Welcome to the Come Follow Me podcast for teens and for parents of teens, a podcast to supplement your weekly study of the Come Follow Me curriculum with thoughts, ideas, principles, stories, and questions all geared towards helping teenagers. better follow Christ through their teenage years. Hey guys, welcome back to another week of study of the Doctrine and Covenants. I'm Josh Downs. This is Come Follow Me for Teens.
And this week we're going to be taking a look at sections 20 through 22 with the theme, The Rise of the Church of Christ. It's a pretty significant section of the Doctrine and Covenants because of that very thing. It's in these sections that we see the rise of the Church of Christ, or basically Christ's Church being organized on the earth once again.
And from these sections, we learn a lot of the reasons as to why it was organized and why it's so important, as well as just some principles to help guide us as members of it.
The background of this week's study is that the Savior's work of bringing forth the Book of Mormon was now complete, but His work of restoration had just started. In addition to restoring doctrine and priesthood authority, The Lord had made it clear through earlier revelations that He also wanted to restore a formal organization, His church.
On April 6, 1830, more than 40 believers crowded into the Whitmer family's log home in Fayette, New York, to witness the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ. Some people wonder why an organized church is necessary. Well, the answer may be found, at least in part, in the revelations connected with that first church meeting in 1830. They describe blessings that would not have been possible if the true Church of Jesus Christ had not been regularly organized and established in the latter.
And I think that's the key. One of the things that I'll probably reference a little bit later on is I've really noticed a trend just among people, almost a moving more towards spirituality than religion. It's almost like... A lot of people are beginning to lose faith in the concept of religion or organized religion. And there's a growing sentiment that what matters most is just your relationship with God.
Now there's a lot of truth to that, but there's also some things that are being missed in that way of thinking. Because if it wasn't for organized religion, we would not have anything that we really have today. and again we'll reference a little bit more of this as we go through these sections in this episode
We're going to start with section 20, though. The background of this section, again, is this section was a direct revelation from the Lord, basically outlining the exact date that His church was to be organized on the earth once more. And all throughout this revelation, we really are taught reasons why the church is needed. A lot of the things that will be brought to us or have been brought to us or could be brought to us through this organization.
And so as you study this section, I would invite you, section 20 that is, to mark all of the things that really have come to us and have come to you through the organization of the church and kind of read and study it through that lens. so kind of like we've done in the past i'd invite you to pause here and just read through section 20. it's a little bit of a longer one but again there's so many things in there that would be so great for you to find and to see for yourself
as to reasons why we need the Lord's organized church on the earth today. So take a moment, pause, read, mark, and then come back and we'll go through a few of the things. Okay, now hopefully you had a chance to do that, but as you did, hopefully you you saw a lot there is there's a lot of things in here we're just going to fly through a bunch of them but and they're not going to be all of them but some of the ones that kind of stood out to me as i went through this this particular section
is the Lord referenced in verse 7, I guess to start out, that He gave Joseph commandments, which inspired him. And then those commandments were delivered to the church. again that's there's kind of a organized structure that you'll see that that a lot of what is received that we receive comes through the organization of the church such as commandments we we need that direction that inspired direction from god and it's through the organization of his church that we receive it
Verse 8, and gave him, Joseph, power from on high by the means which were before prepared to translate the Book of Mormon. Scripture is given to us through the organization. Proving to the world in verse 11 that the Holy Scriptures are true and that God does inspire men and call them to His holy work in this age and generation as well as in generations.
Verse 12, thereby showing that He is the same God yesterday, today, and forever. We see that in the church. The way that it was organized, the way that it was established.
is very much the same way it has been all throughout the history of god's dealings with his children verse 14 those who receive it in faith and work righteousness shall receive a crown of eternal life That's a huge blessing that can come to us, basically eternal life, from being a member of the Lord's church, receiving it in faith, and working righteousness in it. Verse 15, But those who harden their hearts in unbelief and reject it shall turn to their own condemnation.
Now, he's referencing in part the Book of Mormon in this, but in a lot of ways we can take it and apply to everything that the Church delivers to us. Because again, this is the Lord's vehicle by which He does it. Verse 17, by these things, those things that have been revealed to us through the church, we know that there is a God in heaven. Through the church, we have received, maybe more so than anyone else or anywhere else has ever received, a clear understanding of who God is.
and our relationship to Him, who is infinite and eternal, from everlasting to everlasting, the same unchangeable God, the Framer of heaven and earth, and all things which end up. We know Him better. We have come to know Him better because of our membership in His.
verse 18 and that he created man male and female after his own image and in his own likeness created he them again we learn our relationship with him who we are Verse 19, And He gave unto them commandments that they should love and serve Him, the only living and true God, and that He should be the only being by whom they should worship. And then in verses 20 through 25, there's a reference to God's plan. And that's one of the things that I would also submit that we have received very clearly.
as being members of the lord's church through his organization is the best understanding we could possibly have of his plan That men fell and became fallen man in verse 20. That as a result of that, the Lord gave His only begotten Son in verse 21. That He suffered temptation. that he was crucified in 23 and died and rose again the third day
24, that he ascended into heaven to sit on the right hand of the Father. Verse 25, that as many as would believe and be baptized in his holy name and endure in faith to the end, should be saved. We have learned about God's plan and the role of the Savior, the central figure of His plan and how important it is. that we accept Him, that we follow Him, that we love Him, and that we allow His Atonement to work in our lives.
We also learn in verse 32 that there is a possibility that man may fall from grace and depart from the living God. That we're never really secure and safe in our faith. That there's always a possibility that we can fall. And so therefore, verse 33, let the church take heed and pray always lest they fall into temptation. We learn from those verses that one of the primary reasons for having an organization on the earth is a form of protection.
That it helps us look out for one another. It helps to keep us safe from the temptations that are out there so that we don't fall. And in the rest of the verses of this section, we kind of learn about some of those things that God has put into place in His church to help us better do that. And we see that come to fruition in many ways through the ordinances that are administered in the church. Verse 37, such as baptism.
verse 38 the calling and duty of elders and priests and teachers and deacons to do their part in helping to strengthen and protect the general membership of the church and that they by and large do this through things such as the administering of the sacrament in verse 40 or by teaching and expounding exhorting baptizing and just watching over the church in verse 42.
that they are instructed in verse 47 to visit the house of each member and exhort them to pray vocally and in secret and to attend to all family duties. Verse 54, to see there's no iniquity in the church, neither hardness with each other, neither lying, backbiting, nor evil speaking. And then verse 55, and see that the church meet together oft, and also see that all the members do their duty. The Lord is again clearly illustrating here.
that we are stronger together, that we will be stronger together. And whenever there are mistakes made, verse 80, that any member of the church of Christ that's found transgressing or being overtaken in a fault, that they'll be dealt with as the scriptures direct. that there will be a process put in place to protect not just the church, but the individuals that are in it to help guide them through the repentance process and become better, become stronger.
now again those are just a few things that entire section is just listed with reason after reason as to why the the savior wanted his church organized on the the earth again for all of us to have and to experience and to be a part but again there's a growing population of individuals and young people you'll you'll hear this at some point i know that you will
that express the belief that it's okay to be spiritual without being religious. Meaning that they don't need the church or any church to have a relationship with God. And again, while this is in part true, Because in the end, what really matters is our personal relationship with the Lord. However, what so many are forgetting to consider is just, again, how much of a role organized religion, in all of its forms, has played in bringing them to God.
God's house, in particular, is a house of order. He has made that very clear, which is why He established His church in ancient times, and why He established it once again today. The church is the vehicle that God has provided to bring His children safely to Him and provide everything that they need to become more likely. to administer their needs both physically and spiritually and mentally and emotionally to take care of his children those that that love him and that he loves
And through the organization of the church, we receive His Word. And in His church, we also have access to His priesthood. And therefore, the ordinances that allow us to make covenants with Him, that will bring His power even more fully into our lives. Just think of all those reasons that we just mentioned as to why the church is so needed in the world today and why it is needed in each of our own lives.
While we don't need a car necessarily to get to where we want to go, why would we not use one if it was provided to us? While the church by itself has no power to really save anyone. That's the Savior's job. That's what He does. There is power, however, in the church to help a person better come to the Savior, better find the Savior, and draw close to Him so that they can access His. The purpose of the church is to bring us together and to bring us to Christ.
Now, I want you guys to think of who it is that would most likely like us to leave the safety of the church, to believe that we don't need it, and that we'll try to mix truth with error to convince us of that. It's pretty obvious that this is one of Satan's attacks that he is using to some success in the world today.
Well, if you look closely at nature, you'll see a pattern that we can learn from to hopefully help us make the decision whenever we feel tempted to separate ourselves in any form from the church to stay close in it. In nature, wolves will always try to separate their prey from the herd first, as it is easier to take down an animal that is alone more so than it is one that is surrounded by other animals.
you see the simple message in that one of the primary reasons of the church again is to watch over each member to protect them and encourage them to do those things that will help them to stay close to the lord The church provides opportunities for us to help, for us to lift, for us to serve one another. And we are stronger together than we will ever be apart. Don't ever, you guys, fall for Satan's lies and deceptions that you can be closer to God outside of his church than you can be inside.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland once taught, Brothers and sisters, I testify that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the vehicle that God has provided for our exaltation. The gospel it teaches is true, and the priesthood legitimizing it is not derivative. I testify that Russell M. Nielsen is a prophet of our God, as his predecessors were, and as his successors will be. And one day that prophetic guidance will lead a generation to see our messenger of salvation descend like life.
out of the east and we will exclaim jesus of nazareth with arms forever outstretched and love unfeigned he will reply i am here i so promise with the apostolic power and authority of his holy name even jesus I love that quote from Elder Holland. And another great quote, Elder Garrett W. Gong taught this. He said, are happier, healthier, and more fulfilled than those without spiritual commitment or connection.
happiness and life satisfaction, mental and physical health, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, close social relationships, even financial and material stability. On each measure, religious practitioners flourish. They enjoy better physical and mental health and greater life satisfaction across all ages and demographics. What researchers call religious structural stability offers clarity, purpose, and inspiration amidst life's twists and turns.
Basically referencing the scientific evidence for the need to be a part of an organized religion, especially when it's the Lord's organized church. And Elder Dale G. Renlund taught that the Savior refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as My Church because He commissioned it to accomplish His purpose. preaching His gospel, offering His ordinances and covenants, and making it possible for His power to justify and sanctify us.
without his church there is no authority no preaching of revealed truths in his name no ordinances or covenants no manifestations of the power of godliness No transformation into who God wants us to become and God's plan for His children is set at naught. The church in this dispensation is integral to His plan. I'd just like to take a moment and just bear my testimony to each of you about all of that. My membership in this church is one of those things that I hold most dear to my heart.
I am so grateful to be a member of His church. Now, I know that everybody in the church is not perfect and that there will be times where people will say things and do things that will be offensive to you. They have been to me. Sometimes there are... decisions that are made, policies that I don't fully understand, and just simply questions that I have. And all of those things are okay.
But in spite of those things, I have learned for myself and experienced for myself just how much the church has helped me to better find Christ, to grow closer to Him, to develop a relationship. and to recognize the absolute. a necessity of having a living prophet on the earth to guide and direct me and my family in the direction that we need to go and to warn us of those things that we need to be warned of and to be a part of an organization and of a family.
that can support and strengthen each other and there have been so many times i've been so grateful to be a part of that and there have been times where honestly i maybe tried to separate myself a little bit where i gave into some of those thoughts or i just I went through some struggles and didn't want to be around people. But I noticed in those moments, how much easier it was for Satan to get to me than it was when I was integrated closely into that protective organization that is the Satan.
Now, a few journal and discussion questions for you to consider might be, number one, from your personal study of this section, why do you believe that Christ organized His church? What purposes does it serve that you see? And why do you personally believe it would be more wise to stay in it than to venture outside of it? Have you seen people personally leave the church? And how have you seen their lives affected because of this decision?
What reasons can you come up with to make sure you always stay safely in the Lord's church and organization? And how can the role of prophets and apostles influence your decision to stay in the church? And how can the role of the temple also influence your decision to stay? Now, to apply these things, I would just maybe invite you with this principle to write down maybe what the organization of the church simply means to you and why you will choose to always hold on tightly to your members.
now for the second principle this has always been one of my favorites and it's taught very clearly and very powerfully here in doctrine covenant section 21. And I think we can kind of see a clear correlation between the Lord organizing His church and then what He teaches here in section 21 as a part of it. In this particular chapter, the Lord references Joseph calling, and role as a prophet.
and really does so in front of the entire church, making it very clear and very known that this is who he is, that this is his role and his title, and how important it is. that we listen to him, that we follow him, and that we have a living prophet to lead, guide, and direct.
section and in referencing the prophet he also uses kind of a phrase that we've become familiar with but uh he reverses the order of some of the words that that he uses that we have kind of changed just over time that i want to draw some emphasis to You've often heard in the church, I'm sure, us refer to the prophet and other apostles as prophets, seers, and revelations.
But I want you to watch for, as we go through these verses, you guys, how the Lord kind of orders these words as it relates to a prophet. we'll start in verse one behold there shall be a record kept among you the lord says and in it thou shalt be called a seer a translator a prophet an apostle of Jesus Christ, an elder of the church, through the will of God the Father and the grace of your Lord Jesus Christ.
Now again, did you notice the order that the Lord uses in referencing the role that Joseph is to play as a prophet? It's not so much a prophet, seer, and revelator as it is a seer, a translator, and then a prophet. an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I really think there's a reason for that, which we'll get into in just a moment. But look at these next verses and what the Lord teaches about how important it is that we follow the prophet.
Verse 2, being inspired of the Holy Ghost to lay the foundation thereof and to build it up unto the Most. which church was organized and established in the year of your Lord, 1830, in the fourth month and on the sixth day of the month which is called April. thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them walking in all holiness before me for his word ye shall receive as if from mine own mouth in all patience and faith.
for by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you yea the lord god will disperse the powers of darkness from before you and cause the heavens to shake for your good and his name Those are some powerful verses. And in those verses, the Lord makes again a direct reference to who and what exactly Joseph is. And every prophet that has and will come after him. And most importantly, what blessing we can expect to receive from following.
Now again, notice the Lord doesn't refer to him first as a prophet, but as a seer. And I have absolutely come to love the reference of seers in referencing our prophets. It honestly has helped me to see them different. I recognize that they are who the Lord has put basically on His watchtower to see afar off, to see the enemy before the enemy is upon us, and to warn us of incoming dangers that we will face. Their seership is invaluable.
In Mosiah 8, verses 15-18, we learn again about how important their role as a seer really is. In verse 15 we read, And the king said that a seer is greater than a prophet. And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also, and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of God, which no man can.
Yet a man may have great power given him from God. But a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come. And by them shall all things be revealed, or rather shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light. and things which are not known shall be made known by them and also things which shall be made known by them and otherwise could not be known
Thus God has provided a means that man through faith might work mighty miracles. Therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow people. now two incredible examples of prophets being seers are first of all the word of wisdom that revelation you guys is one that I would personally hang my head on when it comes to the truthfulness of the church any day. That revelation came so far in advance of what science had figured out that it clearly could not have just come from man. It had to come.
from god doctors back i think as far as the 50s were still smoking while examining the health of patients in their offices after all And the access to alcohol and other addictive substances was nowhere near where it is today. No one would have ever thought. You can walk into almost any store or gas station or to get alcohol or beer or drugs of any kind. Yet more and more we are seeing that all around us.
The Lord knew exactly what was coming and through his seer warned us of it. And for those that have followed that counsel, well, they have been spared incredible heartbreak and incredible loss of agency. and as a little bit more of a more recent example i would draw your attention to the proclamation of family which was released back in 1995.
And I was there, I remember when it first came out, almost laughing at it because it seemed so obvious. Like, why would we need to have this emphasized? Of course, marriage is between a man and a woman. Of course, gender is an eternal characteristic of God's children. Well, fast forward 30 years later, and now we know why it was put out then.
Prophets saw exactly what was coming and how confused people would become and how good Satan would be at confusing people about their identity and about God's plan. Prophets foresaw the enemy coming 20 to 30 years.
before the enemy got here for those of us that listened we have been prepared with the doctrines of the gospel to help us avoid confusion and getting lost in the midst of darkness that are enveloping and in coming to understand this in those verses in the doctrine and covenants the lord then counsels us to give heed to his words and commandments For his word ye shall receive as if from mine own mouth.
In all patience and faith. The Lord understands that not everything that comes from his prophets will be easy to digest. There will be things that will be asked or taught. or implemented that might be hard and difficult to understand and to follow, which is why he invites us to receive those things in all patience. As we do that, the Lord then promises us this in return.
For by so doing these things, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you. Yea, the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you and cause the heavens to shake for your good and His name's glory. It just might be, you guys, that the greatest blessing that can come to us as members of the Lord's Organized Church is access to a living prophet who is a living seed.
in referencing the important role of the prophets play president benson i remember once taught that after a particular conference for the next six months your conference edition of wherever it is we get conference talk should stand next to your standard works and be referred to free. President Harold B. Lee said, The only safety we have as members of this church is to learn to give heed to the words and commandments that the Lord shall give through His prophet.
There will be some things that take patience and faith. you may not like what comes it may contradict your political views your social views interfere with your social life But if you listen to these things as if from the mouth of the Lord Himself, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you, and the Lord will disperse the powers of darkness.
This is something I would also strongly bear my testimony of you guys. My life has been so much better whenever I have learned to listen and to trust and to follow the words and counsel of our living prophet. I am so grateful. To me, that is one of the greatest blessings, if not the greatest blessing, of my membership in the Lord's Church is having access to the words of living prophets and apostles.
Now again, there may be times where there's questions, where things are not easily to understand or to digest, but every time I have tried to follow them as best as I can in patience and in faith. I have felt Satan's influence lessened in my life.
and i have literally experienced the powers of dark dispersed from before me and I know I will continue to be and I really believe in the world that we live in today where you guys can see it firsthand how much harder it is becoming to tell the difference between what is right what is wrong what is truth and what is error it will become even more vital. that we learn to listen, to trust, and to follow.
living prophets today. Now, that doesn't mean that we aren't responsible for making our own choices or decisions, or that we're meant to be robots to just blindly follow whatever the prophet says. The Lord has clearly also given us the Holy Ghost to guide and direct us. But he's also made it very clear that he will not allow his prophet to lead us astray.
And so we can have great confidence and hope and trust in that as well. And I have found in making the decision to follow the prophet that the spiritual confirmation that I needed was always present. And I know that it can and will be for you also. Some journal and discussion questions for you to consider might be, how is it helpful to think for you of prophets as seers? Why is it important to know that they can see the past as well as the future?
Why is it important to know that they can even see secret or hidden things? And how has their role of a seer or as a seer impacted your life already for good? And how has following prophetic counsel led you to experience something good in your life? Why are you personally thankful to have a living problem?
to apply this i might invite you especially as we're approaching conference to put together a study plan a personal one for this upcoming conference with the goal of reading or studying each talk that's given prior to the next general What a great habit, you guys, to develop in your life, to have read and study all of the talks prior to the next conference that we have.
I really think, you guys, that is one of the best things we can learn to do to show our love and appreciation for the Lord giving us a living prophet on the earth today. the last principle we'll end quickly with this one i want to look at verse section 22 verses 1 through 4. During this time period where the church was so new, there were many new members who had previously been baptized in other churches. And so the question was naturally asked if they needed to be baptized again.
to which the lord gave the answer and taught an important truth as it relates to his priesthood authority in this section section 22. so as you read through this section or as we go through these verses i'd invite you to just look for what does the lord say about those that have been previously been baptized and their need to be re-baptized and why
In verse 1 of section 22, the Lord says, Behold, I say unto you that all old covenants have I caused to be done away in this thing. And this is a new and an everlasting covenant, even that which was from the beginning. Wherefore, although a man should be baptized an hundred times, it availeth him nothing. For you cannot enter in at the straight gate by the law of Moses, neither by your dead works.
For it is because of your dead works that I have caused this last covenant and this church to be built up unto me, even as in days of old. Wherefore, enter ye at the gate, as I have commanded, and seek not to counsel your children. now in this section the lord clearly states that not only is baptism required to enter heaven but baptism by one who holds his authority who holds the proper by one who holds his priesthood. again you guys god's house is a house of order
And so is his authority. Not just anyone can decide to act. in God's name. I can't just go out and say, hey, I'm going to start baptizing people or teaching the gospel in that way or that way and be authorized really to do so. A person has to receive his priesthood. by those already in authority, and by the laying on of hands.
That priesthood that is required to act in God's name and to perform these ordinances is found in the Lord's church. His authority to officiate in ordinances can only be found in His organization. That doesn't mean that he doesn't love or appreciate others' commitments that they make through baptism in other churches and faith. He certainly does, and He honors that and loves that. But in order for their baptism to be valid in eternity, it needs to be performed by one holding His presence.
This is another reason why our membership in the Lord's Church should mean so much. The power of godliness, as the Lord says, is found in the ordinances of the church, meaning that we have great access to his power. to help lift and inspire and direct and change us as we participate in the ordinances of the church that are officiated by his priesthood.
Ordinances that can only be administered through the priesthood again of his church. Ordinances like baptism, the confirming of the Holy Ghost, the confirming of the priesthood, the temple endowment, and other saving ordinances that are performed both for ourselves and for those that are dead. Which is why we do them. Because those things are necessary for every single person to have an experience. And that's why we do it. And that's why we go to the temple and do work for them.
Now, while we may not fully understand, again, all the reasons for everything being done the way that they are in the church, In the end of this section, the Lord directs us to not counsel Him, to not counsel your God, meaning He invites us to learn to trust Him, even when we can't fully understand the reason.
Some people may have back then, as they do today, think like, well, what's the big deal? Baptism is baptism. It doesn't matter really who performs it. I'm still going down in the water and coming up. Well, we don't know all the reasons why the Lord is so particular about these ordinances being performed by the priesthood. Again, we know that his house is a house of order, and it makes sense that he is protective of anyone that does anything in his name.
But in the end, even if we don't fully understand everything, the invitation is to seek not to counsel your God. To trust me that I know what I'm doing. And there are reasons behind all this that you can't fully see or understand why. And the truth is, you guys, that following the Lord and His prophet will always require elements of faith. It has always been that way and will continue to be.
There have been many that have left the church because they felt that they knew better than the prophet or have just simply disagreed with him. In essence, they have sought to counsel their God instead of receiving counsel from it. i'll tell you it sure didn't make sense i'm sure for a lot of individuals to put lamb's blood on a door post in order to be protected
Or to look at a serpent on a pole to be healed. Or to wash seven times in a filthy river to be cleansed of leprosy, as another prophet directed. Or a hundred other things that God's people have been counseled to do by the Lord through his prophet. But for those who have trusted him and have trusted his prophets, they have always been blessed. And you will be too. in referencing how blessed we are to have the priesthood on the earth.
President Russell M. Nielsen taught, consider how your life would be different if priesthood keys had not been restored to the earth.
without priesthood keys you could not be endowed with the power of god without priesthood keys the church could serve only as a significant teaching and humanitarian organization but not much more without priesthood keys none of us would have access to essential ordinances and covenants that bind us to our loved ones eternally and allow us eventually to live he also taught at a later occasion i urgently plead with each one of us to live up to our privileges as bearers of the priesthood
In a coming day, only those men who will have taken their priesthood seriously by diligently seeking to be taught by the Lord Himself will be able to bless, guide, protect, strengthen, and heal others. Only a man who has paid the price for priesthood power will be able to bring miracles to those he loves and keep his marriage and family safe now and throughout eternity. This is something else that I would just like to bear my testimony of.
sections have all gone together. Not only have we learned so many great reasons as to why we need the organization of the church in our lives.
how fortunate we are to be members of it but we are reminded potentially of the two primary reasons why it needed to be organized and why membership should be so valued in it in the organization of the church we have access to god's prophet and my life has been so blessed through I am so grateful to have had the priesthood in my life to be able to hold it and to utilize it to bless my family and others.
and to have been a recipient of it there have been so many priesthood blessings that have brought strength and comfort and peace and healing in my life let alone all the ordinances that i've been able to participate and experience both for myself and for my family, and how through those ordinances I have been able to experience God's power and make those sacred covenants with Him that have helped bind me closer to Him and Him to me.
Now, a few final journal discussion questions for you to consider as it relates to this. Number one, what does the priesthood mean to you? And what does having access to the priesthood as a member of the Lord's Church mean to you? What can you do as a priesthood holder to live more worthily of this gift? And what can you do as a woman in this church to have greater access to God's priesthood power in your own life?
how can we all better access the power of the priesthood in the ordinances of the church and god And how do we sometimes mistakenly presume to counsel the Lord or His servants? And how can we better receive counsel from His hand and from the hand of His prophet and seer? To apply all this, I might just invite you to write down how your life has been blessed through the Lord's priesthood.
and the ordinances of the gospel. And that's it for this week. That's all I got for you. I hope that this has been helpful, you guys, especially as it relates. to maybe looking a little bit differently at your membership in the Lord's Church and recognizing the value that it really is and how fortunate every single one of us is. to be a member of the Lord's Organized Church on the Earth.
As always, please remember that that person is greatest and most blessed and joyful whose life most closely approaches the pattern of the Christ. This has nothing to do with earthly wealth, power, or prestige. The only true test of greatness, of blessedness, joyfulness, It's how close a life can come to being like the Master Jesus Christ. He is the right way, the full truth, and the abundant life. And he invites us all to come follow me.
So, as always, my invitation is to say, let's follow him better this week and become better as we follow him. Until next week, everyone, I'm Josh Downs, and you've been listening to Come Follow Me for Teens.