SELFLESSNESS

Last Sunday I had a chance to address the Priesthood members in our stake in an early morning meeting.  My topic was “The Power of the Priesthood in the Family” and was taken from a Worldwide Training video with Elder Oaks and two other general authorities.

Dallin H. Oaks
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

One of the truths I discovered (or rediscovered) was the power Father’s have in helping their families as they use the Priesthood for righteous purposes.  God’s power, given to men, is for the purpose of practice – preparing for a day when they will do what God does.  He is willing to share this authority with any who will covenant to use it wisely for the benefit of others.  Any other purpose is a violation of the trust He offers when the priesthood is bestowed.

So much of what we are encouraged to do by the world is selfish in nature.  All the concern for how we look and how we smell and how much we earn drives us to think too much about our own lives. (I’m not advocating dressing in rags or smelling like horses or living in poverty, but you know what I mean.)

When the focus is internal, the priesthood has very little power.  As our eyes look beyond the scope of our own existence we begin to see what God sees and open our souls to the wisdom He would have us use. 

The Priesthood of God is given to men on the earth that they might learn to serve as God and Christ serve – with their whole being.  Nothing the Father does is for His own benefit.  And all that the Savior works to do is for the betterment of His family.  Our work must be the same if we are to be like them.