Young Women Lesson: How can I access “the powers of heaven” in my life?

Here’s how I’d approach the October 24th lesson:

Explore what the young women already know
Introduce the topic by saying that today we will be talking about the powers of heaven. Share what the phrase means to you. For me, thinking about the phrase “powers of heaven” makes me feel hope and awe and fear all at the same time. Ask the young women what they think about when they hear that phrase. Ask them if they have ever felt the powers of heaven in their life.

Once the young women have had a chance to get a sense of what that phrase means to them, address the question from the title of the lesson: How can I access “the powers of heaven” in my life? Write their answers on the board, letting the discussion grow organically from what the young women bring up and making space for them to share personal experiences if they want to. For your reference, answers from the two talks by President Nelson that are mentioned in the manual include:
• prayer
• study the scriptures
• temple worship
• making covenants
• serving others
• developing the attributes of faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly/[sisterly!] kindness, charity, diligence, and humility
• expound [explain] the scriptures
• receive the Holy Ghost
• spend time “learning much”
• fasting
• family history work
If the girls bring up keeping the commandments or obedience, gently push back and bring up a counterexample like the story of Eve: Eve used her agency wisely, and broke the commandment not to partake of the fruit. This gave her access to the powers of heaven, allowing her to be as the gods, knowing good and evil. Ask if they can think of any other examples from the scriptures where people “disobey” to a higher end (Jesus staying behind in Jerusalem to teach the rabbis; Joseph marrying Mary instead of breaking things off.)

Priesthood Power and Authority
Next, shift the discussion towards priesthood. Ask the young women what priesthood is. Priesthood is God’s power and it is also the power and authority God gives to us on earth. I liked President Nelson’s analogy between the organist with no electrical power and priesthood power. However, I wanted an analogy that better illustrated the difference between power and authority. I would say that priesthood power and authority is like a teenager borrowing their parent’s car. Maybe their parents have only authorized them to use the car to drive to and from school. They have power (gas) to drive to the mall, but they are not authorized to drive there. If the teenager is not careful, they might run out of gas while driving to school. In this case, they have the authority to drive to school, but they don’t have the power to drive there.

State that the way church leaders talk about women’s priesthood power and authority has been changing in recent years. This is part of the ongoing revelation of the gospel. I would explain that priesthood power is available to everyone as it is God’s power. We gain that power through our relationship with God and making and keeping covenants. “Every woman and every man who makes covenants with God and keeps those covenants, and who participates worthily in priesthood ordinances, has direct access to the power of God” (Nelson, Spiritual Treasures). We have to be conscious of the state of our relationship with God to maintain that power, just like we have to be conscious of the level of gas in the car. We can increase our priesthood power by doing the things we discussed and wrote on the board.

Priesthood authority is granted to women when we are set apart in our callings. “When you are set apart to serve in a calling under the direction of one who holds priesthood keys—such as your bishop or stake president—you are given priesthood authority to function in that calling” (Nelson, Spiritual Treasures). Different callings give us the authority to perform different responsibilities. In the car example, this is like the parents giving the teen the authority to drive their car to the store as well as to school.

[Optional: Priesthood Keys]
I would only teach this section if the young women question why boys and men “have the priesthood” but girls and women do not.

Being given priesthood keys is like parents giving a teenager a car instead of the teen needing to borrow the parent’s car. With the parent’s permission, that teenager can also lend the car keys to other people. Even though both boys and girls can drive cars, currently only boys can own the car and lend out their car keys.

Jesus Christ holds all of the priesthood keys. In his talk, The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood, Elder Oaks taught that the first presidency and the quorum of the twelve apostles “hold and exercise all of the keys delegated to men” Not all of the keys have been delegated to the presiding authorities of the church yet. This is like saying they have keys to the Honda Civic and the Ford F150 and the Toyota Sienna, but not the Chevrolet Corvette. Currently, they don’t have the key to change the pattern that only men can hold priesthood offices.

Tell the young women that it’s okay if they think this feels unfair. Note that many patterns in the church have changed over the years. Discuss patterns that you and the young women have seen change (women witnessing baptisms, sister missionaries can wear pants, women praying in General conference, young women being ministering sisters, etc.)

Doctrine and Covenants 121
Introduce this section by saying that this revelation was received when Joseph Smith was in the Liberty Jail. He was looking for God’s power. God comforted Joseph, said He would curse those working against His anointed, assured Joseph of His power over the earth, and taught Joseph about how the priesthood is to be used. Focus on that last topic in verses 36-46 by having the class read and discuss a few verses at a time. If time is short, only discuss verses 41-43:

41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
42 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—
43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

Ask the young women what they think this means, “no power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood”? Let them explore that a bit. Share that it means everyone’s agency needs to be respected (unless it’s dangerous), so it is not okay if their father, or bishop, or other priesthood leader always has the final say in decision making. Gentleness and persuasion need to be used until all involved can come to a consensus. In reaching that consensus, teach the young women that their voice is valuable: “As a righteous, endowed Latter-day Saint woman, you speak and teach with power and authority from God. Whether by exhortation or conversation, we need your voice teaching the doctrine of Christ. We need your input in family, ward, and stake councils” (Nelson, Spiritual Treasures). [Even though the girls haven’t been endowed, I believe this still applies if they are keeping the covenants they have made.]

If you feel comfortable, share an experience where you were blessed with the powers of heaven in your life, since it is important for the young women to see ordinary people (like you!) can and do access divine power. Did you realize at the time that God had endowed you with power? Or was it only in looking back that you could see the help of the divine? What did it feel like?

Close by expressing faith that the young women will learn to access the powers of heaven and use their priesthood power as a force for good in the world.