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Priesthood & Priesthood Keys

Kathy
May 30, 2018
7 min read

The doctrinal topic for June’s discussion is priesthood and priesthood keys. As we review the things we were taught from April’s general conference, I pray that our hearts will be touched and our minds open to the teachings of the Spirit. We are so blessed to live when the priesthood is upon the earth!

President Dallin H. Oaks taught, “The Melchizedek Priesthood is the divine authority God has delegated to accomplish His work ‘to bring to pass the … eternal life of man.’ ... It is sacred and powerful beyond our powers to describe. The keys of the priesthood are the powers to direct the exercise of priesthood authority. … The Melchizedek Priesthood is not a status or a label. It is a divine power held in trust to use for the benefit of God’s work for His children.”1

Reflect a moment on what Gospel Topics teaches us about the priesthood and priesthood keys. “The word priesthood has two meanings. First, priesthood is the power and authority of God. It has always existed and will continue to exist without end (see Alma 13:7–8; D&C 84:17–18). Through the priesthood, God created and governs the heavens and the earth. Through this power, He exalts His obedient children, bringing to pass ‘the immortality and eternal life of man’ (Moses 1:39; see also D&C 84:35–38). Second, in mortality, priesthood is the power and authority that God gives to man to act in all things necessary for the salvation of God’s children. The blessings of the priesthood are available to all who receive the gospel (‘Priesthood Authority,’ Handbook 2, Administering the Church).”2

“The keys of the priesthood are the right to preside and direct the affairs of the Church within a jurisdiction. Jesus Christ holds all the keys of the priesthood pertaining to His Church. He has conferred upon each of His Apostles all the keys that pertain to the kingdom of God on earth. The senior living Apostle, the President of the Church, is the only person on earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys.”2 True to the Faith elaborates a little more on priesthood keys. “The President of the Church delegates priesthood keys to other priesthood leaders so they can preside in their areas of responsibility. Priesthood keys are bestowed on presidents of temples, missions, stakes, and districts; bishops; branch presidents; and quorum presidents. A person who serves in one of these positions holds the keys only until he is released. Counselors do not receive keys, but they do receive authority and responsibility by calling and assignment.”3

Elder Quentin L. Cook helps us understand how priesthood keys bless our lives. He spoke of the sacred keys which were restored in the Kirtland Temple, “priesthood keys for the eternal saving ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” These keys “were essential to accomplish the Lord’s purpose for His returned Church in this dispensation.” The three keys restored were “the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, which is missionary work; … the keys of the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, which includes the restoration of the Abrahamic covenant; … [and] the keys of the sealing power in this dispensation, which is family history work and temple ordinances enabling salvation for the living and the dead.”4

The priesthood can and should bless our lives and the lives of those around us every day. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, do we understand that we all have responsibilities in the work of the priesthood? And do we know how to receive the power and blessings of the priesthood in our lives? When we do, we know we would never want to live even one minute without it!

Recently we have been encouraged to make the sacrament more meaningful, to prepare ourselves to receive the blessings of the temple, to pray for missionary experiences, and do family history and temple work. These are a few of the ways we can be involved in the work of salvation! Even the restructuring of the Melchizedek Priesthood quorums was “to accomplish the work of the Lord more effectively.”5 And the change from home and visiting teaching to ministering is so there can be “one coordinated effort to fulfill the priesthood duty to ‘visit the house of each member’ and to ‘watch over the church always, and be with and strengthen them,’ as well as to achieve the Relief Society purpose to help one another prepare for the blessings of eternal life.”6

A few years ago, President Russell M. Nelson spoke directly the women of the Church. He said, “The kingdom of God is not and cannot be complete without women who make sacred covenants and then keep them, women who can speak with the power and authority of God! … We need women who know how to make important things happen by their faith and who are courageous defenders of morality and families in a sin-sick world. We need women who are devoted to shepherding God’s children along the covenant path toward exaltation; women who know how to receive personal revelation, who understand the power and peace of the temple endowment; women who know how to call upon the powers of heaven to protect and strengthen children and families; women who teach fearlessly.”7 Most assuredly, this is a call for us as women to be involved in the work of salvation!

Then just last month President Nelson reminded us, “The restoration of the priesthood of God, including the keys of the priesthood, opens to worthy Latter-day Saints the greatest of all spiritual blessings. … Faithful women … understand the power inherent in their callings and in their endowment and other temple ordinances. These women know how to call upon the powers of heaven to protect and strengthen their husbands, their children, and others they love. These are spiritually strong women who lead, teach, and minister fearlessly in their callings with the power and authority of God! … Faithful men …live up to their privileges as bearers of the priesthood. They lead and serve by sacrifice in the Lord’s way with love, kindness, and patience. They bless, guide, protect, and strengthen others by the power of the priesthood they hold. They bring miracles to those they serve while they keep their own marriages and families safe. They shun evil and are mighty elders in Israel. … Too many of our brothers and sisters do not fully understand the concept of priesthood power and authority. … Too many of our brothers and sisters do not grasp the privileges that could be theirs.”8

Do we fully understand the concept of priesthood power? Are we doing all we can to be faithful so we can qualify for the blessings and privileges available to us?

President Nelson continued, “Priesthood power has been restored to this earth, and yet far too many brothers and sisters go through terrible trials in life without ever receiving a true priesthood blessing. What a tragedy! That’s a tragedy that we can eliminate.”8

Sometimes things that are easily accessible are sadly often taken for granted. Let me share a personal experience. Our children were swimmers. The last time our family was all together was at a state swim meet where two of our children were competing. After cheering on her siblings, our oldest daughter decided to stay the weekend with an old college roommate. As she was coming home on Sunday morning, she was involved in an automobile accident that took her life. At the state swim meet the following year, emotions were raw! Only one child was still swimming. As she looked up to see her family sitting there, it was glaringly obvious that one of her greatest cheerleaders wasn’t there. She tried her best to keep her emotions from surfacing, but the tears came. Her teammates couldn’t seem to understand and told her to just suck it up. Her high school coach didn’t know what to say or do. The first day of competition was rough! That night when we got home, her club coach, who is a dear family friend, was waiting for her. He was also at the meet, coaching his own high school team, seeing her struggle. He acknowledged how difficult it must have been for her that day. He helped her through some doubts and despair. Before he left, he said to her, “Have you had your dad give you a blessing?” I’m sad to admit we hadn’t thought about that! What a tender experience it was for her father to give her a blessing. The following day, things were a lot better for her. Having a priesthood blessing made a huge difference!

What makes this story even more tender to me is that this wonderful friend is not a member of our Church, and yet he understood priesthood power! He has had my husband give him priesthood blessings on a few occasions when he had health or personal challenges. He knows there is power in the priesthood. I know that too!

Although my family has been blessed many times through priesthood blessings, I know there were times when we failed to ask for blessings. I’m afraid too often we think something big has to be happening, some terrible trial, in order to ask for a blessing. That isn’t the case. President Oaks counseled, “Parents should encourage more priesthood blessings in the family.”1 If we do this, I know our families will be blessed.

I encourage us all to take some time to really think what the priesthood means to us. Do we truly appreciate the power of the priesthood? When and how have we been blessed by priesthood power? How can we do our part in furthering the work of salvation?

May we be the faithful women President Nelson spoke about who understand the power inherent in our callings and in our endowment and other temple ordinances; women who know how to call upon the powers of heaven to protect and strengthen our husbands, our children, and others we love; spiritually strong women who lead, teach, and minister fearlessly in our callings with the power and authority of God! May we also be faithful women who love, encourage and support our fathers, husbands and sons as they fulfill their priesthood duties.