Second Sunday

2. Learn more about the restoration of the priesthood

After Jesus’s New Testament Apostles died, the priesthood—the power and authority of God—was lost from the earth. In the early 1800s, God sent heavenly messengers to restore, or bring back, the priesthood. Through the authority of the priesthood and its ordinances, greater access to the power of God is available to all of us once again.

Here are some questions and learning activities you could try:

• How does the Savior bless us through the Aaronic Priesthood?

  Read Doctrine and Covenants 13:1 and 107:20. What rights and authority did John the Baptist restore to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery? Write down words that describe blessings God gives through the Aaronic Priesthood.

• How does the Savior bless us through the Melchizedek Priesthood?

  Peter, James, and John restored the Melchizedek Priesthood to Joseph and Oliver. Read Doctrine and Covenants 107:18–19 and list some of the “spiritual blessings of the Church” you can access through the Melchizedek Priesthood.

• Why does God share His priesthood power with His children?

  Through priesthood ordinances—like baptism, the sacrament, and temple ordinances—“the power of godliness is manifest” (see Doctrine and Covenants 84:20–21). Talk with each other about how you have seen the power of God in your life because of the ordinances of the priesthood. What would your life be like without these ordinances?

• How would your life be different if the priesthood hadn’t been restored?

Other resources

• Guide to the Scriptures, “Authority,” “Priesthood”

• “Restoration of the Priesthood and Priesthood Keys,” Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ (2023), 40

• Topics and Questions, “Restoration of the Priesthood” (Gospel Library)