“Acting with divine authority requires more than mere social contract. It cannot be generated by theological training or a commission from the congregation. No, in the authorized work of God there has to be power greater than that already possessed by the people in the pews or in the streets or in the seminaries—a fact that many honest religious seekers had known and openly acknowledged for generations leading up to the Restoration. …
“… [The priesthood line of authority of each priesthood holder in the Church] goes back in an unbroken chain to angelic ministers who came from the Son of God Himself, bearing this incomparable gift from heaven” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Our Most Distinguishing Feature,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2005, 44).