Priesthood vs Faith (pt. 2)
Thanks for coming back! If you haven't read the last post, this is a follow up to that. I would suggest reading it before you go on. For those who have read it, here's a quick reminder of where we left off. Faith is found throughout scriptures to be the source of many miracles. The priesthood also appears to be a source of many miracles. It didn't make sense to me that God would have two ways for miracles to occur especially since he gives only men the priesthood. So what really is the source of miracles?
Now before we go on I have to define two things: power and authority. Power is easier to understand if we define authority first. Authority represents the right or permission to do something. On the other hand, power is the ability to do something. You'll notice that both power and authority relate to a person's actions. Here's an example of how they work: My son Nathan is just learning to walk and he gets into just about everything. He explores the entire house at least 3 times every day. He has the power (ability) to touch just about everything within reach. There are some things that I don't really want him to touch, like the computer power cord. He may have the power to touch it, but he does not have the authority (permission) because I don't want him to break the cord. On the other hand, he has the authority to get his sippy cup sitting on the counter, but lacks the power without some help. In understanding the difference between power and authority, we can begin to see what having the priesthood really means and how it differs from faith.
Now before we go on I have to define two things: power and authority. Power is easier to understand if we define authority first. Authority represents the right or permission to do something. On the other hand, power is the ability to do something. You'll notice that both power and authority relate to a person's actions. Here's an example of how they work: My son Nathan is just learning to walk and he gets into just about everything. He explores the entire house at least 3 times every day. He has the power (ability) to touch just about everything within reach. There are some things that I don't really want him to touch, like the computer power cord. He may have the power to touch it, but he does not have the authority (permission) because I don't want him to break the cord. On the other hand, he has the authority to get his sippy cup sitting on the counter, but lacks the power without some help. In understanding the difference between power and authority, we can begin to see what having the priesthood really means and how it differs from faith.
When a man is ordained to the priesthood, he is given priesthood authority. That is to say, he has the permission to do something. What is that something? It's the will of God or more specifically to act in place of God. God isn't physically present all the time or at least he chooses not to reveal himself. Instead he calls worthy men to the priesthood to act in his place, doing his will on the earth. What is his will? It's to baptize those who are repentant, to bless the sick and the afflicted and to seal families together to name a few things. But just because they have the authority to do these things does not mean they have the power to make them happen. A priesthood holder has no power in himself to cleanse someone's sins as they are baptized. He has no power to cause someone to be healed. He has no power to seal a family together for ever. This power is God's power and it is not given to men just because they hold the priesthood. However, a priesthood holder does have his own power associated with the priesthood and it's critical to him correctly using the authority given to him.
If we go back to our earlier definition of power, it is the ability to do something. We already discussed that priesthood holders have the authority to do many things. Let's use giving a blessing as our example. Any person can declare a blessing of health on someone who is sick and that blessing may or may not do anything. Without priesthood authority the most it can be is a plea to our Heavenly Father to make something happen. Only an ordained priesthood holder has the authority to give someone a blessing and declare the will of God for that person. How does that priesthood holder know what to say? As he is obedient, he gains the power to recognize how to use his priesthood authority. This is his personal priesthood power. It's not actually the ability to heal someone, but it is the ability to declare on God's behalf that someone will be healed. When a priesthood holder declares a blessing and he has been righteous enough to know what to declare in that blessing, you can be assured that it will happen. Without personal righteousness, individuals would not be able to use the authority given to them.
So where does faith play into all of this? Once I realized the priesthood didn't turn me into some super hero, I realized that the opportunity I have to make miracles happen is through my own faith. It is only by and through our faith that miracles can happen. A priesthood holder might use his priesthood authority to declare something a miracle but he has no power to make that miracle happen. However, as I mentioned in my last post, it is often times in response to someone acting on faith that a miracle occurs. If you take it one step further, many of the instances of Christ healing people was just an example of him using his priesthood authority to declare the will of his Father in response to a person exercising faith.
Studying this topic and the inspiration I finally received has brought me a lot of peace concerning one question in particular: why don't women have the priesthood? I have my some thoughts on a specific answer but I don't know for sure and that's okay. Although women don't have the priesthood they don't miss any blessings from not having. Not to minimize the privilege of holding the priesthood but there's no additional power that comes to a man because he has the priesthood. The only thing he gets is an added level of responsibility and stewardship to serve others which everyone should be doing anyway. Both women and men are blessed equally by priesthood authority just like all men and women are blessed equally by women being able to bear children. Both child bearing and holding the priesthood require sacrifice and have great personal benefit to the individual (mother's have a relationship with their children that a father will never have). Both are an equally important part of the plan of salvation and, as everything else, both require faith.
In the end it all comes back to faith. The priesthood can do nothing in our lives without us exercising some sort of faith and even then it is not required for miracles to occur. Faith is required in miracles and everything we do. Thanks for reading. I'd love to hear your comments.
If we go back to our earlier definition of power, it is the ability to do something. We already discussed that priesthood holders have the authority to do many things. Let's use giving a blessing as our example. Any person can declare a blessing of health on someone who is sick and that blessing may or may not do anything. Without priesthood authority the most it can be is a plea to our Heavenly Father to make something happen. Only an ordained priesthood holder has the authority to give someone a blessing and declare the will of God for that person. How does that priesthood holder know what to say? As he is obedient, he gains the power to recognize how to use his priesthood authority. This is his personal priesthood power. It's not actually the ability to heal someone, but it is the ability to declare on God's behalf that someone will be healed. When a priesthood holder declares a blessing and he has been righteous enough to know what to declare in that blessing, you can be assured that it will happen. Without personal righteousness, individuals would not be able to use the authority given to them.
So where does faith play into all of this? Once I realized the priesthood didn't turn me into some super hero, I realized that the opportunity I have to make miracles happen is through my own faith. It is only by and through our faith that miracles can happen. A priesthood holder might use his priesthood authority to declare something a miracle but he has no power to make that miracle happen. However, as I mentioned in my last post, it is often times in response to someone acting on faith that a miracle occurs. If you take it one step further, many of the instances of Christ healing people was just an example of him using his priesthood authority to declare the will of his Father in response to a person exercising faith.
Studying this topic and the inspiration I finally received has brought me a lot of peace concerning one question in particular: why don't women have the priesthood? I have my some thoughts on a specific answer but I don't know for sure and that's okay. Although women don't have the priesthood they don't miss any blessings from not having. Not to minimize the privilege of holding the priesthood but there's no additional power that comes to a man because he has the priesthood. The only thing he gets is an added level of responsibility and stewardship to serve others which everyone should be doing anyway. Both women and men are blessed equally by priesthood authority just like all men and women are blessed equally by women being able to bear children. Both child bearing and holding the priesthood require sacrifice and have great personal benefit to the individual (mother's have a relationship with their children that a father will never have). Both are an equally important part of the plan of salvation and, as everything else, both require faith.
In the end it all comes back to faith. The priesthood can do nothing in our lives without us exercising some sort of faith and even then it is not required for miracles to occur. Faith is required in miracles and everything we do. Thanks for reading. I'd love to hear your comments.
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