Alexandria II Ward

Mt Vernon Stake

Drawing Down the Powers of Heaven

“First, God wants a powerful people.

Second, He gives his power to those who

are faithful.

Third, we have a sacred obligation to seek

after the power of God and then to use that
power as he directs.

Fourth, when we have the power of God

Fourth
with us, nothing is impossible”
- Sheri L Dew

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“The
h Lordd iis waiting
i i to open the
h windows
i d off
heaven and magnify your righteous
endeavors. He will bless yyour homes and
your relationships. If you will come unto
Him and serve Him, He will take the talents
and abilities you possess and magnify them
in marvelous ways.”
- Joseph B. Wirthlin, Improving Our Prayers, 2003

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Faith as a Principle of Power

Regarding faith, the Prophet Joseph Smith

taught
g three pprinciples:
p

“1) faith is the moving cause of all action in

temporal concerns,
concerns so it is in spiritual,
spiritual

2) faith is not only the principle of action, but

the power also and

3)) faith,, then is the first ggreat governing

g g
principal which has power, dominion, and
authority over all things.”
- Lectures
ec u es on
o Faith
a

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Faith as a Principle of Power

“In order to tap heavenly powers,

powers a person
must know how to exercise faith because the
powers of heaven are governed by faith.
Even though faith is a gift of God, we obtain
it only by exercising our agency. It is
essential that you uunderstand
esse de s d that you
increase and perfect your faith by exercising
your agency.”
- Orson Pratt’s
Pratt s “True
True Faith,”
Faith, in lectures on Faith

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Righteousness as a Prerequisite of Faith

There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundation of this

world, upon which all blessings are predicated –And when we obtain any
blessing from God,
God it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.
predicated
- D&C 130: 20-21

“…the p
powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled onlyy
upon the principles of righteousness.”
- D&C 121:36

Faith is a gift of god bestowed as a reward for

personal righteousness. It is always given
when
h righteousness
i ht is
i present,
t andd the
th greater
t
the measure of obedience to God’s laws, the
greater will be the endowment of faith.”
- Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine

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Righteous Desires

• The Lord has Promised He will grant unto men according to

their desires: “I know that the Lord granteth unto men
according to their desire.”
(Alma 20:4).

• Verily, verily, I say unto you, even as you desire of me so it

shall be done unto you.
y
(D&C 11:8).

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Righteous Desires

The Lord has said that if we have fears and doubts in our hearts,
we deny ourselves the blessings of heaven.

“Ye endeavored to believe that ye should receive the blessing

which was offered unto you; but behold, verily I say unto you
th were fears
there f in
i your hearts,
h t andd verily
il this
thi is
i the
th reason that
th t
ye did not receive.”
- D&C 67:3

“Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ,

doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the
name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto
all, even unto the ends of the earth.”
- Mormon 9:12

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Righteous desires

“Hethat asketh in the Spirit asketh according to the will of

God; wherefore it is done even as he asketh.”
- D&C 46:30

“And if ye are purified and cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask
whatsoever
h t you will
ill in
i the
th name off Jesus
J andd it shall
h ll be
b done.
d

But know this, it shall be given you what you shall ask; and as
ye are appointed to the head, the spirits shall be subject unto
you.”
- D&C 50:29-30

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Seeking Gifts of the Spirit

• Seek yye earnestlyy the best gifts.

g
D&C 46:8

• Behold, thou has a gift

Behold gift, or thou shalt have a gift if thou will
desire of me in faith, with an honest heart, believing in the power
of Jesus Christ, or in my power which speaketh unto thee.
D&C 11:10

• Spiritual gifts are endless in number and infinite in variety.

Those listed in the revealed word are simply illustrations.”
- Bruce R McConkie

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Seeking the Gifts of the Spirit

“The gift of discernment is at your disposal to

assist
i t you in
i all
ll your responsibilities.
ibiliti
However, it is your responsibility to
prayerfully seek insight about and
understanding of the gift of discernment. You
must request the gift and tell the lord why you
want the gift, as well as explain what you will
do with the gift if He bestows it upon you.
Once you receive and cultivate the gift of
discernment your spiritual capabilities will be
discernment,
enhanced and you will be able to function
with inspiration in all facets of your life.”
- Grant Von Harrison

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Gifts of the Spirit

• The Greatest gift of the spirit is Charity. Moroni 7:46

• We are admonished to seek this gift with all energy of our hearts.
Moroni 7:48

• Ap person who cultivates the ggift of charity

y will evidence certain
characteristics. He will be long-suffering; he will be kind; he will not envy; he
will not be puffed up; he will serve the interest of others; he will not be easily
pprovoked;; he will not think about evil things;
g ; he will rejoice
j in the truth;; he
will bear infirmities and afflictions of this mortal life; he will believe all the
truths associated with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Moroni 7:48

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Seeking the Gifts of the Spirit

“If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to pray for the

gift that will make us perfect
perfect. Have I imperfections? I
am full of them. What is my duty: to pray to God to give
me the gifts that will correct these imperfections. If I am
an angry man,
man it is my duty to pray for charity
charity, which
suffereth long and is kind. Am I an envious man? It is
my duty to seek for charity, which envieth not. So with
all the g
gifts of the Gospel.
p Theyy are intended for this
purpose. No man ought to say, “Oh, I cannot help this; it
is my nature.” He is not justified in it, for the reason that
God has promised to give strength to correct these things,
and to give gifts that will eradicate them.””
- George Q. Cannon, Millennial Star, April 16, 1894, p.260

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Pleading with the Lord

"Through personal prayer, through family

prayer, by trusting in God with faith,
nothing wavering, we can call down to
our rescue His mighty power. His call to
us is as it has ever been: "Come unto
me.“
-Thomas
Thomas S.
S Monson

“Counsel with the Lord in all thyy doings,

g and he will
direct thee for good…”
- Alma 37:37

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Sustained Effort

“Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject
even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the
Father.”
- Mosiah 15:7

“Blessed art thou,

thou Nephi,
Nephi for those things which thou hast done; for I have
beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have
given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not
sought
g thine own life,, but hast sought
g myy will,, and to keepp myy
commandments.

And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I
will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in
faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according
to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.”
- Heleman
H l 10 4 5
10:4-5

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Sustained Effort

“A concerted daily effort is the only sure

way to come out victorious.
i i The
Th Lord
L d
wants you to succeed, and He will be with
yyou. He will helpp yyou and support
pp and
sustain you in your time of need if you are
true to His plan. If you stay close to Him
on a daily basis,
basis He will stay close to you,
you
and you will reap untold blessings in
every aspect of your life, especially the
most important,
i the
h spiritual.”
i i l”
- Elder Richard J. Maynes

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