Pres. Dallin H. Oaks – “What does it mean that the Aaronic Priesthood holds [the key of] the ‘gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins’? The meaning is found in the ordinance of baptism and in the sacrament. Baptism is for the remission of sins, and the sacrament is a renewal of the covenants and blessings of baptism. Both should be preceded by repentance. …
“Not one of [us] has lived without sin since [our] baptism.
Without some provision for further cleansing after our baptism, each of us is
lost to things spiritual. …
“We are commanded to repent of our sins and to come to the
Lord with a broken heart and a contrite spirit and partake of the sacrament in
compliance with its covenants. When we renew our baptismal covenants in this
way, the Lord renews the cleansing effect of our baptism. …
“We cannot overstate the importance of the Aaronic
Priesthood in this. All of these vital steps pertaining to the remission of
sins are performed through the saving ordinance of baptism and the renewing
ordinance of the sacrament. Both of these ordinances are officiated by holders
of the Aaronic Priesthood under the direction of the bishopric, who exercise
the keys of the gospel of repentance and of baptism and the remission of sins”
(“The Aaronic Priesthood and the Sacrament,”Ensign,Nov. 1998, 37–38).
“As a young holder of the Aaronic Priesthood, I did not
think I would see an angel, and I wondered what such appearances had to do with
the Aaronic Priesthood.
“But the ministering of angels can also be unseen. Angelic
messages can be delivered by a voice or merely by thoughts or feelings
communicated to the mind” (“The Aaronic Priesthood and the Sacrament,” 39).
