Do you see?

I received another call with help being requested. This isn’t a problem, because we are always glad to help others. Though sometimes it just won’t work.

I have known the caller for nearly 18 years. Most that would meet her would agree that she is a real good person. I would also agree with that assessment.

This person has gifts. Though I wonder some days if having gifts is a good thing or not. It can be such a stumbling block, especially if pride enters the equation.

The attacks she is receiving from the adversary are off the charts, according to her it has never been this bad. For this reason I asked her what she has been doing about it.

She indicated she had been to every energy worker she could find and also had received many priesthood blessings. She then said the most curious thing, “None of them have helped or worked. In fact it gets worse after each blessing or energy session.”

I asked why she continued to do things that don’t seem to work. She said she didn’t know what else to do. “One of the energy workers has incredible scripts.”

“If they are so incredible,” I asked, “why don’t they work.” (I am not disparaging the energy worker. I have no doubt she/he has done much good.)

“I mean they are beautiful,” she responded.

So she has been to many energy workers that haven’t helped, even one with incredible scripts, plus many priesthood blessings, all of which haven’t worked.

I decided to go to the priesthood angle because she had told me that all those that had given her priesthood blessings were returned missionaries or held church callings.

“Have you asked the Lord Jesus Christ if any of these priesthood holders even have priesthood?” I asked her. I knew there was the possibility of hitting a sacred cow with this question.

It was a direct hit. The cow, went “Moooooooooooooooooo.” I then asked why she would allow anyone to lay hands on her to do energy work or even voice a priesthood blessing without first getting permission from God. I received the same reply, that they were all returned missionaries. I didn’t tell her that even though I had served some 40 years ago, there were half of those that I served with that I would never allow to voice a priesthood blessing on my head. Those that have served a mission will understand that statement.

Nevertheless, I ventured in further. I asked her what if someone came to me and said that her father was inactive, abusive, and an alcoholic. The bishop had wanted to active him and decided to have him, the father, baptize her when she turned eight-years-old. He did the baptism. I asked if she felt this woman’s father had any priesthood and she said, “No.” So, if he didn’t have any priesthood, was the baptism valid, I asked again. There was a long pause and she finally said, “Probably not.”

Okay, I then asked her about when I did 20 Ezekiel seminars over a two year period. After the first few seminars, my stake president called me in and told me that if I did another seminar he would take my temple recommend away. According to D&C 121, if a priesthood holder uses compulsion, coercion, or unrighteous dominion, the Lord Jesus Christ declares “Amen” to his priesthood. I then asked her if she felt my stake president had any priesthood at that point. Another pause and then, “I guess not.”

I continued. What if that stake president lays hands on some eighteen-year-old to give him the Melchizedek priesthood and ordains him to be an Elder. Can that stake president give what he doesn’t have? She said, “No.” So the young man would have no priesthood I asked her. She agreed. In the background I could envision another “Mooooooooo.”

We talked for a while longer and she went back to asking why those priesthood blessings weren’t effective. In fact, she stated that the problems seemed to grow ten-fold after the blessings. She even mentioned her dear father who had fasted twice for three days and afterwards voiced a blessing on her. Nothing happened.

Do you see it? The problem?

Could she be so tied to an institution that the Savior Jesus Christ can’t help her? Is her trust so much in the arm of flesh with energy workers and supposed priesthood holders, that He, the True Healer, is tied up and can do nothing for her?

Don’t the scriptures tell us to not put our trust in the arm of flesh? So why wouldn’t we pray to get permission for someone, anyone, of flesh to work on us or voice a blessing on us? Is it because we have put our trust in man or an institution and are therefore condemned for it?

“O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.” (2 Nephi 4:34)

Do you see the problem?

I sure hope so.

“Cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.” He repeated it twice so we wouldn’t miss it. Have you missed it in the past?

The problem isn’t just that we trust in the arm of flesh, the problem becomes larger from the cursing that comes with trusting in men and institutions.

Until there is repentance for trusting in the arm of flesh and not asking permission from the Savior to have energy work or a blessing voiced upon us, His arms are tied.

If He isn’t along for the ride, then we won’t be there either. On our end, we pray for permission from Him to help someone that has asked. Unless He gives it, our efforts are worthless. We don’t and can’t heal anyone, He is the Healer. He just allows us mortals to help in the process.

When my sighted daughter came out of the hospital back in 1999, I made contact with an LDS Seventy to give her a blessing. We went to his home and before going in I asked her if the Savior was there with us. She confirmed that indeed He was. We went inside and after a while the Seventy asked if she wanted the blessing. She said, “No thanks.”

I persisted and made her get the blessing. Later, after getting in the car, I asked if the Savior had gone into the home with us for the blessing. “No Dad,” she responded.

I was cursed that day for not getting His permission, which He probably wouldn’t have given since at that time I had great trust in the LDS institution and the Seventy – meaning flesh. I was cursed for trusting in the arm of flesh. I felt it in my gut and in my heart. I felt quite ill in the car that day after leaving the Seventy’s home. Her response? “Boy are you in trouble with the Lord.” Truer words were never spoken.

Speaking from firsthand experience, trusting in flesh or institutions is a sin and causes cursing from God. Furthermore, it ties up the Lord Jesus Christ. Does it make sense why after each priesthood blessing or energy worker session the problems from the adversary seemed to increase? Cursing will allow for that.

Are priesthood blessings or going to energy workers allowed? Of course they are, after asking and WHEN the Lord Jesus Christ gives us permission. Isn’t it supposed to be about doing His will in our lives? So why do we seem to make it about our own will being done?

I hope you see the problem.

Have a great week.