Aaronic
Priesthood Holds the Key of the Ministering of Angels
D&C 13
Upon you my fellow
servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron,
which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of
repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and
this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi
do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.
D&C 84:26
And the lesser
priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the
ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel;
D&C 107:20
The power and
authority of the lesser, or Aaronic Priesthood, is to hold the keys of
the ministering of angels, and to administer in outward ordinances, the
letter of the gospel, the baptism of repentance for the remission of
sins, agreeable to the covenants and commandments.
What is a Key?
Joseph F. Smith
I say that the Priesthood, which is the agency of
our heavenly Father, holds the keys of the ministering of angels. What
is a key? It is the right or privilege which belongs to and comes with
the Priesthood, to have communication with God. Is not that a key? Most
decidedly. We may not enjoy the blessings, or key, very much, but the
key is in the Priesthood. It is the right to enjoy the blessing of
communication with the heavens, and the privilege and authority to
administer in the ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to preach
the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission
of sins. That is a key. (Gospel
Doctrine, p.142)
The Aaronic Priesthood Itself Inherently
Has the Keys of the
Ministering of Angels
Gordon B. Hinckley
John next said that he conferred the Priesthood of
Aaron—Aaron who held this marvelous power and authority. John went on
to say that this priesthood “holds the keys of the ministering of
angels.” What are keys? They represent the authority to unlock and make
available certain specific and wonderful blessings including the
“ministering of angels.” Every boy who holds the Aaronic Priesthood is
entitled to the ministering of angels if he lives worthy of it. That
means that he may call upon divine power for protection, for guidance,
for comfort, for strength. I believe that John was not using idle words
when he spoke of ministering angels. I think he was conferring a
resource of priceless worth to be made available to those holding the
priesthood provided they sought it and lived for it. (“Upon You My
Fellow Servants,” Tambuli,
May 1989, p. 6)