Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys

General Conference

Earlier this month we had the wonderful privilege of hearing from a Prophet of the Lord and leaders of His Church. It was amazing, as always. The messages were filled with testimony about our Savior, Jesus Christ. But if I were to pick one theme for me it was TEMPLES. I felt like each message was drawing me back to the House of the Lord. A place where I can hear Him more abundantly. A place where I am able to see more easily a celestial vision of my life and purpose. A place where I can make covenants that tether me to Him. It is where I want to be.

And I’ve been thinking of why I want to be in the House of the Lord. There are many reasons – and many important reasons – to be there. But I think why I love it is because there I can strongly feel my relationship with my Father in Heaven and with His Son. A relationship that is eternal. That speaks to who I can be. I heard something once that the reason we love the temple is because it is like going home. And I think of that every time that I go inside now. I love it because it is a space that my spirit, my true identity, is familiar with.

It is in the temple that the adversities of life feel lighter. It is in the temple where my path of discipleship feels more sure. The greatest lessons I have ever learned about the plan of salvation have been in His holy house. My testimony is strengthened as I learn of Him and lean into His care. It all happens in His house – and that is where I want to spend more of my time.

The BIG THEMES I saw this conference were:

• Jesus Christ (always)
• Adversity
• Covenants <– This was the main theme I felt last conference and this definitely felt like a part 2.
• Temples
• Discipleship
• Plan of Salvation
• Testimony

Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys

President Russell M. Nelson’s message was powerful. While I felt like he bridged them well – I felt like there were two separate topics within his message – priesthood keys and temple work.

I learned so much about priesthood keys from President Nelson. He gave this definition of priesthood key: “Priesthood keys constitute the authority and power of presidency. Priesthood keys govern how the priesthood of God may be used to bring about the Lord’s purposes and bless all who accept the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.”

He spoke of the miraculous events that happened in Kirtland – the keys that were restored. The keys of the gathering of Israel, the keys of the gospel of Abraham, and the keys of the sealing power. These keys are critical. They are what make The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the restored Church of Christ.

Furthermore, these keys show the love of God for all of His children. Because of the keys of the priesthood, we are able to do the work done in the House of the Lord. This work is not only essential to our eternal progression, but it enables us to work – hand in hand – with the Lord in His great work. I don’t know if I have ever thought of it that way but it is humbling to me. He is allowing me to work with Him. And with that comes so many promises to me personally.

President Nelson shared that understanding those spiritual privileges is “vital” to each of us. I want to understand those more.

President Nelson invited us to rejoice in the restoration of priesthood keys. I looked up the definition of “rejoice” in the 1828 Webster Dictionary (my absolute favorite dictionary) and it defines rejoice = to experience joy and gladness in a high degree; to be exhilarated with lively and pleasurable sensations; to exult.

Promptings

And that was my prompting from President Nelson – to rejoice in the restoration of priesthood keys! I don’t think I have ever done that. I don’t think I have ever thought about priesthood keys that much. I hope to change that. And just like President Nelson’s talk was about two messages for me, it also gave me two promptings. The second one was to worship in the temple regularly. I have really tried to increase my time in the temple the last two years and it has brought me incredible peace. But there is always more I can do and I hope to do just that.

Invitations

• Repeatedly study the messages of this conference throughout the coming months.
• Ponder what the Lord’s promise (“I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house”) means to me personally.
• Consider how my life would be different if priesthood keys had not been restored to the earth.
• Rejoice that priesthood keys are once again on the earth!
• Consider carefully the following three statements:
  • The gathering of Israel is evidence that God loves all of His children everywhere.
  • The gospel of Abraham is further evidence that God loves all of His children everywhere. He invites all to come unto Him – “black and white, bond and free, male and female;…all are alike unto God.”
  • The sealing power is supernal evidence of how much God loves all of HIs children everywhere and wants each of them to choose to return home to Him.
• Study the prayer recorded in Doctrine and Covenants section 109.

Promises

• Those who serve and worship in the house of the Lord can expect to receive answers to prayer, personal revelation, greater faith, strength, comfort, increased knowledge, and increased power.
• Time in the temple will help me to think celestial and to catch a vision of who I really am, who I can become, and the kind of life I can have forever.
• Regular temple worship will enhance the way I see myself and how I fit into God’s magnificent plan.
• In the temple I may “receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost.”
• All who worship in the temple will have the power of God and angels having “charge over them.”
• “No combination of wickedness” will prevail over those who worship in the house of the Lord.
• Nothing will help me more to hold fast to the iron rod than worshipping in the temple as regularly as my circumstances permit. Nothing will protect me more as I encounter the world’s mists of darkness. Nothing will bolster my testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement or help me understand God’s magnificent plan more. Nothing will soothe my spirit more during times of pain. Nothing will open the heavens more. Nothing!

Highlights

“Priesthood keys constitute the authority and power of presidency. Priesthood keys govern how the priesthood of God may be used to bring about the Lord’s purposes and bless all who accept the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

The conferral of these three…priesthood keys – namely, keys of the gathering of Israel, keys of the gospel of Abraham, and keys of the sealing power – was essential. These keys authorized Joseph Smith – and all succeeding Presidents of the Lord’s Church – to gather Israel on both sides of the veil, to bless all covenant children with the blessings of Abraham, to place a ratifying seal on priesthood ordinances and covenants, and to seal families eternally. The power of these priesthood keys is infinite and breathtaking.

Priesthood keys distinguish The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from any other organization on earth. Many other organizations can and do make your life better here in mortality. But no other organization can and will influence your life after death.

Priesthood keys give us the authority to extend all of the blessings promised to Abraham to every covenant-keeping man and woman. Temple work makes these exquisite blessings available to all of God’s children, regardless of where or when they lived or now live. Let us rejoice that priesthood keys are once again on the earth!

I invite you to consider carefully the following three statements:

• The gathering of Israel is evidence that God loves all of His children everywhere.
• The gospel of Abraham is further evidence that God loves all of HIs children everywhere. He invites all to come unto Him.
• The sealing power is supernal evidence of how much God loves all of His children everywhere and wants each of them to choose to return home to Him.

Priesthood keys restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith make it possible for every covenant-keeping man and woman to enjoy incredible personal spiritual privileges.

Joseph Smith’s dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple is a tutorial about how the temple spiritually empowers you and me to meet the challenges of life in these last days. I encourage you to study that prayer, recorded in Doctrine and Covenants section 109. That dedicatory prayer, which was received by revelation, teaches that the temple is “a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.”

This list of attributes is much more than a description of a temple. It is a promise about what will happen to those who serve and worship in the house of the Lord. They can expect to receive answers to prayer, personal revelation, greater faith, strength, comfort, increased knowledge, and increased power.

Time in the temple will help you to think celestial and to catch a vision of who you really are, who you can become, and the kind of life you can have forever. Regular temple worship will enhance the way you see yourself and how you fit into God’s magnificent plan.

We are also promised that in the temple we may “receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost.”

We are instructed that all who worship in the temple will have the power of God and angels having “charge over them.”

Finally, we are promised that “no combination of wickedness” will prevail over those who worship in the house of the Lord.

Understanding the spiritual privileges made possible in the temple is vital to each of us today.

My dear brothers and sisters, here is my promise. Nothing will help you more to hold fast to the iron rod than worshipping in the temple as regularly as your circumstances permit. Nothing will protect you more as you encounter the world’s mists of darkness. Nothing will bolster your testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement or help you understand God’s magnificent plan more. Nothing will soothe your spirit more during times of pain. Nothing will open the heavens more. Nothing!

The temple is the gateway to the greatest blessings God has in store for each of us, for the temple is the only place on earth where we may receive all of the blessings promised to Abraham.

My dear brothers and sisters, I testify that this is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He stands at its head. We are His disciples.

Let us rejoice in the restoration of priesthood keys, which make it possible for you and me to enjoy every spiritual blessing we are willing and worthy to receive.”

FULL text and video of President Russell M. Nelson’s talk can be found HERE.

Other messages from the April 2024 General Conference that I found particularly impactful:

• Covenant Confidence through Jesus Christ by Elder Ulisses Soares