Look to God and Live!

There is currently a minority voice with a large platform vying for the priesthood of God to be given to women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter DaySaints.  There has been much negative media towards the church and this has been a concern for me.  Here we are, in the midst of the hastening of the work and the coverage on this issue is countering some of those efforts.  It has tugged at my heart and even for a short time I had a website up to try to offset that influence.  The purpose of the website was to profile "Real Mormon Women," who feel empowered and blessed.  Many women responded but many more did not want to be involved.  As a Mormon woman, I have many personal feelings about this issue but I want to focus on a topic I think has been mostly overlooked in these discussions: the power in the ordinances.

I think many of us think of Doctrine and Covenants section 84 as pertaining to only those that "hold" the priesthood or in other words, those who are ordained to offices in the priesthood.  In reference to both the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood we read the following.

"Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh." (DC 84:20-21)

The power of the priesthood is in the ordinances.  The authority of the priesthood is necessary for the administration of those ordinances.  To hold the priesthood does not give one power.  To worthily participate in the ordinances and keep the associated covenants is where the power is derived.

With this in mind, suddenly the priesthood power becomes more than something for our husbands or sons but something every member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints can possess. To understand this power we possess, let’s look at the some other scriptures.

"The power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church— To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.  The power and authority of the lesser, or Aaronic Priesthood, is to hold the keys of the ministering of angels, and to administer in outward ordinances, the letter of the gospel, the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, agreeable to the covenants and commandments."  (DC 107:18-2) 

The authority of both priesthoods is to hold the keys of the blessings and to administer in the ordinances.  This is held by worthy men in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  The power in the ordinances is an endowment of gifts that upgrade our ability to receive the spiritual blessings associated with those ordinances. (and boy are those some blessings!)  The power and blessings of the priesthood are available to all worthy members. 

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God; to them who believe on his name.  born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (1 John 1:12-19)

The power we are given is the power to become son and daughters of God.  This is the same as being be born again,  sanctified, converted, receiving a mighty change of heart, or becoming a Zion worthy person.  THIS is the power of the priesthood!

The priesthood allows us to tap into the enabling power of the atonement through the ordinances therein. As we keep our covenants associated with those ordinances and heed the promptings of the Spirit, we are empowered.  The Lord takes our imperfect efforts and rewards us with a little bit more of the spirit, a little bit more love in our hearts, and a little bit less care for the things of the world.  Through the power of the priesthood, the Lord can make us into something more and better if we will let Him.  It is through the priesthood power that He is even now preparing hearts to be ready for His coming. 

Who holds a priesthood office is inconsequential to the salvation of men and women.  To focus on this is to miss the mark and the great blessings and power readily available to all who will look. 

"He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished."  (1 Nephi 17:41)

There have been fiery flying serpents among us and some of us have been bitten.  The way is simple, all we have to do is look to God and he will give us peace.  There have been things I have not understood in my own life that have caused me to question my testimony of God.  I had given myself over to so many doubts and questions that I had to fight for my testimony and beg that it not be taken from me.  I have had to put aside those things I could not understand for the peace that the gospel brings.  Dear brothers and sisters, look to God and live!

Hastening of the Work of Zion

Several years ago the Lord put the cause of Zion in my heart. 

"Thou art called to labor in my vineyard, and to build up my church, and to bring forth Zion, that it may rejoice upon the hills and flourish." (DC 39:13)  

The Lord helped me realize that instead of waiting for Zion, I needed to be working for Zion.  The desire was planted in my heart to help bring it forth but at the same I really didn't know how.  I served in my callings to the best of my ability, served others, had weekly Family Home Evening, attended the temple regularly, studied my scriptures, and had daily family scripture and prayers but the Lord was telling me that there was something missing. 

I did a lot of study about Zion and I learned about some of the requirements like living the Law of Consecration but I still felt like there was more.  It was a process of time, studying, and prayer that finally brought me to understand that the change He wanted from me was my heart. 

This change doesn't come by just "doing" what I should do but by "becoming" what I should be.   This change I needed and still work towards is something that comes only as a gift for those who seek it.  When our hearts are changed, we will know because we long for the return of our Savior to be in our day.  The things of the world lose their savor.  We are no longer enticed by big homes, cars, boats, fancy clothes, vacations, or other distractions.  Our hearts desire is to serve others and we want to use our means to build His kingdom.  The law of consecration and sacrifice comes naturally and easy to those who have had this change.  The building of the kingdom literally becomes the first and foremost in our thoughts and minds and the things of the world become very unimportant and temporary to us.  The Lord does this by changing our perspectives from an earthly to a heavenly one.  It is through the enabling power of the atonement that we can have this change.

There is a hastening of the work.  "Behold, I will hasten my work in its time.  And I give unto you, who are the first laborers in this last kingdom, a commandment that you assemble yourselves together, and organize yourselves, and prepare yourselves, and sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean." (DC 88:73-74)

While we usually think of the hastening as a hastening of missionary work or even of family history work, it is this and more.  There is a hastening of purifying and sanctifying a people.  The time of this hastening has come and many are feeling the tuggings of Zion at their heart strings. 

Why?  In order for Christ to come, Zion must be built.  Christ will literally walk the streets of Zion so doesn't it make sense that all who reside must be worthy to be in his presence?  In order for Christ to come he needs a whole society of people who have had this change of heart and have become purified and sanctified.

"A mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God.. And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?"  (Alma 5:13-14)

I believe this is the cause of Zion - to have this mighty change, to receive his image in our countenance, and to be spiritually born of God so that when "he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."  (1 John 3:2)