Priesthood, Ordination, and the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood

To better understand the priesthood of God, it's important to know the differences and connections between priesthood keys, authority, power, and ordination, and how the Lord uses the priesthood to bless you and all His children.

What is the Priesthood?

"The priesthood is the authority and power of God. Through the priesthood, Heavenly Father accomplishes His work 'to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man' (Moses 1:39)" (General Handbook, 3.0). In the Church, the priesthood has two parts: the Melchizedek Priesthood and the Aaronic Priesthood.

What are Priesthood Keys?

"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... Priesthood keys give us the authority to extend all of the blessings promised to Abraham to every covenant-keeping man and woman... Priesthood keys restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith make it possible for every covenant-keeping man and woman to enjoy incredible personal spiritual privileges" (Russell M. Nelson, "Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys," general conference, April 2024). "The use of all priesthood authority in the Church is directed by those who hold priesthood keys (see Doctrine and Covenants 65:2)" (General Handbook, 3.4.1).

Jesus Christ holds all the keys of the priesthood. The Lord has conferred on 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 of those priesthood keys (see Doctrine and Covenants 81:1–2; 107:64–67, 91–92; 132:7). Under the direction of the President of the Church, specific keys are given to other priesthood leaders such as stake presidents, bishops, and priesthood quorum presidents (see General Handbook, 3.1).

What are Priesthood Conferral and Ordination?

With authorization from individuals who hold priesthood keys, the Lord has directed that the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods can be conferred on Heavenly Father's worthy sons. After the priesthood is conferred, the person is ordained to an office in that priesthood such as deacon or elder. By accepting priesthood conferral and ordination, the brother holds that priesthood and exercises it according to the duties of that office (see Doctrine and Covenants 107:99).

What is Priesthood Authority?

Priesthood authority is God's permission to represent Him and act in His name. In the Church, all priesthood authority is exercised under the direction of those who hold priesthood keys.

Men receive priesthood authority to act in a priesthood office when they are ordained to that office. In addition, all Church members can exercise delegated authority from God to act in a specific calling or assignment as they are set apart or assigned to help accomplish His work, this includes ministering brothers and sisters. Members are accountable to God and to those He has appointed to preside for how they exercise His authority.

When have you felt God's blessings helping you after you were set apart to serve in a Church calling?

What are Priesthood Ordinances and Covenants?

Priesthood keys, ordination, and authority are how Heavenly Father gives His children access to essential ordinances and covenants that bind us to our loved ones eternally and allow us eventually to live with Him (see Russell M. Nelson, "Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys," general conference, April 2024). Without these ordinances and covenants, we cannot return to live with our Heavenly Father or our families in eternal joy. Ordinances such as baptism and confirmation, the sacrament, and the higher ordinances of the house of the Lord are all performed with priesthood authority under the direction of individuals holding priesthood keys. You can learn more about ordinances and covenants in the study guide "Jesus Christ and His Covenant Path."

What is Priesthood Power?

Priesthood power is God's power. All members of Christ's Church can access His power for their lives by making and keeping sacred covenants with God (See Doctrine and Covenants 84:19–20). Through your faithful covenant relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, you can receive Their power to guide you, revelation to know how to fulfill the work you are ordained, set apart, or assigned to do, and help and strength to become more like Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. We receive God's power through the gift of the Holy Ghost.

President Russell M. Nelson expressed: "I fear that there are too many...who lack [God's] power because the flow of power has been blocked by sins such as laziness, dishonesty, pride, immorality, or preoccupation with things of the world... I fear that there are too many...who have done little or nothing to develop their ability to access the powers of heaven... If we will humbly present ourselves before the Lord and ask Him to teach us, He will show us how to increase our access to His power." ("The Price of Priesthood Power," general conference, April 2016).

Ponder:

What could I do today to increase my access to God's power in my life?

How can I prepare to receive the Aaronic Priesthood?

The Aaronic Priesthood is a preparatory priesthood, helping prepare Heavenly Father's sons to bear the Melchizedek Priesthood. But Heavenly Father has been preparing you to receive His priesthood since before you were born on earth and He will continue to prepare you as long as you will let Him.

The purpose of holding the priesthood and serving in a priesthood office is to prepare you and those you serve for eternal life. Don't worry about how inexperienced you are or think you are. Instead, think about what, with the Lord's help, you can become!

Loving God and loving your neighbor are at the heart of priesthood service. You can prepare to hold God's priesthood by learning to put God first in everything you do and find ways to help His children.

Study and Ponder:

Doctrine and Covenants 20:46-60

What can I do now to show Heavenly Father I love Him?
How can I prepare right now to help Heavenly Father teach and watch over members of the Church?

How can I prepare to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood?

President Brigham Young taught, “The Gospel and the Priesthood are the means [God] employs to save and exalt his obedient children to the possession with him of the same glory and power to be crowned with crowns of glory, immortality and eternal lives.” Like the Aaronic Priesthood, the purpose of holding the Melchizedek priesthood and serving God with His authority is to prepare you and everyone around you for eternal life. Learning to truly minister, or love God and love your neighbor is at the very heart of service in the priesthood.

Just like when we are baptized we use our agency to commit to follow Jesus Christ and take His name upon ourselves, when a man receives the Melchizedek priesthood, he makes a covenant to faithfully fulfill his priesthood responsibilities as a representative of Jesus Christ.

"We have a heaven-sent opportunity as an entire Church to demonstrate “pure religion … undefiled before God”—“to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light” and to “comfort those that stand in need of comfort,” to minister to the widows and the fatherless, the married and the single, the strong and the distraught, the downtrodden and the robust, the happy and the sad—in short, all of us, every one of us, because we all need to feel the warm hand of friendship and hear the firm declaration of faith" (Jeffrey R. Holland, "Be With and Strengthen Them," general conference, April 2018).

Study and Ponder:

Doctrine and Covenants 84:17-22

Acts 3:1-8

What does it mean to you to hold the Priesthood of God?
How is ministering like the Savior did at the heart of priesthood responsibility and privilege?
What do you notice about the way the Lord's Apostles ministered in Acts 3?
Who needs to receive the Savior's love through my ministering today?

What is the oath and covenant of the priesthood?

When a brother receives the Melchizedek Priesthood, he also receives from God an oath, or promise, of eternal blessings for him and his family (see Doctrine and Covenants 84:33–44; see also Guide to the Scriptures, “Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood”).

By choosing to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, faithful brothers also accept the responsibilities of priesthood service. If you live faithful to those priesthood responsibilities, you are promised by an oath made by Heavenly Father that you will gain the fulness of His glory and live as He lives. Together with your eternal companion, sealed in the new and everlasting covenant of marriage, you will have the blessing of being sealed in a family forever with the promise of eternal increase (see Henry B. Eyring, "Faith and the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood," general conference, April 2008).

Study and Ponder:

Doctrine and Covenants 84:35-43

Just as the blessings of God's promise are great, failing to claim such a blessing would bring tragic consequences. We can take peace in knowing that Heavenly Father wants us to succeed and will do everything in His power to help strengthen us if we try every day to serve Him with all our hearts. He also promises complete forgiveness when we fall if we will truly repent and come unto His Son.

Serving in priesthood responsibilities is a covenant responsibility. And serving God by loving His children in a way that leads them back to Him will change the way you see other people. It will also prepare you to live as part of an eternal family and change your feelings about what it means to be a parent or a child.

To learn more about the incredible blessings of God's oath and covenant of the priesthood, you might prayerfully study and ponder Doctrine and Covenants 84:33-88, 106.

What are the things a priesthood holder covenants to do?
What divine promise does God make to those who receive and magnify their calling?
What blessings mentioned in the oath and covenant of the priesthood found in Doctrine and Covenants 84 do I need in my life right now? What am I willing to do today to receive them?

How is the priesthood applicable to women?

"How I yearn for you to understand that the restoration of the priesthood is just as relevant to you as a woman as it is to any man. Because the Melchizedek Priesthood has been restored, both covenant-keeping women and men have access to 'all the spiritual blessings of the church' or, we might say, to all the spiritual treasures the Lord has for His children.

"Every woman and every man who makes covenants with God and keeps those covenants, and who participates worthily in priesthood ordinances, has direct access to the power of God. Those who are endowed in the house of the Lord receive a gift of God’s priesthood power by virtue of their covenant, along with a gift of knowledge to know how to draw upon that power.

"The heavens are just as open to women who are endowed with God’s power flowing from their priesthood covenants as they are to men who bear the priesthood" (Russell M. Nelson, "Spiritual Treasures," general conference, October 2019).

The priesthood of God is just as applicable to Heavenly Father's daughters as it is to His sons, but each is given unique responsibilities. With a desire to understand more about how the priesthood is applicable to you as a daughter of God, prayerfully and carefully study this entire guide looking for and listening for the Holy Ghost to teach you where you can faithfully serve in God's Church, lead His children to the Savior, and receive for yourself and your families the greatest promises offered through the Oath and Covenant of the priesthood.

Ponder:

How can I faithfully serve in God's Church as one of His daughters?
How can I give the Lord my whole heart by leading His children to the Savior?
How do the covenants I've made with the Lord through priesthood ordinances offer me access to the Savior's power in my life?
Who needs my ministering love today?
What blessings mentioned in the oath and covenant of the priesthood found in Doctrine and Covenants 84 do I need in my life right now? What am I willing to do today to receive them?

Learning Activity:

Take extra time this week to pray for the individuals you have been assigned to minister to by name every day.