Mormon Men and the Priesthood
The priesthood is the power to act in God’s name. This is a very sacred responsibility, and one that must never be used lightly or for personal gain. Throughout the Bible, we see the priesthood was only held by men, and never by all men. For instance, in the Old Testament, the Aaronic Priesthood could be held only by men who were of the tribe of Lehi, and the role of priest could only be held by Aaron and his sons. The high priest could only be Aaron’s oldest son. Men were chosen to hold the priesthood both by lineage and by worthiness. Even a blemish or disability could keep a man from receiving the priesthood at that time. The rules periodically changed to suit the Lord’s needs at any given time. (See Hebrews 7.)
Today, the priesthood is held by all worthy males ages twelve and older. Boys and men receive higher levels of the priesthood based on age, worthiness, and position. Each member of the priesthood can perform his own responsibilities and those of the offices below his own. Certain positions within the church require a specific level of priesthood, which is the only reason they are only held by men. However, other positions, including many of very high authority, can be held only by women.
The priesthood is used only to bless others. A man can’t use his priesthood on himself. If, for instance, he becomes ill, he must call on two other priesthood holders to administer the healing ordinance. He can’t do it on himself. In this way, a priesthood holder has greater responsibility, but no additional blessings over those who don’t have it. Every member of the church has equal access to the blessings of the priesthood, including women and children. The priesthood does not involve income of any kind, because the Bible teaches that to earn money through the priesthood is priestcraft. Those who don’t have the priesthood are not being kept from a career. All priesthood positions are voluntary.
The priesthood is also a family function. While the priesthood holder works to bless members of his church, he also uses it to serve his own family. This requires him to maintain a high level of spirituality and obedience to God at all times, since priesthood is not something practiced only at set times of the day. A Mormon man must honor his priesthood around the clock, always setting a good example for his family and working to create the spiritual tone of the home. In many homes, it is the father who, as the priesthood holder and the one who presides (but doesn’t rule) over the home, who calls the family to daily prayer and scripture study.
The husband must use his priesthood authority wisely as he learns to lead his family without ruling them or controlling. He and his wife are equal partners, sharing in the decisions that have to be made to help the family work well. He works with his wife until they’ve come to an agreement, rather than simply announcing things will be done his way. When priesthood holders are interviewed by their leaders, this is one of the topics they are expected to answer to-are they treating their wives with respect and honoring her partnership with him?
How does this work in actual practice? Suppose a husband and wife needed to make two decisions. One involved how to help their children become more responsible about chores and homework. The other involved increasing the family income to cover some new, unavoidable expenses. The husband might, as the presiding officer, set aside a time to talk about these with his wife. First, he would listen to her thoughts, concerns, and ideas, and then he would share his own. Because the first decision involves the daily home life of the children, he feels she should make the final decision, since she is the one overseeing the chores while he is at work. He honors her expertise in her specific area of their family’s operation.
But the second decision is really about him, and she has strong opinions on the subject. He suggests they both prayer, together and then separately, and return to discuss it again. When they return, they continue to work out the options and explore the consequences of each decision. They work on the problem over several days until she decides she is comfortable with what her husband wants to do, even though it isn’t her first choice. He presides, but doesn’t make a final decision until she is comfortable with what is being done. At the end of the process, they’ve each made the final decision concerning their own area of expertise and responsibility, but each is satisfied both with the results and with the loving, respectful way the decision was made.
This is how priesthood works in a home-respectful and loving.
