Priesthood Quorums’ Table

Priesthood Quorums' Table. Class Methods. — A class teacher enquires : "Are we to take up, in class, the subject matter of the Manual lessons before the review questions?" That will depend very largely on whether your class members are thoroughly prepared. If they have studied the lesson, the references and the notes, until they are familiar with all the points, then it would, perhaps, be well to take up the review questions of the lesson first, bringing forth such points as are not thoroughly understood by the members. Let it be remembered that the review questions are prepared for convenience, and not to be followed too closely. Othor questions should also be asked and considered by the class. However, if class members are not prepared, or have poorly studied the lessons, then it may be well to occupy a part of the time in actual study of the lessons, in the class, and later take up the review, and such questions as may arise in the class. The ideal way, it seems to us, is to require all the members of the class to prepare their lessons at home, then in the class give time to ask such questions as are not clearly understood by them, and have these treated first, and afterwards any question that the teacher may wish to present. Who Holds the Keys of the Priesthood?— "We did not get the same understanding with reference to the keys of the priesthood in studying lesson 7 of the high priests' manual. Some understand that the president of the Church alone holds the keys of the priesthood, while other brethren understand that while the president of the Church holds all the keys of the priesthood, still the quorum of apostles, first seven presidents of seventy, patriarchs, the presiding bishops, presidents of stakes, bishops of wards and presidents of quorums and others hold the keys under and through him, and perform and do all that is necessary to successfully accomplish what the Lord requires in these various subdivionsofhis Church. Which is correct?" The power and authority of the higher or Melchizedek Priesthood is to hold the right of presidency, with power and authority over all the offices in the Church in all ages of the world, to administer in spiritual things.' The presidency of the high priesthood have a right to officiate in all the offices of the Church (Doc. and Cov. 107: 8, 9).

760 IMPROVEMENT ERA. It is ordained that "three presiding high priests, chosen by the body, appointed and ordained to that office, and upheld by the confidence, faith and prayer of the Church, form a quorum of the presidency of the Church" (Doc. and Cov. 107: 22 j. Over this quorum, as the head, stands the president of the Church. He holds the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood, and has power to delegate authority to all other officers in the Church, who thus receive power under and through him to perform and do all that is necessary to accomplish what the Lord desires in the various subdivisions of his Church (Doc. and Cov. 68: 19-23; 107: 6468; 76-84). "The keys of the kingdom belongeth always unto the presidency of the high priesthood" (Doc. and Cov. 81: 2). It is the duty of the president of the high priesthood to preside over the whole Church and to be like unto Moses, to be a seer, a revelator, a translator and a prophet, having all the gifts of God, which he bestows upon the head of the Church (Doc. and Cov. 107: 91-2). While the patriarch of the Church holds the keys of the sealing blessings of the Church (sec. 124: 92, 3), and the twelve hold the keys to open up the authority of the kingdom of God to the four corners of the earth, and to send the word of God to every creature, and other officers hold other keys (sec. 124: 123-128), still, it must be recognized that the keys of presidency over the high priesthood and all its officers, and to be a translator, revelator, seer and prophet, are held and belong solely to the president of the Church, under whose direction all the officers of the Church work and perform their ecclesiastical duties. Beginning of the Aaronic Priesthood. — "Did the Lesser Priesthood (or the priesthood known to us as the Aaronic or Levitical) have a beginning with Aaron? This idea seems to be carried out in the two lessons, 8 and 9, of the high priests' manual.'' The answer to the question must necessarily be "no." The Aaronic Priesthood is but an appendage to the Melchizedek Priesthood, or a part of it, a separate function, whose particular mission is to precede the Melchizedek, or to prepare the way for its dispensations upon the earth. Priesthood is the agency of God, and therefore is eternal, without beginning of days or end of years, and as the lesser, Aaronic, Levitical or preparatory priesthood, partakes of the nature of the higher priesthood, it must necessarily be eternal, though it may be called by different names under different dispensations. So that, while the Lesser Priesthood was first called the Aaronic Priesthood in the days of Aaron, for we have no knowledge of its having been known by that name before that time, undoubtedly the authority, and perhaps the exercise, of that priesthood had always existed and did not begin with Aaron.