Dedicating Homes & The Priesthood

[CV75]

The priesthood has more authority, but faith can have just as much power, so often the results are indistinguishable.

Sealing something by power of the priesthood is authoritative and to some extent the heavens are "bound to honor" the sealing.  With faith there is no authority forcing a result, but faith in and of itself is a power and can cause a result.

Priesthood is authority and faith is not, and faith is the power behind priesthood, but the results of either must be ratified by the Holy Spirit of promise in order to be sealed on earth and in heaven. Such ratification requires both faith and authority.

 

There is also a principle where blessings cannot be withheld due to faith (“I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” – D&C 82:10; “…so great was his faith in God, that …because of the promise …obtained by faith, the Lord could not withhold anything from his sight…” – Ether 12:20-21). Of course the Lord’s priesthood authority is at work whether such blessing is realized here and/or in heaven, and the promise to the faithful is revealed only through the keys, which He exercises Himself or through His servants.

 

So I think that, whether blessing an earthly home or the sick (and whether in conjunction with priesthood authority or by faith alone), the realization of the blessing is dependent on faith and the Lord’s will. In looking at the extension of these blessings into heaven, an immortal abode is granted through priesthood keys irrespective of faith (everyone is resurrected and gets a kingdom), but the glory of that home is defined by faith (according to that which he is willing to receive).

[JLHPROF]

Priesthood is authority and faith is not, and faith is the power behind priesthood, but the results of either must be ratified by the Holy Spirit of promise in order to be sealed on earth and in heaven. Such ratification requires both faith and authority.

 

There is also a principle where blessings cannot be withheld due to faith (“I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” – D&C 82:10; “…so great was his faith in God, that …because of the promise …obtained by faith, the Lord could not withhold anything from his sight…” – Ether 12:20-21). Of course the Lord’s priesthood authority is at work whether such blessing is realized here and/or in heaven, and the promise to the faithful is revealed only through the keys, which He exercises Himself or through His servants.

 

So I think that, whether blessing an earthly home or the sick (and whether in conjunction with priesthood authority or by faith alone), the realization of the blessing is dependent on faith and the Lord’s will. In looking at the extension of these blessings into heaven, an immortal abode is granted through priesthood keys irrespective of faith (everyone is resurrected and gets a kingdom), but the glory of that home is defined by faith (according to that which he is willing to receive).

 

I agree with all this, but then how do you define the necessity of priesthood if all blessings can be equally achieved through faith.  I explain it by saying priesthood implements the law/blessing by recognized authority and faith implements the law/blessing by virtue of its own strength. 

For example a healing can occur because it was authoritatively commanded and the elements obeyed, or a healing can occur because the faith that the elements would obey was strong enough to move them to action.  Both are valid.

 

Some other blessings/laws require (at some point) the authoritative.  Our faith alone doesn't seal an eternal family.  We have to receive the authoritative sealing by priesthood authority (as Joseph Smith said, nothing will save us but a legal administrator).

[JLHPROF]

Well said, and true.

I still don't see much difference in the end result, though. For the home to be truly dedicated to the Lord the people living in it must dedicate themselves and the way they live to the Lord, otherwise they were just asking the Lord to help them do it, or telling the Lord with the authority of the priesthood that they would be doing it, but without actually doing it.

 

The difference is between our faith producing a result or our authority obligating a result.  It's repentance vs. baptism.  It's baptism of fire vs. Calling and Election.  It's consecration vs. United Order (if such things were still practiced).

Sometimes both are necessary, sometimes one will suffice.

[cinepro]

Would there ever be an instance where a priesthood blessing could have healed someone where a non-priesthood prayer would not bring about the same healing?

 

As I've said before, there are only three kinds of sick people in the world:

 

1. Those who are going to get better anyway, with or without a blessing.

2. Those who aren't going to get better anyway, with or without a blessing.

3. Those who will only get better with the help of a blessing.

 

Only people in group 3 need (or will actually benefit from) a blessing.  Groups 1 and 2 might get some comfort or other secondary effects, but that's about it. 

 

The problem is we have no way of knowing which group a sick person is in before the fact, so we just have to give the blessing and hope they're in group 1 or 3.

[Brian 2.0]

As I've said before, there are only three kinds of sick people in the world:

 

1. Those who are going to get better anyway, with or without a blessing.

2. Those who aren't going to get better anyway, with or without a blessing.

3. Those who will only get better with the help of a blessing.

 

Only people in group 3 need (or will actually benefit from) a blessing.  Groups 1 and 2 might get some comfort or other secondary effects, but that's about it. 

 

The problem is we have no way of knowing which group a sick person is in before the fact, so we just have to give the blessing and hope they're in group 1 or 3.

 

I get that.  

 

So do you think there are people in Group 3 that will only get better with the help of a priesthood blessing, and no matter how much honest faith and prayer are exerted, they will not get better unless there is a Priesthood blessing performed?  

[CV75]

I agree with all this, but then how do you define the necessity of priesthood if all blessings can be equally achieved through faith.  I explain it by saying priesthood implements the law/blessing by recognized authority and faith implements the law/blessing by virtue of its own strength. 

For example a healing can occur because it was authoritatively commanded and the elements obeyed, or a healing can occur because the faith that the elements would obey was strong enough to move them to action.  Both are valid.

 

Some other blessings/laws require (at some point) the authoritative.  Our faith alone doesn't seal an eternal family.  We have to receive the authoritative sealing by priesthood authority (as Joseph Smith said, nothing will save us but a legal administrator).

Of course not all blessings can be achieved through faith alone (sounds familiar!). But a blessing on a home and a prayer for the sick (per the OP’s questions) can be validly performed without the priesthood. The Church has an order for certain performances that can be valid only with proper priesthood authority and when done in proper order and with proper delegation.

 

That priesthood authority ends when faith is sufficiently compromised, even if the priesthood remains “conferred up on us” (D&C 121), even though faith in the priesthood will validate the performance for the believing saint. For example, unworthy priesthood holders’ baptisms are valid for the faithful convert and on the records of the Church (on earth and heaven), assuming everything else is done in proper order.

 

I see the necessity of priesthood blessings on at least two levels: one is where the priesthood holder is obligated to provide them as circumstances allow; a second is that the Church has defined which performances require the use of the priesthood.

 

When it comes to all Gospel blessings, the priesthood and faith must operate together for their fullness to be realized. This goes far beyond dedicating homes and blessing the sick. True faith will lead one to all the blessings of the priesthood (including conferral as the Lord calls), but priesthood does not inherently generate faith merely by virtue of its conferral. That is a condition for being chosen of the Lord.