First, thank you for your comments on yesterday's post. As members of the church we are blessed to have the priesthood and sometimes in the hustle and bustle of life, I think we take it for granted. Taking a few minutes to remember the blessings was a good thing for me to do; and as I read the other comments, I found myself nodding my head in agreement.
Today we will go over the Aaronic & Melchezidek Priesthood. Hopefully you will learn something that you didn't know before. First, from the "Serving in the Church section" of the church's website, I found this explanation of the Aaronic Priesthood:
"Priesthood offices are divisions of authority with different rights and responsibilities of service. Offices in the Aaronic Priesthood are deacon, teacher, priest, and bishop. The bishop oversees ordinations to these offices.
Deacon ~ Worthy brethren may be ordained deacons when they are at least 12 years old. A deacon follows counsel, sets a good example, and may (1) pass the sacrament, (2) collect fast offerings, (3) care for the poor and needy, (4) be a standing minister appointed to "watch over the church" (D&C 84:111), (5) assist the bishopric, (6) serve as a messenger, (7) participate in quorum instruction, (8) serve in quorum leadership positions, (9) fellowship quorum members and other young men, (10) be baptized and confirmed for the dead, (11) speak in meetings, (12) share the gospel, (13) bear testimony, and (14) care for the meetinghouse and grounds.
Teacher ~ Worthy brethren may be ordained teachers when they are at least 14 years old. A teacher has all the responsibilities of a deacon. A teacher follows counsel, sets a good example, and may (1) prepare the sacrament, (2) "watch over the church always, and be with and strengthen them" (D&C 20:53), (3) serve as a home teacher, (4) "see that there is no iniquity in the church, neither hardness with each other, neither lying, backbiting, nor evil speaking" (D&C 20:54), (5) "see that the church meet together often, and . . . that all the members do their duty" (D&C 20:55), (6) usher reverently in ward meetings and stake conference, (7) assist the bishopric, and (8) participate in seminary, where available.
Priest ~ Worthy brethren may be ordained priests when they are at least 16 years old. A priest has all the responsibilities of a deacon and teacher. A priest follows counsel, sets a good example, and may (1) "preach, teach, expound, exhort, . . . and visit the house of each member, and exhort them to pray vocally and in secret and attend to all family duties" (D&C 20:46-47), (2) "administer the sacrament" (D&C 20:46) by worthily officiating at the sacrament table and offering the sacrament prayers when authorized (see D&C 20:77, 79), (3) baptize when authorized by the bishop (see D&C 20:46), (4) confer the Aaronic Priesthood and ordain deacons, teachers, and priests when authorized by the bishop (see D&C 20:48), and (7) assist the bishopric.
Bishop ~ The office of bishop is the highest in the Aaronic Priesthood. The bishop is the president of the priests quorum, the president of the Aaronic Priesthood, and the presiding high priest in the ward.
The Melchizedek Priesthood is the greater priesthood. Associated with it are all the authority, knowledge, and covenants that are necessary for the exaltation of God’s children.
Some weeks after John the Baptist restored the Aaronic Priesthood, Peter, James, and John appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and conferred upon them the Melchizedek Priesthood. An account of this experience is not included in the Doctrine and Covenants, but references to it can be found in the heading to D&C 13; 27:12–13; 128:20; and Our Heritage,page 14.
Melchizedek Priesthood includes the authority to govern the Church, preach the gospel, and administer the ordinances of salvation.
We'll end the discussion of this lesson with these questions: How can parents, grandparents, and others help boys and young men prepare to receive the priesthood? How can others help instill within boys and young men a deep appreciation for the priesthood?
How can we encourage our husbands to be spiritaul leaders in our homes?
How are women blessed by the priesthood? How are children blessed by the priesthood? How can we show our appreciation for the blessings of the priesthood?
3 comments:
This is kind of a heavy lesson, and I feel like I left a novel for everyone to read, but it's all good stuff.
I'm not really sure how to encourage our boys to prepare to recieve the priesthood. I hope that by them watching their dad's they will learn enough. Hopefully someone with some experience with this will share.
I also think that it is important to realize that even in homes with out the priesthood, the priesthood can still bless our lives. Growing up we didn't have the priesthood in our home, but with home teachers, and church leaders being available to us for blessings and to watch over us we still were able to partake. We were still able to take advantage of the sacrament, the temple (for my mom) and so much more.
I'm grateful to live in a home now with the priesthood, and I think that a way to encourage my husband is to ask him to use it. Have him direct FHE, have him give blessings to myself and my children.
Sorry so long!
I forgot to subscribe to the comments....
The best thing I ever did for my "men" in the family is to introduce them to the JST version of Genesis 14: 25-40. It is here that the actual Oath and covenant is discussed. Many priesthood holders are not familiar with who even makes the Oath, and what the covenant actually is. This understanding brings power to the priesthood.
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