The priesthood is the authority to act in God’s name. The same priesthood authority that existed in the original Church established by Jesus Christ exists in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today. The Church is directed and led through this authority.
All male members of the Church who are prepared receive the priesthood in order to help lead the Church and serve Heavenly Father’s children. A man with the priesthood might serve in some of the following ways:
Leading congregations of the Church
Performing the ordinances of the Church, such as baptism
Blessing those who are sick
God expects those who hold this sacred priesthood authority to follow the example of Jesus Christ and serve with love, gentleness, and kindness.
I like to approach questions by looking at the words of things
"priest" has reference to either the concept of one who leads, one who is elder, or one who is holy I like to remember that the words 'holy' and 'whole' are linked by a common ancestry. When something is 'holy' it's essentially saying that it's complete, that it's healthy..
And "-hood" makes reference to the state of being, and not just any state of being but a state of being that's worthy or correct for it's placement. That is, that it's done properly.
So one could say the priesthood is leadership or a point of reference that's completely suited to the position in which it's been placed.
Another way to look at it is to say it's God's perfect order. That is, it's God's perfect arrangement.
In our Church we often give a definition of priesthood as being "the authority to act in God's name" and that's exactly what it means to be a part of God's perfect order. If God commands something to be done by you, and you do it, then you are acting under, and with that portion of God's authority that he's permitted you to exercise within his perfect order.
Just as with any instance where someone tries to act in the name of someone else there are bound to be those who try and do so falsely. That's why God has things ordered in such a way that one can know for certain if someone has His God's authority, or not.
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Official Church Answer
The priesthood is the authority to act in God’s name. The same priesthood authority that existed in the original Church established by Jesus Christ exists in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today. The Church is directed and led through this authority.
All male members of the Church who are prepared receive the priesthood in order to help lead the Church and serve Heavenly Father’s children. A man with the priesthood might serve in some of the following ways:
■Leading congregations of the Church
■Performing the ordinances of the Church, such as baptism
■Blessing those who are sick
God expects those who hold this sacred priesthood authority to follow the example of Jesus Christ and serve with love, gentleness, and kindness.
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The priesthood of God has been a blessing to me in my life.
I have personally witnessed miracles that can only be explained by the power of the priesthood of God exercised upon individuals who were ill or otherwise afflicted. As a physician I am unable to explain the way that this works; however my knowledge of the priesthood allows me to understand more fully the witnessed healings.
God continues to bless his children through the priesthood. He has not abandoned us here on earth to walk in darkness without the ability to assist one another. Jesus Christ is the greatest physician. He healed the sick, brought sight to the blind, restored many to the previous normal state and raised the dead. All of this was performed by the priesthood power of God.
I know without a doubt that the authority or the priesthood is on the earth today as I am an eyewitness to its' restorative power.
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The priesthood is the authority to act in God's name. The priesthood is service. The following scripture tells how the priesthood ought to be used
" . . . the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness....No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile. . . " (Doctrine and Covenants 121:36,41-42).
I know that the priesthood of God has been restored on the earth today.
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The priesthood is the authority to act in God's name here on the earth. Many times as a member of the church or some one looking in to the church you may hear "the power of the priesthood". While we believe that there is power in the Priesthood it is necessary to have the authority of the priesthood bestwoed to you by one already having that authority. The power in the priesthood comes from living a life consistant with the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ and maintaining worthiness through consistant choices.
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The priesthood is God's power on Earth, and the Authority to act in his name. I have the blessing and responsability of holding this priesthood and use it regularly in my life.
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The priesthood is the authority to act in the name of God. This priesthood is the same priesthood held by the ancient prophets such as Adam, Moses, Noah, Elijah and Isaiah. The priesthood was removed from the earth during the Great Apostasy after the apostles of Christ were killed. The priesthood was restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith and is held today by the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and given to all worthy male members of the Church.
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Priesthood is the name that we call the power of God. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ use their power, their priesthood, to create worlds, heal the sick, perform miracles, etc. Heavenly Father allows faithful men to receive and use the priesthood, His power, to serve His children here on earth. When Heavenly Father gives a man His priesthood He is also giving that man permission, or authority, to represent Him. It is through the power and authority of the priesthood that we teach the gospel, perform baptisms, give blessings, conduct church meetings, etc. In fact, every thing we do in the church is under the authority of the priesthood. Without that authority we are not authorized to represent Him.
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The Priesthood is the power and authority that God gives to man to bless his children. It includes a call to serve others. In Matthew 10 in the Bible we read about when the Savior gave that authority to the Twelve Apostles so they could preach the gospel, serve individuals, and heal the sick. Those same things happen today because the Priesthood was restored to the earth. I know the Priesthood is real. I have experienced special blessings and miracles in my own life as a direct result.
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The Priesthood is the power and authority, given to a man by God, to act in God's name. One of the many things that the Priesthood gives us authority to do, is to baptize. When I was sixteen I was able to baptize my youngest brother when he was 8 years old. It was an amazing experience to be able to help my younger brother progress in the church. The most memorable part of my brother's baptism was the strong spirit that I felt throughout the whole experience.
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