“I Will Give unto Thee the Keys of the Kingdom” Lesson 13

Purpose To strengthen our testimonies that Jesus is the Christ and that the priesthood keys bestowed on the Mount of Transfiguration have been restored.

Peter testifies that Jesus is the Christ The Mount of Transfiguration and passing of the Keys

Jesus left Decapolis with his disciples and went to the area of Caesarea Philippi (near the head- waters of the Jordan River)

Banias River at the ruins of Caesarea Philippi

Matthew 16:13–19 Read silently and watch for the following: How Peter knew Jesus was the Christ What would Christ build His church on? Jesus’ promise to give the keys to Peter This took place in approximately October, six months before Jesus was crucified.

“Upon this rock I will build my church” Joseph Smith is the one who taught us that the rock is revelation.

What do you think is important about this conversation between Jesus Christ and His Apostles?

Although it is true that petros and petra can mean “stone” and “rock” respectively in earlier Greek, the distinction is largely confined to poetry. Moreover the underlying Aramaic is in this case unquestionable; and most probably kepha was used in both clauses (“you are kepha” and “on this kepha”), since the word was used both for a name and for a “rock.” The Peshitta (written in Syriac, a language cognate with Aramaic) makes no distinction between the words in the two clauses. The Greek makes the distinction between petros and petra simply because it is trying to preserve the pun, and in Greek the feminine petra could not very well serve as a masculine name. (Donald A. Carson III, Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Seminary [two quotations from different works]) “Upon this rock I will build my church” The Apostle Peter holding keys. Statue by Bertel Thorvaldsen located in the Vor Frue Kirke (Church of Our Lady) in Copenhagen, Denmark

The Savior promised to give Peter the “keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:19). Drawings of Roman-era keys found in Israel

In the first century A.D., keys were typically made of iron and were bulkier, more expensive, and less common than modern house keys. To hold the keys of a house was a position of great trust. Thus, keys were a fitting symbol of special authority, responsibility, and purpose. Ancient scriptures make repeated use of the symbol of keys, which represents the power to lock and unlock, open and shut, and permit or prevent entrance. (Institute Manual)

Why is a conviction that the prophet holds these keys an essential part of our testimonies?

The Transfiguration The Transfiguration Matthew 17:1–9 About a week after Peter was promised the keys of the kingdom Peter, James, and John were part of the event They received important knowledge and keys This was one of the most significant events in the New Testament. It helped prepare Jesus for his Atonement and fortified the three Apostles for the additional responsibilities they would soon have as leaders of the Church.

They traveled to the mountain where the Transfiguration would take place: two possible places: northeast to Mount Hermon, or southwest to Mt. Tabor.

Syria Lebanon Israel Mount Hermon: Headwaters of the Jordan River; now in disputed territory; over 9,000 ft high at the summit; about 40 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. Sea of Galilee

Mount Tabor: about 1,900 feet high, 11 miles west of the Sea of Galilee.

What does transfiguration mean?

The Guide to the Scriptures (lds.org) defines transfiguration as “the condition of persons who are temporarily changed in appearance and nature— that is, lifted to a higher spiritual level— so that they can endure the presence and glory of heavenly beings.”

What happened on the Mount of Transfiguration?

1.Jesus singled out Peter, James, and John from the rest of the Twelve; took them upon an unnamed mountain; there he was transfigured before them, and they beheld his glory. … [Peter] said they ‘were eyewitnesses of his majesty.’ (2 Pet. 1:16.) 2.Peter, James, and John, were themselves ‘transfigured before him’ [Teachings: Joseph Smith, 105], … thus enabling them to entertain angels, see visions and comprehend the things of God. … 3.Moses and Elijah—two ancient prophets who were translated and taken to heaven without tasting death, so they could return with tangible bodies on this very occasion, an occasion preceding the day of resurrection—appeared on the mountain; and they and Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom to Peter, James, and John [Teachings: Joseph Smith, 105].

What happened on the Mount of Transfiguration? 4.John the Baptist, previously beheaded by Herod, apparently was also present. … 5.Peter, James, and John saw in vision the transfiguration of the earth, that is, they saw it renewed and returned to its paradisiacal state—an event that is to take place at the Second Coming when the millennial era is ushered in. (D. & C. 63:20–21. …) 6.It appears that Peter, James, and John received their own endowments while on the mountain [Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:165]. … It also appears that it was while on the mount that they received the more sure word of prophecy, it then being revealed to them that they were sealed up unto eternal life. (2 Pet. 1:16–19; D. & C. 131:5.)

What happened on the Mount of Transfiguration? 7.Apparently Jesus himself was strengthened and encouraged by Moses and Elijah so as to be prepared for the infinite sufferings and agony ahead of him in connection with working out the infinite and eternal atonement [James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. (1916), 373]. … 8.Certainly the three chosen apostles were taught in plainness ‘of his death, and also his resurrection’ [Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 9:31 (in Luke 9:31, footnote a.)]. … 9.It should also have been apparent to them that the old dispensations of the past had faded away, that the law (of which Moses was the symbol) and the prophets (of whom Elijah was the typifying representative) were subject to Him whom they were now commanded to hear. 10.Apparently God the Father, overshadowed and hidden by a cloud, was present on the mountain” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:399–401).

The Prophet Joseph Smith (1805–44) taught, “The Savior, Moses, and Elias [Elijah], gave the keys to Peter, James, and John, on the mount, when they were transfigured before him” (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 105). Also on the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses conferred the keys of the gathering of Israel on Peter, James, and John, who, as the First Presidency, would soon be sending out missionaries to gather the righteous into the gospel. Elijah conferred the sealing power of the priesthood, which made it possible for ordinances performed on earth to be bound or loosed in heaven. Joseph Smith summarized the importance of Elijah’s mission as follows: “The spirit, power, and calling of Elijah is, that ye have power to hold the key of the revelation, ordinances, oracles, powers and endowments of the fullness of the Melchizedek Priesthood and of the kingdom of God on the earth; and to receive, obtain, and perform all the ordinances belonging to the kingdom of God” (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 311).

Summary of Things That Happened to Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration (Ogden and Skinner, 342) 1.They received the keys of the kingdom—keys to the gathering and to the sealing power (the saving work for the living and the dead) 2.They received a sacred gift of knowledge, perhaps what we call an endowment (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:165) 3.They had their calling and election made sure (2 Peter1:16-19) 4.They had a vision of the earth in its millennial, paradisiacal state (D&C 63:20-21)

Chart adapted from D. Kelly Ogden and Andrew C. Skinner, Verse by Verse: The Four Gospels (2006), 343. Persons Involved in the Transfiguration and the Restoration Person TransfigurationRestoration of the Gospel God the Father Spoke from the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son … ; hear ye him” (Matthew 17:5). Spoke in the Sacred Grove, saying, “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Joseph Smith—History 1:17). Jesus Christ Was transfigured on the mount (see Matthew 17:2–8). Appeared with God the Father in the Sacred Grove and in the Kirtland Temple (see Joseph Smith—History 1:17; D&C 110). Peter, James, and John Were transfigured and received priesthood keys from angelic ministers (see Matthew 17:1, 3–8). As angelic ministers, conferred the Melchizedek Priesthood and all its keys on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery (see Joseph Smith—History 1:72; D&C 27:12– 13). John the Baptist Appeared as a spirit on the mount (see Joseph Smith Translation, Mark 9:3 [in Mark 9:4, footnote a]). As a resurrected personage, conferred the Aaronic Priesthood on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery (see Joseph Smith— History 1:68–71; D&C 13). Moses Appeared as a translated being on the mount and conferred the keys of the gathering of Israel on Peter, James, and John (see Matthew 17:3). As a resurrected personage, conferred the keys of the gathering of Israel on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple (see D&C 110:11). Elijah Appeared as a translated being on the mount and conferred the keys of the sealing power on Peter, James, and John (see Matthew 17:3). As a resurrected personage, conferred the keys of the sealing power on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple (see D&C 110:13–16).

What can we learn from the Transfiguration to help us when we need spiritual strength? Elder David B. Haight taught that Jesus’ Transfiguration “was meant for our spiritual enlightenment as well as for those who were personal witnesses” (Ensign, May 1977, 7).

What can we learn from the Transfiguration to help us when we need spiritual strength? (David B. Haight) 1.We should follow the Savior’s example by praying fervently when we need spiritual strength (Luke 9:28). Speaking of the Transfiguration, Elder Haight said: “Perhaps Jesus felt not only a sense of the heavenly calm which that solitary opportunity for communion with His Father would bring, but even more, a sense that He would be supported in the coming hour by ministrations not of this earth. … As He prayed to His Father, He was elevated far above the doubt and wickedness of the world which had rejected Him.”

What can we learn from the Transfiguration to help us when we need spiritual strength? (David B. Haight) 2.We can have the assurance that Jesus will strengthen us as he did Peter, James, and John. Elder Haight said, “He took His three apostles with Him in the belief that they, after having seen His glory … might be fortified, that their faith might be strengthened to prepare them for the insults and humiliating events which were to follow.”

What can we learn from the Transfiguration to help us when we need spiritual strength? (David B. Haight) 3.We can be strengthened by testimony of the Savior (Matthew 17:5) and by the doctrines of the gospel. Elder Haight said, “The three chosen apostles were taught of [the Savior’s] coming death and also His resurrection, teachings that would strengthen each of them in the eventful days ahead.”

“We cannot depend on the testimonies of other people. We need to know for ourselves. President Gordon B. Hinckley said, ‘Every Latter-day Saint has the responsibility to know for himself or herself with a certainty beyond doubt that Jesus is the resurrected, living Son of the living God’ (‘Fear Not to Do Good,’ Ensign, May 1983, 80). “The source of this sure knowledge and firm conviction is divine revelation. …

“We receive this testimony when the Holy Spirit speaks to the spirit within us. We will receive a calm and unwavering certainty that will be the source of our testimony and conviction irrespective of our culture, race, language, or socioeconomic background. These promptings of the Spirit, rather than human logic alone, will be the true foundation upon which our testimony will be built. “The core of this testimony will always be the faith in and the knowledge of Jesus Christ and His divine mission” (Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Power of a Personal Testimony,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2006, 38).