Priesthood
Value of Teachers’ Work
I don’t know of any duty that is more sacred, or more necessary, if it is carried out as it should be, than the duties of the teachers who visit the homes of the people, who pray with them, who admonish them to virtue and honor, to unity, to love, and to faith in and fidelity to the cause of Zion; who strive to settle uncertainties in the minds of the people and bring them to the standard of the knowledge that they should possess in the gospel of Jesus Christ. May all the people open their doors, call in the members of their families, and respect the visit of the teachers to their homes, and join with them in striving to bring about a better condition, if possible, in the home than ordinarily exists. If you can advance, try to aid the teachers to help you make that advancement.-Apr. C. R., 1915, p. 140.
The Restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood
“No man can be exalted unless he be independent. * * * Mankind are naturally independent and intelligent beings, they have been created for the express purpose of exalting themselves.” The study of the subject of the Holy or Melchizedek Priesthood, including the Aaronic, is one of vast importance to the human family. The student of the true science of theology will readily comprehend the necessity of its existence among men, for the reason that true theology, or the Church of Jesus Christ, cannot exist without it. It lies at the foundation of the Church, it is the authority by which the Church is established or organized, built up and governed, and by which the gospel is preached, and all the ordinances thereof designed for the salvation of mankind are administered or solemnized. No ordinance of the gospel can be performed acceptably to God or with efficacy to man except by its authority and power, and certainly there is no ordinance or rite instituted by the Almighty in the great plan of redemption which is not essential to the salvation or exaltation of his children. Therefore, where the Melchizedek or Holy Priesthood does not exist, there can be no true Church of Christ in its fulness. When this Priesthood is not found among mankind they are destitute of the power of God, and therefore of the true science of theology, or the Church and religion of Jesus Christ who is the great High Priest and Apostle of our salvation. While the Prophet Joseph Smith was engaged in translating the Book of Mormon, in 1829, he and Oliver Cowdery became animated over the truths and glorious promises unfolded to them in their work, and desired to reach out after these blessings before their work was done, but the Lord gently admonished them not to be in a hurry; he said: “You must wait yet a little while, for ye are not yet ordained,” but the promise was given that they should be ordained thereafter, and they should go forth and deliver the word of God unto the children of men, and he pronounced a woe upon the inhabitants of the earth if they would not then hearken unto their words.
The ordinary meaning of the word priesthood, as generally understood and applied in the world, signifies a class or body of men set apart for sacred duties, or holding the priestly office, or an order of persons composed of priests spoken of or taken collectively. This is not, however, the sense in which the words Melchizedek or Holy Priesthood, are used here. Reference is made in this article to the sacred office itself, or the principle of power which constitutes the office, and is the authority by which individuals or the several orders, or quorums, as we use the term, composing the priesthood of the Church, may legitimately act in the name of the Lord; or the moving, directing, controlling, governing or presiding agency, right and authority, which is vested in the Godhead and delegated unto man for the purpose of his instruction, initiation into the Church, spiritual and temporal guidance, government and exaltation. That is the Melchizedek Priesthood, which is without father, without mother, or descent, or beginning of days, or end of life, which the great high priest, Melchizedek, so honored and magnified in his time that it was called after his name, in honor to him and to avoid the too frequent repetition of the name of the Son of God.
This distinction between the quorums of the priesthood and the Priesthood itself should always be kept in mind in the use of the term Melchizedek or Holy Priesthood. The Holy Priesthood after the order of the Son of God was the original name given to this Priesthood. Subsequently it was called the Melchizedek Priesthood. This Priesthood was confirmed upon Adam, Abel, Seth, Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, Melchizedek, Abraham, Moses and many others, and doubtless upon many of the prophets prior to the birth of Christ, upon his chosen disciples among the Jews, before his crucifixion, and upon the Nephite disciples upon this continent, after his resurrection and ascension on high. These he made his apostles, to bear witness of him upon both hemispheres and to all the world; and doubtless the Savior conferred this Priesthood upon other disciples whom he chose from among the “other sheep” of whom he spoke to the Nephites, which were not of the folds of the Jews or of the Nephites, whose records are yet to come forth to bear witness of him, in the due time of the Lord.
We learn from the revelations that God took Moses, and the Holy Priesthood also, out of the midst of the children of Israel. But the lesser or Aaronic Priesthood, which was confirmed upon Aaron and his seed, continued among them till the coming of Christ in the meridian of time. John, the son of Zacharias, was probably the last who held the keys of this Priesthood among the Jews. He was raised up and sent as the forerunner of Christ to prepare the way for his first coming. And he was also sent to the world in this dispensation to begin the work of preparation for Christ’s second advent.
“There are in the Church two Priesthoods, namely, the Melchizedek and Aaronic, including the Levitical Priesthood. Why the first is called the Melchizedek Priesthood is because Melchizedek was such a great high priest. Before his day it was called the Holy Priesthood after the order of the Son of God.” The Melchizedek Priesthood holds the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the Church, of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, of communion with the general assembly and Church of the first born, and the presence of God, the Father, and Jesus, the Mediator.
The Aaronic Priesthood is an appendage to the first, and holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and the outward ordinances and letter of the gospel, the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, agreeable to the covenants and commandments.
The Melchizedek Priesthood which Christ restored to the earth, remained among men between three and four hundred years afterwards. When in consequence of transgressions, apostasy from the true order of the Priesthood and Church of Christ, the innovations of priestcraft and paganism, the true order of God was lost, the Holy Priesthood was taken from the earth, and the Church of Christ ceased to be among men, so far as we have any knowledge by revelation or from the history and records of the past.
Then were fulfilled many predictions of the prophets and apostles, contained in the word of God. Among them the word of God spoken by John, in the 12th chapter of Revelations, and the prophecy of Amos: “Behold the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.” (Amos 192 8:11, 12.) The proclamation of the word of the Lord is, and always has been dependent upon the authority of the Holy Priesthood.
How could they hear without a preacher, and how shall they preach except they be sent?
The Gentiles among whom the Priesthood had been established and the gospel preached, fell away also after the example of unbelief and the manner of the Jews, or children of Israel. God who spared not the natural branches, also cut off engrafted ones, and “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth,” was set up as foretold by the Prophet Daniel and the Apostle John. This power made war with the Saints, and overcame them, changed time and laws, “wore out the Saints of the Most High,” was drunken with their blood and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, and destroyed the holy people. But this mystical power, in turn, is to be overcome and, in the due time of the Lord, utterly destroyed.
Before this great event shall occur must come to pass the restoration of the gospel of Christ, and the establishment of the kingdom of God again on the earth, with all the powers and blessings of the Holy Priesthood, concerning which we have the most positive assurances. The declarations of the sacred writers of the Bible and the Book of Mormon not only affirm the restoration of all things spoken of by holy prophets relative to this great event, but also that this kingdom shall no more be thrown down nor be left to another people, nor cease until the whole earth shall be filled with the brightness of its glory, with its truths, its power, might, majesty and dominion, and that the kingdom and the greatness thereof under the whole heaven will be given unto the Saints of the Most High God, and they shall possess it forever. The declaration of this truth is even now very galling to the unbelieving world, and to those who reject the truth; nevertheless the Saints will inherit the blessings, and the word of God will come to pass, however much the wicked object to it or whether we as the beginners in the great cause endure faithful to the end and realize the promise or not. This great and glorious redemption will be consummated through the power and agencies of the Holy or Melchizedek Priesthood, by means of which and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, God has ever dealt, and will always deal, with the children of men; for this Priesthood “administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the kingdom of God; therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the of godliness is manifest; and without the ordinance thereof, and the authority of the Priesthood, the power of God is not manifest unto men in the flesh; for without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father and live.” (Doc. and Cov. 84:19-22.)
The Lesser Priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel; which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins, which continued “with the house of Aaron among the children of Israel until John, whom God raised up, being filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb.” He, John, “was baptized while he was yet in his childhood and was ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight days old unto this power, to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews, and to make straight the way of the Lord before the face of his people, to prepare them for the coming of the Lord in whose hand is given all power.” (Doc. and Cov. 84:26-28.)
It was the same John who appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, on the fifteenth day of May, 1829, and conferred upon them the Aaronic Priesthood with all its keys and power. The ordination was in the following words:
“Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.” There is nothing said here about the offices of this Priesthood. They were an after consideration. I will remark here that the Priesthood is greater than the offices which grew out of it, and are mere appendages to it, “all other authorities or offices in the Church are Appendages to this Priesthood”-meaning the Melchizedek Priesthood. But there are two divisions or grand heads (not three, nor many); one is the Melchizedek Priesthood and the other is the Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood. The offices in the Priesthood are necessary appendages thereof-for the purposes of order and government, and the duties of these several offices are defined in the revelations and laws and commandments of God.
This most sacred and important event, above quoted, occurred at or near a place called Harmony, in Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, while Joseph Smith was living there, engaged in the translation of the Book of Mormon, and Oliver Cowdery was writing for him. We have not, unfortunately, any account so definite, of the reception by Joseph and Oliver, of the Melchizedek Priesthood as we have the confirmation of the Aaronic Priesthood. But we have positive information and knowledge that they did receive this Priesthood at the hands of Peter, James and John, to whom the keys and power thereof were committed by the Lord Jesus Christ, and who were commissioned to restore it to the earth in the dispensation of the fulness of times. We cannot fix the exact date when this Priesthood was restored, but it occurred some time between the 15th of May, 1829, and the 6th of April, 1830. We can approximate to within a few months of the exact time, but no further, from any of the records of the Church, Joseph, the Prophet, designates the place where their ordination took place, in his address to the Saints (Sec. 128:20) written in 1842, as follows:
“Again what do we hear? * * * the voice of Peter, James, and John, in the wilderness between Harmony, Susquehanna, county, and Colesville, Broome county, on the Susquehanna river, declaring themselves as possessing the keys of the kingdom of the dispensation of the fulness of times.” And in a revelation given September, 1830, referring to Joseph and Oliver, the Lord said in reference to partaking again of the Sacrament on the earth, that “the hour cometh that I will drink of the fruit of the vine with you on the earth, and with Moroni, * * * and also with Elias, * * * and also John the son of Zacharias, * * * which John I have sent unto you, my servants, Joseph Smith, Jun., and Oliver Cowdery, to ordain you unto this first Priesthood which you have received, that you might be called and ordained even as Aaron; and also Elijah, * * * and also with Joseph and Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham, your fathers, by whom the promises remain; and also with Michael, or Adam, the father of all, the prince of all, the ancient of days. And also with Peter, and James, and John, whom I have sent unto you, by whom I have ordained you and confirmed you to be apostles, and especial witnesses of my name, and bear the keys of your ministry, and of the same things which I revealed unto them; unto whom I have committed the keys of my kingdom, and a dispensation of the gospel for the last times; and for the fulness of times, in the which I will gather together in one all things, both which are in heaven and which are on earth.” (Doc. and Cov. 27:5-13.)
A revelation given April, 1830, Sec. 20:2, 3, says: “Which commandments were given to Joseph Smith, Jun., who was called of God and ordained an apostle of Jesus Christ, to be the first elder of this Church; and to Oliver Cowdery, who was also called of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to be the second elder of this Church, and ordained under his hand.” After the Melchizedek Priesthood was conferred upon Joseph and Oliver, by the ancient apostles, they were commanded to ordain each the other, as we see by the above quotation, and the 10th and 11th verses of Section 21 Doctrine and Covenants.
It would appear from the instructions given in the revelations, dated June, 1829, that the apostleship had been then conferred on Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer. If this supposition is correct, it reduces the period of uncertainty when this glorious event actually took place to a few weeks, or from the middle of May to the end of June. It is also asserted that David Whitmer supposed the event to have taken place about this time. It is evident, however, that David received the apostleship under the hands of Joseph and Oliver, and was not present when they received it under the ministration of the ancient apostles.
In the first edition of the Compendium under the heading of “Chronology of the most important events which have transpired in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from A. D. 1820, to 1856,” we find the following brief statement: “June 6, 1831, the Melchizedek Priesthood was first given.” This detached sentence conveys the idea that the Melchizedek Priesthood was not given until fourteen months after the Church was established. Many have been misled and others greatly puzzled over this statement, knowing that “elders were ordained” on the 6th day of April, 1830, a year and two months before, and that “the office of an elder comes under the Priesthood of Melchizedek.”
It is a pity that greater attention is not paid to matters of history, for then such mistakes would not occur. Several errors of this character have crept into history through neglect or want of proper attention to the subjects. The passage of history from which this brief and misleading extract was taken reads as follows: “On the sixth of June (1831) the elders from the various parts of the country where they were laboring, came in; and the conference before appointed, convened in Kirtland; and the Lord displayed his power in a manner that could not be mistaken. The man of sin was revealed, and the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood was manifested, and conferred for the first time upon several of the elders.” Now, if this does not mean that on this occasion several elders received their first ordination, then it must mean that these several elders who had previously been ordained, then, for the first time, received the power or authority of their ordinations. The words “conferred for the first time upon several of the elders,” would seem at first glance to mean that several were then ordained elders, but taking the complete sentence together, namely, “The man of sin was revealed, and the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood was manifested, and conferred for the first time upon several of the elders,” we naturally conclude that several who had previously been ordained elders, had not yet received the spirit, or power, or authority of their ordinations, but that now for the first time, the authority of the Priesthood having been manifested, it fell upon them. It is evident from the context that the word authority as used in this quotation means power. It reads as follows: “It was clearly evident that the Lord gave us power in proportion to the work to be done, and strength according to the race before us, and grace and help as our needs required.” That several persons were ordained on that occasion is directly stated, as follows: “Great harmony prevailed; several were ordained; faith was strengthened; and humility so necessary for the blessing of God to follow prayer, characterized the Saints.” One thing is perfectly clear, and that is, no reference whatever is here made to the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood by Peter, James and John, which great event occurred, without doubt, between May and July, 1829. However until about the time this conference was held, the term Melchizedek Priesthood was seldom or never used. The High Priesthood, or the Holy Priesthood, were the terms generally applied until then.
Thus this glorious Priesthood, which “is after the holiest order of God,” has been restored to man in its plenitude and power in the present age for the last times,” and no part of it will be “taken from the earth again until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness,” or “until God shall gather together in one all things, both which are in heaven and which are on earth.” In conclusion I will call the attention of the readers of this to Sections 5, 13, 27, 84, 107, 110 and 128 of the Doctrine and Covenants for further reflection on the subject.-Contributor, Vol. 10, 1889, pp. 307-311.