another priesthood question...

[sister_in_faith]

Okay, so this is a follow up to the other thread about Priesthood, again, I am a female convert to the church, and I am trying to better understand the Priesthood... I have read a lot of things about it, a lot of handbooks and church lit about it, but I still don't have a full grasp on it...

I am hoping that getting a better understanding from the perspective of Priesthood holders themselves...

Soooo, what does the Priesthood mean to YOU? What do you think that your most sacred duties are? What are the biggest blessings you recieve from holding the priesthood? What are the biggest blessings you can give others by holding the Priesthood? What is the neatest Priesthood related expierience you have had (giving a blessing, etc)? How did you prepare for holding the Priesthood? I know that you are ordained to different levels of the Priesthood, which was the most 'important' for you?

I am just looking for a better insight into questions that I will never be able to experience for myself. I think it is such an awesome thing, I just want to better understand it.

THANK YOU!!!

Edited December 1, 2011 by skippy740
Spelled out Priesthood versus an abbreviation.

[Guest mormonmusic]

The meaning of it has morphed significantly as I've grown older in the Church. When I was first ordained, it was more of a rite of passage for me -- I wanted to serve a mission because I thought it would help me feel the Spirit the way I did as a teenager, and being an Elder was a requirment. So I did it.

As I grew older, I saw myself as someone God had chosen to lead and serve in his Kingdom, as a trying-to-be-good beacon of goodness helping others. As a missionary, I saw myself as one of God's special emissaries endowed with additional spiritual power to convince others of the truth much like Alma and other missionaries who were protected and endowed with power so long as they were humble and righteous.

Then, post-mission, I saw myself as someone God would want to help administer his Kingdom.

Now, as I've entered the latter part of my life, I don't see it the same way. I'm not sure if I can put my finger on how I feel about it now. I'm just going to write without thinking here...

Now, it's something important to me when people want blessings -- it's another way I can teach others through the blessing, and a blessing can bring comfort to people in the way that words or actions can't. You can make someone a meal, you can listen to them, but when they believe you can give a blessing and speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, it gives you the ability to help them feel close to God and provide comfort in ways you can't do as an individual without the priesthood. When doctors have failed, when people's life circumstances can't be changed, and they are suffering, the fact that I can give a blessing and have them feel that they have heard God's inspiration through the prayer is very meaningful to me. It's that meaning that matters to me most now, not the ability or even obligation to participate in administration, not the feeling of bein "chosen" or the ability to give service in the Church -- it's the ability to comfort and help people through blessings that matters the most to me about the priesthood.

Edited December 1, 2011 by mormonmusic

[sister_in_faith]

I want to thank you guys for sharing these experiences, ahead of time. I imagine that these experiences are pretty important, and at times personal (so if you DON'T want to share, I understand!)... I really appreciate any insights you guys share...

[Justice]

To me it's simple. The Priesthood is given to man so that he can serve. There are tasks that need to be accomplished on earth so that His children can be exalted, or have a chance to be. We help in those tasks since He cannot be here personally. So, we serve our fellow man, and by doing so serve God. It accomplishes God's work, while helps man to set aside his own selfish will, and adopt God's will for him.

[Martain]

What does having the Priesthood mean to me?

It means I have a greater capacity to serve in God's kingdom than I did before.

What do I think my most sacred duties are?

A duty is something you're expected to do right?

As an Elder, I'm not expected to serve or bless the sacrament, collect fast offerings or take the sacrament to shut-ins. I'm simply happy when I get the chance because it's a privaledge to be able to serve so.

I guess you could say that I consider hometeaching more of a duty than anything else because it's something I'm expected to do. If you take that viewpoint, this is the only clear duty that I as a sinle Elder feel I have. Everything else I do as an exercise of the priesthood is not expected of me anymore and has become a privaledge instead.

Yet even though hometeaching is intellecutally a sacred duty, it doesn't exactly feel sacred to me. Still learning how to be a good one I guess.

Now if you were to say what I think my most sacred privaledges are... what exercise of the priesthood I enjoy most... that I can answer.

1. Baptisms for the dead

2. Confirming the dead

3. Blessing the Sacrament

4. Passing the Sacrament

As wonderful as it is to baptize someone for the dead, to do so for the living, to me, would be a greater honor that I would value highly should I ever have the opportunity.

I agree with Mormonmusic regarding blessings. To communicate God's will to someone in an inspired blessing would feel wonderful and very rewarding.

Yet why would I ever want to give a blessing unless it was inspired? How would that help someone?

The most recent as well as first time I gave such a blessing, unfortunately I did not succeed in giving an inspired blessing. I know because I asked the Lord afterwards how I had done and received confirmation that the words had in essence been mine. I've been hesitant to act as voice ever since for although I may feel very good at recognizing the promptings of the Spirit, I don't feel particularly good at interpretating them.

What are the biggest blessings I recieve from holding the priesthood?

Though it has not yet happened, I consider the right and ability to be sealed to a daughter of God in a Temple of the Lord as one of the greatest blessings I'll ever receive from holding the priesthood.

Currently though, as to blessings I've received in having the priesthood that I otherwise would not have, other than increased opportunities to serve? I don't know any. Or at least is they are there I have not been able to distinguish them as being associated with me holding the priesthood.

As for biggest blessings I can give others, I'd say this question is answered under priesthood privaledges.

What is the neatest Priesthood related expierience I have had?

I don't know that I've had any. That I've had revelatory and sacred experiences is true. But whether or not those were associated with me having the priesthood, I know not.

I guess the closest would be when someone would come up to me after I blessed the sacrament and sincerely thank me for the reverence in which I spoke the prayers. That felt really good.

How did I prepare to receive the priesthood?

As for becoming a deacon, teacher and priest? I was not prepared. As for becoming an Elder, I read what I could about the responsibilities etc and did my best to remain clean and worthy of receiving it.

As for which is most important to me?

Becoming an Elder was very important to me because it meant I could enter the temple and receive my endowments as well as serve a mission should such an opportunity present it self.

As for actual enjoyment of the priesthood, if I were to discount serving in the temple, I'd say to date that I've enjoyed the Aaronic priesthood more than the Melchizedek.

I'm worthily holding the priesthood given to me but perhaps I simply haven't had much opportunities to use it and magnify it so far.

[Guest gopecon]

One definition of the Priesthood is the authority to act in the name of the Lord. This means that when I lay my hands on someone's head, the words that I say should mirror as closely as possible what the Lord would himself say, or want them to hear. It's awe inspiring, and more than a little intimidating/humbling to think of my responsibility when blessing someone in this way. Melchezidek Priesthood holders have the power that has been used to heal the sick, raise the dead, and give sight to the blind. I know that these things can and do happen today if we have faith.

As for specific experiences...I've had many opportunities to give blessings. A few stand out in my mind. Once I went to bless a relative that I fully expected to give a "death blessing" to (when you tell someone they can die in peace to ease their suffering). That was not what the Lord had in mind for him; his appearance improved within minutes and he lived a couple more years and returned to the temple before dying. Another time I blessed a family member who had injured her knee. While it was not immediately healed, by the time she saw the specialist who would have operated he said that it was healed as well as he would have hoped to do with surgery.

Baptizing and confirming my children has also been an awesome privilege.

[Traveler]

I view the priesthood as a covenant and promise. Usually we think in terms of what we get out of covenants but the priesthood is not quite like that – it is more like a marriage covenant. If we start thinking in terms of that we got “short changed” in the covenant – it will not be a good marriage for anyone.

The more I understand priesthood and marriage the more I see that the covenants have in common. Like in marriage – with the priesthood we take upon us a name. We are bound with a promise of fidelity. We can no longer flirt with “others” we find attractive or interesting. We may have to accept things about others that we find personally unpleasant. We also covenant and promise to take upon us a role – a role that we may not be 100% comfortable with all the time. For me being ordained to the priesthood has turned out to be a lot like getting married.

There are a number of “things” that I have been involved with in the priesthood that are very sacred – too sacred to blast out on the internet. Even on an LDS forum. But one of the outstanding aspects for me is that every ordination and every ordinance of the priesthood that I have received has come to me at the hands of my Father. The priesthood for me is truly a heritage of my fathers. And in this covenant I have determined to fulfill my responsibilities to my family. So far all their ordinances and priesthood ordinations have come to them through the hands of their, worthy in the priesthood, father. And so far all of my sons have fulfilled their responsibilities of the priesthood to their families and performed the ordinances for their families the only exceptions are my sons and daughters that have become mine through the eternal covenants made in the House of G-d before his holy alter. For some of them someone other than their father stood as proxy for the G-d for the priesthood ordinances.

The Traveler

[bytebear]

For me, it's about a family unit. The reason all male members are priesthood holders is to care for their families, their wife, their children. The church organization is set up so that we can share that responsiblity to those who don't have priesthood holders, and for those men who need guidance from other priesthood holders. Priesthood is not an elite power. It is a familial power.

[Forget-Me-Not]

You know, nearly each Sunday, I think of those who prepare, bless, and pass the sacrament and wonder if they think about the beautiful thing they do, in helping bring such a profound and essential ordinance and blessing into the lives of those who partake. I haven't asked any boys, or men, what that feels like for them, but my gratitude runs deep. So, thank you. :)

[Searching_For_The_Truth]

Soooo, what does the Priesthood mean to YOU? What do you think that your most sacred duties are? What are the biggest blessings you recieve from holding the priesthood? What are the biggest blessings you can give others by holding the Priesthood? What is the neatest Priesthood related expierience you have had (giving a blessing, etc)? How did you prepare for holding the Priesthood? I know that you are ordained to different levels of the Priesthood, which was the most 'important' for you?

.... The Priesthood... To me being a Priesthood Holder I see it as the way Heavenly Father does the work he wants done here on Earth.

As for the greatest Duty.. I would say is that to Love your family, to teach your family of the Gospel, and to bring your children up in the Gospel... This is also a blessing to have the ability to do so.

I myself have not experienced this first hand, but I have seen it and cannot wait till I am sealed in the Temple and then raise my own children.

As for the preporation.. I am currently preparing for the Melchizdek Priesthood by studing the scriptures, reading as much as I can, and talking with my friends who currently hold that priesthood and getting their counsel/guidance on what to study.

The last question is a trick question and I think that most if not all Priesthood Holders would agree with me in that they are all important, in that they all have responisbilities and duties that are vital to the Church and the work of God. So I would not say that one is more important than the others.

[Magen_Avot]

As I see it, the priesthood is the government of God and I act as an administrator as my callings dictate. I relate to it much like a good epic fantasy expresses things because we (men and women) have gifts of the spirit which is more greatly empowered by the priesthood. Weird I know. The daily drain of life can sometimes weaken spiritual strength but when I am called to put my hands on someones head, I become a prophet, seer and revelator for the person receiving the blessing. This isn't doctrine in so many words but it is true becuase God will reveal his secrets or in this case, his blessing, to the person who is receiving it. This is the moment I most prize. Through my hands and voice I have witnessed God healing the sick (no, I mean total healing) witnessed his power casting out devils, deliver messages that only mean something to the person getting it and made no sense to everyone else. This is the moment I have felt the burning flames of the power of God desend on the circle of priesthood holders like I was in a burning furnace. But there are more quiet times when mearly visiting someone because thats what is needed and providing a service in conjuction with a priesthood calling. Some of these things are shared by sisters too, not all of it is exclusive. It is all a sacred duty to me, and an honor. I don't think I prepared to receive the priesthood, rather, I was prepared by an experience I had and ordained at the age of 11.

Edited December 7, 2011 by Magen_Avot

[UrbanFool]

You know, nearly each Sunday, I think of those who prepare, bless, and pass the sacrament and wonder if they think about the beautiful thing they do, in helping bring such a profound and essential ordinance and blessing into the lives of those who partake. I haven't asked any boys, or men, what that feels like for them, but my gratitude runs deep. So, thank you. :)

For at least a split second I'm hoping they washed their hands. I just can't help it.