Today I read 1 Corinthians 1. The Saints in Corinth had a lot of problems if what Paul teaches them in the 2 epistles that we have a record of are any indicator. Paul starts out chastising them because they are dividing themselves up based on who baptized them. They are more concerned with who performed their baptism than with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul is understandably disgusted with this type of behavior and admits that he is glad that he only baptized one family and that is it lest people use his name for such foolishness.
Such a thing seems silly to us and yet, several Latter-day Saints do the exact same thing. I had a mission companion that grew up in the same home ward as Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. My friend told me that everyone who had any ordinance coming up would ask Elder Maxwell to perform it for them. For awhile he agreed but then it became overwhelming and a little ridiculous. My mission companion said that Elder Maxwell finally had to remind the ward that the Priesthood is the same no matter what office you hold. A baptism is just as valid if done by a priest as if done by an Apostle. A baby blessing was the right of the father if available and so forth. It is no different who does the performance of the ordinance as long as that man honors his priesthood and many fathers were passing up the opportunities for sacred moments with their children to have it done by an Apostle. There is a difference Elder Maxwell said in a blessing performed by an Apostle, but the Priesthood ordinances are just as valid and just as true when performed by a priest or an elder in the church as when performed by an Apostle.
I will agree that there is a certain novelty about having an Apostle perform certain ordinances but to pass up a sacred opportunity of a righteous father being able to perform the ordinances of salvation if at all possible, to me is unthinkable. I remember I was sad that my father was not a sealer when it was time to get married because I would rather have had him perform my marriage than any other person on earth, including the prophet. It is a shame that more people do not have that relationship with their fathers. I remember Elder Boyd K. Packer's General Conference talk a few years back about a man whose father was perfectly able to perform a priesthood ordination but the son had chosen another to do it until Elder Packer stepped in and insisted that the father perform the ordinance. I suppose children don't realize what it means to a father to be able to perform such ordinances for their children until they become fathers or mothers themselves. Most anyway. I'm sure there are those like me that have the kind of relationship with their father that they want him involved and to perform as many of the ordinances as possible.
It is sad really, to me anyway, that so many children grow up with the influence of a good and righteous father. It's sad that too many people are so selfish that they deny their children the opportunity to grow up in a home with a loving mother and father. Children have the right to be born into a family that will love them and teach them the things they need to know in order to be a good, upstanding, successful individual in the world. And because of lack of self control and selfishness, millions of children are being denied that right. It must be so hard for Heavenly Father to just sit back and watch it happen to His beloved children. I don't know how He does it. I think about my daughter and the thought of anyone hurting my precious little girl just fills me with anger and rage. I would do just about anything to protect her from physical harm and do everything in my power to protect her from emotional and spiritual harm as well. We owe it to our Heavenly Father as well as our earthly children to love them enough to correct them and hurt their feelings in the little ways to prevent true pain with eternal consequences. Children cannot see the road they are walking down because they don't have the experience their parents do. Children, especially teenagers, think their parents just don't get it because the times are different. Parents may not have encountered the exact same situation you do now, but they had something similar to deal with. The principles are the same.
If we do not currently have a good relationship with our parents, we should strive to cultivate one if at all possible. For some of us, it is too late. For others, our parents did too many wrong things and the pain is still very real and the healing power of the Atonement has not yet healed you. To them I say keep working towards it. Keep relying on God and He will help you overcome those feelings. For all of us who had loving parents and WE were the knuckleheads, don't let past mistakes stop you from having the kind of relationship with your parents that you want to have. They will be forgiving in most instances. As we strive to put our lives in order and to cultivate those righteous relationships, God will help us and will uplift us. All we have to do is ask. Until tomorrow.
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