Living Far Below My Privileges. Compiling Quotes.

You Cannot Utilize What You Do Not Understand

What has been your past experience or attitude when you have listened to or taught a lesson on the  priesthood? Be honest. Was your first reaction something like, “This doesn’t apply to me. This is for the men and boys over 12.” Or when you have read your scriptures and come to a part that mentions  priesthood, have you thought to yourself, “I’ll just skip this part. I don’t need to know this”? In the recent 2013 Worldwide Leadership Training, Elder Oaks emphatically stated: “Men are not the priesthood!” To me, that is a wake-up call as well as an invitation to all of us to study, ponder, and come to better understand the priesthood. Sisters, we cannot stand up and teach those things we do not understand and know for ourselves.
Linda K. Burton, General Relief Society President, BYU Womens' Conference 2013

The Call to Seek, Learn and Understand in a Holy Way

We rejoice that we are privileged to live in this season of the history of the Church when questions are being asked about the priesthood. There is great interest and desire to know and understand more about the authority, power, and blessings associated with the priesthood of God.

We hope to instill within each of us a greater desire to better understand the priesthood. I testify

that the Lord is hastening His work, and it is imperative for us to understand how the Lord accomplishes His work so that we may receive the power that comes from being aligned with His plan and purposes

I would invite you to ponder Doctrine and Covenants 121:34–46. Look for the principles in

these verses that govern the righteous exercise of priesthood power. Look for warnings and promises from the Lord, and apply them to yourself. In order to qualify for the blessings of priesthood power, we would do well to ponder these verses and ask ourselves questions such as:

• Is my heart set upon the things of this world?

• Do I aspire to the honors of men or women?

• Do I try to cover my sins?

• Am I prideful? 

• Do I exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon my children, my husband, or others?

• Am I earnestly striving to practice righteous principles such as:

o Persuasion

o Long-suffering

o Gentleness

o Meekness

o Unfeigned love (meaning genuine, sincere, or heartfelt love)

o Kindness

• Does virtue garnish my thoughts unceasingly?

• Do I long for the Holy Ghost to be my constant companion?

Linda K. Burton, General Relief Society President, BYU Womens' Conference 2013

Appendages

29 And again, the offices of elder and bishop are necessary appendages belonging unto the high priesthood.

30 And again, the offices of teacher and deacon are necessary appendages belonging to the lesser priesthood, which priesthood was confirmed upon Aaron and his sons.

~Doctrine and Covenants Section 84

It is truly said that Relief Society is not just a class for women but something they belong to—a divinely established appendage to the priesthood.

~ Dallin Oaks, April 2014 Gen. Conf.

Keys, Authority and Power

“This [the Relief Society] is an organization that cannot exist without the priesthood, from the fact that it derives all its authority and influence from that source. When the Priesthood was taken from the earth, this institution as well as every other appendage to the true order of the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth, became extinct.” Eliza R. Snow Deseret News April 22, 1868

We are not accustomed to speaking of women having the authority of the priesthood in their Church callings, but what other authority can it be?  

~ Dallin Oaks, April 2014 Gen. Conf.

Those who have priesthood keys—whether that be ... a bishop who has keys for his ward or the President of the Church, who holds all priesthood keys—literally make it possible for all who serve faithfully under their direction to exercise priesthood authority and have access to priesthood power.

~M Russell Ballard, BYU address, August 20, 2013

“There is no office growing out of this priesthood that is or can be greater than the priesthood itself. It is from the priesthood that the office derives its authority and power. No office gives authority to the priesthood. No office adds to the power of the priesthood. But all offices in the Church derive their power, their virtue, their authority, from the priesthood.”

~Joseph F. Smith

"When men and women go to the temple, they are both endowed with the same power, which is priesthood power"

~M. Russell Ballard, Liahona, April 2014

No, It's Not "Motherhood-Priesthood"

Just as a woman cannot conceive a child without a man, so a man cannot fully exercise the power of the priesthood to establish an eternal family without a woman. … In the eternal perspective, both the procreative power and the priesthood power are shared by husband and wife.”

~M. Russell Ballard, ibid.

Temple

Moses was commanded to place holy garments and priestly vestments upon Aaron and others, thus preparing them to officiate in the tabernacle.   

~Carlos Assay, Ensign, August 1997

12 And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.

 13 And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

 14 And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats:

 15 And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.

~Exodus 40