Have you ever noticed how certain catchphrases seem to multiply at work or among your friends? In my office, we get the usual motivational classics: “teamwork makes the dream work,” “there is no I in team,” and the one that always makes me roll my eyes a little, “steel sharpens steel.” But lately, a new one is making the rounds: “Is the juice worth the squeeze?” That one actually stuck with me. A lot of things sound like a bargain up front, but you don’t see the real cost until later. It got me thinking about a gospel version of the same idea, especially for priesthood holders trying to stay steady on the covenant path. Sometimes, it costs more faith than it’s worth.
That phrase isn’t meant to be a negative. It’s just a reminder to be honest with ourselves. Discipleship is full of choices that look small until you measure them in the right currency. For covenant men, one of the real currencies is faith: confidence in Jesus Christ, sensitivity to the Spirit, and the willingness to act when the Lord gives you a nudge.
The “juice” we’re actually after (D&C 84 sets the target)
One reason priesthood life can feel tiring is that we sometimes forget what we’re even trying to get out of it. If priesthood just feels like “a role at church,” then of course it can start to feel like a squeeze with no juice. Nobody wants to keep squeezing an empty orange.
Doctrine and Covenants 84, The Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood, re-centers the whole thing. It teaches that the greater priesthood “administereth the gospel” and holds “the key of the knowledge of God” (see D&C 84:19). Then it gives a line that ought to be taped to the inside of a priesthood holder’s brain: “Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.” ( D&C 84:20 )
That’s the juice. Not recognition. Not being the guy who always says yes. Not just being “active.” The real juice is the power of godliness showing up in your life—through Christ, through covenants, through ordinances, and through the Spirit changing you from the inside out.
That leads to a simple rule of thumb: If something pulls me away from the Spirit and the ordinances, the trade-off just isn’t worth it.
Not everything that pulls you away does it in a big, obvious way. Sometimes it’s a slow drift: less prayer, less hunger for the word, less desire to minister, less softness at home, less confidence before God. D&C 84 is basically saying: don’t treat that drift like it’s no big deal. It has a cost.
Priesthood isn’t just “having it”—it’s magnifying it
D&C 84 doesn’t frame the priesthood as a badge. It frames it as a covenant relationship that changes a man as he actually lives it. Here’s the promise:
- “For whoso is faithful… and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.” ( D&C 84:33 )
That word sanctified matters. Priesthood service, done with faith in Jesus Christ, isn’t meant to wear you out. It’s meant to refine you and renew you.
Then the revelation ties priesthood directly to the Lord Himself:
- “And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord;” ( D&C 84:35 )
- “For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me;” ( D&C 84:36 )
So magnifying the priesthood isn’t mainly about “doing church.” It’s about receiving Christ and learning to represent Him more faithfully: at home first, then in the ward, then out in the world.
And then comes the big, breathtaking covenant promise:
- “Therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.” ( D&C 84:38)
That’s not just small talk. That’s God talking about what He wants to make of covenant men over time.
The covenant-path filter (what to keep, what to drop)
Right after those promises, the revelation talks about the “oath and covenant” of the priesthood:
- “This is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood.” ( D&C 84:39 )
- “Which covenant he cannot break, neither can it be moved.” ( D&C 84:40 )
That’s one of the most comforting lines in priesthood scripture: God’s side of the covenant is solid. He doesn’t flake. He doesn’t wander. He doesn’t forget. He stays steady.
So the question becomes: What choices help me stay steady too?
A quick filter I like is:
- Does this help me magnify my priesthood—or minimize it? (see D&C 84:33)
- Does this help me receive Christ—or tune Him out? (see D&C 84:35)
- Does this strengthen my covenant loyalty—or train me to be casual with promises? (see D&C 84:39–40)
When you start thinking that way, some “normal” things look different. You start noticing where the price tag is higher than it looks.
The hidden costs priesthood holders tend to ignore
A lot of the things that weaken us spiritually don’t show up with a warning label. They look normal. Easy to explain. Even justifiable.
But D&C 84 invites us to measure habits by covenant outcomes, not cultural normalcy.
- Contention (especially the kind we excuse as “being informed”)
Some arguments don’t just steal time. They steal tenderness. They train you to enjoy “winning” more than building up. They make you more sarcastic, more reactive, more suspicious. And that eventually seeps into your home, your ministering, and your ability to feel the Spirit.
At some point you have to admit: it’s just a bad bargain spiritually. - Comfort that quietly turns into avoidance
Rest is good. But comfort can quickly turn into avoidance: avoiding ministering, avoiding responsibility, avoiding hard conversations at home, avoiding repentance. Over time, “I’m tired” can become a cover story for “I don’t want the work of love.” - Busy without “diligent heed”
D&C 84 gives a direct priesthood commandment:
“Beware… to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life.” ( D&C 84:43 )
“For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.” ( D&C 84:44 )
If your life is always too crowded for the word of God, that crowding eventually affects everything else: your sacrament worship, your ability to receive revelation, and your desire to serve.
And this is one of those places where it’s worth saying the phrase out loud again: sometimes, it costs more faith than it’s worth.
The better squeeze: priesthood service that actually builds faith
The Lord does ask for effort. Priesthood life has squeezes. But D&C 84 helps you choose squeezes that pay dividends—the kind tied to the Spirit, ordinances, the word, and real people.
One of the most practical priesthood verses in the section is:
- “And if any man among you be strong in the Spirit, let him take with him him that is weak, that he may be edified… that he may become strong also.” ( D&C 84:106 )
That’s priesthood service in plain language: strengthen someone. Bring someone along. Help someone rise.
So what does that look like in a normal week?
Ministering that is consistent, not heroic. A check-in. A visit. Remembering details and actually following through.
Quorum participation that includes real people. Not just “I attended,” but “I noticed someone,” “I reached out,” “I offered help.”
Home-first priesthood. Not as a slogan, but as a practice: repent quickly, listen more, lead with gentleness, and make your home a safe place for the Spirit.
Diligent heed that is small but daily. D&C 84 teaches that truth is light, and that light is Spirit, “even the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (see D&C 84:45). Light adds up.
If you’re reading this and feeling behind, the answer isn’t shame. Don’t quit. Stay in the Church and keep trying. The Lord’s tone in D&C 84 is covenant-building, not covenant-breaking. He’s trying to form strong men, one week at a time.
A weekly practice to stay on the covenant path
If you want one simple practice that matches this whole theme, try asking yourself these questions every Sunday (or quietly during sacrament meeting):
- What strengthened my faith this week?
- What weakened it?
- What’s one small adjustment I can make before next Sunday?
Then act on one thing: one ministering effort, one repaired relationship, one honest repentance, one recommitment to the word.
And here’s a closing line that keeps the post practical:
- This week I’m trying to drop what costs more faith than it’s worth and choose the kind of priesthood service that actually brings light.
Because there really is juice worth the squeeze. D&C 84 calls it “the power of godliness.” The covenant path is where the Lord keeps turning that power into something real in a man’s life: through ordinances, the word, the Spirit, and steady priesthood service.
About Gospel Discussion and Comparisons: This website’s content is for entertainment and faith-building discussion. Any comparisons made between movies, books, current events, or other media and the Gospel of Jesus Christ are personal commentary and illustrative only[…]
This work was created with help from AI as a tool for research, proofreading, and doctrinal accuracy checks. It’s similar to how many writers rely on researchers and editors to improve clarity and correctness. However, the thoughts, interpretations, overall message, and text are mine.
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