|
DIRECTORY
Home
General LDS Information
Basic LDS Beliefs
LDS Videos
Critics' Questions
Submitted Questions
Scriptures/LDS Literature
Genealogy/Family
LDS Temples
Missionary
Music and Arts
LDS Online Stores
Priesthood, Humor, Miscel.
Site Map
Suggest a Site
Now accepting banner ads!
|
|
TOM - I'm curious if there is a list of "priesthood keys."
For example, the sealing key, the key of resurrection, the key of creation etc.
Perhaps I'm even incorrect in thinking that there is or should be a list.
The reason for my question is that in the Doctrine and Covenants (84, 107) and in the Book of Mormon, especially in Alma (12), I have read phrases like the "key of the mysteries of God" and the "key of knowledge." I didn't know if those were actual keys, or what?
In Pondering about this I thought that perhaps when "the enlightenment" took place and suddenly people are progressing and things are being invented etc, I thought perhaps that all happened because a "key of knowledge" was "turned" which marked a new day in which the lord wanted to earth to receive more revelation to prepare for the second coming etc. Any thoughts?
JOEL - OK, here's a list of all the keys I can identify:
Holders of the Melchizedek Priesthood are said to have "the keys of the Church," "the key of the mysteries of the kingdom and the key of the knowledge of God," and "the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church" (D&C 42:69, 84:19, 107:18)
The Aaronic Priesthood has the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins and to administer in outward ordinances (D&C 13:1, 84:26, 107:20).
Moroni is said to hold the keys of the Book of Mormon (see D&C 27:5)
Moses held the keys of the gathering of Israel and the leading of the ten tribes (see D&C 110:11)
Elias, the keys of the restoration of all things (see D&C 27:6), including the Abrahamic covenant (see D&C 110:12)
Elijah, the keys of the sealing power (see D&C 27:9; 110:13-16, 128:21).
The Prophet Joseph Smith holds the keys of this dispensation through all time and eternity as do other prophets for their respective dispensations.
Then there are the keys to preside. The president of a temple, the president of a stake, the bishop of a ward, the president of a mission, the president of a quorum, each holds the keys of the labors performed in that particular body or locality. The keys to preside are only given to the president of an organization or priesthood leader of a priesthood quorum.
Not sure that keys have anything to do directly with what you call "the enlightenment", because all keys are associated with the priesthood which your average mortal is not going to have. I have heard the beginning of this enlightenment to be more associated with the influence of the Holy Ghost or light of Christ which was increased across the world with the restoration of the Gospel.
President Joseph Fielding Smith, after quoting the prophecy of Joel, provided the following insight:
“There have been a great many discoveries. In fact, since the establishment of the gospel, these discoveries and inventions have been increasing more rapidly and we have seen more, perhaps, … than was seen during all the years from the days of the revival of learning and the reformation down to the visitation of Moroni to the Prophet Joseph Smith” (Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954–56, 1:179).
In other words, the Spirit of God brought forth through the restoration has most likely been behind the rapid intellectual, scientific, and technological developments from the time of the Industrial Revolution to our own Information Age.
|
|
|
