The Blessings Abraham Sought

While still in Ur of the Chaldees, Abraham expressed his deepest desires in these terms: “desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers” (Abraham 1:2).  I see in this at least six specific desires that he had: (1) to increase in knowledge, (2) to increase in righteousness, (3) to be a father, (4) to be a prince of peace, (5) the receive instructions of the Lord, and (6) to keep God’s commandments.  Throughout the rest of his life he surely did obtain these desires of his heart.  He did gain great knowledge as evidenced in the rest of the Book of Abraham as he learned about God’s residence near Kolob, the premortal existence, the Savior’s mission, and much more.  He surely increased in righteousness as he learned to do everything the Lord asked him to and go wherever he was asked, from Canaan to Egypt.  He certainly became a father of many nations through Ishmael and Isaac, and he was a peacemaker in Canaan when he was there among other people.  Abraham received many instructions from the Lord about where to go and what to do, including the instruction to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice.  And he followed those instructions, keeping all the commandments of God that he received.  Abraham sought the blessings of the Lord earnestly and he obtained them as he strove to live so that those blessings could be granted. 

            Abraham summarized the reception of all of those blessings, though, in the receipt of one thing in particular: the priesthood.  He “became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers,” seeming to suggest that the reception of the priesthood really encompassed all of those desires.  And I think it does.  The priesthood holds “the key of the knowledge of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:19).  The priesthood is exercised “only upon the principles of righteousness” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:36).  Husbands and wives are sealed together through “this order of the priesthood” and from that union children are brought into the world and linked to their parents through the sealing power (Doctrine and Covenants 131:2).   Through the priesthood repentance is taught and ultimately peace is spread not by might but by righteousness.  And certainly through the priesthood we receive instructions and commandments from the Lord.  Abraham’s set of desires really were encompassed in the reception of the priesthood.  And so perhaps we too need to see the priesthood as far more than a class at church.  It is the power to bless “all the families of the earth… with the blessings of the Gospel” (Abraham 2:11).