Come, Follow Me
What is the priesthood?

What is the priesthood?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

The priesthood is the eternal power and authority of our Heavenly Father. Through the priesthood, God created and governs the heavens and earth. Through this power He redeems and exalts His children. He gives worthy priesthood holders authority to administer ordinances of salvation. All of Heavenly Father’s children can qualify to receive these ordinances and access the power and blessings of the priesthood.

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

In what ways has the priesthood blessed your life? What are some meaningful experiences you have had with the priesthood that you could share with the young men?

What could you do before quorum meeting to find out what each young man knows about the priesthood? What experiences have they had using the priesthood? How might this influence what you decide to teach?

What can the young men do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

The Savior trusted His disciples, prepared them, and gave them important responsibilities to teach, bless, and serve others. How can you help the young men become converted to the doctrine of the priesthood so that serving others becomes a part of their lives?

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

  • Our quorum: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?

  • Our duties: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?

  • Our lives: Remind the quorum of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a quorum presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the quorum; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help quorum members understand the doctrine.

  • In his talk “Walk with Me,” President Henry B. Eyring shared several scriptures that he said can “deepen our sense of awe regarding the holy priesthood” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 82–83). Ask each young man to study one of these scriptures and then tell the class what he learned about the priesthood. Give the young men several minutes to ponder the questions President Eyring asked in the paragraph that begins “One way to respond to such awe-inspiring descriptions.” How do these questions inspire them?

  • Divide the quorum into groups and assign each group to read one of the stories in President Thomas S. Monson’s talk “The Priesthood—a Sacred Gift.” Ask each group to summarize the story for the quorum and share what President Monson learned about the priesthood from his experiences. What experiences have the young men had that have strengthened their testimonies of the priesthood?

  • Divide the quorum into small groups. Assign each group one or more of the scriptures suggested in this outline, and ask them to look for the duties of priesthood holders in those scriptures. Invite them to search through the Gospel Art Book to find pictures of individuals performing priesthood duties, and ask them to explain how others are blessed through this service. Invite the young men to share their experiences fulfilling their priesthood duties and to describe how their services affect others.

  • Ask the young men to list ways in which people in the world gain power (money, education, popularity, good looks, and so on). Read together Doctrine and Covenants 121:34–46, and ask the young men to list the principles upon which priesthood power is based. Contrast the world’s way of obtaining power and the Lord’s way. How does knowing about these principles affect the way the young men view the priesthood?

  • Write on the board What blessings have come into your life because of the priesthood? Invite the young men to ponder this question and share their answers. Read the story about Elder Jeffrey D. Erekson in President Dallin H. Oaks’s message “The Powers of the Priesthood.” Encourage the young men to record stories about how the priesthood has blessed their families in their journals or in a My Family booklet. They could ask their parents or family members to help.

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

  • Ask the young men to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a quorum to apply what they have learned?

  • Give the young men a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.

  • Remind the young men that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.