When we partake of the sacrament we renew all the covenants we have previously made with Heavenly Father.
She is talking about the need for people to have the blessings of the priesthood. Some would argue that this is reason for women to be ordained so that they aren’t dependent on having a righteous husband—that weakens the importance of the family which runs contrary to the plan for our salvation.
There exists today a great need for men and women to cultivate a respect for each other (and for their individualized roles).
The quote by Elder Ballard is important to demonstrate that with our without a worthy husband or father every woman has access to multiple worthy priesthood holders such as a bishop, elders quorum president, and home teacher who are responsible to assist then.
Sons of God need daughters of God and daughters of God need sons of God.
In order to fulfill our divine destiny we need priesthood ordinances and covenants. We need baptism, the gift of the hooky ghost, temple endowments, temple sealing, and the opportunity to regularly renew those covenants.
These priesthood ordinances and covenants provide access to the fulness of the blessings promised to us by God, which are made possible by the Savior’s Atonement. They arm sons and daughters of God with power, God’s power, and provide us with the opportunity to receive eternal life—to return to God’s presence and live with Him in His eternal family.
We visited a dear sister who is married and has two beautiful children. She is faithful and active in the Church, and she is teaching her children to choose the right. Her husband supports her Church activity, but he is not a member. Their family is strong, but to enjoy greater strength, they need additional priesthood blessings. They need the father to receive the ordinances of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost and to have the priesthood conferred upon him. They need the priesthood power that can come through the endowment and sealing.
Some will misread this as an affirmation that the wife is dependent upon her husband to enjoy the full blessings of the gospel. The truth lies in the last statement—that the family lacks the blessings of temple sealing. this would be equally true if it were the wife who was not a member while the husband was active.
In the worldwide leadership training Strengthening the Family and the Church through the Priesthood, we were taught that sisters who don’t have priesthood holders in their homes need never feel alone. They are blessed and strengthened through the ordinances they have received and the covenants they keep. They should not hesitate to reach out when help is needed. Elder M. Russell Ballard taught that every woman in the Church needs to know that she has a bishop, an elders quorum president, a home teacher, and other worthy priesthood holders whom she can rely on to come into her home and assist her and, as Sister Rosemary M. Wixom added, to “give a blessing.”
Although everyone should have a bishop, an elders quorum president, and home teachers they can rely on the truth is that just being called doesn’t create a relationship of trust. Some don’t trust those who have priesthood responsibilities to care for them and some of those priesthood holders make little effort to cultivate that trust.
We all need each other. Sons of God need daughters of God, and daughters of God need sons of God.
We have different gifts and different strengths. First Corinthians chapter 12 emphasizes the need for sons and daughters of God, each one of us, to fulfill our individual roles and responsibilities according to the Lord’s plan, that all may benefit.
Sons of God, do you know who you are? Do you know what you have? Are you worthy to exercise the priesthood and receive the power and blessings of the priesthood? Do you embrace your roles and responsibilities to strengthen homes as fathers, grandfathers, sons, brothers, and uncles? Do you show respect for women, womanhood, and motherhood?
Daughters of God, do we know who we are? Do we know what we have? Are we worthy to receive the power and blessings of the priesthood? Do we receive the gifts given to us with gratitude, grace, and dignity? Do we embrace our roles and responsibilities to strengthen homes as mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters, and aunts? Do we show respect for men, manhood, and fatherhood?
As covenant sons and daughters, do we have faith in our Heavenly Father and His eternal plan for us? Do we have faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement? Do we believe that we have a divine nature and destiny? And in our efforts to achieve this destiny and receive all that the Father has, do we understand the importance of receiving priesthood ordinances and making, keeping, and renewing our covenants with the Lord?
We are beloved spirit sons and daughters of heavenly parents, with a divine nature and destiny. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, loved us enough to give His life for us. His Atonement provides the way for us to progress on the path to our heavenly home, through sacred priesthood ordinances and covenants.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught: “In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is found the priesthood authority to administer the ordinances by which we can enter into binding covenants with our Heavenly Father in the name of His Holy Son. … God will keep His promises to you as you honor your covenants with Him.”
Leave a Reply