"Several months ago, at the end of a temple endowment session, I said to my wife, 'I hope the sisters understand the spiritual treasures that are theirs in the temple,'" President Russell M. Nelson said during the women's session of general conference. "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. Those who are endowed in the house of the Lord receive a gift of God’s priesthood power by virtue of their covenant, along with a gift of knowledge to know how to draw upon that power."

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we use two phrases interchangeably that can be confusing to even the most seasoned member of the Church. We refer to someone “having” the priesthood, and we refer to someone “holding” the priesthood. We don’t usually think of these two things as being different from each other, but for the purpose of this article I would like to make a subtle distinction between the two that might help in clarifying the issue of where women stand in relation to the priesthood that only men are ordained to.

If you hold the Aaronic Priesthood, read on for seven ideas to help you understand, respect and magnify the office you hold.

We are writing this week's column from New York City, where we have just welcomed our 23rd grandchild into the world. (Hey, if you are a fresh, new spirit going to go down into the world, why not start your life off right in the middle of the Big Apple?) This city has been a second home to us in many ways for many years. I (Richard) served my first mission here, several of our kids studied here and two started their careers here.

Chris Burkard isn’t known for his endurance on a bike, but perhaps he should be. Burkard, a photographer whose Instagram account is followed by 3.5 million people, was this week’s guest on All In and shared the lessons he learned while participating in Iceland’s WOW Cyclothon this June. Burkard set a new solo record in the race, completing the 844-mile race in 52 hours, 36 minutes, and 19 seconds, besting his previous record by over 20 minutes. Burkard said one of the biggest takeaways from the race was the recognition that we need others’ support in life.

The year 2020 will be remembered for many significant reasons. Among them will be the way in which the year reminded us that racial strife is not a thing of the past but something that very much still exists in our world. It is something that we at LDS Living hope will soon come to an end, but until that time, it is up to all of us to contribute to the conversation rather than attempt to silence it.

More than 5,000 questions were submitted to the general Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary presidencies by women around the world in preparation for the upcoming Sister-to-Sister Event on Friday, May 3. While many will be answered during this event and more will be discussed by Church leaders in councils to help provide better clarity and understanding, one was answered by the general Relief Society presidency at BYU Women’s Conference. The question read:

The concept of priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is unique and perhaps confusing for those who are unfamiliar with it. Even many members of the Church who accept, love, and appreciate the priesthood may find themselves “fuzzy” on the doctrine and principles. Perhaps that is because the term priesthood is used in at least two ways. First, priesthood is the term used to describe the total power and authority of God. Second, priesthood is also the term used to describe the power and authority that God gives to ordained priesthood holders on earth to act in all things necessary for the salvation of God’s children. 1 This second usage is the widely accepted definition of the priesthood. For example, Preach My Gospel defines priesthood as the authority and power that God gives to man to act in the name of Jesus Christ in all things for the salvation of mankind. 2 Thus, the same word, priesthood, refers both to God’s total power and authority and to that portion of His power and authority that He delegates to man on earth.

Mauli Junior Bonner says when he first learned about enslaved pioneers, it strengthened him—he wanted to learn more about them, why they stayed, and what their experience had been like.