Elder John K. Carmack warned about trading "candles for electricity" with regard to reaching one's potential in exercising priesthood.
"Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the priesthood's dynamic power source," said Elder Carmack of the Seventy in his priesthood session address Saturday evening. "By failing to put faith first in our callings, we reduce the priesthood's light and power."The Church has provided some tools to accomplish priesthood responsibilities, such as education and training, manuals, handbooks, agenda and budgets, he noted. "I wouldn't say a word against these tools. They serve us well. . . . Add faith, however, and priesthood service becomes magnificent. Two candles suddenly burst into 400 watts of light. More to the point, we tap into the Lord's power source, and our actions move in rhythm with His."
Referring to a Book of Mormon account, he contrasted methods Laman and Lemuel used unsuccessfully to obtain the brass plates of Laban with the pure faith that Nephi used by which he prevailed.
"Notice that faith and trust in the Lord came first," Elder Carmack remarked. "Then came action. He had no plan except confidence in the Lord. It was really a `ready, fire, aim' approach, the opposite of conventional wisdom."
More than positive thinking, faith taps into divine sources and manifests unity and partnership with the Lord, he remarked. "Even the ideas and words formulated by faith come by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and the power to accomplish the words formed by faith comes from God."
He warned against obstacles to faith: unworthiness, pride and arrogance, self-sufficiency, religious fanaticism, alcohol, drugs, salacious entertainment, pornography, materialism, fear, guilt, bitterness and resentment.
