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How do you explain blessings to non-members

I love the stories from the scriptures when the Savior heals various infirmities in the people around Him.

They touch my heart. I especially love the story in Mark 9 of the father whose son is possessed by a spirit which wreaks havoc on the poor child. The love that our Savior feels for our us and His compassion for our sorrow is something I can’t fully comprehend.

Those who believe in the role of Jesus Christ as the Son of God might only be able to hope for such an experience at the Savior’s hands. As members of His church, we can have those experiences but for those not of our faith, I try first to recognize common ground when they are not familiar with the priesthood power.

When the Savior walked the earth, He went about doing good. He healed anyone who came to Him in faith. He knew how to rearrange the elements to perform miracles. Were only those few people who lived at the same time as He did fortunate enough to feel His power of healing? The answer is no. He loves all Heavenly Father’s children and wants to bless each of us.

Power to Work Miracles

Through the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ starting in the 1800’s, in our day, we have been blessed as a Church with the same power that the Lord employed to work miracles when He walked the earth. That power is called the Holy Priesthood. He bestowed that priesthood upon his twelve disciples in Jerusalem who went about preaching the gospel and blessing the people.

Power to work miracles

In the story of the father whose son was possessed by the spirit, the father had taken the boy to the disciples, but they could not cast it out. He then sought the Lord for help.

The Savior asked the father,How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

If thou canst believe

Believe

And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.

Jesus said unto him, if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” (Mark 9: 21-24)

Even when we don’t have perfect faith, we can still seek the Lord’s help. I might explain that priesthood blessings are special prayers that are given with authority from Heavenly Father to act in His name. Through the Holy Spirit, God leads and inspires a priesthood holder to say and promise what the Lord Himself would say and promise if He could be standing with us.

Believing in priesthood blessings requires faith. In many instances, the Savior asked of the person who needed the blessing if they had faith or believed that He was able to do that thing.

President James E. Faust said, “A priesthood blessing is sacred. It can be a holy and inspired statement of our wants and needs. If we are in tune spiritually, we can receive a confirming witness of the truth of the promised blessings. Priesthood blessings can help us in the small and great decisions of our lives. If, through our priesthood blessings, we could perceive only a small part of the person God intends us to be, we would lose our fear and never doubt again.” 1

While I will not receive the power of the priesthood to bless others, I partake of the blessings of its power by seeking the Lord’s counsel through inspired priesthood leaders. This opportunity is available for any person who has faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and seeks His help and healing.

1 “Priesthood Blessings”, President James E. Faust, October 1995 General Conference


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