Priesthood Power

It seems to me that one of the most repeated messages for men from recent general conferences is the importance of developing power in the Priesthood.  Many speakers in conference have made the distinction between the authority of the Priesthood that comes through ordination and the actual power that can only come with personal righteousness.  President Nelson spoke about this in his talk this weekend entitled The Price of Priesthood Power when he said, “I fear that there are too many men who have been given the authority of the priesthood but who lack priesthood power because the flow of power has been blocked by sins such as laziness, dishonesty, pride, immorality, or preoccupation with things of the world.”  Several others have likewise taught the need for the brethren to develop increased power in the Priesthood. 

                Elder Bednar recently taught, “The power of the priesthood is God’s power operating through men and boys like us and requires personal righteousness, faithfulness, obedience, and diligence. A boy or a man may receive priesthood authority by the laying on of hands but will have no priesthood power if he is disobedient, unworthy, or unwilling to serve….  Priesthood holders young and old need both authority and power—the necessary permission and the spiritual capacity to represent God in the work of salvation. ” (see here).  In another talk President Nelson summarized it this way, “When ordained to an office in the priesthood, you are granted authority. But power comes from exercising that authority in righteousness” (see here).  Ordination to the Priesthood really means nothing if the receiver does not then live a life worthy of the Priesthood.  It is only through living the kind of life that God would have us live that allows us to have power in the Priesthood.  It seems that this is one lesson that was illustrated by President Monson’s story in the Priesthood session of conference.  He prefaced the story saying, “May we, in whatever place we may find ourselves, always be worthy to call upon its power” and then told of his friend who was stranded at sea during WWII.  The man had used the priesthood to command a rescue boat that had not seen those in the water.  The rescue boat miraculously turned around and they were saved.  The young man had power in the Priesthood because he was living as he should.      

                President Packer highlighted this same idea several years ago as he reflected upon the growth of the Church.  He said, “We have done very well at distributing the authority of the priesthood. We have priesthood authority planted nearly everywhere.  We have quorums of elders and high priests worldwide.  But distributing the authority of the priesthood has raced, I think, ahead of distributing the power of the priesthood.  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” (see here).   So, according to him, in addition to righteousness we must focus on our Priesthood responsibilities in the family in order to gain the power that the Lord wants us to have.  Perhaps the key is that it is in the family that we must develop and practice the great Christ-like attributes that we learn about in the D&C section about power in the Priesthood: persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, love unfeigned, etc.  Becoming the man described in that list is certainly the quest of a lifetime for Priesthood holders as they try to develop the kind of power that the young WWII soldier had.