Do Mission Presidents Hold Keys?

[Duncan]

Do Mission Presidents hold any keys? if so what are they?

[swfarnsworth]

As far as I can tell, there isn't a list of all the keys, but I think being responsible for the missionary word of a particular area could be regarded as a key.

http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Keys_of_the_Priesthood

[ksfisher]

Mission Presidents hold the keys for missionary work in their mission. This includes the keys for the ordinances of baptism and confirmation of converts. It's in Handbook 2, section 20. Mission Presidents are also judges over all the nonmembers within the mission, just as a bishop is a judge in Israel.

Edited October 21, 2012 by ksfisher

[Freedom]

Here is a quiz for you: priesthood keys are one of three components to the ability to use the priesthood. That are the other two and what is the difference among them?

[Duncan]

Here is a quiz for you: priesthood keys are one of three components to the ability to use the priesthood. That are the other two and what is the difference among them?

humility and no unrighteous dominion?

[Freedom]

Keys, power and authority. How are they different?

[Duncan]

Keys, power and authority. How are they different?

Keys are the authority to direct the power! ba boom boom ting!

[Duncan]

Keys, power and authority. How are they different?

oh, how are they different, well keys direct, the authority is the authorization to direct and the power is our personal influence or righteousness to be in tune with God to know what to do and when to do it

[Freedom]

Sort of. All priesthood holders have the authority regardless of their righteousness or calling. Priesthood power is determined by your righteousness. So, a person may hold the authority to act in Gods name, but if he is not following the commandments, he will have no power to affect any change. For example, a store manager may have the authority to instruct the employees, but if that manager has lost the respect and trust of the employees, he or she will have no power to exercise that authority. Priesthood holders had the authority to receive the ministering of angels, but they will have no power to call on this right if they are not worthy.

Authority allows us to minister for the salvation of men, Keys direct these labors.

The Guide to the Scriptures defines keys as follows:

Keys are the rights of presidency, or the power given to man by God to direct, control, and govern God’s priesthood on earth. Priesthood holders called to positions of presidency receive keys from those in authority over them. Priesthood holders use the priesthood only within the limits outlined by those who hold the keys. The President of the Church holds all priesthood keys

Ok, here is another question: which keys does a bishop hold?

[CA Steve]

Mission Presidents hold the keys for missionary work in their mission. This includes the keys for the ordinances of baptism and confirmation of converts. It's in Handbook 2, section 20. Mission Presidents are also judges over all the nonmembers within the mission, just as a bishop is a judge in Israel.

How would a mission president act in the capacity of a judge over the non-members within his mission?

[Duncan]

Sort of. All priesthood holders have the authority regardless of their righteousness or calling. Priesthood power is determined by your righteousness. So, a person may hold the authority to act in Gods name, but if he is not following the commandments, he will have no power to affect any change. For example, a store manager may have the authority to instruct the employees, but if that manager has lost the respect and trust of the employees, he or she will have no power to exercise that authority. Priesthood holders had the authority to receive the ministering of angels, but they will have no power to call on this right if they are not worthy.

Authority allows us to minister for the salvation of men, Keys direct these labors.

The Guide to the Scriptures defines keys as follows:

Ok, here is another question: which keys does a bishop hold?

judge in Israel-I have a counter question for you! I personally only see the Bishop if something I did affects my standing in the Church. If I seek his advice I can take it or leave it like anyone else. I am in the right about these two positions? true too you can take it or leave even if he was inspired or not

[ksfisher]

How would a mission president act in the capacity of a judge over the non-members within his mission?

The mission president has the authority to interview nonmembers living within the mission to see if they are worthy to be baptized (though in most cases this authority is delegated to the full time elders).

Several years ago the general authority visiting our stake for stake conference taught us that eveeryone, whether they are within or without the church, has a judge. This not only means that we are accountable to them, but they are accountable to those whom they have received the keys from. The bishop is accountable for teaching the gospel to the members of his ward, the mission president to those who have not yet joined the church.

[Freedom]

judge in Israel-I have a counter question for you! I personally only see the Bishop if something I did affects my standing in the Church. If I seek his advice I can take it or leave it like anyone else. I am in the right about these two positions? true too you can take it or leave even if he was inspired or not

The bishop has the authority to receive revelation for members in his ward pertaining to their righteousness I don't think he will receive revelation for personal matters such as employment or education. The bishop has 5 titles. Of course, now that I am typing this I can't recall what they are: common judge, presiding high priest, president of the Aaronic priesthood, and two others. Drawing a blank.

[blackstrap]

Is the bishop given any responsibility over ALL the people within his ward boundaries? Seems to me I remember something about that .

[ksfisher]

Is the bishop given any responsibility over ALL the people within his ward boundaries? Seems to me I remember something about that .

I'd imagine that the answer to that would be somewhere in Handbook 1, but I don't believe that the bishop has responsibility for nonmembers living within his ward. The bishop is responsible for member missionary work within the ward, but the full-time missionaries "have the primary responsibility for teaching investigators" (Handbook 2 5.1.6).

The Work of Salvation in the Ward and Stake

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ are sent forth “to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men” (D&C 138:56). This work of salvation includes member missionary work, convert retention, activation of less-active members, temple and family history work, and teaching the gospel. The bishopric directs this work in the ward, assisted by other members of the ward council. (intro to section 5 of Handbook 2)

[Cobalt-70]

A mission president has priesthood keys in the same sense that a Relief Society president has priesthood keys. By virtue of being set apart to these offices, you receive power to act in the name of God--priesthood power--as a shepherd over a segment of the church. These keys are independent of your ordination to any particular priesthood office. I don't see any doctrinal reason why a mission president could not be a woman. If a woman can be a missionary, she can be a mission president.

[ksfisher]

A mission president has priesthood keys in the same sense that a Relief Society president has priesthood keys. By virtue of being set apart to these offices, you receive power to act in the name of God--priesthood power--as a shepherd over a segment of the church. These keys are independent of your ordination to any particular priesthood office. I don't see any doctrinal reason why a mission president could not be a woman. If a woman can be a missionary, she can be a mission president.

"The mission president holds the keys for baptizing and confirming converts."

Handbook 2, 5.1.6

[Cobalt-70]

"The mission president holds the keys for baptizing and confirming converts."

Handbook 2, 5.1.6

But the mission president does not himself, baptize and confirm all of the converts. Nor does he ordain missionaries to the office of Elder. Keys to authorize ordinances are different from the actual authority required to perform an ordinance. That's why a bishopric has the keys to authorize a patriarchal blessing, but no authority to perform a patriarchal blessing.

[Freedom]

A mission president has priesthood keys in the same sense that a Relief Society president has priesthood keys. By virtue of being set apart to these offices, you receive power to act in the name of God--priesthood power--as a shepherd over a segment of the church. These keys are independent of your ordination to any particular priesthood office. I don't see any doctrinal reason why a mission president could not be a woman. If a woman can be a missionary, she can be a mission president.

A Relief Society President does not hold priesthood keys. You have to hold an office in the priesthood to have priesthood keys. There are 4 people in a ward who holds keys: The Bishop, the Elders Quorum President, the Teachers Quorum President and the Deacons Quorum President. A mission president may call someone as an Elder if that person did not have the opportunity prior to entering the mission field. Where the church is not established, the Mission President acts as the Stake President.

[ksfisher]

But the mission president does not himself, baptize and confirm all of the converts. Nor does he ordain missionaries to the office of Elder. Keys to authorize ordinances are different from the actual authority required to perform an ordinance. That's why a bishopric has the keys to authorize a patriarchal blessing, but no authority to perform a patriarchal blessing.

All these statements are true. But, the discussuion is about what keys the mission president holds, not what authority he has.

[Freedom]

That's why a bishopric has the keys to authorize a patriarchal blessing, but no authority to perform a patriarchal blessing.

The bishop does not actually authorize a blessing, he determines worthiness to receive the blessing and issues a recommend. The same is the case with temple work. The bishop does not hold any keys over temple ordinances, but is given the responsibility to determine worthiness.

[Cobalt-70]

The bishop does not actually authorize a blessing, he determines worthiness to receive the blessing and issues a recommend. The same is the case with temple work. The bishop does not hold any keys over temple ordinances, but is given the responsibility to determine worthiness.

How is that different from what the mission president does, with respect to baptism? The mission president has the final say on who is considered to be worthy of baptism within mission. Otherwise, baptism is performed by the missionaries themselves, and usually the mission president doesn't even get involved. The only other responsibility of the mission president is to supervise the missionaries, a job that "even a woman" could do. So there are basically two keys: (1) guarding worthiness for baptism, and (2) supervision of missionaries.

[Cobalt-70]

A Relief Society President does not hold priesthood keys. You have to hold an office in the priesthood to have priesthood keys. There are 4 people in a ward who holds keys: The Bishop, the Elders Quorum President, the Teachers Quorum President and the Deacons Quorum President. A mission president may call someone as an Elder if that person did not have the opportunity prior to entering the mission field. Where the church is not established, the Mission President acts as the Stake President.

I think you have an overly limited understanding of priesthood keys. Such keys can, and often are, given by priesthood office holders to women who do not hold office. A good example of that are the keys given by a temple president to women who officiate in the ordinance of washing and anointing. If performing an ordinance is not a priesthood function, and an exercise of priesthood keys, then I don't know what is. But any leadership position within the church is a priesthood function as well. If church leadership is a priesthood function when men do it, then it is a priesthood function when women do it, too. It's just that women do not themselves currently hold priesthood office.

[Freedom]

How is that different from what the mission president does, with respect to baptism? The mission president has the final say on who is considered to be worthy of baptism within mission. Otherwise, baptism is performed by the missionaries themselves, and usually the mission president doesn't even get involved. The only other responsibility of the mission president is to supervise the missionaries, a job that "even a woman" could do. So there are basically two keys: (1) guarding worthiness for baptism, and (2) supervision of missionaries.

Simple. A mission president can perform baptisms and can authorize the performance of the ordinance. they delegate this responsibility to missionaries. A bishop cannot call a patriarch, cannot perform patriarchal blessings and cannot authorize the ordinance. All they do is determine the worthiness of the applicant. The patriarch is called under the direction of the Stake President and is an office in the Melchizedek priesthood. Without the mission president holding the keys, nobody can perform the baptisms. A woman cannot do it because God requires the work to be directed by someone who holds priesthood keys. One could argue that all the prophet does is supervise the general authorities and make sure the books are balanced, a job a woman can do.

[Freedom]

I think you have an overly limited understanding of priesthood keys. Such keys can, and often are, given by priesthood office holders to women who do not hold office. A good example of that are the keys given by a temple president to women who officiate in the ordinance of washing and anointing. If performing an ordinance is not a priesthood function, and an exercise of priesthood keys, then I don't know what is. But any leadership position within the church is a priesthood function as well. If church leadership is a priesthood function when men do it, then it is a priesthood function when women do it, too. It's just that women do not themselves currently hold priesthood office.

Keys are not given to anybody, they are held by the priesthood leader. What is delegated is the authority to exercise responsibilities governed by those keys. The bishop does not turn his keys over to a 16 year old boy to serve the sacrament, he retains them but gives his authorization to perform the work. All work in the church is governed by the priesthood, but not all functions require the operator to hold the priesthood. One does not need to hold the priesthood in order to teach sunday school, but one requires the priesthood to be the sunday school president. You seem to be under the impression that the leadership of the church are a bunch of dolts that lack your greater insight into how Gods priesthood functions.