Lesson 15: The Holy Priesthood

I know for some people that this is a topic that can cause some questions and feelings of frustration.  The activities I describe here won't address those portions of this topic for a variety of reasons, but I do think that it is worthwhile as teachers of this lesson we are sensitive to these feelings and do not minimize them in any way.  Even if we don't feel the same way, that does not make those feelings any less real or important.  We should honor the people who hold such concerns and not dismiss them out of hand.  Doing so will ultimately, I believe, work against what we are to do as members of the Church-- help all of Father's children return to live with him forever. 
Having said that, I think this lesson provides a vast variety of ways to discuss the priesthood.  In fact, I have chosen to include two potential activities for this lesson.  I could have easily created more.  As always, the utility of the activities will be driven by what the Spirit leads you to focus on in your lesson.  I hope that as far as these activities fit with what the Spirit tells you to do that you will find them useful.

Activity 1:

1. Draw a line down the board dividing it into 2 columns.
2. Label the first column "Priesthood Authority"; leave the second column untitled for now. 
3. As a class, list things that can be done with priesthood authority.
4. Read section 4, paragraph 12 ("Many men seem to think . . .")
5. Now, label the second column "Priesthood Power."
6. As a class, create a list of things that can be done by someone with priesthood power.
7. Discuss the difference between the items in the two lists.
8. Discuss how to gain/keep Priesthood Power (reference D&C 121:41-42 and other quotes from the manual).

Activity 2:

1. As a class read the last paragraph of the introduction ("President Hinckley frequently testified . . .")
2. In his quote at the end of that paragraph, President Hinckley lists four categories of things that can be done with the priesthood (bless, heal, govern, bind).
3. Write those four words across the top of the board
4. As a class, create a list of things that can be done with the priesthood under each heading
5. Now read the last two sentences of the second paragraph in section 2 ("Without the priesthood there might be . . .").
6. Pose and discuss the following question:  How do the things in the lists give the church "substance"?

Using the Activities:

I like these activities because they both seem to push us to consider the priesthood in deeper ways.  There are obviously a lot of details about the priesthood that we could use to fill several class periods, but I don't know that is the kind of knowledge we need to get into the Celestial Kingdom.  Even if we don't know that the Bishop is the president of the Priests Quorum in the ward, we can still get into heaven.  However, if we don't know and exercise faith in the priesthood as a means of blessing the lives of members, it may be more difficult and we may be led away more easily.  So, both of these activities hopefully lead us to consider how we can take advantage of the priesthood more faithfully in our own lives whether it is by using the priesthood or simply by honoring it more.  The emphasis of both of these activities, I hope, is to cause us to examine our lives and be led to areas where we can treat the priesthood with greater reverence and with a stronger testimony of its power.