October 6, 2010

Tonight I read a talk from the Priesthood session earlier this year called Healing the Sick by Dallin H. Oaks. As I read, I paid attention to the guidelines and expectations of those who hold the Priesthood so that I can teach my boys what the Lord expects of His sons. They "should all be prepared to use [the priesthood power] properly." This talk speaks specifically of healing the sick. The first step is to anoint the sick. I really liked this quote that describes the purpose of the anointing: "Anointings were declared to be for sanctification and perhaps can also be seen as symbolic of the blessings to be poured out from heaven as a result of this sacred act."

Following that up is the sealing of the anointing which "opens the windows of heaven for the Lord to pour forth the blessing He wills for the person afflicted." The opportunity and blessing that comes to bearers of the priesthood is that "when [they] are prepared, when [they] are holy vessels before the Lord, a stream of power from the Almighty can pass through the tabernacle of the administrator to the system of the patient, and the sick are made whole." So the Lord expects His sons to be prepared to be instruments in His hands, which means always living worthy of the Spirit, and for them to be holy vessels before the Lord. When I hear that phrase, I think of something that is consecrated and kept immaculately clean.

The third part of the healing blessing is the faith of the sick. The forth part is what is said in the blessing. The words themselves "are not essential to its healing effect." However there are expectations in this regard, as follows: "be so in tune with the Spirit of the Lord that [they] will know and declare the will of the Lord in the words of the blessing." Brigham Young said, "It is your privilege and duty to live so that you know when the word of the Lord is spoken to you and when the mind of the Lord is revealed to you." I see that as a tremendous responsibility. It is so important to teach my sons how to listen and recognize the voice of the Lord. Which is interesting, as I think of that important expectation and then of how hard the adversary works to thwart that. I think especially that boys are so susceptible to getting wrapped up in video games, even violent ones, and that can keep the them from recognizing and hearing the voice of the Lord.

The last step is to "always remember that faith and the healing power of the priesthood cannot produce a result contrary to the will of Him whose priesthood it is." So the main expectations the Lord has for His sons that I gathered from this article are to be prepared, to be holy vessels, and to be in tune with the Spirit, accustomed to hearing the voice of the Lord.

September 29, 2010

Tonight I read another Conference talk by Boyd K. Packer called The Power of the Priesthood. In speaking of the priesthood, Elder Packer made a direct point of including the sisters "because it is crucial for everyone to understand what is expected of the brethren." Speaking of the priesthood, he says it "is the authority and the power which God has granted to men on earth to act for Him." He says that we've done a really good job at distributing the authority of the priesthood among the men of the church, but that now we have a "responsibility to activate the power of the priesthood in the church. ... Power in the priesthood comes from faithful and obedient living in honoring covenants. It is increased by exercising and using the priesthood in righteousness." That is actually a very simple way to activate that power: being faithful, obedient and honoring covenants. So it is surprising to me that it appears so many men have not been activating that power. I hope to teach my children the importance of these things so they all understand what the Lord expects of them.

August 30, 2010

Tonight I read various scriptures listed under the topic "woman" in the index for my triple combination of scriptures. Because of my gender class in sociology, I have become very interested in what the Lord's will is and definition would be for males and females in eternal life. What is it that we should be striving for? In The Family: A Proclamation to the World, when it says that "gender is an essential characteristic of our premortal, mortal and post mortal identity and purpose..." what does that mean and what does it imply? I'm seeking for a revealed definition from God, not a socially or culturally structured definition.