Have clean hands, pure hearts to carry priesthood
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While the power of the priesthood is unlimited, one's individual power in the priesthood is limited by his degree of righteousness and purity, Elder John H. Groberg of the Seventy observed at the priesthood session Saturday evening.
"Just as clean wires, properly connected, are required to carry electrical power, so clean hands and pure hearts are required to carry priesthood power," he explained. "Filth and grime slow or prevent the flow of electrical power. Unclean thoughts and actions interfere with individual priesthood power. When we are humble, clean and pure of hand, heart and mind, nothing righteous is impossible."
To illustrate that any properly ordained man who is clean and pure can connect with the unlimited power of the priesthood, he told an incident from his days as a young missionary in the South Pacific. A father and mother brought him their 8-year-old son who had been injured from falling out of a mango tree. They asked Elder Groberg to bless him and make him whole. Lacking confidence, Elder Groberg deferred to the branch president, who had walked up, sweaty and covered with dirt and mud. When the situation was explained to him, the branch president said, "I will go, wash and put on clean clothes; then we will bless him and see what God has to say."
"In near panic, I cried, 'Can't you see? He needs help now!' " Elder Groberg recalled.
"He calmly replied, 'I know he needs a blessing. When I have washed myself and put on clean clothes, I will bring consecrated oil, and we will approach God and see what His will is. I cannot — I will not — approach God with dirty hands and muddy clothes.' He turned and left me holding the boy."
The branch president returned and gave a beautiful and powerful priesthood blessing, Elder Groberg related. Three days later, the boy, full of life, was reunited with his family.
