In a recorded message shown during the Sunday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 7, 2024, President Russell M. Nelson emphasized the tremendous spiritual privileges offered through the gift of priesthood keys. The significance of these keys being returned to the earth, according to President Nelson, cannot be overstated.

During his speech, President Nelson explained that priesthood keys govern the use of God's priesthood in accomplishing the purposes of the Lord and blessing all who embrace the restored gospel. These keys were originally conferred to Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple, authorizing him and all subsequent Presidents of the Church to gather the people of Israel on both sides of the veil, provide blessings to covenant children, ratify priesthood ordinances and covenants, and seal families for eternity.

President Nelson highlighted that these priesthood keys are what distinguish the Church from any other organization on earth and enable each covenant-keeping individual to experience incredible personal spiritual privileges. He stressed the importance of understanding the spiritual blessings available in the temple, describing it as the gateway to the greatest blessings God has for His children. Only in the temple can individuals receive all the promised blessings of Abraham.

Expressing his gratitude for the restoration of these priesthood keys, President Nelson proclaimed that they provide infinite and breathtaking power. He encouraged his audience to contemplate how their lives would be different without the restoration of these keys, asserting that the Church would serve solely as a teaching and humanitarian organization, lacking the transformative spiritual influence it carries today.

President Russell M. Nelson, the 17th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has been serving in this capacity since January 2018. Having spent 34 years in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, he is now the oldest President of the Church and the longest-living apostle in this dispensation. President Nelson, a distinguished surgeon, participated in Utah's first human open-heart surgery using a heart-lung machine. In recognition of his contributions, the University of Utah honored him with an endowed chair in surgery in June 2018.

President Nelson, who was previously married to Sister Dantzel White Nelson until her passing in 2005, currently shares his life with his second wife, Sister Wendy Watson, whom he married in 2006. Together, they have a large and loving family, including 10 children, 57 grandchildren, and over 140 great-grandchildren.

In his recent address, President Nelson shed light on the profound impact of priesthood keys and their role in bestowing spiritual blessings upon those who embrace the gospel. His words invited members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to appreciate and rejoice in the restoration of these keys, which he described as indispensable to their personal spiritual growth and development.