But You Don't Hold Our Priesthood

The ridiculous notion that the only person who can receive revelation for you, or about you, must be one of your own direct leaders is absurd.  It is a false doctrine that has been taken out of context in many instances.  Even a child reading the scriptures can see that God calls whom He calls. 

How many times has God called a prophet who was not in the Church’s, or group’s, direct line of authority?  Just a light reading of the scriptures will reveal many such instances.  For example: Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Lehi, Abinadi, Samuel the Lamanite, Jonah, John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul (who was Saul of Tarsus), Joseph Smith Jr., and many more. 

Perhaps I should give a little bit of background to this post. 

I went to visit a friend, and one of his wives (let’s call her Martha) was very distant, and seemed to be concerned about something.  I didn’t know what the problem was, but believed that my friend would know/find out what the problem was, and take exceptional care of his wife. 

Early the next morning, I dreamed a dream.  I was taken to Martha’s pre-mortal going away party.  It was beautiful.  All of her family and friends were there to share in her joy at being set apart to come to this mortality.  Everyone was so thrilled; the energy there was so intense.  Then came the time, and Martha was called forward.  She, filled with joy and a little bit of nervousness, happily stepped forward.  In the middle of her family and friends there was an old patriarch, who stood by a chair.  Martha very excitedly sat in the chair.  Then the whole multitude went very quiet and reverent.  Their love for Martha was overflowing.  I could feel their good intentions for their beloved sister.  The old patriarch laid his hands on Martha’s head and began to pronounce upon her a patriarchal blessing.  It was the blessing of Martha’s life, of all the things that she would have the privilege of going through, of experiencing in her mortal life.  It was so weird to me, the concept of blessing someone with trials, but it was happening.  And the love that emanated from this old man gave tremendous confidence that this was truly the will of God.  Then when the blessing was over, Martha stood up and the congregation erupted in love and congratulations, such as what I would have never known, had I not seen it for myself. 

I am not going to write all the things that the patriarch said, but I will say that among those things that he blessed her with was that she would be blessed to go through a very messy divorce.  After I had awoke, this concept struck me intensely; How could a person be blessed to go through a terrible ordeal?  But it was true.  That is the word that the old patriarch used, “bless”.   

It was early in the morning and I couldn’t hear anyone moving around in the house yet, so I just lay there praying, asking the Lord, ‘what do I do with this information?’  I prayed for an hour or so, asking the Lord for further light and knowledge and to purify myself to do His work. 

Later at breakfast, Martha was up serving, moving around the kitchen, but was still so distant.  Then it happened.  As she walked by me she started telling me about her past.  She revealed that she had been married before and had lived through a very messy divorce.  And now she was in intense inner turmoil.  When she married her first husband, she had a very strong testimony, and she loved him truly.  And when the marriage fell apart she tried to hold it together and would not give up.  She knew that she was supposed to marry this man.  But the man had his agency, and made the choice to forfeit his marriage. 

The divorce was horrible, but eventually there was hope. Heavenly Father had already been preparing a man for Martha to marry.  Now, Martha was married to her second husband, in what seemed to be a storybook marriage.  But everything was not alright in Martha’s heart.  She was tormented with the idea that she might be doing wrong, because she had a testimony that she was supposed to marry her first husband, but now that covenant was broken.  How could God make such a mistake?  Is she doing wrong by marrying the second man?  Should she have tried harder to make her first marriage work? 

I sat at the breakfast table listening to Martha pour her heart out.  And then I understood why the Lord showed me a part of her pre-mortal life, and her patriarchal blessing.  The Spirit of the Lord came upon me and I told Martha about her blessing.  I told her how much her Heavenly Father loved her.  How she had not done wrong, but did the right thing in trying to make her first marriage work.  How the Lord had prepared this second husband for her.  Tears filled her eyes, and I could see the pain lift from her heart. 

But the joy was not to last long.  Martha lives in a sect that is ruled by priestcraft, and she began to realize that the things I was telling her were being revealed to her by someone other than her husband.  And fear soon filled her heart again.  She began to doubt that the things that I told her were of God, even though the Holy Spirit bore witness.  You see, in that sect, they are taught that if anything comes through anyone other than their husbands, or their priesthood hierarchy, that it is of the devil.  And I was bombarded with questions like, ‘why you?’  Why would the Lord reveal anything to you?  Why would Heavenly Father show you my pre-existence, and not show my husband?  Etc. 

It wasn’t long before my friend was informed of the happenings of that day, and he ended our friendship.  Not just him only, but I was informed of the leadership of that sect that I was no longer welcome. 

So that brings us to this post.  I hope that maybe this experience can help someone, and that I can speak out against such priestcraft.  Especially the incorrect idea that the Lord has to answer to any set of men, claiming that He has to go through them to talk to His own children. 

So, maybe a better question would be, “why is my priesthood head not receiving this information?”  

Maybe that’s because your “priesthood” head is not following the true gospel of Christ, maybe it is because your “priesthood” head has not qualified himself.  Or maybe it is because the Lord loves you and wanted to give you the information from a person who couldn’t possibly have known about the situation, and that way you could know that it was from God. 

Martha, I believe that you just needed the revelation, and the Lord revealed it to whomever was receptive to His Spirit.  I think the Lord works with the people that are available and willing.  He is no respecter of persons, so He does not work by man’s hierarchy of authority, holding what they perceive to be a greater priesthood.  But He works by those who are acting upon correct principles, those who have qualified themselves, those who are magnifying their priesthood/duties, those who are keeping their covenants. 

Trust the Lord.  Remember the Holy Spirit bore witness.  You felt that love and peace that can only be given by God.  Trust Him and all will work out alright!