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TheDiscipleMD

Many years ago I attended an Area Training Meeting presided over by Boyd K. Packer. In the notes recorded at that meeting are these regarding some thoughts from Elder Packer. I quote from them:

“Some members of the church-and this is best illustrated in blessing the sick- believe that the higher the authority, the more powerful the priesthood. This is not true at all. He told about a woman who had repeatedly asked a couple of general authorities to give a young boy a blessing…They went to the home, and the woman had gathered a small group of people to watch…The boy’s father was there, and he was an Elder, though not particularly active or adept at using the priesthood. President Packer talked to the boy about “keys”. He showed him a ring of keys. He said an apostle may have more keys, but some of those keys are the same as those held by the lowest elder. The key to give a blessing to the sick is the same key that the boy’s father held, only Elder Packer’s key was shiny. Why? Because he used it. The boy’s father’s key may not be shiny, but it would still work. Then he asked the father to give the priesthood blessing. President Packer helped him. The woman showed great anger at this. Years later, he ran into her on the street in Salt Lake. She asked if he remembered her. He said he did. She told him that, before the blessing, there had not been a good relationship between the boy and his father, but, as a result of the blessing they became very close. She said she had learned a great lesson from that experience.” (Notes,June, 2001)

One of the great blessings of the restored gospel is that our Heavenly Father has seen fit to restore His priesthood. The office of each priesthood holder, however, is of no significance when it comes to blessing others. May we remember that, and live our lives such that, at a moments notice, those of us who hold the priesthood will be ready and prepared to bless the lives of others. Ordinances do bind the giver with the receiver!  Generations can be bound together in love. So as to “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse”. (D&C 110:15)