Ordinances and MLC
November 25, 2024
This week I’ve been pondering on many different aspects pertaining to the gospel. I thought that it may be beneficial to share some of my insights here—I’m also doing this to hopefully spice up my email and make it less of: we did this, this and this, and more of this is how I felt and the things I learned this week.
So let’s begin with insights I’ve gained on the gospel this week. You’ll see a common theme here:
Priesthood ordinances The ordinance of the sacrament The ordinance of blessings
We had an MLC with the special guest, Elder Peter M. Johnson of the Area Presidency visiting and participating in the council (he was the general authority that visited the Stake Conference we had in Nanaimo this month). He shared that questions are preliminary to receive revelation. That particularly stood out to me and has been the conduit in which I’ve received insights on the gospel on these three particular aspects that I’d like to highlight.
Priesthood Ordinances
The first of these topics is upon priesthood ordinances. This week I have learned that priesthood ordinances are a physical representation of a spiritual reality. I can partake of the sacrament each week, but if I don’t align myself with God and act in faith to be obedient to His commandments, that ordinances will have no effect. Same with any other covenant I make. Whether or whether not it is done with proper priesthood authority, the end result has no effect. This is where we observe the disconnect where in this physical representation I may be outwardly showing something that is not in alignment with the spiritual reality. And that spiritual reality is that I am not aligned with God. In conclusion, the administration of the ordinance itself is not what makes the difference, the difference is made as I submit myself to God spiritually. Not to say that the administration of the ordinance isn’t important, because it definitely is, but that’s not what makes the difference. A common criticism that you see from those outside of the church is that there’s this contradiction between being saved by grace and being saved by ordinances. Once the true nature of the ordinance is understood, I’ve begun to understand that ordinances are only an outward manifestation of spiritual commitment. That spiritual commitment is what qualifies one for conditional salvation from sin.
“There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” (D&C 130:20-21)
The Ordinance of the Sacrament
President David O. McKay taught, “no more sacred ordinance is administered in the Church of Christ than the administration of the sacrament.” This quote in addition to President Johnson’s observance of the sacrament being the only ordinance that we cannot do via proxy has encouraged me to study and ponder on this ordinance more. The process of reinforcing covenants cannot be done for others because the process of doing so is so individual and so personal. I’ve also been doing some research in regards to the history of the sacrament in the church and how it has evolved over time. There’s a great BYU Study paper on this titled, “The Lord’s Supper in Early Mormonism” that I recommend reading when getting into this topic.
The Ordinance of Blessings
The question of the difference between a prayer and a blessing came to my mind and has been effective in bringing inspiration and new insights this week. I came to understand that a blessing is an ordinance, a prayer is not. This encourages more questions which then encourages more inspiration. Why is a blessing an ordinance? Well typically ordinances reinforce or engage in a covenant. So what would be the covenant that we are engaging in with a blessing? Repentance is a covenant, when we are baptized we are engaging in the process of repentance; repentance occurs when we align our will with God’s. When one asks for a priesthood blessing, they are outwardly showing to others and God that they need God’s help and are willing to submit to the authority and power of the priesthood. Once this is done, they are repenting. This blessing serves as the sure witness of God’s will for that individual. That person can then receive a remission of sins from that ordinance.
“Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” (James 5:14-15)’
MLC Featuring Elder Johnson
This MLC meeting was very memorable, it’s not often that we have a general authority come to it. (This is the first time for me, technically President Bragg did one for the mission tour but that was with the District Leaders).
Mission Presidents go through a process that takes longer than any leadership assignment in the church to identify and call those individuals to the assignment.
He highlighted “four” activities that missionaries should never go without.
- Personal Study
- Companionship Study
- Weekly & Daily Planning
- Partaking of the sacrament