We have long been taught that the priesthood is the
authority of God delegated to men on earth to act in all things for the
salvation of mankind. Given that we are
an adult audience tonight I will focus my remarks primarily on the Melchizedek
priesthood. It was revealed to the
prophet Joseph Smith that another name for this priesthood is The Holy Priesthood after the Order of the
Son of God. An “order” is a group or
body of persons of the same occupation or pursuit. The word “priesthood” comes from the
translation of the Greek word hierosyne (hē-e-rō-sü-nā), whose
root word indicates sacred – given or devoted to God. Thus, in being ordained to the Holy
Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God, we enter into a body of persons
who have given themselves over to God and committed to the occupation and
pursuit of His work on the earth in the pattern of His Beloved Son. Brothers and sisters, as those who have been
clothed in the holy priesthood, are we living up to our privileges?
We learn from the Book of Mormon that we have been “called
and prepared from the foundation of the world” with a “holy calling” to hold
the priesthood of God in the latter days (see Alma 13:3, 7-8). We receive this marvelous power with a
covenant, in which we pledge to magnify our calling in the order (D&C
84:33). In so doing we become “the seed
of Abraham” and inherit the covenant of Abraham (D&C 84:34). We are called to become “a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, an holy nation” (Pet. 2:9) with a charge to bless all the
families of the earth, beginning with our own. Consider the profound blessing and responsibility of the
priesthood!
Let us
here remember that the priesthood is not just a manly issue, it is
fundamentally a family issue. The fullness of the priesthood is only
received by man and woman together! I
say this with genuine sensitivity for any and all who may feel that such a
statement is exclusionary, invalidating, or hurtful. I join with you in rejoicing in a Heavenly
Father whose grace is fully sufficient for any and all circumstances. “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but
then face to face: now [we] know in part; but then shall [we] know even as also
[we are] known…” (Cor. 13:9-10). One
thing is certain, that the blessings of the priesthood can be extended to all
people, men and women alike. The
priesthood is primarily concerned with salvation and no man can receive
salvation by performing the
ordinances, only by receiving them
himself, and then honoring the associated covenants. “Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the
power of godliness is manifest.” (D&C 84:20-22).
In the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we make the bold and miraculous
claim that this priesthood of which I have spoken was restored to the earth
through angelic ministers, even those three ancient apostles Peter, James, and
John. They received the priesthood
directly from Jesus Christ the Lord.
They conferred the priesthood upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery by
the laying on of hands and ordained them apostles. The 3 witnesses to the Book of Mormon, of
which Oliver Cowdery was one, then sought out and ordained 12 apostles in the
latter-day as part of a restoration of all things. One of those men was Brigham Young. President Young later ordained Joseph F. Smith an
apostle, who ordained David O. McKay an apostle, who later ordained LeGrand
Richards an apostle. Elder Richards ordained
my maternal grandfather, Glen R. Balli, a high priest in the Melchizedek priesthood,
who later ordained my father, Carl J. Sorenson, to the office of high priest in
that same priesthood. In 1999, when I
was 18 years of age, my father laid his hands upon my head conferring upon me
the authority of the priesthood of Melchizedek, then ordaining me to the office
of Elder. And so there exists an
unbroken chain of priesthood authority from the Lord himself to my father and
then to me.
Several
years ago before I was married, I was in the height of what was definitely the
most intense personal suffering I have ever experienced. The details are insignificant but the pain of
my soul was very real. Unfortunately, it
seems that too often we men tend to have a more difficult time seeking
blessings than the sisters. I had never
to that point in my life, as far as I can recall, gone to my father to solicit
a blessing. That is not to say that I
had not received them from him, but I had never gone to him to ask for
one. My dad is a good and humble man. He exercises the priesthood with more power
through meekness than I have seen in any other man. On this night I was so overwhelmed, so
desperate that I humbled myself and went to him. I shared my agony with him and my mom. My parents, including my dad, embraced me and
expressed words of love as I sobbed in their arms like a little child. Then, my dad placed his loving and humble
hands upon my head and blessed me through the power of the priesthood. He is my mortal father, but in that sacred
moment he was also a servant of the living God.
He was the spokesman for my Eternal Father and a representative of Jesus
Christ. I was not immediately healed,
but for the first time in several nights I was able to sleep and I received
some measure of comfort. More
importantly, as I look back there is no question that that blessing was a
turning point in my journey. I had been
blessed by the authority of the
priesthood, yes, but I had also been blessed by the power of the priesthood through the faith and righteousness of my
father. I further testify that my mom’s
faith, righteousness, and prayers enhance that priesthood power.
Authority in the priesthood comes by way of
ordination through the laying on of hands by the Lord’s authorized
administrators. All those who hold the
priesthood have the authority to exercise it within their stewardship. Power
in the priesthood, however, is the spiritual capacity to influence
circumstances through the grace of Jesus Christ. It is manifest according to the degree of
understanding, faith, obedience, and righteousness of the holder (see David A.
Bednar, Ensign, May 2012). I am grateful that my father has always had
the authority of the priesthood. I am
additionally grateful that he has exercised power
in the priesthood. Hear the words of
President Boyd K. Packer:
…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…it is now our
responsibility to activate the power of the priesthood in the Church. (Boyd K.
Packer, Ensign, May 2010).
Indeed, the revelations repeatedly remind us that “many are
called, but few are chosen” (D&C 121:34).
Why? Because we too often honor
men more than God, we hide our sins, and gratify our pride, and focus on
worldly ambition. We treat our positions
of trust and responsibility as positions of control, domination, or
manipulation. But in such circumstances
the power of the priesthood cannot be
connected with the powers of heaven, for they are withdrawn! (see D&C
121:35-37). Principles of righteousness
are the keys to maintaining priesthood power.
Notice that principles of righteousness go beyond following an
enumeration of sundry commandments.
Obedience to the commandments is important to be sure, yet the
principles of righteousness that the Lord chose to specifically list in
discussing priesthood power are traits of the inner man. Persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness,
meekness, and genuine love; kindness, knowledge, charity, and virtue, these are
ways of being even more than ways of doing.
We are called to follow the Savior. He is the vine and we are the branches. To bear fruit in our priesthood ministry we
must abide in Him, which means that we will walk as he walked. We will draw living water and spiritual
nutrients from the Source of life and truth (see John 15:4-11 and 1 Jn.
2:6). There are many images of masculinity
perpetuated in popular culture. Two in
particular seem to dominate. One is the
man who is a complete doofus – emotionally inept and unable to communicate or
engage in any kind of healthy relationship outside of a sporting activity. The other is the Casanova – the man who is
absorbed in himself with a life revolving around the pursuit of status, money, sex,
or all three. We are inevitably impacted
by these messages, but ours is a call to a different path – the holy priesthood
after the order of the Son of God.
President Lorenzo Snow taught, “There are men in this Church who
are as good in their hearts and feelings as men ever were, but lack faith and
energy, and do not obtain really what is their privilege to receive. If their
faith, their energy and determination were equal to their good feelings and
desires, their honesty and goodness, they would indeed be mighty men in Israel;
and sickness and disease and the power of the evil one would flee before them
as chaff before the wind…the dead will rise; and everything that was ever done
by man since the days of Adam, you will be able to do through the power of God
and through a proper ambition.” (Lorenzo
Snow, Teachings of the Presidents of the Church Series, pg. 212).
Callings in the priesthood within the Church will come and go,
but our calling in the home is eternal. It
is in the family where the power of the priesthood is perhaps more important
than in any other setting or circumstance.
The Proclamation on the Family states that fathers have the responsibility
to “provide the necessities of life and protection for their families”. For years I thought of this as primarily
physical protection, but few are the occurrences when physical protection is
required. Much more often, it is
spiritual protection, through the priesthood, that is needed most in our
day. Pres. Packer proclaimed, “Now,
fathers, I would remind you of the sacred nature of your calling. You have the
power of the priesthood directly from the Lord to protect your home. There will
be times when all that stands as a shield between your family and the
adversary’s mischief will be that power. You will receive direction from the
Lord by way of the gift of the Holy
Ghost.”
(Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, May 2010).
In the Melchizedek priesthood we are called to “administer in
spiritual things, agreeable to the covenants and commandments of the church”
(D&C 107:12). How many of us truly
know and live the doctrine of the priesthood pertaining to home and
family? President Snow declared, “Men
who wish to retain their standing before God in the holy priesthood must have
the spirit of prophecy, and be qualified to administer life and salvation to
the people; and [even] if they cannot do it to the world they must do it at
home, in their families…that their hearts may be inspired with words of life at
their firesides, in teaching the gospel to their children. (Lorenzo Snow,
Teachings of the Presidents of the Church Series, pg. 133).
As husbands and fathers, holding the sacred priesthood, we
fulfill our call to administer in spiritual things by teaching the gospel,
fostering faith, and promoting spiritual practice as an equal partner with our
spouse wherever possible. We also
perform ordinances and provide priesthood blessings for our wives and
children. What a beautiful way for a man
to serve and minister to his family. We
are unique in the world of religion in this divine privilege to participate
with God in offering healing, comforting, and saving ordinances to our own
families. Think of that! This, I am convinced, is one way for men to
create profound emotional and spiritual bonds with their children, of the type
that develop so naturally in relationships with a loving mother.
The priesthood is also a channel that facilitates
revelation. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
stated, “The Prophet Joseph Smith explained that the priesthood is a ‘channel
through which the Almighty commenced revealing His glory at the beginning of
the creation of this earth, and through which He has continued to reveal
Himself to the children of men to the present time.’…If we are not seeking to
use this channel of revelation, we are living beneath our priesthood
privileges” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Ensign,
May 2011). We learn from revelation that
the power of the priesthood unlocks the privilege of having the heavens opened
and enjoying the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the
mediator of the new covenant (see D&C 107:18-19). May I suggest that few blessings compare to
such a thrilling promise. Though most of
us have a long journey to make before the blessed day when we enjoy the
presence of the Father, we can grow in light and truth until that perfect
day! It is done through revelation, line
upon line. No setting is more suited to
teach this doctrine, to testify of it, and above all to model it, than the
family.
I count it as one of the great and humbling privileges of my life to
bear the priesthood of the living God!
It is a sacred and beautiful experience to exercise that priesthood, and
to receive inspiration from on High in behalf of those I love the most – my
wife and children. I testify of both the
authority and power of the Holy Priesthood to bless lives, to work miracles,
and to save souls. May we each more
fully come unto the Father and hearken unto the voice of the Spirit that He may
“teach [us] of the covenant”, which He has confirmed upon us for our benefit
and for the benefit of the whole world (see D&C 84:47-48). God grant that in so doing our “confidence
will wax strong in the presence of God and the doctrine of the priesthood will
distill upon our souls as the dews from heaven” (D&C 121:45). It is then that the scepter of power in the
priesthood – that scepter of righteousness and truth – will be ours forever and
ever. In the name of the Great High
Priest, even Jesus Christ, amen.
