The Power of the Priesthood

Recently I've been concerned a lot about quite a few different topics that are important to address such as same-sex attraction, treating people right, loving people, being a good mother and wife, and how to live my life well while following the commandments.  I've given these so much attention and they are things that need addressed in life.  I feel like it's similar to addressing hard doctrine in the church.  Like church history or parables or something.  Things that just need attention some times.

Anyway, I just got feeling like so much of my energy was going to things other than my Savior.  Of course they are things that will help me be better, but I was side stepping something even more important.  I decided that I needed to include the Jesus' life in my studies so I started reading in the book of Matthew.

Going back in time now......
I was struggling with some things, just not knowing exactly how to overcome them.  One day I went to the temple, and while praying for guidance, I felt like the thing that was going to help me was the power of the priesthood.  I didn't know how though...  The priesthood has always been a little foreign to me.  I've had blessings before and those have always helped in whatever way I needed, but this instruction that I received was different.  It wasn't talking about blessings.  It was talking about the power in the priesthood.

Later I found a quote by Elder Packer:
"The priesthood hold consummate power.  It can protect you from the plague of pornography if you are succumbing to its influence.  If one is obedient, the priesthood can show how to break a habit and even erase an addiction.  Holders of the priesthood have that authority and should employ it to combat evil influences."
Though this quote was talking about pornography and addictions, it mentioned the power of the priesthood!  It described some of the things that it can do.  Still, it was foreign to me and I didn't see how it could help me because I'm a woman and I don't carry it.

Then I was reading in Matthew.  I was deeply touched as I read the stories about Jesus walking among the people and healing as he went.  He raised a man from the dead, cured lepers, healed a woman with a blood disease, and it goes on.  He fed a multitude of people with a few fishes and a loaf of bread even when it wasn't possible.  He taught and ministered and healed.  And then I remembered this silly song from the Scripture Scout tapes I used to listen to.  "The priesthood is the power of God."  Wow.  The power of God.  Christ did all these things with the power of the priesthood.  The power of the priesthood heals.  The power of the priesthood creates abundance.

All this time I've always looked to the Atonement for healing and comfort but recently I've come to believe that the Atonement was made possible by this power of God - the priesthood.  I think that the priesthood's healing powers, the same powers Christ used when he walked the earth, is what enables the healing powers of the Atonement and that the priesthood, not the Atonement, is the ultimate source of healing.  Not to diminish the power of the Atonement.  I think that the Atonement is what gave us all access to the priesthood's healing power.  Otherwise, only worthy men that hold the priesthood would have access to the healing.  The Atonement also is what made it possible for our sins to be made clean so that we can return to live with Father again.  Now don't quote me on any of this, I have not researched it.  It's just the general feeling that I've got as I've thought about it.

In any case, thinking of the power of the priesthood in this way has helped me to see just HOW the priesthood was supposed to help me.

And perhaps charity is even greater than the priesthood.  Maybe it's charity - the perfect love of God - that, in essence, created the priesthood.  That charity is what gives God his power in the first place.  Just food for thought.