Keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood

Given in Stake Priesthood Meeting

Keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood

The word Priesthood is used a lot in the church. Sometimes we just refer to the priesthood. Sometimes we refer to priesthood power, priesthood authority, priesthood responsibilities, priesthood offices, or priesthood keys.

Today I want to talk about specific Melchizedek priesthood keys. When we talk about priesthood in general, we usually refer to the authority God has given man to act in His name here upon the earth. It is a wonderful gift and blessing that he has bestowed upon his children, but this authority needs to be regulated and governed in order that we are organized and consistent in all our affairs.

This is where priesthood keys come into play. God has not bestowed upon us the authority to do all that God does whenever we see fit. Peter, James, and John conferred certain priesthood keys on Joseph Smith. Later, in the Kirtland Ohio temple, other keys were restored including the keys pertaining to the gathering of Israel. Prophets have also taught that there are other priesthood keys that have not been given to us yet including the keys of creation and resurrection.2 The world was created by the power of the priesthood. But we are not able to create worlds, or plants, or animals, or anything like what was done in the beginning. Those keys are not available to us, which helps keep things in order here on the earth.

President Nelson gave a great example of how we can understand priesthood keys. “To serve well as one who bears the holy priesthood, one needs both preparation and permission. May I relate a personal experience? Prior to my call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, I served as a medical doctor and surgeon. I had earned two doctor’s degrees. I had been certified by two specialty boards. That long preparation had consumed many years, yet the education itself did not allow me to serve the public. Why? Because I needed legal permission.

That could be granted only by authorities of the state government and directing boards of hospitals in which I desired to work. Once officials holding proper authority granted me a license and permission, then I could care for patients who needed surgical relief from their ailments. After legal administrators had exercised their keys, then I could render the service for which I had been prepared.

In return, I was accountable to those who granted those privileges. I was required to obey legal and ethical expectations and never abuse the power entrusted to me.

Just as the important steps of preparation and permission pertain to medicine (and other professions), they also relate to priesthood service. Those who hold the priesthood—Aaronic and Melchizedek—have authority to render priesthood service. As agents of the Lord, they have the right to perform sacred ordinances of the gospel. Keys authorize the performance of that service.”3

The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles hold all priesthood keys that have been restored. Those keys have been passed down since they were restored to Joseph Smith. The President of the Church—the senior Apostle—presides over the entire Church and is the only person on earth who exercises all the keys in their fullness. He delegates authority by conferring or authorizing the conferral of keys upon other bearers of the priesthood in their specific offices and callings.

One of the functions of keys is in the performance of priesthood ordinances. All ordinances are performed under the authorization of the priesthood leader who holds the keys for the ordinance. For example, ordinances performed in the temple come under the authorization of the president of the temple, who holds the keys for the ordinances of the temple.1 Under the authorization of the temple president, temple workers, both men and women, are set apart to officiate in temple ordinances. They perform those ordinances under the direction and authority of the one who holds the priesthood keys. Again, we can see that this provides consistency and order within the church. Those who hold the priesthood cannot take it upon themselves to perform temple ordinances whenever and wherever they deem appropriate.

One of the other keys of the Melchizedek priesthood is the ability to confer that priesthood and ordain to offices within the priesthood. The Stake President holds those keys and so all Melchizedek priesthood ordinations are done under his authority. There is a way that has been set up to facilitate that process. Usually, a Bishop will interview a potential Melchizedek priesthood holder and submit a recommendation to the stake president. I have the assignment from President Francom to interview that person on his behalf. If I find the person ready and worthy to receive the Melchizedek priesthood, that person is presented to the High Council, and then the ward, for a sustaining vote. After that, the priesthood can be conferred with an ordination to a priesthood office.

Any Melchizedek priesthood holder has the authority to confer the Melchizedek priesthood, but it can only be done under the authority of the person that holds the keys. A father does not have the right to confer upon his son the Melchizedek priesthood at his own choosing. But, after having received the authorization from the person holding the proper keys, he can perform that ordination. In this way we also ensure that all ordinations are properly recorded and done in an organized manner.

Relate Bro Hopkins example.

There are other keys as well. Quorum presidents, for example, hold keys for the ministering of those that belong to their quorums. Every priesthood quorum has a president, whether it is a quorum of deacons, teachers, priests, elders, or high priests. Each president holds keys of authority. Quorum activities and opportunities for service are authorized by the president who holds those keys.

The principle that priesthood authority can be exercised only under the direction of the one who holds the keys for that function is fundamental in the church. But it is interesting that such keys do not apply when exercising priesthood authority within our homes. A father presides and exercises the priesthood in his family by the authority of the priesthood he holds. He does not need approval from one holding priesthood keys in order to perform family functions. For example, a father may give counsel to family members, give priesthood blessings to his wife and children, or give healing blessings to family members and others. He can do this by virtue of his priesthood office.





Dallin H Oaks, The Melchizedek Priesthood and the Keys, April 2020. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/04/36oaks?lang=eng


Spencer W. Kimball, “Our Great Potential,” Ensign, May 1977, 49.


Russell M Nelson, Keys of the Priesthood, October 2005. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2005/10/keys-of-the-priesthood?lang=eng

President Nelson's Five Truths

 

Given at Harvest Park Ward

Thank Grace

Lanta - willing to accept invitations

Youth Conference

From a devotional address given by President Russell M Nelson at BYU1

President Nelson discussed five truths with the students and faculty at BYU

1. You are sons and daughters of God.

2. Truth is truth.

3. God loves every one of us with perfect love.

4. The Lord Jesus Christ, whose church this is, appoints prophets and apostles to communicate His love and teach His laws.

5. You may know for yourself what is true and what is not by learning to discern the whisperings of the Spirit.

    1. You are sons and daughters of God.

This is such an important truth. You are literally the offspring of God. We have been taught this our whole life. We sing about it as Primary Children, “I am a child of God”. Knowing that we are children of God helps us to keep in perspective the things that happen in this world. As a child a God, why do these things happen to me? Why does God want this in my life? What is certain is that we live in the last days. These are especially tumultuous times with great battles being waged between good and evil – between truth and error.

This is also the time prophesied when the children of Israel will be gathered. As Lanta explained, we are of the house of Israel. We have been sent to gather God’s elect.

    2. Truth is truth.

There are things that are simply true. God is the arbiter of truth. Now this may come as a shock, but Google is not the definitive authority on truth! Neither is your favorite podcast! There are many who claim to know and define truth. But as President Kimball once said, “If men are really humble, they will realize that they discover, but do not create truth.”

God has established certain laws. Truth is based on these laws. Some physical truth is easy to see and understand. Gravity exists, it is governed by laws relative to mass and other things that we observe. Nobody really argues with the fact that if you let go of something it will drop. The motion of the planet and the function of the sun are also governed by true laws established by God. Some physical laws have only been relatively recently discovered. President Nelson was actually instrumental in discovering some truth as it relates to the function of the human heart. Some laws have yet to be discovered. But they are still true, even if we don’t know about them.

There are moral and spiritual laws as well. There are things that are simply true, even if they have fallen out of favor with mainstream civilization.

    3. God loves every one of us with perfect love.

More than anything, our Father wants His children to choose to return home to Him. The entire reason we are here on this earth is to qualify us to live with Him forever. As we find and stay on the covenant path, we can be sure we are returning to our heavenly home. God knew that we would not be able to travel that path alone. He knew that Satan would use all the deception he could to move us from the path and disqualify us from returning home. He loved us so much that he offered His Only Begotten Son to atone for us. The godly power of the Atonement can heal us, strengthen us, cleanse us, and magnify us in ways we could never do on our own.

Because of His perfect love, God has created laws to keep us safe and guide us through mortality. As parents, we establish laws or rules for our children. We do this because we love them and want to teach and protect them. Sometimes our children don’t understand how these rules are intended to benefit them. In the same way, sometimes we don’t understand how God’s rules are intended to benefit us. But just as we do these things for our children because we love them, God asks certain things of us because of the perfect love he has for us.

God’s laws only exist because of His perfect love for us and his desire that we use our agency to return to be with Him.

    4. The Lord Jesus Christ, whose church this is, appoints prophets and apostles to communicate His love and teach His laws.

We need to have a way to know what God’s truths are. We know he loves us and has given us laws and commandments to help us return to him, but how do we know what they are? Gratefully, He has appointed prophets and apostles to communicate to us. The Apostles are commissioned to go into all the world and preach His gospel. In carrying out this commission to declare the truth of the Gospel, President Nelson said, “sometimes we are accused of being uncaring as we teach the Father’s requirements for exaltation in the celestial kingdom. But wouldn’t it be far more uncaring for us not to tell the truth—not to teach what God has revealed?

It is precisely because we do care deeply about all of God’s children that we proclaim His truth. We may not always tell people what they want to hear. Prophets are rarely popular. But we will always teach the truth!”

As I hear the many voices in the world vying for my attention and acknowledgement, it is comforting to me to know that the prophets will always teach the truth. We will never be led astray if we follow the counsel and teachings that come to us from the prophets and apostles God has appointed in these latter-days.

For me one of the greatest truths of the restoration is the calling of prophets and apostles in our day that will always lead us back to our Heavenly Father. I believe that Joseph Smith was called as a prophet of God. I believe that the keys and authority restored to him have been passed down ever since. I believe that Russell M Nelson is our current prophet and that he teaches us the truths we need to meet the demands of a changing world. My patriarchal blessing talks about the blessings of prophets in my life. It says several things but concludes with this phrase, “Hearken and sustain the prophet. You will always receive a special blessing and spirit as you hear their voice and read their words..” I bear testimony that Jesus Christ has appointed prophets and apostles to communicate to us His love and teach us His laws and the things we hear from them are from Jesus Christ.

    5. You may know for yourself what is true and what is not by learning to discern the whisperings of the Spirit.

As you earnestly and sincerely seek confirmation from the Spirit, you will know that these things are true. In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord has promised “If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge.” Ask Heavenly Father if these five things are true. Ask if doctrine, taught by the prophets, is true, even though we may not fully understand it. I promise you that through earnest and sincere prayer, with a true desire to know the truth, you will come to know what is true. You may not always understand why it is true, but it is true nonetheless. Even as children don’t always understand why their parents have certain rules, and even as researchers discover truths they do not fully understand, it is still true.

1. Russell M Nelson, “The Love and Laws of God”, Sept 17, 2019, https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/russell-m-nelson/love-laws-god/

2.