Miss #3--Priesthood power is effectual for others, but not for me.
This misconception has everything to do with individual feelings of self-worth and worthiness, and can be applied to more gospel concepts than priesthood. "Forgiveness, heavenly blessings, miracles, and revelations are effectual for others, but not for me." We can fully believe in all the doctrines of the Church, and yet not believe the Lord when he says they apply to us personally.
Reasons for this perspective are myriad: low self-esteem; experience with religions that focus on the 'nothingness' of man (often well-meaning attempts to foster humility that may instead channel needless humiliation or shame;) the tendency to hold priesthood authority in such high regard that one disconnects from it as a terrestrial tool. Across all reasons span the single reason--the adversary's perpetual whispering. If he cannot convince us that the priesthood is altogether false, he will try to convince us, "It doesn't work for you." This idea is far easier to believe since most of us feel our flaws so deeply already.
It's a strange, precarious balance we must reach between boldness and humility. What did God mean when he said that "man is nothing?" How can we be beloved of him and yet be nothing?
Moses' encounter with God as detailed in the Pearl of Great Price is a great answer to this query. The Lord opened the prophet's eyes to a vision in which he "beheld the world upon which he was created; and Moses beheld the world and the ends thereof, and all the children of men which are, and which were created; of the same he greatly marveled and wondered." Transfiguration was necessary for Moses to endure such a massive vision, and when the Lord's glory finally withdrew from him, he was exhausted of his natural strength for many hours. Upon recovery, he declared, "Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed" (Moses 1:8, 10). Who among us, having viewed the plan of Earth from beginning to end, having beheld all history and all living souls, having viewed the vastness of all things, could proclaim otherwise? "We are so small. I had no idea." Yet this declaration from Moses was not a statement of man's worthlessness, but of the Lord's greatness and Moses' deeply refined, elementally purified sense of humility at seeing it.
Other instances in the scriptures that declare man's nothingness do it in the context of the "natural man." "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord..." (Mosiah 3:19)
"All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity" (Isa. 40:17).
"And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" (Daniel 4:35). Once again, we are nothing compared to the Lord.
The prophet Ammon sums up the matter very neatly:
"Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever" (Alma 26:12).
"I am nothing next to God, and I am nothing without God, but with God I can do all things." This is the proper balance.
Also in the Pearl of Great Price, God gives Abraham the following revelation: "Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born" (Abr. 3:22-23).Elder Dallin H. Oaks expressed, “Brethren, I believe that the noble and great ones described by Abraham, the ones that God would make his leaders, include those who hold and honor the holy priesthood.
"Priesthood is not, as some may believe, the authority to testify, to pray, to teach in the name of the Lord...members who do not hold the priesthood have authority to do those things. Those to whom priesthood power is delegated, who use it worthily, do not just act in the name of the Lord. Priesthood holders act for the Lord, in things that will be recognized not just in this life but in eternity." (“Priesthood Fireside Focuses on Service,” Ensign, July 1991)
There was a time when the population of Earth was not prepared to wield the holy priesthood. This is not that time, and we are not that population.
Lest this responsibility overwhelm you, know that the level at which man holds the priesthood is only that which a human being can bear. Brigham Young detailed this in the Journal of Discourses:
"It is supposed by this people that we have all the ordinances in our possession for life and salvation, and exaltation, and that we are administering in those ordinances. This is not the case. We are in possession of all the ordinances that can be administered in the flesh; but there are other ordinances and administrations that must be administered beyond this world. I know you would like to ask what they are. I will mention one. We have not, neither can we receive here, the ordinance and the keys of resurrection.
“[The keys] will be given to those who have passed off this stage of action and have received their bodies again. … They will be ordained, by those who hold the keys of the resurrection, to go forth and resurrect the Saints, just as we receive the ordinance of baptism then receive the keys of authority to baptize others for the remission of their sins. This is one of the ordinances we can not receive here [on the earth], and there are many more.
“We organize according to men in the flesh. By combining the elements and planting the seed, we cause vegetables, trees, grains, etc. to come forth.” But we do not give them life. “We are organizing a kingdom here according to the pattern that the Lord has given for people in the flesh, but not for those who have received the resurrection, although it is a similitude.” (JD, 15:137.)
Spencer W. Kimball expounded his thoughts on Brigham Young's doctrine:"You and I—what helpless creatures are we! Such limited power we have, and how little can we control [as Christ] the wind and the waves and the storms! How limited we are now! We have no power to force the grass to grow, the plants to emerge, the seeds to develop. Could you produce a spirit? Has anyone whom you know ever produced a spirit? This is a power not given to mortal man, so there is much for us to learn.
"Let me mention one more thing. While we are in the mortal body we cannot 'fashion kingdoms [or] organize matter, for [that is] beyond our capacity and calling, beyond this world. In the resurrection, men who have been faithful and diligent in all things in the flesh, [who] have kept their first and second estate, and [are] worthy to be crowned Gods, even the sons of God, will be ordained to organize matter. How much matter do you suppose there is between here and some of the fixed stars which we can see? Enough to frame many, very many millions of such earths as this, yet it is now so diffused, clear and pure, that we look through it and behold the stars. Yet the matter is there. Can you form any conception of this? Can you form any idea of the minuteness of matter?' (Brigham Young, JD, 15:137).
"We talk about the gospel in its fulness; yet we realize that a large part is still available to us as we prepare, as we perfect our lives, and as we become more like our God." (Spencer W. Kimball, “Our Great Potential,” Ensign, May 1977)
The Priesthood authority God grants unto man is only that which is ordained for the use of the mortal being. If your mortal being is obedient to the laws upon which this authority is predicated, you are worthy, able, and responsible to utilize the Priesthood on behalf of the Lord and humanity as far as your reach extends.
Additionally, your worthiness to receive blessings by the power of the holy priesthood is predicated upon your obedience and faith, not upon your level of perfection. If you believe in miracles, if you believe in the power of Jesus Christ to rescue, if you believe that God loves his children--believe that you are included. By this you qualify to receive.
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