The Restoration of the Priesthood/ Sunday lesson brought to you on Monday

When I was a teenager, I would often travel with my dad throughout New York on his church assignments. I loved being able to see my friends, and I always loved being with my dad. On one occasion, we were driving past the exit for the Restoration of the Priesthood. He wanted to stop, but I wanted to get home. I believe my exact response was, "Dad, I just want to go home. I'm a girl, the priesthood has nothing to do with me." My dad kept on driving. But of course, the restoration of the priesthood has everything to do with me, and it means everything to me. I have been blessed by the priesthood at every stage of my life, and will be continued to be blessed by it.

In April 1829, Oliver Cowdery came to help Joseph Smith with the translation of the Book of Mormon. While they were translating 3 Nephi, Joseph and Oliver realized that they needed to be baptized. The two went into the woods to pray. In answer to their prayer, John the Baptist Appear to them. He laid his hands on their heads and said, "Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.

In Sunday School, we talked about what it means to have the Ministring of Angels. Elder Oaks gave a beautiful talk about what it means to have Angels with us. It is part of having the spirit always with us.

Two of my favorite quotes:

What does it mean that the Aaronic Priesthood holds “the key of the ministering of angels” and of the “gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins”? The meaning is found in the ordinance of baptism and in the sacrament. Baptism is for the remission of sins, and the sacrament is a renewal of the covenants and blessings of baptism. Both should be preceded by repentance. When we keep the covenants made in these ordinances, we are promised that we will always have His Spirit to be with us. The ministering of angels is one of the manifestations of that Spirit.

But the ministering of angels can also be unseen. Angelic messages can be delivered by a voice or merely by thoughts or feelings communicated to the mind. President John Taylor described “the action of the angels, or messengers of God, upon our minds, so that the heart can conceive … revelations from the eternal world” (Gospel Kingdom, sel. G. Homer Durham [1987], 31).

I often take the blessing of the gospel for granted because it has always been a part of my life. Sometimes, the Lord allows me to see how I have been blessed by the gospel. Whether it is recognizing the angels that helped me through difficult times, or seeing how my choices brought safety and peace to my family. It's a remarkable gift, and those gifts are made possible because of the restoration of the priesthood.

Some of the responses from our Sunday School class of how the Priesthood blesses their lives: healing, ordinance, ability to make and keep covenants with God, and having the spirit in their lives. One of the most tender, was from a father, explaining what a great blessing it has been to baptize his children, give them father's blessings, ordain them to the priesthood. I love how the Lord connects our families both through the priesthood ordinances, and by fathers being able to perform those ordinances.