This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide covers Doctrine and Covenants 12-17 and Joseph Smith—History 1:66-75, which includes John the Baptist restoring the Aaronic Priesthood.
Following are a few quotes from past and present leaders about these sections of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Doctrine and Covenants 12
“‘No one can assist in this work [unless] he shall be humble and full of love’ (Doctrine and Covenants 12:8). ‘By love serve one another’ (Galatians 5:13). Just as service is a natural consequence of love, so is love a natural consequence of service. Husbands, serve your wives. Wives, serve your husbands. Husbands and wives, serve your children. And to all we say, serve God and neighbor. As we do so, we will come to love the object of our devotion and thus be obedient to the first and great commandment of love.”
— Elder Robert F. Orton, then a General Authority Seventy, October 2001 general conference, “The First and Great Commandment”
Doctrine and Covenants 13
“We should all realize that there is nothing in the world more powerful than the priesthood of God. However, I fear that too often some seem to take it for granted as a right and not a privilege. Many seem to feel that age should determine when they are entitled to receive the priesthood or advance in it.
“Let us just stop and think for a moment of the great importance the Lord placed on the Aaronic Priesthood when it was restored. John the Baptist, who baptized the Savior, was sent to restore the Aaronic Priesthood. Placing his hands upon the heads of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, he 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’ (Doctrine and Covenants 13:1).”
“We should all realize that great works of righteousness can be and are performed by the Aaronic Priesthood.”
— The late President N. Eldon Tanner, then the first counselor in the First Presidency, April 1976 general conference, “Are You Taking Your Priesthood for Granted?”
“What a glorious day it was for Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in May 1829 when they went into the woods to pray about the doctrine of baptism for the remission of sins that they had read about while translating the Book of Mormon. There were many teachings about baptism being taught by different churches in the early 1800s, and Joseph and Oliver knew they could not all be true. They wanted to know about the correct manner of baptism and also who had the authority to baptize.
“In answer to their petitions to the Lord, a messenger from heaven, John the Baptist, appeared to them. He placed his hands on their heads and conferred upon them the authority to baptize with these words: ‘Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron’ (Doctrine and Covenants 13:1).
“What a marvelous day in the history of the world. The priesthood was restored to the earth.
“When we receive the priesthood, we receive the authority to act in the name of God and lead in ways of truth and righteousness. This authority is a vital source of righteous power and influence for the benefit of God’s children on earth and will last beyond the veil. It was necessary for the priesthood to be restored before the true Church of Jesus Christ could be organized.”
— The late Elder L. Tom Perry, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2013 general conference, “The Doctrines and Principles Contained in the Articles of Faith”
“You wonderful young men hold the Aaronic Priesthood, restored by John the Baptist to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery near Harmony, Pennsylvania. Your priesthood holds the sacred keys that open the door for all of Heavenly Father’s children to come unto His Son, Jesus Christ, and follow Him. This is provided through ‘the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins’; the weekly ordinance of the sacrament; and ‘the ministering of angels’ (Doctrine and Covenants 13:1; Joseph Smith—History 1:69). You truly are ministers who must be clean and worthy and faithful priesthood men at all times and in all places.”
— Brother Larry M. Gibson, then the first counselor in the Young Men general presidency, April 2011 general conference, “Sacred Keys of the Aaronic Priesthood”
“My young brethren and sisters, you are powerful tools in the Savior’s hands, and He can use you to bring the blessings of the gospel to others. Bishops, do not overlook the strength and skill of your Aaronic Priesthood quorum and Young Women class presidencies. The Lord needs them in this important work. There are hearts they can reach and work perhaps only they can do. Give them assignments. Open doors for their leadership and the ministering of angels as promised in Doctrine and Covenants 13.”
— Brother Michael A. Neider, then the recently released second counselor in the Young Men general presidency, April 2009 general conference, “Revealed Quorum Principles”
Doctrine and Covenants 14
“Through the teachings of His prophets and through His personal ministry, Jesus taught us the plan of salvation. This plan includes the Creation, the purpose of life, the necessity of opposition and the gift of agency. He also taught us the commandments and covenants we must obey and the ordinances we must experience to take us back to our heavenly parents. …
“In modern revelation, we read, ‘Behold, I am Jesus Christ, … a light which cannot be hid in darkness’ (Doctrine and Covenants 14:9). If we follow His teachings, He lights our path in this life and assures our destiny in the next.”
— President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, April 2021 general conference, “What Has Our Savior Done for Us?”
“One of the reasons my father asked for and received [comfort from the Holy Ghost] was because he had always prayed in faith since his childhood. He was used to getting answers that came to his heart to give comfort and direction. In addition to having a habit of prayer, he knew the scriptures and the words of living prophets. So he recognized the familiar whisperings of the Spirit, which you may have felt today.
“The companionship of the Spirit had more than comforted and guided him. It changed him through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. When we accept that promise of having the Spirit with us always, the Savior can grant us the purification required for eternal life, the greatest of all the gifts of God (see Doctrine and Covenants 14:7).”
— President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, October 2015 general conference, “The Holy Ghost as Your Companion”
“Enduring to the end, or remaining faithful to the laws and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout our life, is a fundamental requirement for salvation in the kingdom of God. This belief distinguishes Latter-day Saints from many other Christian denominations that teach that salvation is given to all who simply believe and confess that Jesus is the Christ. The Lord clearly declared, ‘If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God’ (Doctrine and Covenants 14:7).”
— Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2007 general conference, “Have We Not Reason to Rejoice?”
“I say again: Come and join with us. Come and be clean. Come and be happy. Come and experience the very thing that the Lord has said is of ‘most worth’ (Doctrine and Covenants 15:6) to you at this time in your life. Come and be part of the greatest generation of missionaries the world has ever known.”
— Elder David F. Evans, then a General Authority Seventy, April 2006 general conference, “Your Mission Will Change Everything”
“I am grateful for the example of the Good Shepherd, who did not give up until He had His lost sheep safely home … and for the examples of many of you who have gone the extra mile until you have found that which was lost. Your efforts will have an eternal effect on the lives of your quorum members and their posterity for generations to come. They will be living testimonies of the promise given by the Savior when He said: ‘Feed the flock of God which is among you, … and when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away’ (1 Peter 5:2, 4), ‘that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father’ (Doctrine and Covenants 15:6), and ‘how great will be your joy’ (Doctrine and Covenants 18:16).”
— Elder Mervyn B. Arnold, then a General Authority Seventy, April 2004 general conference, “Strengthen Thy Brethren”
Doctrine and Covenants 16
“We can serve others and express our love to them by sharing the gospel with them and also by opening the door to gospel opportunities for the deceased by performing sacred temple ordinances for them.
“The desire to lead others to the joy we feel comes naturally to those who partake of the sweet peace the gospel brings. … The importance of sharing the fruit of the tree of life with others is taught by the Lord in blessings given to John and Peter Whitmer: ‘And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father’ (Doctrine and Covenants 15:6; Doctrine and Covenants 16:6).”
— Elder Lindon J. Robison, then an Area Authority Seventy, in the April 2003 Ensign article “Draw Near Unto Me”
“Repentance is necessary for personal growth and development. The principle is so basic to the gospel that the Lord stresses its importance again and again throughout the scriptures. For example, in the Doctrine and Covenants, as mission calls were given to the early Saints, the Lord often repeated the admonition:
“‘And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father’ (see Doctrine and Covenants 15:6; Doctrine and Covenants 16:6).
“These revelations were not only intended for those to whom they were given, but also for us. They help us understand that what is of greatest worth to us is to declare repentance to others and to practice it ourselves.”
— The late Elder Theodore M. Burton, then a General Authority Seventy, in the November 1988 Liahona article “The Meaning of Repentance”
Doctrine and Covenants 17
“The Book of Mormon contains the fullness of the Savior’s gospel and is the only book the Lord Himself has testified to be true (Doctrine and Covenants 17:6). Indeed, the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion.”
— Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2010 general conference, “Watching With All Perseverance”
“In pondering and pursuing consecration, understandably we tremble inwardly at what may be required. Yet the Lord has said consolingly, ‘My grace is sufficient for you’ (Doctrine and Covenants 17:8). Do we really believe Him? He has also promised to make weak things strong (see Ether 12:27). Are we really willing to submit to that process? Yet if we desire fulness, we cannot hold back part.”
— The late Elder Neal A. Maxwell, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2002 general conference, “Consecrate Thy Performance”
Joseph Smith—History 1:66-75
“By May 15, 1829, Joseph [Smith] and Oliver [Cowdery] had already reached 3 Nephi [in their Book of Mormon translation]. The history of the resurrected Savior visiting the Western Hemisphere and His teachings about baptism thrilled them. As they read in 3 Nephi, their minds started to wonder about baptism. What manner of baptism was correct, and who had authority to perform this sacred, saving ordinance? They sought an answer to these fundamental doctrinal questions. They resolved to seek an answer by prayer, and they went to a nearby place on the banks of the Susquehanna River. They poured out their hearts, and the heavens were opened to them. An angel appeared, introducing himself as John the Baptist, and he told Joseph and Oliver he was acting under the direction of Peter, James and John, who held the higher priesthood (see Joseph Smith—History 1:72).
“Placing his hands on their heads, he 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’ (Doctrine and Covenants 13:1).
“Later, Oliver recounted the event in these words: ‘But … think, further think for a moment, what joy filled our hearts, and with what surprise we must have bowed … when we received under his hand the Holy Priesthood’ (Joseph Smith—History 1:71, footnote).
“After mankind had been waiting for centuries for God’s authority to be restored, the power and glory of the holy Aaronic Priesthood returned to the earth.”
— The late Elder L. Tom Perry, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2010 general conference, “The Priesthood of Aaron”
