Calming storms

[Guest gopecon]

Last night we were watching a line of severe storms approaching on TV. We'd gathered all of the kids to our safest spot and were waiting for it to pass before sending them back to bed. While we were sitting there, my wife said that a friend of hers had suggested that as a Melchezidek Priesthood holder I could use the priesthood to calm the storms. Her reasoning being that Jesus did it on the Sea of Galilee, and he sent his disciples out to do as He did. I played it off saying that I had never seen an ordinance for storm calming and suggested that we could say a prayer.

So here's my question for discussion...With sufficient faith could I have said "peace, be still" and calmed the storm? Would the priesthood even apply, or would just a prayer of faith be the means or requesting such a miracle? (If so, how would one use the priesthood?) OR is commanding the elements something that is really reserved for "the Master of ocean and earth and skies".

[beefche]

I believe that Melchezidek priesthood holders have the same power that Jesus has. Therefore, I do believe that you can calm the storms or other natural elements. However, I think that such power should be used by the influence of the Spirit. If you felt the Holy Spirit influence you to do such a thing, then follow that. If it is fear or a sense wanting to calm your children, then I don't think that is a reason to use that power in such a manner. Offering a prayer seems much more reasonable to me.

[Guest DeborahC]

This reminds me of Satan tempting Christ.

[Guest gopecon]

I wouldn't go that far. Easing the fears of children or protecting them from legitimate danger is a service to others. Christ was tempted to use His power for selfish reasons. When He calmed the storms it was to calm the fears of his "children".

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

My answer is absolutely yes! with two conditions:

1) the priesthood holder have enough faith, and I would hazard to guess few do at this point. I don't mean that as a critcism, just that we are all growing in our faith.

2) IF it is the Lord's will

[Irishcolleen]

I love this song. I think it is a perfect answer to calming storms.

[rameumptom]

We have the same priesthood as Christ, but we operate it under His direction. In such an instance as a giant storm crossing many states, I think it appropriate that we use the priesthood (or a prayer) to protect our family during the storm. I do not think it proper under most circumstances to try and calm an entire storm that will affect millions by using the MP power. Prayer is always called for, and is appropriate.

[Iggy]

A prayer beseeching the Lord to calm our fears ~ To bring peace, comfort and an easing of their fear of the storm ~ For protection from the storm, if it is His will ~ is what I would have asked of my priesthood holding husband.

[Matthew0059]

Having enough power to affect natural phenomena, like the weather, seems to require the sealing power but doesn't require one to be Christ. Every prophet in the scriptures who we're told affected the weather (usually through withholding or sending rain, such as Elijah and Nephi) was given the sealing power and, more importantly, had direct communication with God, other than the Holy Ghost. In Nephi's case, we're also blessed with an account of how he sealed up the heavens and unsealed them: through reasoning with the Lord. Because it would require reasoning with the Lord Omnipotent of heaven and earth, one would have to have a truly righteous reason to calm the storm- in Jesus' case, calming the storm was both a physical manifestation of His power for the disciples' sake, and symbolic of His power to calm spiritual storms.

The question could be reworded as "does a person have enough power in their priesthood" to perform such-and-such a miracle (in this case, calming the storm). Power and authority are two different things; a man could technically have priesthood authority but no power to back it up. Priesthood power is inseperably connected to a person's level of faith in the Lord. With sufficient faith and the proper authority and the right reasons, you could command the storm to be still, and it would be done.

However, Melchizedek "quenched the violence of fire" (JST Gen. 14:26) through faith, so it seems that faith is the operating principle in affecting nature and its forces. Indeed it must be, if it is the power by which God Himself operates! So I think a prayer with enough faith, from someone without priesthood authority, could also be honored, although it would probably be honored as a protection for the individual from the violence of the storm, not stopping the storm itself.