It’s a lot easier to authorize someone to do something than it is to empower them. Authority gives us permission to do something. Power enables us to do it well.
According to Moroni, the disciples of Christ in the Book of Mormon, who were also known as “the elders of the church” ordained priests and teachers “according to the gifts and callings of God unto men; and they ordained them by the power of the Holy Ghost, which was in them” (Moroni 3:1, 4; see also Doctrine and Covenants 20:60).
When God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in 1820, the Savior emphasized the importance of power in doing His work. He described the church leaders in Joseph’s community as “having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof” (Joseph Smith—History 1:19; see also 2 Timothy 3:5).
When Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received the priesthood under the hands of John the Baptist in 1829, they described the experience in terms of power, not just authority. “Immediately on our coming up out of the water after we had been baptized, we experienced great and glorious blessings from our Heavenly Father,” Joseph reported.
No sooner had I baptized Oliver Cowdery, than the Holy Ghost fell upon him, and he stood up and prophesied many things which should shortly come to pass. And again, so soon as I had been baptized by him, I also had the spirit of prophecy, when, standing up, I prophesied concerning the rise of this Church, and many other things connected with the Church, and this generation of the children of men. We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation.
Joseph Smith—History 1:73; see also the final paragraph of the footnote, written by Oliver
In 2016, President Russell M. Nelson gave the following warning:
I fear that there are too many men who have been given the authority of the priesthood but who lack priesthood power. …
I fear that there are too many priesthood bearers who have done little or nothing to develop their ability to access the powers of heaven. …
I fear … that some among us may one day wake up and realize what power in the priesthood really is and face the deep regret that they spent far more time seeking power over others or power at work than learning to exercise fully the power of God. …
In a coming day, only those men who have taken their priesthood seriously, by diligently seeking to be taught by the Lord Himself, will be able to bless, guide, protect, strengthen, and heal others.
“The Price of Priesthood Power,” General Conference, April 2016
Lest we misinterpret this teaching to apply only to male church members, President Nelson issued a nearly identical invitation to women three and a half years later:
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?
“Spiritual Treasures,” General Conference, October 2019
Today, I will seek to receive priesthood power. I will remember that God’s power is more important than any form of worldly power and that His priesthood not only authorizes us but also empowers us to bless other people.
Thank you