Live Up to Your Privileges
Emily Belle Freeman, Young Women General President
President Freeman teaches the importance of priesthood ordinances and covenant promises in accessing God's power.
Open talk in Gospel LibraryIdeas for Opening the Lesson
- Begin with a personal story or experience where you felt the power of priesthood ordinances in your life. Invite class members to think of similar experiences.
- Share a brief overview of the sacrament and its significance in drawing upon God’s power, encouraging members to reflect on their own sacrament experiences.
- Introduce the lesson by discussing the historical setting of Emma Smith's revelation in Doctrine and Covenants 25, and invite class members to consider what they might learn from Emma's experience.
- Play a short video or audio clip of President Russell M. Nelson speaking about the power of priesthood ordinances and invite initial thoughts from the group.
- Ask the class to ponder the phrase "Live up to your privileges" and discuss what it might mean in the context of priesthood ordinances and covenant promises.
Topics
Access God’s Power through Sacrament
President Freeman shared a personal experience of taking the sacrament in a hospital room, highlighting the power available through this sacred ordinance. She emphasized that it is not just the officiation but the covenant promises that unlock God's power in our lives.
Partaking of the sacrament would increase my companionship with the Spirit of the Lord, allowing me to draw upon the gift of God’s power, including the ministering of angels and the Savior’s enabling strength to overcome.
- How has partaking of the sacrament brought you closer to God’s power in your life?
- What does it mean to focus on the covenant promise of the sacrament?
- In what ways can we better prepare ourselves to partake of the sacrament?
- How can understanding the power of the sacrament change our Sabbath experience?
- What role does the sacrament play in your personal spiritual growth?
Understand the Importance of Priesthood Authority
The talk emphasized that priesthood ordinances must be performed with authority from the Son of God to manifest His power. The delivery system is crucial, as it is through Christ’s authority that the ordinances are performed.
First, in order for an ordinance to manifest the power of God in our lives, it must be done with authority from the Son of God.
- Why is it important for ordinances to be performed with priesthood authority?
- How does understanding priesthood authority affect our participation in ordinances?
- What are some ways we can support those who hold priesthood authority?
- In what ways does priesthood authority impact your daily life?
- How can we teach our children about the importance of priesthood authority?
Keep Covenant Promises to Access God’s Power
President Freeman highlighted that making and keeping covenant promises is essential to accessing God's power. It is through the combination of priesthood ordinances and covenant keeping that we can truly draw upon divine strength.
Do we realize it is the combination of priesthood ordinances along with the keeping of covenant promises that allows us to draw upon God’s power?
- What are some covenant promises you have made, and how have they impacted your life?
- How can we better keep our covenant promises daily?
- What challenges do you face in keeping your covenants, and how do you overcome them?
- How does keeping covenant promises bring God's power into your life?
- What can we learn from Emma Smith about keeping covenant promises?
Learn from Emma Smith’s Revelation
The talk reflected on the revelation given to Emma Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 25, illustrating how it provided guidance, purpose, and a path to access God's power. Emma was reminded of her divine potential and role within God’s plan.
Through revelation, Emma would learn about the inward sanctification and covenant connection that would increase the ability of those priesthood ordinances to work in her life.
- What lessons can we learn from Emma Smith’s experience with revelation?
- How can we apply the teachings of Doctrine and Covenants 25 in our lives?
- What does it mean to have a role in God’s plan, as Emma did?
- How can revelation guide us in understanding our divine potential?
- What steps can we take to receive personal revelation like Emma Smith?
Recognize the Power of Godliness in Ordinances
President Freeman emphasized that through priesthood ordinances, the power of godliness is manifest in our lives. These ordinances, combined with covenant keeping, allow us to receive divine guidance and transformation.
In the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.
- How have you seen the power of godliness manifest in your life through ordinances?
- What does it mean for the power of godliness to be manifest in ordinances?
- How can we better recognize and appreciate the power of godliness in our ordinances?
- What role do ordinances play in your spiritual journey?
- How can we prepare ourselves to receive the power of godliness through ordinances?
Additional Discussion Questions
- What does it mean to 'live up to your privileges' in the context of priesthood ordinances?
- How can we ensure that we are accessing God's power in our daily lives?
- What are some ways we can teach others about the importance of priesthood ordinances and covenants?
- How can we strengthen our faith in the power of priesthood ordinances?
- What role does the temple play in accessing God’s power?
- In what ways can we support each other in keeping our covenant promises?
- How can we help the youth understand their potential as covenant children of God?
- What are some practical steps we can take to deepen our understanding of priesthood ordinances?
- How can we incorporate the teachings of this talk into our family home evenings?
- What is one change you feel inspired to make after studying this talk?
