Elders Quorum Lessons

October 14, 2018

October 21, 2018

Priesthood and Priesthood Ordinances

Quotations drawn from:
“The Powers of the Priesthood”
President Dallin H. Oaks
April 2018 Conference Report

“Healing the sick”

Elder Dallin H. Oaks
April 2010 Conference Report
 Some questions about the priesthood and its use:
1. Does the Lord inspire people to do physical acts of healing in addition to priesthood blessings in times of emergency or tragedy?
Examples: a. A. L. Cook
b. Amanda Smith
2. Do people in the spirit world hear mortal people on earth calling to them if done by the authority of the Priesthood?
Examples: a. Lorenzo Snow and Ella Jensen in 1918.
b. Consider how many times is a person’s name is spoken aloud as vicarious temple ordinances are performed.

3. Can Priesthood leaders bless lands by the authority of the priesthood? Can they command the weather?
Examples: Thomas Monson, Friberg Germany.
Elder Ballard: Lapaz Bolivia, Lima Peru
4. Can a woman, if occasion requires, lay hands on a sick child with her husband? Is it uncommon for a man and a wife to
unitedly administer to their children?

5. Is it appropriate to “seal up a person unto death”? Do we have local examples? How do we know if a person is “appointed unto
death?” (D&C 42: 48)
6. How do medical science, prayers of faith, and priesthood blessings interact? What did Brigham Young say?
(Elder Oaks April Conference 2010 quoting Brigham Young)
7. What is the major element of a healing blessing? -- the anointing, the sealing, the faith, the words of the blessing?
(Elder Oaks April 2010 Conference)
The Powers of the Priesthood. Pres. Dallin H. Oaks. Conference April, 2018

“The Melchizedek Priesthood is the divine authority God has

delegated to accomplish His work “to bring to pass the …
eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).

“In 1829, it was conferred upon Joseph Smith and Oliver

Cowdery by the Savior’s Apostles Peter, James, and John
(see D&C 27:12). It is sacred and powerful beyond our powers
to describe.

“The keys of the priesthood are the powers to direct the

exercise of priesthood authority. Thus, when the Apostles
conferred the Melchizedek Priesthood upon Joseph and
Oliver, they also gave them the keys to direct its exercise
(see D&C 27:12–13).”
 “The Melchizedek Priesthood is not a status or a label.
It is a divine power held in trust to use for the benefit of God’s
work for His children.

“We should always remember that men who hold the priesthood
are not “the priesthood.”

It is not appropriate to refer to “the priesthood and the women.”

We should refer to “the holders of the priesthood and the women.”
 “A high priest officiates and administers in spiritual things
(see D&C 107:10, 12).

Also, as President Joseph F. Smith taught,

“Inasmuch as he has been ordained a high priest,
[he] should feel that he is obliged …

to set an example before the old and young worthy of emulation,

and to place himself in a position to be a teacher of righteousness,

not only by precept but more particularly by example—

giving to the younger ones the benefit of the experience of age,

and thus becoming individually a power in the midst of the community in
which he dwells.”3
An example of Inspiration to act phisically in addition
to giving a Priesthood blessing

Time: Spring 1916

Place: Tremonton, Utah

People: A. L. Cook & Melvin Cook

Reported: Desert News Aug. 6, 1934

Title: “God’s Healing Power”

 Melvin A. Cook: LDS Scientist
 The little boy (Melvin A. Cook) whose life
was saved by a priesthood blessing
became a great scientist

 He received a Ph.D. from Yale University in

Chemistry.

 He founded and served as President of

IRECO Chemicals

 He was a Professor of Metallurgy and

Mechanical Engineering at the
University of Utah.

 He wrote the book Science and Mormonism

Inspiration for healing was given to a woman beyond the medical knowledge of the day

Setting: Haun’s Mill massacre 1838 (Near Far West, Missouri)

People: Amanda Smith and son Alma
Circumstance: Her husband and older son were killed. Amanda was given revelation on how
to heal her son’s hip bone that was blown away by a point blank rifle shot during the attack.

For entire story see: James E. Faust, Conference Report April 2000, p. 22
 Can the dead in paradise hear mortals call to them and can they respond?

Date: March 3, 1891

Place: Brigham City, Utah
Persons: Ella Jensen (age 19)
President Lorenzo Snow

President Lorenzo Snow 1814 - 1901 Ella Jensen Wright 1871 - 1957
Thought question: How much (if any) do people in paradise hear of what we do in mortality?

“Our message to the world is simple and sincere:

we invite all of God’s children on both sides of the veil
to come unto their Savior,
receive the blessings of the holy temple,
have enduring joy,
and qualify for eternal life.”

--President Russel M. Nelson

April 2018 General Conference

How many times is a deceased person’s name verbally said

(either by the patron or the temple worker)
in the receiving of vicarious ordinances?

16 times for women

17 times for men
Elder’s Quorum Lesson October 21, 2018

 The powers of the Priesthood

April 2018
 Healing the sick

April 2010

Both talks by Pres. Dallin H. Oaks

 Questions about the priesthood and its use: (continued)
1. Can Priesthood leaders bless lands by the authority of the priesthood? Can they command the weather?
Examples: Elder Ballard: Lapaz Bolivia, Lima Peru
President Thomas Monson, Friberg Germany.

2. Can a woman, if occasion requires, lay hands on a sick child with her husband? Is it uncommon for a man
and a wife to unitedly administer to their children?

3. Is it appropriate to “seal up a person unto death”? Do we have local examples? How do we know if a
person is “appointed unto death?” (D&C 42: 48)

4. How do medical science, prayers of faith, and priesthood blessings interact? What did Brigham Young say?
(Elder Oaks April Conference 2010 quoting Brigham Young)
5. What is the major element of a healing blessing? -- the anointing, the sealing, the faith, the words of the
blessing?
(Elder Oaks April 2010 Conference)
 President Oaks (April 2018) :
“On the duties of an elder, Elder Bruce R.
McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve taught:

‘An elder is a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ.

…

He is commissioned to stand in the place and

stead of his Master … in ministering to his
fellowmen.

He is the Lord’s agent.’

“Elder McConkie criticized the idea that one is

‘only an elder.’

“Every elder in the Church holds as much

priesthood as the President of the Church … ,”
he said.

“What is an elder? He is a shepherd, a shepherd

serving in the sheepfold of the Good
 “The most important principle for all priesthood holders is the principle
taught by the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob.

“After he and his brother Joseph were consecrated priests and teachers of the people,
he declared,
‘And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering
the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all
diligence.’ (Jacob 1:19).

“Brethren, our responsibilities as holders of the priesthood are serious matters.

Other organizations can be satisfied with worldly standards of performance in delivering
their messages and performing their other functions.

“But we who hold the priesthood of God have the divine power that
even governs entrance into the celestial kingdom of God.”
Can Priesthood leaders bless lands? Do we know of any accounts of this happening?

Elder M. Russell Ballard

on Feb. 22, 1997 at BYU
in a regional priesthood leadership meeting
gave 2 accounts

Lake Titicaca,
La Paz Bolivia
(Elder Ballard had been a
member of the 12 two months)

Lima Peru
(Elder Ballard had been
a member of the 12 one year)
Lima temple
 April 27, 1975 President Monson gave a dedicatory prayer.
April 1, 1985 The Freiberg Temple was completed.

What happened in those 10 intervening years as a result of that inspired prayer

given by an apostle with priesthood authority?

Russian Kremlin

Friberg Temple
Baptismal font

Freiberg Germany Pres. Thomas S. Monson

Freiberg Temple
 WHAT ABOUT THE LAYING ON OF HANDS BY WOMEN IN ADMINISTRATIONS?

“If a man and his wife were alone with a sick

person, could he anoint with the oil and then seal
the anointing with
his wife assisting using the priesthood she holds
jointly with her husband?”

(Question asked by a Church member and answered by

President Smith in his book Doctrines of Salvation Vol. 3 p. 176)
 Question: "Does a wife hold the priesthood with her
husband, and may she lay hands on the sick
with him, with authority?
President Joseph Fielding Smith:

“A wife does not hold the priesthood with her husband,

but she enjoys
the benefits thereof with him; and if she is requested to
lay hands on the sick with him, or
with any other officer holding the Melchizedek
Priesthood, she may do so with perfect
propriety.

“It is no uncommon thing for a man and wife unitedly to

administer to their children."
Doctrines of Salvation Vol. 3 p. 177
 “When this is done the wife is adding her faith to the administration of her husband.
The wife would lay on hands just as would a member of the Aaronic Priesthood,
or a faithful brother without the priesthood,
she in this manner giving support by faith to the ordinance performed by her husband.”

“The Prophet Joseph Smith said,

‘Respecting females administering for the healing of the sick, . . .
there could be no evil in it, if God gave his sanction by healing;
that there could be no more sin in any female laying hands on and
praying for the sick, than in wetting the face with water;

“it is no sin for anybody to administer that has faith,

or if the sick have faith to be healed by their administration.’ "

“Such an administration would not be by virtue of the priesthood,

but a manifestation of faith.”
--Joseph Fielding Smith
Doctrines of Salvation Vol. 3 p. 177
 April 2018

“Up to now, I have been speaking of the functions of the priesthood in the Church.

“Now I will speak of PRIESTHOOD IN THE FAMILY. I begin with keys.

The principle that priesthood authority can be exercised only under the direction of
the one who holds the keys for that function is fundamental in the Church
but does not apply to the exercise of priesthood authority in the family.8

“A father who holds the priesthood presides in his family by the authority
of the priesthood he holds.
He has no need to have the direction or approval of priesthood keys in order to
counsel the members of his family,
hold family meetings,
give priesthood blessings to his wife and children,
or give healing blessings to family members or others.
 “If fathers would magnify their priesthood in their own
family, it would further the mission of the Church as
much as anything else they might do.

“Fathers who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood should

keep the commandments so they will have the power
of the priesthood to give blessings to their family
members.

“Fathers should also cultivate loving family

relationships so that family members will want to ask
their fathers for blessings.

“And parents should encourage more priesthood

blessings in the family.

April 2018 “Fathers, function as “equal partners” of your wives,

as the family proclamation teaches.”
 From April 2010 Conference Elder Oaks “Healing the sick”:

“In these times of worldwide turmoil, more and more persons of faith are turning to the
Lord for blessings of comfort and healing.

“I wish to speak to this audience of priesthood holders about healing the sick—
by medical science,
by prayers of faith,
and by priesthood blessings.”
“The use of medical science is not at odds with our prayers of faith and our reliance on priesthood
blessings. When a person requested a priesthood blessing, Brigham Young would ask, “Have you used any
remedies?” To those who said no because “we wish the Elders to lay hands upon us, and we have faith
that we shall be healed,”

President Young replied: “That is very inconsistent according to my faith.

“I might as well ask the Lord to cause my wheat and corn to grow, without my plowing the ground and
casting in the seed. It appears consistent to me to apply every remedy that comes within the range of my
knowledge, and [then] to ask my Father in Heaven … to sanctify that application to the healing of my
body.”1
 “Of course we don’t wait until all other methods are exhausted
before we pray in faith or give priesthood blessings for healing.

“In emergencies, prayers and blessings come first.

“Most often we pursue all efforts simultaneously. This follows the

scriptural teachings that we should “pray always” (D&C 90:24) and
that all things should be done in wisdom and order.2

There are five parts to the use of

priesthood authority to bless the sick:
(1) the anointing,
(2) the sealing of the anointing,
(3) faith,
(4) the words of the blessing, and
(5) the will of the Lord.
April 2010
“Fortunately, the words spoken in a healing blessing
are not essential to its healing effect.

“If faith is sufficient and if the Lord wills it, the afflicted
person will be healed or blessed whether the officiator
speaks those words or not.
April 2010
“Conversely, if the officiator yields to personal desire or inexperience and gives
commands or words of blessing in excess of what the Lord chooses to bestow
according to the faith of the individual, those words will not be fulfilled.

“Consequently, brethren, no elder should ever hesitate to participate in a

healing blessing because of fear that he will not know what to say. The words
spoken in a healing blessing can edify and energize the faith of those who hear
them,

“but the effect of the blessing is dependent upon faith and the Lord’s will,
 Is it appropriate to “seal up a person unto death”?
Do we have local examples?
How do we know if a person is “appointed unto death?”
(D&C 42: 48)
• The following are Additional Quotations from President Oaks
to be covered
as time permits
April Conference 2018 “We have the purpose and the responsibility the Lord defined in the revealed
preface to the Doctrine and Covenants. We are to proclaim to the world:

“That every man might speak in the name of God the Lord,
even the Savior of the world;

“That faith also might increase in the earth;

“That mine everlasting covenant might be established;

“That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the
simple unto the ends of the world” (D&C 1:20–23).

To fulfill this divine charge, we must be faithful in “magnifying” our

priesthood callings and responsibilities (see D&C 84:33).

President Harold B. Lee explained what it means to magnify the priesthood:

“When one becomes a holder of the priesthood, he becomes an agent of the

Lord. He should think of his calling as though he were on the Lord’s errand.
That is what it means to magnify the priesthood.”6
 ”President Harold B. Lee gave this promise just
after he became President of the Church:

‘Never is the power of the priesthood, which

you hold, more wonderful than when there is a
crisis in your home, a serious illness, or some
great decision that has to be made.

‘… Vested in the power of the priesthood, which

is the power of Almighty God, is the power to
perform miracles if the Lord wills it so, but in
order for us to use that priesthood, we must be
worthy to exercise it.

‘A failure to understand this principle is a failure

to receive the blessings of holding that great
From April 2018 Conference priesthood.’”
President Oaks
April 2010

President Brigham Young taught:

“When I lay hands on the sick, I expect the healing power and
influence of God to pass through me to the patient, and the
disease to give way. …
When we are prepared, when we are holy vessels before the Lord,
a stream of power from the Almighty can pass through the
tabernacle of the administrator to the system of the patient, and
the sick are made whole.”9

Although we know of many cases where persons blessed by

priesthood authority have been healed, we rarely refer to these
healings in public meetings because modern revelation cautions
us not to “boast [ourselves] of these things, neither speak them
before the world; for these things are given unto you for your
profit and for salvation” (D&C 84:73).
• Faith is essential for healing by the powers of heaven. The Book of Mormon
even teaches that “if there be no faith among the children of men God can
do no miracle among them” (Ether 12:12).10

• In a notable talk on administering to the sick, President Spencer W. Kimball

said: “The need of faith is often underestimated. The ill one and the family
often seem to depend wholly on the power of the priesthood and the gift of
healing that they hope the administering brethren may have, whereas the
greater responsibility is with him who is blessed. …

• The major element is the faith of the individual when that person is
conscious and accountable. ‘Thy faith hath made thee whole’ [Matthew
9:22] was repeated so often by the Master that it almost became a
chorus.”11

April 2010
“Ideally, the elder who officiates will be so in tune with the Spirit of the
Lord that he will know and declare the will of the Lord in the words of
the blessing.

“Brigham Young taught priesthood holders, ‘It is your privilege and

duty to live so that you know when the word of the Lord is spoken to
you and when the mind of the Lord is revealed to you.’13 When that
happens, the spoken blessing is fulfilled literally and miraculously.

“On some choice occasions I have experienced that certainty of

inspiration in a healing blessing and have known that what I was
saying was the will of the Lord. However, like most who officiate in
healing blessings, I have often struggled with uncertainty on the words
I should say.

“For a variety of causes, every elder experiences increases and

decreases in his level of sensitivity to the promptings of the Spirit.
Every elder who gives a blessing is subject to influence by what he
desires for the person afflicted. Each of these and other mortal
imperfections can influence the words we speak.”
Elder Oaks April 2010
Young men and older men, please take special note of what I
will say now. As we exercise the undoubted power of the
priesthood of God and as we treasure His promise that He will
hear and answer the prayer of faith, we must always remember
that faith and the healing power of the priesthood cannot
produce a result contrary to the will of Him whose priesthood it
is.

This principle is taught in the revelation directing that the

elders of the Church shall lay their hands upon the sick. The
Lord’s promise is that “he that hath faith in me to be
healed, and is not appointed unto death, shall be healed” (D&C
42:48; emphasis added). Similarly, in another modern revelation
the Lord declares that when one “asketh according to the will of
God … it is done even as he asketh” (D&C 46:30).14

From all of this we learn that even the servants of the Lord,
exercising His divine power in a circumstance where there is
sufficient faith to be healed, cannot give a priesthood blessing
that will cause a person to be healed if that healing is not the
will of the Lord. Elder Oaks April 2010
“As children of God, knowing of His great love and His ultimate knowledge of what is
best for our eternal welfare, we trust in Him.
The first principle of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and faith means trust.

“I felt that trust in a talk my cousin gave at the funeral of a teenage girl who had died of
a serious illness. He spoke these words, which first astonished me and then edified me:
“I know it was the will of the Lord that she die.

“She had good medical care. She was given priesthood blessings. Her name was on the
prayer roll in the temple. She was the subject of hundreds of prayers for her restoration
to health.

“And I know that there is enough faith in this family that she would have been healed
unless it was the will of the Lord to take her home at this time.”

“ I felt that same trust in the words of the father of another choice girl whose life was
taken by cancer in her teen years.
He declared, “Our family’s faith is in Jesus Christ and is not dependent on outcomes.”

“Those teachings ring true to me. We do all that we can

for the healing of a loved one, April 2018
and then we trust in the Lord for the outcome.”
 Here is an example of a priesthood holder magnifying his priesthood responsibility.

“As a young married elder, desperately poor and feeling unable to finish his last year of college,
Jeffrey decided to drop out and accept an attractive job offer.

A few days later his elders quorum president came to his home. “Do you understand the
significance of the priesthood keys I hold?” the elders quorum president asked.

“When Jeffrey said he did, the president told him that since hearing of his intention to drop out of
college, the Lord had tormented him during sleepless nights to give Jeffrey this message:

“As your elders quorum president, I counsel you not to drop out of college. That is a message to
you from the Lord.”

“Jeffrey stayed in school. Years later I met him when he was a successful businessman and heard
him tell an audience of priesthood holders, “That [counsel] has made all the difference in my life.”

--Pres. Oaks April 2018