Reflections on "Rookie Smarts"

As part of doing Personal Progress for church, I re-read the book Rookie Smarts for the Knowledge project.  I just wrote this reflection on the book.

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For this project, I chose to re-read the book "Rookie Smarts" by Liz Wiseman. The subtitle of the book is "why learning beats knowing in the new game of work" and focuses on why being a "rookie" can often be an advantage in terms of doing our best work and feeling most energized and fulfilled. In the context of this theme within Personal Progress, I feel this is significant since, rather than devaluing knowledge that we've already gained, the book emphasizes the need to always be learning new things/knowledge and not being afraid of venturing in new areas, jobs/callings, etc that we lack experience with. I think this is an important message to keep in mind as I progress both in my career and my service within the church.

The book starts off poising two questions that serve as the foundation for the rest of the book

1 When is *not* knowing more valuable than knowing?
2 Why are you often at your best when you are new to an undertaking, doing something for the first time?

Subquestions then include things like

1 When does experience become a burden?
2 Why are we so often at our best when we are newcomers, when logic tells us we might be underskilled, underqualified, clueless, and potentially dangerous?
3 And, why do some people thrive in these conditions while others disengage or operate disastrously?

Some interesting context-setting quotes are

"While experience provides a distinct advantage in a stable field - like the realms of bridge building, ballet, or concert piano performance - it can actually impede progress in an unstable or rapidly evolving arena. When the world is changing quickly, experience can become a curse, trapping us in old ways of doing and knowing, while inexperience can be a blessing, freeing us to improvise and adapt quickly to changing circumstances. In the new world of work, where knowledge is fleeting and innovation cycles spin so quickly that many professionals never face the same problem twice, rookies are often top performers, drawing on the power of learning rather than falling back on their accumulated knowledge."

"When there is too much to know, the only viable strategy is to know where and how to find information you need when you need it ... when there is too much to know, having the right question may be more important than having the right answer."

"The critical skill of this century is not what you hold in your head, but your ability to tap into and access what other people know. The best leaders and the fastest learners know how to harness collective intelligence."

"This book is about living and working perpetually on a learning curve."

"Too many of us are living in the past tense - talking about what we learned, experienced, did - when what we really need to do is start living in the present tense or even the future tense - talking about what we're learning and what we're planning and where we're heading - as if the adventure is still on. If you are at the top of your game, it might be time to position yourself at the bottom of a learning curve."

"Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible. -Doug Larson"


Specific Rookie modes are

1 Backpacker - little to weigh them down and with the freedom to venture out and explore new possibilities bring openness to their work
2 Hunter-Gatherer - marshal a network of experts rather than relying on own expertise
3 Firewalker - take small, calculated steps, move fast, and seek feedback to stay on track
4 Pioneer - improvise and work tirelessly to provide for basic needs keep things simple and focus on meeting core needs 


One of the most challenges aspects of being a veteran is that you feel you have a reputation and ego to defend - so you are more afraid of failing and more protective of the status quo. We're also more prone to giving advice than taking it and ignore information that may challenge what we feel we already know and how things already works.

We can replenish our rookie smarts by having an insatiable curiosity, a humility that makes you a lifelong student, and a playful but intentional approach to achieving your goals. Key to be a perpetual rookie - "The real skill of the perpetual rookie is knowing when to play the role of the veteran and when to don the rookie cloak. In times of tumult and transition, the best leaders know when it is time to stop, unlearn, and relearn ... the highest-performing rookies were most often in executive roles. These were smart, seasoned executives who had made internal or external career moves and were now leading in a new domain ... in which they had no experience. They brought the best of both worlds a veteran's wisdom of experience, leadership skills, and organizational savvy and a rookie's tendency to ask naive questions, learn quickly, build new networks, and unlock new possibilities."

Reflections on "Essentialism"

As part of doing Personal Progress for church, I re-read the book Essentialism for the Choice & Accountability project.  I just wrote this reflection on the book.

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For this project, I re-read the book "Essentialism" by Greg McKeown. This book is incredibly relevant for the choice and accountability theme as it focuses on us making conscious decisions in our lives regarding where we're going to devote our times and energies and where we're won't. Too often, we buy into the false notion that we can do it all or that we don't need to make trade-offs in our lives. McKeown instead advocates for the notion that we can do anything but not everything in life and that we should do "less but better". "The way of the Essentialist means living by design, not by default. Instead of making choices reactively, the Essentialist deliberately distinguishes the vital few from the trivial many, eliminates the nonessentials , and then removes obstacles so the essential things have clear, smooth passage. In other words, Essentialism is a disciplined, systematic approach for determining where our highest point of contribution lies, then making execution of those things almost effortless." 

McKeown reminds "if you don't prioritize your life, someone else will." This is "not just getting rid of the obvious time wasters, but cutting out some really good opportunities as well." It's the "tough trade-off between lots of good things and a few really great things." McKeown points to people's highest point of contribution being at the intersection of three key questions

1 What do I feel deeply inspired by?
2 What am I particularly talented at?
3 What meets a significant need in the world?

In a gospel context, we know that agency led to a war in heaven and that it's important for us to act instead of being acted upon. In his book, McKeown points to our "invincible power of choosing to choose" as he says "for too long, we have overemphasized the external aspects of choices our options and underemphasized our internal ability to choose our actions. This is more than semantics. Think about it this way. Options things can be taken away, while our core ability to choose free will cannot be ... The ability to choose cannot be taken away or even given away - it can only be forgotten."

McKeown speaks of the importance to distinguish the "trivial many" from the "vital few" and points out that "the overwhelming reality is we live in world where almost everything is worthless and a very few things are exceptionally valuable."

Speaking of trade-offs, he says "we can try to avoid the reality of trade-offs but we can't escape them ... the reality is, saying yes to any opportunity by definition requires saying no to several others ... it is easy to see why it's so tempting to deny the reality of trade-offs. After all, by definition, a trade-off involves two things we want ... a Nonessentialist approaches every trade-off by asking, 'How can I do both?' Essentialists ask the tougher but ultimately more liberating question, 'Which problem do I want?' ... Instead of asking, 'What do I have to give up?' they ask, 'What do I want to go big on?'"

As part of making decision / trade-offs, he suggests making space to really think and reflect, being clear on the question at hand that you're trying to answer, using play to spark exploration, get enough sleep, and using extreme criteria "If it isn't a clear yes, then it's a clear no".

Essential intent is essential (pun intended). "An essential intent is both inspirational and concrete, both meaningful and measurable. Done right, an essential intent is one decision that settles one thousand later decisions. It's like deciding your going to become a doctor instead of a lawyer. One strategic choice eliminates a universe of other options and maps a course for the next five, ten, or even twenty years of your life. Once the big decision is made, all subsequent decisions come into better focus."

Saying no ins't always easy and emotion can get in the way. Emotions and social pressure "distract us from the reality of the fact that either we can say no and regret it for a few minutes, or we can say yes and regret it for delays, weeks, months, or even years. The only way out of this trap is to learn to say no firmly, resolutely, and yet gracefully. Because once we do, we find, not only that our fears of disappointing or angering others were exaggerated, but that people actually respect us *more*. Since becoming an Essentialist, I have found it almost universally true that people respect and admire those with the courage and conviction to say no ... we need to learn the slow 'yes' and the quick 'no'." 

McKeown points out that if you don't set boundaries, there won't be any. "When people make their problem our problem, we aren't helping them we're enabling. Once we take their problem from them, all we're doing is taking away their ability to solve it."

To succeed, we can plan well, remove obstacles, have small win, create routines, focus on the hardest thing first, and focus on what's important now.

Reflections on "The Happiness Curve"

As part of doing Personal Progress for church, I read the book The Happiness Curve for the Divine Nature project.  I just wrote this reflection on the book.

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One aspect of divine nature that I explored is how our personal happiness changes over time and how that how that serves God's plans and purposes for us and enables us to become whom He would want us to be. In particular, we go through a transition in life whereby we shift from focusing more on ourselves of our needs and ambitions which is competitive by nature towards focusing more on the collective good connection and compassion which is collaborative by nature. We stop worrying about how we compare to others or what we've achieved compared to others and more about whether we're making a contribution in the world. But that change can be challenging and uncomfortable - particularly during our 40s which is right where I am - and results in a trough in our "happiness curve". Some people worry that our happiness will only continue to decline as we get older but research slows in general the opposite to be true and we start becoming happier as we reach 50 and beyond. In the meantime, we can find ourselves feeling dissatisfied with life for no real objective reason and then feeling dissatisfied about feeling dissatisfied which can be very frustrating. We might be tempted to make dramatic changes in our lives what sometimes people characterize as a "mid-life crisis" but is typically not really a "crisis" in the real sense of that word it's more of a "midlife malaise". Sometimes making dramatic changes like changing jobs/careers, moving, etc may make sense but sometimes it can just lead us off-track and not really address the real underlying issue which, to a certain degree, time and an associated change in viewpoint/outlook will naturally address. We get to a point where we expect less and appreciate more.

To truly achieve my divine nature, I need to compare myself less to other people and focus instead on what God wants me to become and living my life well. I also need to remember that this is a phase of life that will pass and get better which hopefully will give me hope and optimism. The only way *out* is *through*. I also need to remember that sometimes it's hard to "guide the elephant" - the elephant is the mind's many automatic, involuntary processes the rider is the mind's controlled, voluntary processes "the elephant's mission is to make us successful in producing offspring in doing the things that will lead to the successful completion of the mission of life on earth. The elephant is especially concerned that you get prestige. The elephant was created by evolution to complete the mission. And happiness is not the goal of the mission ... the trick is to depend less on trying to talk the elephant into being satisfied ... and instead to give it an environment where the things it wants and the things the rider wants are in closer alignment.".

One other thing that I can remember and appreciate is that I've achieved a lot already. "It does seem that by the time people are in their forties, many people have achieved a lot of what they've hoped to achieve so there's this grand question of Now what? Is this it? ... We do not feel ready to give up the competitive drive of youth, and we have yet to reap the rewards of the communitarian values of older age." On the "appreciate" side, though, one other thing to remember is that "blessing counting can have self-defeating side effects by reminding us of the privileged nature of our objective circumstances, it can make our subjective lack of gratitude seem all the more like a moral failing or emotional ailment ... gratitude is harder in the trough of the U, so cut yourself some slack ... midlife crisis begins sometime in your forties when you look at your life and think 'is this all?' And it ends about ten years later, when you look at your life again and think, 'actually, this is pretty good'."

Things to look forward to and try to achieve now living in the present, taking each day as it comes, savoring the positive, dwelling less on the negative, accepting, not overreacting, setting realistic goals, prioritizing the really important people and relationships in life. Also recognizing that "I can't save the world, I can save my little corner of it." There's also a lot of talk near the end of the book on the power and benefits of wisdom - which my patriarchal blessing speaks to me having/gaining.

Reflections on "God's Many Voices"

As part of doing Personal Progress for church, I read the book God's Many Voices for the Faith project.  I just wrote this reflection on the book.

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For my project, I chose to read "God's Many Voices" by Liz Ditty a woman I used to work with at Tellme. In her book, Liz shares many ideas regarding how we can learn to listen God's messages to us through lots of different methods and mediums that we may not normally consider and that we can become expectant to hear his voice knowing that God loves and cares about us. In the forward to the book, John Ortberg says "the central promise of the Bible is not 'I will forgive you' the best promise in the Bible is 'I will be with you'."

I especially liked statements like:

"Are you looking for God, or are you looking for answers?"
"It's possible to seek God's voice but not seek God."
"We have to move only toward Him and His love, not toward His wisdom or blessing or direction."
"This story that we find ourselves in now is not our quest to find God, but His quest to be found by us."
"We don't listen to God's voice so we can know the answers we listen so we can know *Him*."
"The promises I made for Lent were made *to* Christ, but they weren't made *for* Him."
"Jesus said, 'If you love me, you will keep my commandments John 1415 ESV. Do you see how love comes first? Obedience isn't our gateway to love it's our response to God's love."
"Asking the Holy Spirit to help us enter a conversation with God, we have to desire most of all His company, not what feelings He can give us or what answers He might have to our pressing questions. After all, silence can be the sound of two people who are happy simply being together."
"It is less important to us to *know* God's will than it is for us to *want* God's will."
"God's will is more often about who we are than what we do."
"God calls us to relationship before He calls us to action."
"Instead of praying, 'God, make it better', I need to pray, 'God, make it count'."
"One way we learn the dependability of God is by trusting Him to give us exactly what we need for today."
"It's not difficult to live the Christian life alone. It's impossible."
"He wants us to live our whole lives with Him, in a constant awareness of His presence and love."
"Each of our dark emotions is on a thread that connects us to something deeper we may not be aware of jealousy reveals desire, fear reveals insecurity, anger reveals pain."
"My faith doesn't have to be enough. Your goodness is always enough. Thank you."
"True worship is being willing to be interrupted."
"Seasons remind us to *expect change*, and God whispers, 'Your right now is not your forever."
"May we create more than just an image *of* God's glory. May we create *as* God's image and *to* His glory."
"Worship isn't just complimenting God it's wanting God. It's acknowledging that His ways and His understanding are greater than our own - not just saying so but by aligning the details and decisions of our lives with that truth. It's investing in our relationship with God and His way of life."
"My life, simply lived loving God, is my foundational act of worship."
"But God doesn't want us to give Him our desires and cringe at the thought of what He might give us in return. He wants to *be* our desire. He also wants us to be the kind of people who want and who love good things, who deeply love Him ... 'Your will not mine' has always been a statement of trust and hope, of believing in God's good plan rather than dreading it. God wants us to desire His will because we believe He is good, His gifts are good, and His plans are good."
"God has searched my desires many times now. He is teaching me to want good things, like working with Him and not just serving Him."

There is a good exercise/example on pages 54-55 of the book in terms of taking a single scripture and really understanding all of its implications - in this case, "I sought the Lord, and he answered me he delivered me from all my fears." Aside in NYC on a business trip, I experienced for myself her couch example on page 37. Later pg 63, she says "I entered into the story as best I could".

Also liked "the idea of internal furniture" with regard to how we might have a personality clash with certain people. "We all have a sort of arrangement of furniture in our minds. We've arranged it so it feels like our own comfortable home. We have reasons for the size, shape, and order of things, reasons that are all very personal. When we interact with people, it can be like letting them into our living room. Sometimes it's nice to visit with them there, but some people come in and kick their feet up where we don't want them to, or leave their muddy boots on, or actually pick up a chair and move it to the other side of the room and say, 'That's better.' As the host we have to choose how we respond." Later, it says "God gently speaks to us about our character when we are annoyed, offended, hurt, or angry with each other. Every time someone kicks our furniture, we have an invitation to make our lives a home for Christ instead of a museum for ourselves."

Watkins Charm School

Here is a helpful handout regarding how to start a conversation anywhere, anytime.  Shared with me in May 2014.

10 Fundamental Truths We Forget Too Easily

Shared by a friend on September 22, 2015

..From Dr. Travis Bradberry is the award-winning co-author of the #1 bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0

It’s surprising how easy it is to lose sight of the important things in life. Busy schedules and weekly routines have a tendency to put the brain on autopilot.

Some of life’s essential truths need repeating. Keep this list handy and give it a read any time you need a boost.

1. BEING BUSY DOES NOT EQUAL BEING PRODUCTIVE

Look at everyone around you. They all seem so busy—running from meeting to meeting and firing off emails. Yet how many of them are really producing, really succeeding at a high level?

Success doesn’t come from movement and activity. It comes from focus—from ensuring that your time is used efficiently and productively.

You get the same number of hours in the day as everyone else. Use yours wisely. After all, you’re the product of your output, not your effort. Make certain your efforts are dedicated to tasks that get results.

2. GREAT SUCCESS IS OFTEN PRECEDED BY FAILURE

You will never experience true success until you learn to embrace failure. Your mistakes pave the way for you to succeed by revealing when you’re on the wrong path.

The biggest breakthroughs typically come when you’re feeling the most frustrated and the most stuck. It’s this frustration that forces you to think differently, to look outside the box and see the solution that you’ve been missing.

Success takes patience and the ability to maintain a good attitude even while suffering for what you believe in.

3. FEAR IS THE #1 SOURCE OF REGRET

When it’s all said and done, you will lament the chances you didn’t take far more than you will your failures. Don’t be afraid to take risks.

I often hear people say, “What’s the worst thing that can happen to you? Will it kill you?” Yet, death isn’t the worst thing that can happen to you.

The worst thing that can happen to you is allowing yourself to die inside while you’re still alive.

4. YOUR SELF-WORTH MUST COME FROM WITHIN

When your sense of pleasure and satisfaction are derived from comparing yourself to others, you are no longer the master of your own destiny. When you feel good about something that you’ve done, don’t allow anyone’s opinions or accomplishments to take that away from you.

While it’s impossible to turn off your reactions to what others think of you, you don’t have to compare yourself to others, and you can always take people’s opinions with a grain of salt. That way, no matter what other people are thinking or doing, your self-worth comes from within. Regardless of what people think of you at any particular moment, one thing is certain—you’re never as good or bad as they say you are.

5. YOU'RE ONLY AS GOOD AS THOSE YOU ASSOCIATE WITH

You should strive to surround yourself with people who inspire you, people who make you want to be better. And you probably do. But what about the people who drag you down? Why do you allow them to be a part of your life?

Anyone who makes you feel worthless, anxious, or uninspired is wasting your time and, quite possibly, making you more like them. Life is too short to associate with people like this. Cut them loose.

6. LIFE IS SHORT

None of us are guaranteed a tomorrow. Yet, when someone dies unexpectedly it causes us to take stock of our own life: what’s really important, how we spend our time, and how we treat other people.

Loss is a raw, visceral reminder of the frailty of life. It shouldn’t be.

Remind yourself every morning when you wake up that each day is a gift and you’re bound to make the most of the blessing you’ve been given. The moment you start acting like life is a blessing is the moment it will start acting like one.

After all, a great day begins with a great mindset.

7. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR AN APOLOGY TO FORGIVE

Life goes a lot smoother once you let go of grudges and forgive even those who never said they were sorry. Grudges let negative events from your past ruin today’s happiness. Hate and anger are emotional parasites that destroy your joy in life.

The negative emotions that come with holding on to a grudge create a stress response in your body, and holding on to stress can have devastating health consequences. Researchers at Emory University have shown that holding on to stress contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease.

When you forgive someone, it doesn’t condone their actions; it simply frees you from being their eternal victim.

8. YOU'RE LIVING THE LIFE YOU'VE CREATED

You are not a victim of circumstance. No one can force you to make decisions and take actions that run contrary to your values and aspirations.

The circumstances you’re living in today are your own—you created them. Likewise, your future is entirely up to you. If you’re feeling stuck, it’s probably because you’re afraid to take the risks necessary to achieve your goals and live your dreams.

When it’s time to take action, remember that it’s always better to be at the bottom of the ladder you want to climb than at the top of one you don’t.

9. LIVE IN THE MOMENT

You can’t reach your full potential until you learn to live your life in the present.

No amount of guilt can change the past, and no amount of anxiety can change the future. It’s impossible to be happy if you’re constantly somewhere else, unable to fully embrace the reality (good or bad) of this very moment.

To help yourself live in the moment, you must do two things:

1) Accept your past. If you don’t make peace with your past, it will never leave you and, in doing so, it will create your future.

2) Accept the uncertainty of the future. Worry has no place in the here and now. As Mark Twain once said, “Worrying is like paying a debt you don’t owe.”

10. CHANGE IS INEVITABLE - EMBRACE IT

Only when you embrace change can you find the good in it. You need to have an open mind and open arms if you’re going to recognize, and capitalize on, the opportunities that change creates.

You’re bound to fail when you keep doing the same things you always have in the hope that ignoring change will make it go away.

After all, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Life doesn’t stop for anyone. When things are going well, appreciate them and enjoy them, as they are bound to change. If you are always searching for something more, something better, that you think is going to make you happy, you’ll never be present enough to enjoy the great moments before they’re gone.

Youth Sunday School Lesson re: the Priesthood

This is a Sunday School lesson I did for 14-15 year olds back in June 2013.  Posting the notes here for future reference.

Sources

1. “Keys of the Priesthood” BY ELDER RUSSELL M. NELSON of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2005, Ensign
2. Gospel Principles, “The Priesthood”, Chapter 13
3. “Priesthood Keys”, May 2012 - https://www.lds.org/new-era/2012/05/priesthood-keys?lang=eng
4. Gospel Principles, “Priesthood Organization”, Chapter 14
5. Daughters in my Kingdom, “Blessings of the Priesthood for All: An Inseparable Connection with the Priesthood”, Chapter 8, Gordon B. Hinckley

Terms

• Priesthood: The eternal power and authority of God (source #2)
• Power: Ability delegated from God to minister for the salvation of men (source #1); ability to bind in heaven (Matthew 18:18)
• Authority: Rights to use and control that power (D&C 121:36, 41-42, 45) to bless the lives of our Heavenly Father’s children here on Earth; ability to act for the Lord and do His work on the earth (source #4); conferred by the laying on of hands (Articles of Faith 1:5)
• Keys: The right to direct the work of the priesthood (source #1)

Priesthood (source #2)

“The priesthood is the eternal power and authority of God. Through the priesthood He created and governs the heavens and the earth. By this power the universe is kept in perfect order. Through this power He accomplishes His work and glory, which is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).

“Our Heavenly Father delegates His priesthood power to worthy male members of the Church. The priesthood enables them to act in God’s name for the salvation of the human family. Through it they can be authorized to preach the gospel, administer the ordinances of salvation, and govern God’s kingdom on earth.”

Authority (source #1)

“A distinction also exists between priesthood authority and priesthood power. When ordained to an office in the priesthood, one is granted authority. But power comes from exercising that authority in righteousness.  Thus, although priesthood holders have authority, they must prepare themselves to have power. That they do through making themselves personally worthy and through learning and practicing the duties and doctrines of the priesthood.”

“When hands are laid upon one’s head to be ordained or set apart, both the conveyor and the recipient of that priesthood authority bear obligations and accountability. Let me illustrate. Suppose you own keys to something of value in your life—a vehicle, a home, or a fine instrument. If you loan those keys to another with the intent that he or she use your property, you have certain obligations. You as the lender have a duty toward your borrower’s success. So you teach and train adequately to protect the user and, at the same time, safeguard your own valuable property. The receiver also has obligations. He or she must know applicable laws and obey them, take care of your property, and report back on how well he or she has used it.”

Keys (source #1)

“Those keys refer to the right to preside over priesthood authority in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Keys carry the right to preside over a local organization of the Church, such as a stake, a ward or branch, a mission or district, a priesthood quorum, or a temple. Keys are conferred by the laying on of hands by one who holds proper authority and whose authority is known to the Church.

“All the keys of the kingdom of God on earth are held by members of the First Presidency and members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The President of the Church—the senior Apostle—presides over the entire Church and is the only person on earth who exercises all the keys in their fulness.  He delegates authority by conferring or authorizing the conferral of keys upon other bearers of the priesthood in their specific offices and callings.”

“We distinguish between holding the priesthood and holding keys of the priesthood. When an individual is given keys, he does not receive additional priesthood.”

Example of being a doctor:

“To serve well as one who bears the holy priesthood, one needs both preparation and permission. May I relate a personal experience? Prior to my call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, I served as a medical doctor and surgeon. I had earned two doctor’s degrees. I had been certified by two specialty boards. That long preparation had consumed many years, yet the education itself did not allow me to serve the public. Why? Because I needed legal permission. That could be granted only by authorities of the state government and directing boards of hospitals in which I desired to work. Once officials holding proper authority granted me a license and permission, then I could care for patients who needed surgical relief from their ailments. After legal administrators had exercised their keys, then I could render the service for which I had been prepared.”

Keys (source #3)

“Priesthood keys are the right to preside over and direct the Church within a jurisdiction. Keys usually apply to a geographic area, like a ward, stake, or mission. They also usually include authority over specific ordinances and activities (for instance, baptism, the sacrament, missionary work, and temple work).”

“Ordinances such as baptism and the sacrament help us to return to Heavenly Father in the celestial kingdom. Through the keys of the priesthood, the Church administers these ordinances and provides an organization to carry on the work of the Lord in an orderly manner—“Mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion” (D&C 132:8).

“So, for instance, although the Church has many worthy priesthood holders, they need authorization from someone holding keys before performing most ordinances. For example, if Aaronic Priesthood holders hear about a homebound ward member who would like to receive the sacrament at home, they cannot simply go and administer the sacrament to that member because they believe it’s the right thing to do. They must be authorized by the bishop, who holds the keys over the Aaronic Priesthood. And a father who holds the priesthood cannot simply baptize his 8-year-old daughter or ordain his 12-year-old son to the Aaronic Priesthood without first being authorized by the bishop to do so.”

“Having a calling means having responsibilities; holding keys means presiding over and directing the work of the priesthood. For instance, a ward Young Men president works under the direction of the bishop, who holds keys over the ward, but the Young Men president’s responsibilities do not include presiding over the priesthood, so he does not receive keys. The keys to direct the work of the Aaronic Priesthood in the ward belong to the bishop, the teachers quorum president, and the deacons quorum president.”

Two Divisions of Priesthood (source #4)

The priesthood is divided into two parts: the Melchizedek Priesthood and the Aaronic Priesthood (see D&C 107:1). “The first is called the Melchizedek Priesthood … because Melchizedek was such a great high priest.

“Before his day it was called the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God.

“But out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too frequent repetition of his name, they, the church, in ancient days, called that priesthood after Melchizedek, or the Melchizedek Priesthood” (D&C 107:2–4; italics in original).

The lesser priesthood is an appendage to the Melchizedek Priesthood. It is called the Aaronic Priesthood because it was conferred on Aaron and his sons throughout all their generations. Those who hold the Aaronic Priesthood have authority to administer the outward ordinances of the sacrament and baptism. (See D&C 20:46; 107:13–14, 20.)

Those holding the Melchizedek Priesthood have the power and authority to lead the Church and direct the preaching of the gospel in all parts of the world. They administer all the spiritual work of the Church (see D&C 84:19–22; 107:8). They direct the work done in the temples; they preside over wards, branches, stakes, and missions. The Lord’s chosen prophet, the President of the Church, is the presiding high priest over the Melchizedek Priesthood (see D&C 107:65–67).

Aaronic Priesthood

Three names: Aaronic Priesthood, Levitical Priesthood, Preparatory Priesthood

BD Aaronic Priesthood, D&C 107:1

“The terms Aaronic and Levitical are sometimes used synonymously (D&C 107:1, 6, 10), although there are some specific differences in the offices existing within the Levitical Priesthood. For example, the lesser priesthood was conferred only upon men of the tribe of Levi. However, within the tribe, only Aaron and his sons could hold the office of priest. And, still further, from the firstborn of Aaron’s sons (after Aaron) was selected the high priest (or president of the priests). Thus Aaron and his sons after him had greater offices in the Levitical Priesthood than did the other Levites.

“The privileges of the priests were greater than those who functioned in the other Levitical offices, and a distinction between the two is evident when the scripture speaks of them as “the priests and the Levites” (1 Kgs. 8:4; Ezra 2:70; John 1:19). The priests could offer sacrifices for the people, burn incense on the altar, and teach the law, whereas the other Levites were employed in more menial tasks, such as the housekeeping of the tabernacle, keeping oil in the lamps, transporting the Ark of the Covenant, taking down and setting up the tabernacle when moving, and related tasks in assisting the priests (Num. 3:5–10; 18:1–7; 1 Chr. 23:27–32). The account of Korah’s rebellion against Moses and Aaron delineates some of the differences between the duties of the priests and those of the Levites. It also shows the error of aspiring to offices in the priesthood. Levite companions sought for the high priesthood, but as they were unworthy, the Lord destroyed them (Num. 16–18).

“The Aaronic (or Levitical) Priesthood thus functioned only within the tribe of Levi, and the right to have it conferred upon one was determined by lineage and worthiness. As part of his rationale that the law of Moses was fulfilled, Paul makes a point of the contrast between the lineal requirement of the lesser priesthood and the nonlineal Melchizedek Priesthood, which was not confined to those of one tribe (see Heb. 7:1–3, 11–14; JST Heb. 7:3 [Appendix]). The lineal restrictions of that Aaronic (Levitical) Priesthood were lifted when the law of Moses was fulfilled, and thereafter the offices of the priesthood were conferred upon worthy men without limitation to the tribe of Levi. This appears to be the case in the Church as recorded in the New Testament and in the Book of Mormon (where there were no Levites) and is presently operative in the Church as it has been restored in the latter days.”

Women and Priesthood (source #5)

“Heavenly Father’s worthy sons are ordained to priesthood offices and are assigned specific duties and responsibilities. They are authorized to act in His name to look after His children and to help them receive ordinances and make and honor covenants. All Heavenly Father’s sons and daughters are equally blessed as they draw upon the power of the priesthood.

In a general conference address, Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught: “While we sometimes refer to priesthood holders as ‘the priesthood,’ we must never forget that the priesthood is not owned by or embodied in those who hold it. It is held in a sacred trust to be used for the benefit of men, women, and children alike.” Elder Oaks then quoted Elder John A. Widtsoe, who also served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve: “Men have no greater claim than women upon the blessings that issue from the Priesthood and accompany its possession.”

Many Latter-day Saint women have borne witness of the blessings of the priesthood in their lives. Sister Elaine L. Jack, the twelfth Relief Society general president, expressed the feelings of other sisters in Relief Society. “I have a firm testimony of the power of the priesthood in the lives of all Church members,” she said. “In the Doctrine and Covenants we are … told that the Melchizedek Priesthood holds ‘the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church’ (D&C 107:18). I know it is God’s power and authority on earth to bless our lives and help us bridge our earthly experiences to the eternities. When we receive the blessings of the priesthood, we are drawing on the power and grace of God.” Sister Jack continued:

“It is significant to me that the women were organized under the authority of the priesthood. We sustain the priesthood and are sustained by its power. The sisters of the Church … treasure our opportunity to be full partakers of the spiritual blessings of the priesthood.

“Each of us can be directed and blessed in our eternal progression by receiving these blessings. The ordinances, covenants, sealings, and the gift of the Holy Ghost are essential for exaltation. There are a host of individual priesthood blessings as well. Priesthood blessings give us direction; they lift our sights; they encourage and inspire us; they prompt our commitment. We can all be partakers of these spiritual blessings.”4

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Sister Sheri L. Dew, who served as a counselor in the general Relief Society presidency, echoed these teachings: “Sisters, some will try to persuade you that because you are not ordained to the priesthood, you have been shortchanged. They are simply wrong, and they do not understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. The blessings of the priesthood are available to every righteous man and woman. We may all receive the Holy Ghost, obtain personal revelation, and be endowed in the temple, from which we emerge ‘armed’ with power. The power of the priesthood heals, protects, and inoculates all of the righteous against the powers of darkness. Most significantly, the fulness of the priesthood contained in the highest ordinances of the house of the Lord can be received only by a man and woman together.”5