Seminary
Doctrinal Mastery: Matthew 16:15–19

Doctrinal Mastery: Matthew 16:15–19

Jesus Said, “I Will Give unto Thee the Keys of the Kingdom”

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A young woman meets with her Bishop.

In the previous lesson, you learned about the importance of priesthood keys and how the Savior entrusted His keys to prophets on earth. This lesson will give you the opportunity to increase your mastery of this doctrine as you memorize the reference and key scripture phrase, explain the doctrine, and apply principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge to a realistic scenario.

Explain

Imagine someone you know heard the term “priesthood keys” but did not understand it. Using Matthew 16:15–19, explain what priesthood keys are and why they are important. If possible, share your explanation with a friend or family member. It may also be helpful to read through some of the statements in sections 3.0–3.4.1.1 of General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on ChurchofJesusChrist.org or in the Gospel Library app.

1. Complete the following in your study journal:

Write down your explanation of priesthood keys. If you were able to share your explanation with another person, briefly describe how it went.

Memorize

Practice memorizing the key scripture phrase for Matthew 16:15–19: “Jesus said, ‘I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom.’” If possible, print out the following handout and cut out each of the keys. Alternatively, draw keys on a piece of paper and cut them out. Write one word of the phrase on each key. Also write the doctrinal mastery scripture reference, Matthew 16:15–19, on a key. Mix up the keys, and try to put them back in the correct order. Repeat this activity multiple times until you have the scripture reference and phrase memorized. You might enjoy timing yourself and trying to improve your speed with each attempt.

Practice application

Take some time to review the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge in paragraphs 5–12 of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2022) before moving on to the practice application activity.

Your friend Vanya sees a video on social media where a member of the Church is criticizing Church doctrine. This member is smart and persuasive and calls for the Church to change certain doctrine. They even use the scriptures to support their views. Vanya is unsure what to think or how to respond.

  • What questions or concerns might Vanya have?

Vanya sends you a text message asking for help. Think about how you might respond to help resolve her concern.

2. Complete the following activity in your study journal:

Write three text messages back to Vanya. Include the following:

  • Text 1: Truths about how the Lord uses prophets and priesthood keys in the plan of salvation that could help Vanya view this situation from an eternal perspective.

  • Text 2: Divinely appointed sources that Vanya could use to learn more about prophets and priesthood keys. (Include at least one specific scripture passage or prophetic statement.)

  • Text 3: Suggestions for how Vanya could act with faith in Jesus Christ moving forward. If possible, include a personal experience involving priesthood keys and how the use of those keys helped you come closer to Jesus Christ.