 I am the ^avine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without ^bme ye can do nothing.

 6 If a man ^aabide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

 7 If ye ^aabide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ^bask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

 8 Herein is my Father ^aglorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

 9 As the Father hath ^aloved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

 10 If ye ^akeep my commandments, ye shall abide in my ^blove; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your ^ajoy might be full.

 12 This is my commandment, That ye ^alove one another, as I have ^bloved you.

Mosiah, Chapter 18, Book of Mormon

 7 And it came to pass after many days there were a goodly number gathered together at the place of Mormon, to hear the words of Alma. Yea, all were gathered together that believed on his word, to hear him. And he did ^ateach them, and did preach unto them repentance, and redemption, and faith on the Lord.

 8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are ^adesirous to come into the ^bfold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

 9 Yea, and are ^awilling to mourn with those that ^bmourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as^cwitnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the ^dfirst resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

 10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being ^abaptized in the ^bname of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a ^ccovenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

 11 And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts.

 12 And now it came to pass that Alma took Helam, he being one of the first, and went and stood forth in the water, and cried, saying: O Lord, pour out thy Spirit upon thy servant, that he may do this work with holiness of heart.

 13 And when he had said these words, the ^aSpirit of the Lord was upon him, and he said: Helam, I baptize thee, having ^bauthority from the Almighty God, as a testimony that ye have entered into a^ccovenant to serve him until you are dead as to the mortal body; and may the Spirit of the Lord be poured out upon you; and may he grant unto you eternal life, through the redemption of Christ, whom he has prepared from the ^dfoundation of the world.

 14 And after Alma had said these words, both Alma and Helam were ^aburied in the water; and they arose and came forth out of the water rejoicing, being filled with the Spirit.

 15 And again, Alma took another, and went forth a second time into the water, and baptized him according to the first, only he did not bury ^ahimself again in the water.

 16 And after this manner he did baptize every one that went forth to the place of Mormon; and they were in number about two hundred and four souls; yea, and they were ^abaptized in the waters of Mormon, and were filled with the ^bgrace of God.

 17 And they were called the church of God, or the ^achurch of Christ, from that time forward. And it came to pass that whosoever was baptized by the power and authority of God was added to his church.

 18 And it came to pass that Alma, having ^aauthority from God,^bordained priests; even one priest to every fifty of their number did he ordain to preach unto them, and to ^cteach them concerning the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

 19 And he commanded them that ^athey should ^bteach nothing save it were the things which he had taught, and which had been spoken by the mouth of the holy prophets.

 20 Yea, even he commanded them that they should ^apreach nothing save it were repentance and faith on the Lord, who had redeemed his people.

 21 And he commanded them that there should be no ^acontention one with another, but that they should look forward with ^bone eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts ^cknit together in unity and in love one towards another.

 22 And thus he commanded them to preach. And thus they became the ^achildren of God.

 23 And he commanded them that they should observe the ^asabbath day, and keep it holy, and also every day they should give thanks to the Lord their God.

 24 And he also commanded them that the priests whom he had ordained ^ashould ^blabor with their own hands for their support.

 25 And there was ^aone day in every week that was set apart that they should ^bgather themselves together to teach the people, and to worship the Lord their God, and also, as often as it was in their power, to ^cassemble themselves together.

 26 And the priests were not to depend upon the people for their support; but for their labor they were to receive the ^agrace of God, that they might wax strong in the Spirit, having the ^bknowledge of God, that they might teach with power and authority from God.

 27 And again Alma commanded that the people of the church should impart of their substance, ^aevery one according to that which he had; if he have more abundantly he should impart more abundantly; and of him that had but little, but little should be required; and to him that had not should be given.

 28 And thus they should impart of their ^asubstance of their own free will and good desires towards God, and to those priests that stood in need, yea, and to every needy, naked soul.

 29 And this he said unto them, having been commanded of God; and they did ^awalk uprightly before God, imparting to one another both temporally and spiritually according to their needs and their wants.

 30 And now it came to pass that all this was done in Mormon, yea, by the ^awaters of Mormon, in the forest that was near the waters of Mormon; yea, the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the forest of Mormon, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall ^bsing to his praise forever.