Pres. Dallin H. Oaks (Apr. '20): "The Melchizedek Priesthood and the Keys"

A NOTE:
Maintaining this blog at this time might be one of the most optimistic things I have done in recent memory :), although I am sure we will eventually be meeting together again for church.  I just have no idea when that will be.  Still, I want to continue this blog even in these times as an expression of hope.  In the meantime, I have begun a separate blog that focuses on sharing ideas to explore the messages of general conference in our homes.  That blog can be found here. 

The idea of priesthood keys confused me as a young man (and even into early adulthood).  Now, it seems such a simple idea, but I tried to make it more complicated than it was.  So, this talk seemed very appropriate to me.  Also, each time a general authority of the Church speaks on an issue like this I am reminded of Pres. Packer who said that we have done a great job of extending Priesthood authority to people, but not as great of a job extending Priesthood power.  So, I appreciated the comments about Priesthood power in this talk-- even if they do not factor into this activity.

The Activity:

1. Make sure that everyone has access to a copy of the talk.
2. Read the quote in par. 3 ("The power of . . . in the family").  
3. Point out that the priesthood power is the same in both the Church and the family, but it is used and governed slightly differently.  The purpose of this activity is to explore those similarities and differences so that we can more fully access the power of the priesthood in both settings.
4. On the board draw to overlapping circles (a Venn diagram).  Label one "Priesthood in Church" and the other "Priesthood in the Home."
5. Ask the class members to look through the talk and identify passages that explain how the  priesthood works in the Church, in the home, or in both.  If it belongs uniquely to one or the other write it in the part of the circle that only applies to that setting. If it belongs to both contexts, write it in the parts of the circles that overlap.
6. Discuss these passages as you write them on the board.
7. (At the end of the lesson):  Ask the class members to make note of one important thing they learned from this lesson and to share it with a neighbor.  This could be a "factual" thing or it could be, as appropriate, instruction/guidance from the Spirit (no one should reveal anything sacred or personal, except as prompted by the Spirit).

Using the Activity:

This is an activity that pushes us back into the words of the prophets instead simply what we remember hearing (which may or may not be accurate).  There is great value in examining those words exactly as they were recorded.  The Venn diagram itself is simply a graphic way of representing the information in the talk.  For some people, this type of device (that pushes us to "see" the connections between ideas literally) is a very powerful way to bolster both memory and understanding.  

There are a number of variations that could be done with this lesson.  For example, you could ask the class members to search the talk individually or in small groups before reporting their findings to the whole class.  You might also move the last step up so that it happens earlier in the lesson or you might decide to ask the class members to write down their ideas.

I hope that this activity is helpful, and I hope that everyone is staying safe.  God bless.