The Restoration of the Priesthood

Lesson

Have your family recite the 5th Article of Faith (or sing it!): “We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.”

Ask: What is the authority mentioned in the article of faith? (answer: Priesthood authority)

Jesus knew that men could not direct His church on earth without power from God. He said that this power would be given by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority.

When He lived on the earth, Jesus laid His hands on the heads of His apostles. (Show the picture Christ Ordaining the Apostles) He gave them the priesthood, the power and authority to act in God’s name, so that they could “preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.” After the apostles died, this authority was eventually taken from the earth.

In 1829, under the direction of the ancient apostles Peter, James, and John, John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. (show the picture Aaronic Priesthood Given to Joseph Smith) He laid his hands upon their heads and conferred the Aaronic Priesthood upon them. Oliver Cowdery said, “Think for a moment, what joy filled our hearts, and with what surprise we must have bowed, (for who would not have bowed the knee for such a blessing?) when we received under his hand the Holy Priesthood” (JS—H 1:71 footnote).

Later, along the banks of the Susquehanna River in New York or Pennsylvania, Peter, James, and John, the same apostles who had received their authority from Jesus Christ, conferred the Melchizedek Priesthood on Joseph and Oliver. (show the picture Melchizedek Priesthood Given to Joseph)

Without the priesthood, the Church could not have been organized, no one could be baptized or receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, no one could receive the blessings of the temple, and no one could return to live with Heavenly Father. How wonderful it is that a kind and loving Heavenly Father restored the priesthood so that His servants on the earth could have the power to act in His name!

The following activities are suggestions to enhance learning throughout the week.

Toddlers

1. Read “The Priesthood is Restored” which gives a brief explanation of how the priesthood was lost from the earth and then restored.

2. Show the picture John the Baptist Conferring the Aaronic Priesthood. Point to each person (John, Joseph and Oliver) and explain who they are.

3. Show the picture Melchizedek Priesthood Given to Joseph. Point to Joseph Smith and ask what is happening to him. Explain that Peter, James, and John are giving him the Melchizedek Priesthood.

4. Show the picture Elijah Appearing in the Kirtland Temple and explain how he restored the keys to Joseph Smith so families can be together forever.

5. Cut out the figures in “Baptism and the Priesthood Restored” and tell the story of the Aaronic Priesthood being conferred on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. Let your little one play with the figures and try to tell you the story.

Children

1. Read Harmony and the Susquehanna which shows pictures and talks about what happened there.

2. Watch Joseph and Oliver are Given the Priesthood created from the Doctrine & Covenants Scripture Reader.

3. This short lesson, The Sealing Keys Restored, gives an explanation of who Elijah and Malachi were and the restoration of the sealing keys. Includes a dot-to-dot of the Kirtland Temple.

4. Watch Visions in the Kirtland Temple created from the Doctrine & Covenants Scripture Reader.

5. Read “Is the Priesthood Just for Men and Boys?” and do the crossword puzzle included.

6. Read Blessings of the Priesthood are Available to All and do the activity to finish each drawing.

7. Listen to “Joseph and Oliver are Given the Priesthood” a discussion between a Primary teacher and children.

Teens & Adults

1. Read Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood in the Church History Topics. How have the ordinances of the Aaronic priesthood blessed your life?

2. Read Doctrine & Covenants 27:12-13 about the coming of Peter, James, and John to restore the Melchizedek Priesthood. How have the ordinances of the Melchizedek priesthood blessed your life?

3. Read Restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood in the Church History Topics.

4. Watch Episode 9 – Restoration of the Priesthoods from the Joseph Smith Papers. (28:35) It examines the conferral of divine authority by heavenly beings upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and the importance of those events to later developments.

5. Sixteen years after the First Vision, the Saints built a temple in Kirtland, Ohio. Read Doctrine & Covenants 110 to discover which ancient prophets visited Joseph Smith and restored priesthood keys.

6. Read the section titled “Reality Number Two: Eternal Marriage” from Elder Paul B. Pieper’s talk “The Realities of Mortality.” What do you learn about the oath and covenant of the priesthood from Elder Pieper’s message? How does the oath and covenant apply to both men and women?

Download the lesson below.

Click here to go back to the eight week restoration study guide