Lessons on the Book of Mormon 2020
Lesson No. Thirty-Three
The Sealing Keys of the Priesthood - Helaman 10-11
Priesthood keys seal and unseal the heavens – The scriptures teach of a remarkable use of the sealing keys: “Elijah held the keys of the sealing power in ancient Israel (D&C 27:9), as did Nephi the son of Helaman among the Nephites (Helaman 10:4-10)” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 412). Elijah sealed and unsealed the heavens. (See 1 Kings 17-18) Nephi exercised the sealing keys in the same way Elijah did. (See Helaman 11:1-18)
Like Elijah and Nephi, our living prophet holds the keys of the sealing power (See D&C 110:13-16) What the Lord said about Nephi’s “unwearyingness” (Helaman 10:4-5) could be said about all of His latter day prophets who have served with unwearyingness for decades.
Priesthood power manifested in all previous dispensations has again been given to apostles and prophets in our dispensation. (see D&C 112:31-32). I believe the Lord has given His prophet “power among this people” (Helaman 10:7). This includes the power to open and close the heavens with rain as set forth in Helaman 11:1-18), and certainly His prophet will “not ask that which is contrary to my will” (Helaman 10:5).
We know that President Lorenzo Snow promised the saints in St George that if they would repent and pay a full tithing it would rain. They did repent and it rained. I believe that modern apostles, as authorized by the living prophet who directs the use of the sealing keys, have opened the heavens to bless deserving people in drought-stricken areas of the earth.
Priesthood keys seal eternal families - The power to control the elements is not as remarkable or as important as the power to seal families on earth and have them sealed in heaven. There are men in every temple who hold the sealing power, but only the Prophet, the senior apostle on the earth, can exercise the sealing keys and direct how the sealing power is used.
The most important way the sealing keys are used is to authorize sealing of families, both living and dead, in temples throughout the earth. The current pandemic limits the use of temples, but this pause will bring changes that will greatly accelerate the work of the Lord.
The sealing of eternal families preserves the earth – After quoting Malachi 4:5-6 the Prophet Joseph Smith explained: “I might have rendered a plainer translation to this, (the plainer translation is found in D&C 2) but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children…” (D&C 128:18). The earth would be smitten with a curse if it were not for this welding link that creates eternal families.
President Wilford Woodruff further explained this doctrine – In a conference sermon on April 8, 1894 President Woodruff said: “I want to say, as the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, that…we want to go on and fulfill this commandment of God, given through Malachi, that the Lord should send Elijah the prophet, ‘and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.’ Ye sons of men, I say unto you, in the name of Israel’s God, those very principles that God has revealed are what have stayed the judgments of the Almighty on the earth. Were it not for these principles, you and I would not be here today.”
President Joseph Fielding Smith taught that the sealing power will save the world from utter destruction – “Through the power of this priesthood which Elijah bestowed, husband and wife may be sealed, or married for eternity; children may be sealed to their parents for eternity; the family is made eternal, and death does not separate the members. This is the great principle that will save the world from utter destruction” (Doctrines of Salvation II, p. 118).
President Gordon B. Hinckley taught the purpose of the plan of salvation would be frustrated if families were not sealed together eternally – At the 2006 new temple presidents seminar President Hinckley said: “It is the sealing power that preserves the earth so that it is not ‘smitten with a curse’ (Malachi 4:5-6) and ‘utterly wasted at his coming’ (D&C 2:3). The earth was created for the express purpose ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’ (Moses 1:39). This purpose would be frustrated if families were not sealed together eternally.”
Testimony – I believe that the dedication of a new temple is evidence that there are enough temple worthy saints in that area whose righteousness will be a leavening influence to preserve freedom and protect those people from the calamities that are taking place in the latter days.
One of my primary reasons in serving in the military was to promote the cause of freedom at home and throughout the world. I am glad to have had that opportunity. I now have a greater opportunity, by performing sealings, to protect those I love, and also to help establish freedom and righteousness throughout the earth in preparation for the Second Coming.