There came a time when Jesus asked his disciples to sail with him across the Sea of Galilee, as told in the fourth chapter of Mark:
And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
Rightly, his disciples marveled. Who is this man, they asked – and what is his power, that even the wind and sea obey him?
That power is the priesthood. The Melchizedek Priesthood, which you are soon to receive.
What, then, do we need to exercise the power of the priesthood in our lives? We cannot hope, of course, to equal the power of Jesus, as he is our Savior. We can, however, be worthy of the power of the priesthood, study how it is used, practice using it, and demonstrate faith in our Father in Heaven that as we keep his commandments, we can use his power in our lives and in the lives of others for tremendous good.
I have seen you faithfully exercise the power of the Aaronic Priesthood many times. A few weeks ago, it was my honor to sit at the sacrament table with you and bless the sacrament at your side. As I listened to you say the prayer, and as I recited it myself, I tried to imagine the both of us sitting at the Last Supper with Jesus and his disciples.
I also saw you in a moment of frustration not too long ago exercise your priesthood power when you were asked to teach a lesson in Priests Quorum, and also to serve at the Gables. I know you were frustrated at having to do so much in one day, but I was proud of you as I watched you take on that responsibility. As we exercise our faith and study what the priesthood can do, we will see many blessings come, blessings that far surpass the time we invest in fulfilling our duties.
“We know that the power of the holy priesthood does not work independently of faith, the Holy Ghost, and spiritual gifts,” said Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “The scriptures caution ‘Deny not the gifts of God, for they are many. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God who worketh [them] all.”
As a missionary, I saw this man – my first mission president – urge his missionaries to do what he urges members of the church as a whole to do now. We need to have faith first, and Alma tells us how to do that by comparing faith to the growing of a seed:
But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: for ye will say, I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow.
And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth fruit unto its own likeness.
President Andersen – and Jesus Christ – encourage us to find ways to plant those seeds of faith: By teaching lessons at church, by administering in priesthood ordinances, by listening to our leaders, but most fervently by studying the gospel and by praying to know whether it is true.
As we gain testimonies, we feel that seed growing inside us.
Elder Andersen also mentions the Holy Ghost – that wonderful personage, as real as the Father and as Jesus – who helps us feel and know when things are right. I hope you have felt the presence of the Holy Ghost; for me it is a feeling of lightheartedness and joy. I have heard the Holy Ghost whisper to me.
Once, when I was feeling down about myself and some sins I had committed, I heard His voice. I was at work, cutting bricks for Uncle Albert, and humming in my head a Weird Al song. At one point in the song, Weird Al sings the lyric, “You’re not perfect, but I love you anyhow.” When I got to that point in the song, I felt my burden lifted, and felt that lightheartedness and joy as I knew, despite my faults, that the Holy Ghost was speaking to me, letting me know that though I was not perfect, Heavenly Father loved me anyway.
And yes, sometimes the Holy Ghost will speak to you through a Weird Al lyric.
Strive to be worthy to have the Holy Ghost as a constant companion.
Elder Andersen also speaks of spiritual gifts. They are many, and I see some of them manifest in you. The gift you have with music is a valuable spiritual gift, as Heavenly Father uses music to help convey the Holy Ghost to our hearts. As we develop our talents and use them to help others, we come closer to God.
Here is something my Dad – your Opa – wrote to me about the priesthood:
“The priesthood is the greatest power on earth. It has the power to heal the sick and take away sorrow. It makes life bearable. It makes everything grow. It makes the sun shine and the rain fall. It is the power of our Father in Heaven given to man to use. Never use it for selfish reasons. It is a great responsibility. The blessings are great.”
I saw my father use the priesthood as he led our family. He had his struggles with faith like many of us do, but he had a deeply-rooted love of his Father and Heaven and of Jesus Christ, a love that he always managed to communicate to his children. He used his gifts – the ability to get along with all sorts of different people, the ability to see the humor in life – to see him through many difficult times.
And I know he felt the influence of the Holy Ghost.
I am not always the best example of a priesthood holder. I know I can do better. And I know as you grow in faith, in testimony, in spiritual gifts, and in listening to the Holy Ghost, you will become a greater holder of the priesthood than you are already.
I love you.
Love, Dad
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