How are Keys and the Endowment related?
95 That he [Hyrum] may act in concert also with my servant Joseph; and that he shall receive counsel from my servant Joseph, who shall show unto him the keys whereby he may ask and receive, and be crowned with the same blessing, and glory, and honor, and priesthood, and gifts of the priesthood, that once were put upon him that was my servant Oliver Cowdery;
97 Let my servant William Law also receive the keys by which he may ask and receive blessings; let him be humble before me, and be without guile, and he shall receive of my Spirit, even the Comforter, which shall manifest unto him the truth of all things, and shall give him, in the very hour, what he shall say.What kind of keys are given by "showing" something? Knowledge.
It's significant that Joseph's role is limited to "showing" keys. It was up to Hyrum to use those keys to obtain the "priesthood" required for his calling, in process of which he would be shown things by God. So, while Hyrum was ordained by Joseph to the First Presidency 6 days after this revelation was received, no amount of Joseph laying on hands could give Hyrum the authority he needed. It could only come by being "chosen, called up, and anointed a king a priest".
In prior posts I have brought up this quote by Joseph Smith.
I preached in the grove on the keys of the Kingdom, Charity &c The keys are certain signs and words by which false spirits and personages may be detected from true, which cannot be revealed to the Elders till the Temple is completed--The rich can only get them in the Temple, the poor may get them on the mountain top as did Moses. The rich cannot be saved without charity, giving to feed the poor when and how God requires, as well as building. There are signs in heaven, earth and hell: the Elders must know them all, to be endowed with power, to finish their work and prevent imposition. The devil knows many signs, but does not know the sign of the Son of Man, or Jesus.No wonder why both male and females can hold the "keys" of the priesthood (D&C 132:64), as they are knowledge and can only be "shown" unto you. That women can also administer unto the men. (D&C 132:64). I don't wish to focus on the "female" aspect of this but will show a few quotes to persuade this is correct.
Women Blessing the Sick
Some of you, ladies, that go abroad from house to house, blessing the sick, having your little circles of women come together, why are you troubling yourselves to bless and lay your hands on women, and prophesy on them, if you do not believe the principle? (Heber C. Kimball Journal of Discourses, 5: 176 - 177.)
Why do you not live so as to rebuke disease? . . . it is the privilege of a mother to have faith and to administer to her child; this she can do herself, as well as sending for the Elders. (Brigham Young, 14 Nov. 1869, JD 13:155.)
Prest. Smith continued the subject (of healing the sick by the laying on of hands) by adverting to the commission given to the ancient apostles "Go ye into all the world" . . . No matter who believeth; these signs such as healing the sick, casting out devils . . . should follow all that believe whether male or female. He ask'd the Society if they could not see by this sweeping stroke that werein they are ordained, it is the privilege of those set apart to administer in that authority which is conferr'd on them--and if the sisters should have faith to heal the sick, let all hold their tongues, and let every thing roll on. . . . Respecting the females laying on hands, he further remarked, there could be no devil in it if God gave his sanction by healing-- that there could be no more sin in any female laying hands on the sick than in wetting the face with water. It is no sin for any body to do it that has faith, or if the sick has faith to be heal'd by the administration.... President Smith then offered instruction respecting the propriety of females administering to the sick by the laying on of hands. (Joseph Smith, Relief Society on April 28, 1842, Recorded by Eliza R Snow)Charles W. Penrose, issued a statement answering a list of questions regarding women anointing and ministering to the sick.
4. Have the sisters the right to administer to sick children?
Answer: Yes; they have the same right to administer to sick children as to adults, and may anoint and lay hands upon them in faith. (Charles W. Penrose)
3 February 1854: His father and mother [Phoebe Carter Woodruff] laid hands upon him and blessed him and dedicated him unto the Lord.(Wilford Woodruff's Journal (4:244).)Endowment: Sign of the Holy Ghost
The book of Abraham Facsimile 2 has the following picture with an explanation written by Joseph Smith. Compare number 7 with the image.
This key represents the sign of the holy Ghost. When one receives this key than is it a representation of the one who receives the Holy Ghost? What is the key? What is the figure doing? Is this similar to something in the temple? Is that what the temple is really trying to convey to YOU? Is this what it points to you? If so what are the other key words representing for you to do? If this key is the one used to detect false personages is this why Moses made the following comment in the scriptures?
15 Blessed be the name of my God, for his Spirit hath not altogether withdrawn from me, or else where is thy glory[Holy Ghost left or was not "present"], for it is darkness unto me? And I can judge between thee and God; for God said unto me: Worship God, for him only shalt thou serve. 16 Get thee hence, Satan; deceive me not; for God said unto me: Thou art after the similitude of mine Only Begotten. (Moses 1:15-16)Is this what Joseph really meant when he told us to use this key (token) to detect false personages? If this key represents receiving the Holy Ghost, do you really receive it in the endowment? Or do you receive it when you fulfill the "covenants" required to receive it (qualify for it)? If its done this way, and the endowment shows us the path back to God, our person journey representing the things we must receive, than we should figure out what the other components are, and determine where we are at in the journey to continue and draw closer to God.
Key by Showing:
What kind of thing can be received by seeing, given by showing?
Knowledge.
See my post here: Keys of The Kingdom
D&C 84
ReplyDelete19 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.
How do we know if someone has keys?
False priests will say they have keys, being an emblem of their power and priesthoods. They will hold it up saying they have authority because they are in possession of keys that have been handed down from man to man.
A key unlocks something, and in this case it unlocks the knowledge of God. If a man claims to have keys and does not know the mysteries and know God for themselves, they do not have the keys of the priesthood. It's that simple.
Those that really have keys, as described in the verse above, will know the mysteries of God and will know God for themselves. That is what it means to have keys of the priesthood.
To receive the Holy Ghost is to receive the baptism of fire. The baptism of water is only symbolic of the real event. To receive the baptism of fire is to be immersed in the spirit. For me it was a very powerful event, for some it may be more peaceful, but it is always an immersion.
ReplyDeleteThe baptism of fire creates a new creature of the Holy Ghost. Your body is changed. Because light cleaveth with light, the new creation of the Holy Ghost makes your body cleave to higher light, your desires change to higher attributes, and the things of God become more clear to you.