• Day 71
    • Principle: Jesus Christ calls and ordains prophets and apostles to guide His church.
    • Read: 2 Nephi 30:1 - 30:18
      •  What role do prophets and apostles play in fulfilling the prophecy gives in these verses?
    • Stepping back to Christ's mortal ministry the next few days will focus on the organization His church.
    • Look in the following verses for what Jesus Christ established.  Some of these are direct and others are alluded to.  
    • Speaking about the priesthood keys Dallin H. Oaks taught:
      • “‘Priesthood keys are the authority God has given to priesthood [holders] to direct, control, and govern the use of His priesthood on earth’ [Handbook 2: Administering the Church [2010], 2.1.1]. Every act or ordinance performed in the Church is done under the direct or indirect authorization of one holding the keys for that function. As Elder M. Russell Ballard has explained, ‘Those who have priesthood keys … literally make it possible for all who serve faithfully under their direction to exercise priesthood authority and have access to priesthood power’ [M. Russell Ballard, “Men and Women in the Work of the Lord,”New Era, Apr. 2014, 4; Liahona, Apr. 2014, 48]” (“The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 49).
        • Why is it important to understand the link of the keys of the priesthood?
        • A purpose of the priesthood keys can be found as taught by Paul in Ephesians 2:19–20.
    • Jeffrey R. Holland said:

      • “In order to establish a church that would continue under His direction even after He was taken from the earth, Jesus ‘went … into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

        “‘And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles’ [Luke 6:12–13].

        “Later on, Paul would teach that the Savior, knowing the inevitability of His death, had done this to give the Church a ‘foundation of … apostles and prophets’ [see Ephesians 2:19–20]. These Brethren and the other officers of the Church would serve under the direction of the resurrected Christ.

        “Why? Among other reasons, so ‘that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive’ [Ephesians 4:14]” (“Prophets, Seers, and Revelators,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2004, 6–7).

    • What guidance have you received in your life from apostles and prophets?  
    • How does that direction come to you?
    • Additional Study