My Life Without The Priesthood

    It is easy to say that I am grateful for God's priesthood power on earth. But an expression of thanks does not do justice to the complete gratitude I feel for a loving Heavenly Father who gave me the ability to live with his power in my life. The blessings I am given because this power is on earth have forever changed the course of my life; from the beginning of time, to this present day, and will bless me for the rest of my existence in this eternal world.

    Without the priesthood, my life would be dark, lonely and helpless. Without the priesthood I would watch those I love die, never being able to see their faces smiling at me ever again. Without the priesthood, I would walk through life with no knowledge of why I am here, or what my purpose is. Without the priesthood I would never have been dressed in white and held in a circle as a loving father looked down on his little girl and blessed with me strength, love, and virtue as a continual shield throughout my mortal life. Without the priesthood I would never have been led into a font of blue water to be baptized, I would never have heard those words, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" let alone know who my "father" and his "son" were. I would never have had the gift of the Holy Ghost bestowed upon my by worthy men, or be blessed with a guide who would always be with me to tell me what I needed to do, where I needed to go, or who I needed to help. Without the priesthood there would be no temples, no alters, not families forever.

    Without the priesthood I would have this amazing family I would learn to love so much, but who I would never have as mine forever. I'd never have the opportunity to kneel at the altar, hand in hand with someone I love to be sealed forever, to love forever! Without the priesthood, I would make mistake after mistake, never being able to feel whole again. I would get sick, or hurt and never feel hands on my head or hear the words "be made whole." Without the priesthood I would have no feeling of peace knowing someone knew exactly how I felt, because there would be no atonement for me. No Savior. No plan. I would not even have been born without the priesthood. Because without the priesthood power touching my grandmothers hearth when she was 18, she would have become a nun and my mom never would have been born. Without the priesthood my strong, loving daddy would never have made it past infancy because there would be no missionaries in that hospital room on the day he was born to heal him. Without the priesthood I would not exist.

    I've heard the priesthood to be called "God's power on earth" what is earth without heaven? Without God's power being a part of heaven, earth would not be created, we would not be here, everything would be complete nothingness. There would be no existence, no God, no Savior, no plan.

    But there is existence, there is a plan, and I am part of it. So while it is simple to say I am grateful for the priesthood, it will never be enough. Every day, for the rest of my mortal life and forever, I will give thanks for this power. I'll never take it for granted or think that is does not impact me every second of every day. Because it has, it does, and it will.