Visiting Teaching Message June 2017

31 May

 The title for this month’s Visiting Teaching Message is Priesthood Power through Keeping Covenants.

The article begins by quoting Neil L. Anderson who said:

“As you worthily participate in the ordinances of the priesthood, the Lord will give you greater strength, peace, and eternal perspective. Whatever your situation, your home will be ‘blessed by the strength of priesthood power.’

Then the question is asked,

“How do we invite priesthood power into our lives?”

My answer is, why would you want to?

Why would you want to invite something so unholy and impotent in your life?

If you’re a follower of Jesus Christ you have the Holy Spirit in your life. In John 14:16-18 Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would be with us, and be our guide.

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”

It’s only through God’s Holy Spirit that we can truly have a sense of strength, peace and eternal perspective.

The same power that raised Jesus from the grave lives all of those who believe –

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Those who are followers of Jesus Christ have the Holy Spirit sealed to them, and He never leaves them.

Ephesians 1:13-14 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Followers of Jesus can benefit from the power of the Holy Spirit because it’s unconditional. We don’t have to clean ourselves up, or jump through the hoops of a works based salvation before receiving the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

In addition to having the Holy Spirit, each of us has a “royal priesthood.”

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

As a devout member of the Mormon Church you’re expected to do various works, and remain worthy to have the benefits of their priesthood power. The catch to this is, this power they speak of doesn’t exist. There is no Mormon priesthood, and it has no authority, despite the Church’s claim that it has always existed.

Jesus is the only and holy high priest (Hebrews 4:14).

So, if we have the Holy Spirit, and part of a royal priesthood with Jesus as our high priest, why do we need the Mormon priesthood?

In Christ,

Melissa Grimes

Reference:

June Visiting Teaching Message

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