The House Analogy - Priesthood Organization

There is a very large house with three floors and many wings and several rooms in each wing. We don't know much about the top floor except that it is similar to the second floor but much better. The person who holds all the keys to the house is responsible for all of the duties and responsibilities in the house. Examples of what keys are for include: the front door, the stairwell, rooms, closets, and windows. Only the key holders can assign or delegate responsibilities.

In this house there are many responsibilities. There are two types and two levels of responsibilities. The two types of responsibilities include temporary, such as cleaning, serving and teaching, and permanent, such as opening the front door, preparing the food and guiding people up the stairs. The two levels include responsibility over the first floor only and responsibility over all of the floors.

Here are a couple ways that those with keys work together with those who have permanent responsibilities: In order to let someone into the house, someone with a key must unlock the front door; then those with the permanent responsibilities can open the door and let them in. In order to guide someone up the stairs, someone with a key must unlock the door to the stairwell; then someone with the permanent responsibility can open the door and guide them up the stairs.

Here is the analogy:
The house is the kingdom of God
The floors are kingdoms or degrees within the kingdom of God
A wing is a stake or district in Zion
A room is a ward or branch
Closets are quorums
The front door is baptism - including both parts
The stairs are the work of the temples
The person who holds all the keys is the head of the church - Jesus Christ
Priesthood authority is given to everyone with responsibilities
Keys are the right to preside over and govern in the church
Temporary responsibilities are callings and can be held by anyone male or female
Permanent responsibilities are offices in the priesthood and can be held by males
The two levels of priesthood are the Aaronic and Melchezedek priesthoods
The Aaronic priesthood is the one used on the first floor
Saving and exalting ordinances - including baptism and temple work - require keys to be performed

While this is not a perfect analogy it does help in understanding priesthood organization better and could be used when trying to understand Gospel Principles: Chapter 14: Priesthood Organization

Some of the principles of this analogy come from a 2014 General Conference talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood others come from D&C 76