From Descent to Ascent
“God never bestows upon his people, or upon an individual,
superior blessings without a severe trial to prove them”
(Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe (1954), 338).
Here’s the rest of Cheryl’s story:
When I asked my son to give me a blessing, I received revelation on what he should say and do. (1) He needed to fast first, (2) He needed not to “bless”, but “command” my body to sleep and (3) He needed to understand that this was a life-and-death situation and that it required tremendous importance. The result: He later said he could feel the power of God rushing through his body, and was subsequently exhausted. For me, the blessing worked; I could sleep. Not a lot, but a little bit.
But that was only the beginning of my ascent.
At roughly the same time as my son’s commanded blessing, I met a faithful priesthood holder -- a mutual friend of a full-time missionary who once served in our area. Like the Savior, He took time to listen to me, thoroughly understand my condition and the degree of faith I had in the Savior. You can tell he has a deep, long-term relationship with Christ. He’s a tremendously humble man who wants zero acclimation.
After several days of contemplating, I asked him for a priesthood blessing for my pain and insomnia. It was kind of intimidating because I knew this was a priesthood holder with incredible faith and a close relationship with God. He accepted my request.
In the blessing he gave me, I once again heard that word: “Command” -- but this time, it wasn't at my suggestion. He addressed my body -- every organ, ever nerve, every artery, every vein, every fiber, every cell, every cellular nucleus and every atom in my body. Then, the commanded them to work as they were originally created to function. By inspiration, he commanded them to alleviate my pain and to allow me once again to sleep. He commanded my body to once again enjoy healthy sleep patterns. He commanded my body to heal itself. Then he sealed the blessing upon me in the name of Jesus Christ.
It’s now been a month since that blessing. And after 14 years of chronic (every day) pain, the worst my pain has hit has been 8 instead of 10. I’m usually a 4, which is pretty functional for me. For several days after I got that blessing, I was a zero on the pain scale -- something I hadn't felt for over a decade.
As for the insomnia? Well, I’m happy to report that it’s gone. As in, I have been healed. A few weeks ago, I took a nap -- something that’s been a foreign, distant concept to me for years. I now fall asleep in the late evenings, and awake in the early mornings, just like most people do. 6-8 hours of sleep? Yep. Trouble going to sleep? Not anymore. Nightmares? Yep, they’re gone too. Naps? Love them!
But the story doesn't end there.
I later received another blessing. It told me why I was blessed with pain in mortality, when it would be alleviated and by whom. I now have context, and context for me means a great deal. I was also given blessings which are the direct inverse of touching the depths of hell. Within the last month, God has pronounced me with blessings which are far and beyond anything I could have imagined qualifying for. He told me that because I had never turned my back on Him when I was in the depths of hell, He would not turn His back on me in the heights of heaven. He then pronounced the profound, eternal, weighty blessings I had been granted...because I had faith in and loved Him even in the depths of hell and near death.
I am so unworthy of these blessings. I suppose no one ever is. But I’m also profoundly, profoundly grateful to Jesus Christ -- for His sensitivity, for His motivation, for His deep and thorough knowledge of me.
I’m just an ordinary housewife with ordinary challenges, just like you. Yet my story is extraordinary because of my best friend, my Lord and my God. I hope someday I can have the opportunity to look into your eyes, and to testify to you personally my indisputable knowledge -- knowledge! -- that Jesus Christ lives and loves us far more than we realize, and that I will cherish and adore Him forevermore.”
“But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell;
I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally
“The difference between a prayer and a priesthood blessing”
President Boyd K. Packer taught,
“Priesthood is the authority and the power which God has granted to men on earth to act for Him. When priesthood authority is exercised properly, priesthood bearers do what He would do if He were present.” (“The Power of the Priesthood”, April 2010 General Conference; emphasis mine)
Elder Packer spoke those words in April, 2010. A few paragraphs further in his Conference talk, he stated,
“We have done very well at distributing the authority of the priesthood. We have priesthood authority planted nearly everywhere. We have quorums of elders and high priests worldwide. But distributing the authority of the priesthood has raced, I think, ahead of distributing the power of the priesthood. The priesthood does not have the strength that it should have and will not have until the power of the priesthood is firmly fixed in the families as it should be.” (emphasis mine)Here we are, a little over eight years later, and Pres. Russell M. Nelson stated,
“Not long ago, I attended a sacrament meeting in which a new baby was to be given a name and a father’s blessing. The young father held his precious infant in his arms, gave her a name, and then offered a beautiful prayer. But he did not give that child a blessing. That sweet baby girl got a name but no blessing! That dear elder did not know the difference between a prayer and a priesthood blessing. With his priesthood authority and power, he could have blessed his infant, but he did not. I thought, “What a missed opportunity!”
Let me cite some other examples. We know of brethren who set sisters apart as Primary, Young Women, or Relief Society leaders and teachers but fail to bless them—to bless them with the power to fulfill their callings. They give only admonitions and instructions. We see a worthy father who fails to give his wife and his children priesthood blessings when that is exactly what they need. Priesthood power has been restored to this earth, and yet far too many brothers and sisters go through terrible trials in life without ever receiving a true priesthood blessing. What a tragedy! That’s a tragedy that we can eliminate.” (“Ministering with the Power and Authority of God”, April 2018 General Conference; emphasis mine).I couldn't agree more with Pres. Nelson. All too often, I hear blessings which sound more like what he said -- “admonitions and instructions” as if someone were laying hands on someone’s head and citing paragraphs from the General Handbook of Instructions. Yes, Pres. Nelson, such “blessings” need to be eliminated from the habits of every priesthood holder on the earth.
Then there are those blessings which sound a lot like prayers. They include the phrases like “Your Heavenly Father wants you to know” and “If it is God’s will”.
I don’t think God refers to Himself in the third person. I can’t think of a single instance where a member of deity referred to themself in the third person. Can you? If you’re receiving a blessing where God is being referred to in the third person, then from whom is that blessing really from?
If we’re wondering what God’s will is in a blessing, then where’s the assertiveness we’ll be reading about here in a minute?
The fact is, prayers and blessings are as different as peanut butter and jelly:
- Prayers are either a personal dialogue between an individual and Heavenly Father, or a beseeching, a request, on behalf of a group of people.
- Blessings are neither dialogues nor requests, they are special favors and gifts bestowed by God (Genesis 1:22) or individual (Genesis 24:60; 27:28-29; 2 Nephi 4:5-7,9,11).
Blessings with REAL Power
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
So, if “priesthood bearers do what He would do if He were present”, What Would Jesus Do if He were invited to give a priesthood blessing? How much wishy-washiness would there be? Do you think He’d be saying “If the Father wills it” or “God loves you” (as if its a unique thing you already didn't know)?
I don’t think so. He -- and His true disciples -- would give inspired, personalized pronouncements which are tremendously confident, bold, decisive, assured, forthright, firm, emphatic, authoritative, determined and, most of all, commanding:
“The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” (Deuteronomy 28:8)
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” (Psalm 133:1,3)Example 1
When Jesus saw the dead son of a widow, what did he do?
“Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.“Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.” isn't a prayer. It’s a command.
And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.” (Luke 7:12-15; emphasis mine)
Example 2
Peter’s blessings were pure commands. Here, read of this faith and assertiveness:
“And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.“Æneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed” isn’t a prayer. It’s a command.
And there he found a certain man named Æneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
And Peter said unto him, Æneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.
And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.” (Acts 9:32-35; emphasis mine)
Example 3
In other instances, we read that a prayer is offered first, then the blessing is pronounced -- thus highlighting the differentiation between a prayer and a blessing. For example, we read of Peter praying, then commanding a woman who had died:
“But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.“Tabitha, arise” isn’t a prayer. It’s a command.
And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.” (Acts 9:40-41; emphasis mine)
Example 4
Here’s how Lazarus’ raising took place:
“Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.“Lazarus, come forth” isn’t a prayer. It’s a command.
And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.” (John 1:41-45; emphasis mine)
I could cite many more examples of how Christ blessed people. In some cases, He prayed first. In others, He didn’t. Yet in all of them, when He gave blessings, they weren’t iffy or indecisive, uncertain or unsure.
They were commanded.
Moving Forward...And Upward
We have been told that “When priesthood authority is exercised properly, priesthood bearers do what He would do if He were present.”. We have also seen church leaders lament the lack of this power, both in 2010 and 2018.
What about you?
If this “tragedy” is to be “eliminated”, then who does it realistically start with?
If you have priesthood (“the authority and the power which God has granted to men on earth to act for Him”), do your blessings reflect “what He [Jesus] would do if He were present”?
Even before Jesus and Peter gave these blessings, they walked while connected with Father (“The music is all around us. All you have to do is listen”). When the time came to give the blessing, they already had direct word from the Father, and BOOM! Father’s words were spoken, and God’s grace instantly poured down like rain, washing people’s eyes to see His majesty.
Thus, we see two very important aspects with commanded blessings:
- You can't give blessings from God if you don't know His voice in the first place. If you want some ideas on how to do that, click here. It’s the first in a series of posts I wrote over four years about how to walk and talk with God. Then, if you really want to learn more about the voices which influence us, please go here to review Posts by Topic. On the left-hand side, click “Voices”. The top of the page will then list all the blog posts written about voices. Have fun!
- If you ever experience one of these wonderful moments when Father clearly commands you to do something, don’t flinch. Be ready to do what He says. Otherwise, you’ll miss a rare and incredible opportunity to cooperate with God and see a wonderful miracle.
How satisfied are you with generic, “cardboard-tasting” blessings? I certainly am not.
So, why not run a play from Cheryl’s playbook? Don’t settle for second best. Approach the throne of Grace with boldness. Ask God -- beg and plead with Him, weary Him with your importunings -- that a priesthood holder with true priesthood power will come and work a miracle in your life.
"God is not a respecter of persons, we all have the same privilege. Come to God weary him until he blesses you &c we are entitled to the same blessings" ([recorded in Willard Richards Pocket Companion, 78-79] cited in The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph, comp. Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook [1980], p. 15).I think it’s natural for us to believe that we're somehow unworthy to give or receive a commanded blessing. To be frank, none of us are worthy. But my experience is that despite our insecurities and imperfections, God still longs to bless us so we know for a surety how much He really does love us.
Look at it this way: If a 19 year-old pre-mission Elder can successfully give a commanded blessing, and the fruits are readily apparent for all to see, then any Melchizedek Priesthood holder who is keeping the commandments and able to heed God's commands should be able to give one too. And it seems like Pres. Nelson would love to see more of these, too, don't you think?
Perhaps a commanded blessing will calm the storms in your life. Or maybe the storms will be left to rage, and Jesus will comfort you, His child. After all, He’s the author of our hope, isn’t He?
So approach Father’s throne with reverence, but also boldness.
Invite Him to move the mountains in your life, or someone else’s. To show you hope, when there seemingly is none. To show you that He truly is what He says He is: A God of miracles.
Ask Him if He has one more miracle left in His pocket, then invite Him to show the world what He’s done in you.
Because THAT’S what faith can do.
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