"Spritual Treasures" talk (breakdown and questions)

[Alexander]

This post is based on President Nelsons November General Conference talk called "Spiritual Treasures". I will be including some commentary or summaries and questions with some of what he says. I'll start a little bit into the talk and I might skip and leave out a few paragraphs, but only because I am sharing the paragraphs where I had coments and questions on. You can read the whole talk here https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/stu ... n?lang=eng

Every woman and every man who makes covenants with God and keeps those covenants, and who participates worthily in priesthood ordinances, has direct access to the power of God. Those who are endowed in the house of the Lord receive a gift of God’s priesthood power by virtue of their covenant, along with a gift of knowledge to know how to draw upon that power.

The heavens are just as open to women who are endowed with God’s power flowing from their priesthood covenants as they are to men who bear the priesthood. I pray that truth will register upon each of your hearts because I believe it will change your life. Sisters, you have the right to draw liberally upon the Savior’s power to help your family and others you love.

Now, you might be saying to yourself, “This sounds wonderful, but how do I do it? How do I draw the Savior’s power into my life?”

You won’t find this process spelled out in any manual. The Holy Ghost will be your personal tutor as you seek to understand what the Lord would have you know and do. This process is neither quick nor easy, but it is spiritually invigorating. What could possibly be more exciting than to labor with the Spirit to understand God’s power—priesthood power?

So Nelson is specifically speaking to the women here, but he says every person can have direct access to God's power if they go through the temple and are worthy. Those who receive their endowment receive power from that covenant, and can access that power.

Questions:
-If everyone who is goes through the temple endowmnet has direct access to God's power, does this mean those who don't go through the temple endowment won't have direct access?
- If we are endowed in the temple, he says we receive a gift of God's preisthood power. He makes it clear that this power is not held by women, but it can they can draw upon it from God. Does this mean the same for men? Do they hold the endowment power?
-What is this power? Is it authority to administer ordinances in the temple? Can this power only be exercized in the temple?

Now a little word of warning. There are those who would undermine your ability to call upon the power of God. There are some who would have you doubt yourself and minimize your stellar spiritual capacity as a righteous woman.

Most certainly, the adversary does not want you to understand the covenant you made at baptism or the profound endowment of knowledge and power you have received or will receive in the temple—the house of the Lord. And Satan certainly does not want you to understand that every time you worthily serve and worship in the temple, you leave armed with God’s power and with His angels having “charge over” you.3

- He mentions that there will be people who will say you (the women) don't have as much power or capacity as others. Are the remarks of the current leadership undermining women's ability to call upon the power of God? Why is it that women in the early church could lay hands upon others and give blessings of healing, but this isn't a possibility now? Would this not be making the women doubt themselves? Isn't that the goal of the adversary?
-He says those who worthily serve and worship in the temple will be armed with power and angels will have charge over you. Does this mean women (or men or children also) cannot be armed with God's power and have angel visitations if we don't go to the temple? What does worthily serve and worship in the temple mean?

Satan and his minions will constantly contrive roadblocks to prevent you from understanding the spiritual gifts with which you have been and can be blessed. Unfortunately, some roadblocks may be the result of another’s misbehavior. It grieves me to think that any of you have felt marginalized or have not been believed by a priesthood leader or have been abused or betrayed by a husband, father, or a supposed friend. I feel deep sorrow that any of you have felt sidelined, disrespected, or misjudged. Such offenses have no place in the kingdom of God.

- He says roadblocks are of the devil, and prevent you from exercising spiritual gifts. He said these roadblocks could even be other people's fault. He says it is sad when male leaders don't believe in the women, and that offence has no place in god's kingdom. Are we not being limited by our leaders in the gifts of the spirit now?

Now, may I clarify several additional points with respect to women and priesthood. When you are set apart to serve in a calling under the direction of one who holds priesthood keys—such as your bishop or stake president—you are given priesthood authority to function in that calling.

Similarly, in the holy temple you are authorized to perform and officiate in priesthood ordinances every time you attend. Your temple endowment prepares you to do so.

If you are endowed but not currently married to a man who bears the priesthood and someone says to you, “I’m sorry you don’t have the priesthood in your home,” please understand that that statement is incorrect. You may not have a priesthood bearer in your home, but you have received and made sacred covenants with God in His temple. From those covenants flows an endowment of His priesthood power upon you. And remember, if your husband should die, you would preside in your home.

-He says women only have authority (god's authority to act in his name and use his power) if higher men bestow it upon her. He also says it is used in the temple. Again, is this endowment power only used in the temple? Is it only for women to use in the temple, but men can use it outside of the temple? If women aren't preisthood "bearers", yet the preisthood is still in their home, can they use this endowment authority outside of the temple?

My dear sisters, your power will increase as you serve others. Your prayers, fasting, time in the scriptures, service in the temple, and family history work will open the heavens to you.

I entreat you to study prayerfully all the truths you can find about priesthood power. You might begin with Doctrine and Covenants sections 84 and 107. Those sections will lead you to other passages. The scriptures and teachings by modern prophets, seers, and revelators are filled with these truths. As your understanding increases and as you exercise faith in the Lord and His priesthood power, your ability to draw upon this spiritual treasure that the Lord has made available will increase.

-President says it is only through fasting, scripture study, temple service, and family history that women opens the heavens. Is this only for one sex? Does this mean women can't open the heavens unless they do these things? Is he saying a woman cannot rend the veil, and witness andgels and enter into Christ's presence (even in this life) if they haven't gone through the temple?
-President says to rely on men and the temple for priesthood

Now, in closing, I would like to leave a blessing upon you, that you may understand the priesthood power with which you have been endowed and that you will augment that power by exercising your faith in the Lord and in His power.

-He says women will understand the priesthood power from the endowment, and they will add to it by exercising faith in God, but only after they do the things mentioned above. According to him, women must go to the temple, pray, fast, scripture study, temple service, and family history to understand the priesthood; and then after all that, one can exercise faith an receive more power. Does this mean we don't exercise faith first? Or that we exercise it the whole way?

[cab]

This post is based on President Nelsons November General Conference talk called "Spiritual Treasures". I will be including some commentary or summaries and questions with some of what he says. I'll start a little bit into the talk and I might skip and leave out a few paragraphs, but only because I am sharing the paragraphs where I had coments and questions on. You can read the whole talk here https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/stu ... n?lang=eng

Every woman and every man who makes covenants with God and keeps those covenants, and who participates worthily in priesthood ordinances, has direct access to the power of God. Those who are endowed in the house of the Lord receive a gift of God’s priesthood power by virtue of their covenant, along with a gift of knowledge to know how to draw upon that power.

The heavens are just as open to women who are endowed with God’s power flowing from their priesthood covenants as they are to men who bear the priesthood. I pray that truth will register upon each of your hearts because I believe it will change your life. Sisters, you have the right to draw liberally upon the Savior’s power to help your family and others you love.

Now, you might be saying to yourself, “This sounds wonderful, but how do I do it? How do I draw the Savior’s power into my life?”

You won’t find this process spelled out in any manual. The Holy Ghost will be your personal tutor as you seek to understand what the Lord would have you know and do. This process is neither quick nor easy, but it is spiritually invigorating. What could possibly be more exciting than to labor with the Spirit to understand God’s power—priesthood power?

So Nelson is specifically speaking to the women here, but he says every person can have direct access to God's power if they go through the temple and are worthy. Those who receive their endowment receive power from that covenant, and can access that power.

Questions:
-If everyone who is goes through the temple endowmnet has direct access to God's power, does this mean those who don't go through the temple endowment won't have direct access?
- If we are endowed in the temple, he says we receive a gift of God's preisthood power. He makes it clear that this power is not held by women, but it can they can draw upon it from God. Does this mean the same for men? Do they hold the endowment power?
-What is this power? Is it authority to administer ordinances in the temple? Can this power only be exercized in the temple?

Now a little word of warning. There are those who would undermine your ability to call upon the power of God. There are some who would have you doubt yourself and minimize your stellar spiritual capacity as a righteous woman.

Most certainly, the adversary does not want you to understand the covenant you made at baptism or the profound endowment of knowledge and power you have received or will receive in the temple—the house of the Lord. And Satan certainly does not want you to understand that every time you worthily serve and worship in the temple, you leave armed with God’s power and with His angels having “charge over” you.3

- He mentions that there will be people who will say you (the women) don't have as much power or capacity as others. Are the remarks of the current leadership undermining women's ability to call upon the power of God? Why is it that women in the early church could lay hands upon others and give blessings of healing, but this isn't a possibility now? Would this not be making the women doubt themselves? Isn't that the goal of the adversary?
-He says those who worthily serve and worship in the temple will be armed with power and angels will have charge over you. Does this mean women (or men or children also) cannot be armed with God's power and have angel visitations if we don't go to the temple? What does worthily serve and worship in the temple mean?

Satan and his minions will constantly contrive roadblocks to prevent you from understanding the spiritual gifts with which you have been and can be blessed. Unfortunately, some roadblocks may be the result of another’s misbehavior. It grieves me to think that any of you have felt marginalized or have not been believed by a priesthood leader or have been abused or betrayed by a husband, father, or a supposed friend. I feel deep sorrow that any of you have felt sidelined, disrespected, or misjudged. Such offenses have no place in the kingdom of God.

- He says roadblocks are of the devil, and prevent you from exercising spiritual gifts. He said these roadblocks could even be other people's fault. He says it is sad when male leaders don't believe in the women, and that offence has no place in god's kingdom. Are we not being limited by our leaders in the gifts of the spirit now?

Now, may I clarify several additional points with respect to women and priesthood. When you are set apart to serve in a calling under the direction of one who holds priesthood keys—such as your bishop or stake president—you are given priesthood authority to function in that calling.

Similarly, in the holy temple you are authorized to perform and officiate in priesthood ordinances every time you attend. Your temple endowment prepares you to do so.

If you are endowed but not currently married to a man who bears the priesthood and someone says to you, “I’m sorry you don’t have the priesthood in your home,” please understand that that statement is incorrect. You may not have a priesthood bearer in your home, but you have received and made sacred covenants with God in His temple. From those covenants flows an endowment of His priesthood power upon you. And remember, if your husband should die, you would preside in your home.

-He says women only have authority (god's authority to act in his name and use his power) if higher men bestow it upon her. He also says it is used in the temple. Again, is this endowment power only used in the temple? Is it only for women to use in the temple, but men can use it outside of the temple? If women aren't preisthood "bearers", yet the preisthood is still in their home, can they use this endowment authority outside of the temple?

My dear sisters, your power will increase as you serve others. Your prayers, fasting, time in the scriptures, service in the temple, and family history work will open the heavens to you.

I entreat you to study prayerfully all the truths you can find about priesthood power. You might begin with Doctrine and Covenants sections 84 and 107. Those sections will lead you to other passages. The scriptures and teachings by modern prophets, seers, and revelators are filled with these truths. As your understanding increases and as you exercise faith in the Lord and His priesthood power, your ability to draw upon this spiritual treasure that the Lord has made available will increase.

-President says it is only through fasting, scripture study, temple service, and family history that women opens the heavens. Is this only for one sex? Does this mean women can't open the heavens unless they do these things? Is he saying a woman cannot rend the veil, and witness andgels and enter into Christ's presence (even in this life) if they haven't gone through the temple?
-President says to rely on men and the temple for priesthood

Now, in closing, I would like to leave a blessing upon you, that you may understand the priesthood power with which you have been endowed and that you will augment that power by exercising your faith in the Lord and in His power.

-He says women will understand the priesthood power from the endowment, and they will add to it by exercising faith in God, but only after they do the things mentioned above. According to him, women must go to the temple, pray, fast, scripture study, temple service, and family history to understand the priesthood; and then after all that, one can exercise faith an receive more power. Does this mean we don't exercise faith first? Or that we exercise it the whole way?

Great questions, which I cannot and will not attempt to answer... But I did have Jacob chapter 4 come to mind as you were sharing what I find to be rather confusing and complicated principles being taught by President Nelson... I wonder if this could this be likened unto our day?

14 But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble.

[Mindfields]

Church - Temple attendance and your "exaltation" costs only 10% of your income. (If you want the highest reward please use gross income)

Jesus - Salvation is FREE.

This talk is just more gas-lighting by the leaders of the church by making it seem that it's always been this way. In the future this talk will be used as a reference to prove it's always been this way.

Edit - Added to

[ChooseTruth]

To understand this topic is simple if one makes a distinction between priesthood power and authority/keys. PH power is available to everyone through faith in Christ and the way one lives their life - both in and out of the church.

PH authority has to do with the right to administer ordinances and the gospel within certain callings. It’s an entirely different topic to determine how that works (line of authority vs directly from Christ).

[Believing Joseph]

Church - Temple attendance and your "exaltation" costs only 10% of your income. (If you want the highest reward please use gross income)

Jesus - Salvation is FREE.

Also from Jesus:

Matthew 13:45-46
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

You may or may not believe that the leaders of the LDS church have authority from God, but if they do, there is nothing wrong with them asking for 10% of your income.