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"He Ain't One Bit Better"

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Imagine the Prophet were to come to your ward. What would you do? Would you arrive early to church? Would you dress your very best? Would you make sure you and your family were reverent, attentive, and smiling? Would you be respectful and full of admiration if you got to talk to him? You probably would do all these things. And why? Because he is the Prophet of God, of course. But why wouldn't you do these things any Sunday for any priesthood holder?

President Boyd K. Packer shared this story in General Conference of October 2007 (I recommend reading the entire address):
When I was a young man, I was a home teacher to a very old sister. She taught me from her life experience.

When she was a little girl, President Brigham Young came to Brigham City, a great event in the town named after him. To honor him, the Primary children, all dressed in white, were lined up along the road coming into town, each with a basket of flowers to spread before the carriage of the President of the Church.

Something displeased her. Instead of throwing her blossoms, she kicked a rock in front of the carriage, saying, “He ain’t one bit better than my Grandpa Lovelund.” That was overheard, and she was severely scolded.

I am very sure that President Brigham Young would be the first to agree with little Janie Steed. He would not consider himself to be worth more than Grandpa Lovelund or any other worthy member of the Church.
All worthy priesthood holders should be treated as if they were high-ranking Church leaders. They should be respected, listened to, and loved. When we are faced with priesthood holders who do not fulfill their duties, John Bytheway, in his book Behind Every Good Man, advises that the positivity and admiration we give them will encourage them to reach higher and meet, if not exceed, their priesthood expectations.

Furthermore, just because a man is not a General Authority does not mean he isn't righteous. The Church needs strong men to lead wards, to be role models for the young men, to be diligent home teachers and missionaries. What matters is not a man's calling but the fact that he holds the priesthood.

Challenge: Show respect to all men who hold God's priesthood power.
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Comments

Anonymous said…
I agree that we should treat all priesthood holders with respect. I understand that this can be difficult when a priesthood holder is not doing his duty, or is behaving immaturely. Nonetheless, we must do our best to respect and listen to them. There are rightous men in the church that consistently and quietly fulfil their duties. Then there are other priesthood holders that do not understand the privilege, responsibility, and power they possess. It is amazing to me what the priesthood could accomplish on the earth, in our towns, and in our homes if they exercised it fully.

Love,
Mom
March 4, 2012 at 2:21 PM
DAD said…
PRIESTHOOD= Power Restored In Everyday Situations To Help Others Obtain Deity= DAD
March 25, 2012 at 1:27 AM
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