Letters From The Field – Elder Tanner Bennett’s Mission Blog – The Blessings of the Priesthood

Hello my dear friends and family,

What a week it has been. It’s been a bit harder here in Nanzi this week, but I am optimistic about this next week and what is to come.

The primary focus of this email I guess would be how grateful I am for the priesthood and the ability it has to bless everyone’s lives. This week, one of the councilors in the stake Presidency asked us to go with him to give a blessing to a man from a different christian church. The request was a little unusual, but we were more than happy to go. The man we met was very kind, he had been suffering for sometime with an infection in his foot that he said may result in an amputation. His daughter was a convert some years ago and he remembered that when she was telling him about her church that they had this “power” to bless and heal the sick. He explained that he was afraid and after a discussion with his minister, felt he had nowhere else to turn. President 周 (zhou) then asked the man to share his testimony about Jesus Christ. The man agreed and shared a lovely testimony of the savior and told President with tears in his eyes that he had the faith to be healed. It was a very humbling and sweet experience to listen to his testimony and see this man’s faith. I was then able to anoint him and President 周 sealed the anointing. We then took the opportunity to share our testimonies and after a little while of discussion, set a time that elder Gardner and I could come back and check in on them and share some more about our church and then left. As we headed towards the elevator and talked with President Zhou, something became very clear to us. People recognize the power of the priesthood. For my whole life I have been very blessed to be able to recieve guidance, comfort and healing in the form of priesthood blessings. It is truly an incredible thing and something I think we should never take for granted or under utilize. We have the keys and the ability to receive direct healing, inspiration and comfort in and through holy priesthood and it’s blessings.

How long has it been since you’ve last had a blessing? If you feel it has been too long, I would very much encourage you to ask for one.

 As I have been pondering and thinking about the value of the priesthood, I realized it had been a while since I had last received a blessing of my own. After a particularly difficult and long day on Sunday, I felt to ask elder Gardner if we could give each other blessings. He agreed and after my blessing I felt such an incredible amount of comfort and solace as he addressed certain questions that had been pressing on my mind, but I hadn’t before shared. It was confirmation to me of the sacred and wonderful nature of this principle of the restored Church. It was a relief of enormous burdens from my shoulders and I felt finally at peace in Nanzi. I was then able to give a blessing to Elder Gardner and I honestly can’t remember a word of what I said, however both of us ended it in tears as we received the comfort and peace we had been yearning for, for weeks.

The priesthood is amazing. It is the power of God given to men on earth to aid and bless His children. If you feel you are ever lost, in need of comfort, in need of healing, in need of any blessing, please ask a worthy Melchezidek priesthood holder to give you one. I promise you all that as you continually strive to build your faith, to ask and to receive, you will, with assurity receive the blessing contained in 3 Nephi 18:20 which is Christ telling us “20 And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.”

I know God lives, I know he has a plan for you and for me.

 I love you all! Until next week,

Love,

Elder Tanner S Bennett
         莨匠熊長老

   Elder Tanner Stephen Bennett
       Taiwan Taichung Mission,
498-11 Wu Chuan Road North District,
           Taichung City 40446
                Taiwan, R.O.C.

Here’s also some photos!: