We now must awaken in every elder and high priest, in every quorum and group, and in the father of every home the power of the priesthood of the Almighty…. We need everyone. The tired or worn out or lazy and even those who are bound down with guilt must be restored through repentance and forgiveness.
Sisters, he said, are not excluded. “Unless we enlist the attention of the mothers and daughters and sisters—who have influence on their husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers—we cannot progress. The priesthood will lose great power if the sisters are neglected.”
What is at stake?
Now, fathers, I would remind you of the sacred nature of your calling. You have the power of the priesthood directly from the Lord to protect your home. There will be times when all that stands as a shield between your family and the adversary’s mischief will be that power. You will receive direction from the Lord by way of the gift of the Holy Ghost.[1]
The Constitution of the Priesthood
President Stephen L Richards called Doctrine and Covenants 121:34–46 “The Constitution of the Priesthood.”[2] Here is the constitution:
Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—that the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.
That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.
We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
Hence many are called, but few are chosen.
No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—
Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; that he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.
Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.
The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.
This constitution contains some the greatest blessings and one of the harshest indictments pronounced by the Lord upon priesthood holders. Endowed women are not exempt. The denouncement, “Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen,” applies equally to them. Anyone who has entered into the new and everlasting covenant and received the priesthood blessings of the temple should understand the principles contained in the Constitution of the Priesthood. Therefore, women can benefit from this discussion.
Two Groups
First, we must point out that the call referenced in the Constitution of the Priesthood hearkens to the calling in the oath and covenant of the priesthood:
For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling [not callings], are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies. They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God.[3]
This call is the call to eternal life, and to obtain the promise of that call, we must faithful fulfill all of our callings.
In the Constitution of the Priesthood, the Lord divides the totality of priesthood holders (and their female counterparts) into two groups:
- Those who respond to the call to eternal life,[4] magnify their calling to eternal life, and thereafter obtain the promise of exaltation;
- Those who neglect or reject the call to eternal life, take casually or ignore that calling, and forfeit exaltation.
There are only two choices, and each of us, male and female, belongs to one of those two groups. Why would “many” be placed in the second group? The Lord gives us the answer: “Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and [they] aspire to the honors of men.”[5]
- Love of money!
- Love of power!
- Love of popularity, which is attention, recognition, and influence!
We could divide and define the groups as Zion people and Babylon people. Hugh Nibley taught that these two groups are mutually exclusive; they represent two ways that are heading in opposite directions. We cannot choose to belong to both.[6] To attempt to do so summons the Lord’s ominous denouncement: “Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man!”[7] This statement hangs over our heads like a sword. The implication is amen to the exaltation of that man!
A Satanic Strategy
Looking forward to our day, Nephi saw a frightening satanic strategy to carefully deceive men and women. Nephi saw Satan lulling us into supposed carnal security and thereby convincing us to abandon our birthright blessings, take our eyes off Zion, and quietly persuade us to sacrifice the promise of eternal life. Satan’s strategy was designed to trick us into minimizing our covenants, including the oath and covenant of the priesthood.
Satan’s tactic is one that he had employed anciently, one that he had taught to Cain. He has successfully used it ever since, convincing untold thousands that they can simultaneously focus on money, power and popularity and still be a Zion person. Because it is impossible to serve both God and mammon, Satan knows that he can thereafter dupe us into setting aside and abandoning our priesthood covenant, which will cause us to spiral downward into temporal and spiritual destruction.
Here is what Nephi prophesied concerning people who profess to love Zion while pursuing Babylon:
And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.[8]
Few prophecies are repeated more often by Latter-day Saints. We quote this verse regularly in classes; we trumpet it from the pulpit; and yet many of us will fall into the devil’s snare, thinking that the scripture applies to others. If we are not careful, we will fail in our priesthood calling, forfeit Zion, and fall short of eternal life. The chosen few are those who serve the one true God. But sadly there are “many” who are called but who will not be chosen because they worship the god of money, power, and recognition. According to the Constitution of the Priesthood, they will suffer the prophesied result: “Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man!”
A Test of Loyalties
President Ezra Taft Benson taught, “When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims of our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities.”[9]
To Moses, the Lord revealed our covenantal relationship to God in the first three commandments:
- Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
- Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God. . . .
- Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.[10]
These first three commandments allow no wiggle room; they demand our total allegiance to God. We are allowed no other affections before God—no idolizing, adoring, or worshipping anything or anyone in front of God, and no taking upon us his name and then dishonoring him by placing our loyalties elsewhere. In no uncertain terms, the Lord said we would not be held guiltless for such actions. We cannot suppose that we can enter the priesthood covenant, replace it in our minds and hearts with other affections, and then receive a few stripes at the day of judgment and go on to inherit eternal life. God demands our total loyalty to at least the same degree that a wife demands total loyalty from her husband. “Thou shalt have no other gods [or affections] before me!”
A common hypocrisy is to expect total loyalty from God while not returning total loyalty to him. Mortality is a perfect environment in which to test the depth of these loyalties. A pivotal test is the choice between God and mammon. Hugh Nibley explains that the Hebrew word, mammon means “financial activity of any kind.”[11] The Savior warned that we cannot choose both: “Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.”[12] Some people try to simultaneously choose both God and mammon, but that defines them as mammon choosers, which categorizes them among the many who are called but not chosen. Gospel writers Leaun G. Otten and C. Max Caldwell explained:
There are many brethren who are called and given the rights or authority of the priesthood, but few of them are also chosen for an inheritance of eternal life. Those who are to receive eternal lives must first learn and apply the fundamental principles upon which the priesthood must function.[13]
One of the first principles on that list would be fierce loyalty to God.
Zion people are classified as the few who are both called and chosen, those who distinguish themselves from the “many” by choosing and serving God over mammon and remaining loyal to the end, enduring in the covenants “at all hazards.”[14]
Restoration of the Constitution of the Priesthood
As we have mentioned, the verses contained in Doctrine and Covenants 121:34–46 have been referred to as the Constitution of the Priesthood. These verses are among the “plain and precious”[15] parts of the gospel that the Lord restored in the dispensation of the fulness of times. Elder Neal A. Maxwell explained that this section contains an “elaboration [that] is given nowhere else in scripture! It is a significant part of the fulness of the Restoration and includes counsel on how human foibles can keep us from gaining access to the powers of heaven and how power and authority are to be exercised.”[16]
We must come to grips with the implications of the Constitution of the Priesthood and cease rationalizing its meanings. Clearly, of the many that are called to eternal life, only a few will distinguish themselves in the priesthood by abiding the principles listed in the constitution and thereby earn their eternal reward. President Packer has plainly issued a call to action:
Too many of our priesthood brethren are living below their privileges and the Lord’s expectations. We must go forward, confident of the supernal power of the priesthood. It is a source of strength and encouragement to know who we are and what we have and what we must do in the work of the Almighty.[17]
Author’s Note
This article was adapted from my new book, The Three Pillars of Zion. Click here to receive a free sample.
[1] Packer, “The Power of the Priesthood, Ensign, May 2010, 6-10.
[2] Richards, Conference Report, Apr. 1955, 12.
[3][3] D&C 84:33-34.
[4] McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 482.
[5] D&C 121:35.
[6] Nibley, Approaching Zion, 18–19.
[7] D&C 121:37; emphasis added.
[8] 2 Nephi 28:21.
[9] Benson, Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 349–50.
[10] Exodus 20:3–7.
[11] Nibley, Approaching Zion, 20–21.
[12] Matthew 6:24; 3 Nephi 13:24.
[13] Otten and Caldwell, Sacred Truths of the Doctrine and Covenants, 2:305.
[14] Smith, History of the Church, 3:379, 380.
[15] 1 Nephi 13:34.
[16] Maxwell, Men and Women of Christ, 123.
[17] Packer, “The Power of the Priesthood, Ensign, May 2010, 6-10.
As a rule, we men, who strive to live celestial laws and are thus judged worthy to be ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood, qualified to hold that authority in the premortal life, which Alma calls the “first place.”[ii] Quoting Alma and Joseph Smith, Elder McConkie taught that worthy priesthood holders were
“on the same standing with their brethren,” meaning that initially all had equal opportunity to progress through righteousness. But while yet in the eternal worlds, certain of the offspring of God, “having chosen good, and exercising exceeding great faith,” were as a consequence “called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God” to enjoy the blessings and powers of the priesthood. These priesthood calls were made “from the foundation of the world,” or in other words faithful men held priesthood power and authority first in pre-existence and then again on earth. “Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was.”[iii]
Our premortal calling to the priesthood, Alma says, was “on account of [our] exceeding faith and good works.” Having chosen independently to embrace the good and eschew the evil, and having exercised “exceedingly great faith,” we received the authority of God, which qualified us for a “preparatory redemption.”[iv] In other words, in the “first place,” or premortality, we earned the blessings of a preparatory redemption, which guaranteed that we would be offered those blessings again in the flesh. These blessings included ordination to the priesthood then and the invitation to receive it now. Unless we chose otherwise in this life, the blessings of redemption and the priesthood would be ours forever.
The Eternal Obligation of Priesthood Holders
“Priesthood is the great governing authority in the universe,” writes M. Catherine Thomas, assistant professor emeritus of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University. “It unlocks spiritual blessings of the eternal world for the heirs of salvation.”[v] The priesthood then and now is always conferred upon us with the understanding that we will minister to God’s children, offer them the blessings of the plan of redemption, and strive to bring them to Christ for the purpose of redemption and establishing the principles of Zion in their lives.[vi]
This is modeled in the scriptures by Enoch, who left his home in the land of Cainan to preach the gospel to the people, offer them the ordinances of salvation, and bring them to Zion.[vii] Likewise, Melchizedek preached the gospel, administered the ordinances, and achieved Zion: “And his people wrought righteousness, and obtained heaven, and sought for the city of Enoch which God had before taken, separating it from the earth, having reserved it unto the latter days, or the end of the world.”[viii]
The Book of Mormon offers other examples of priesthood holders administering redemptive and Zionlike principles. For example, “And it came to pass that the thirty and fourth year passed away, and also the thirty and fifth, and behold the disciples of Jesus had formed a church of Christ in all the lands round about. And as many as did come unto them, and did truly repent of their sins, were baptized in the name of Jesus; and they did also receive the Holy Ghost. And it came to pass in the thirty and sixth year, the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites, and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another.”[ix]
Catherine Thomas explains,
The power to play a saving role is the most sought-after power among righteous priesthood holders in time or in eternity. The greater the soul, it seems, the deeper the desire to labor to brings souls to Christ. . . . A brief look at the history of the priesthood on the earth reveals that men like [King] Benjamin have stood in this priesthood channel unlocking the blessings of salvation for their people since the days of Adam. Adam, in fact, was the great prototype of priesthood holders who strove to bring their communities and their posterity into at-one-ment with the Lord Jesus Christ. Adam blessed his posterity because, the Prophet Joseph taught, ‘he wanted to bring them into the presence of God. They looked for a city . . . ‘whose builder and maker is God’ (Hebrews 11:10).
A priesthood holder is under obligation to sanctify himself so that he can advocate for his people, as did Adam, Enoch, Melchizedek, Moses, King Benjamin, and Joseph Smith. His people would include his wife and family, the people to whom he is called to serve, and anyone else whom the Lord places in his way. Catherine Thomas explains the duties of a priesthood holder:
A priesthood holder’s office is to sanctify himself and stand as an advocate before God seeking blessings for his community in the manner of Jesus Christ (see John 17:19), whether the community be as small as a family or as large as Benjamin’s kingdom. A righteous priesthood holder can work by faith to provide great benefits to his fellow beings (see Mosiah 8:18). He can, in fact, exercise great faith in behalf of others of lesser faith, ‘filling in’ with faith for them. . . . The Lord seems interested not only in individual but in groups of people who wish to establish holy cities and unite with heavenly communities. Like the ancients, one who holds the holy priesthood is always trying to establish a holy community, is always ‘look[ing] for a city’ (Hebrews 11:10, 16).[x]
The Eternal Nature of Priesthood Work
Our works on earth are an extension of the works we did in the premortal world. These works are redemption and advancing the cause of Zion. Alma explained that our premortal calling to the priesthood set us apart from others in that realm, those who hardened their hearts against the gospel and thus forfeited their privileges: “And thus they [priesthood holders] have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren.”
We distinguished ourselves in premortality by embracing the principles of redemption and Zion, and therefore we were rewarded in that “first place” with the priesthood: “Thus this holy calling [was] prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the Atonement of the Only Begotten Son.”
Having received the priesthood, we became part of the same order as the Son of God and went about doing his work, the work of Zion:
And thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest—this high priesthood being after the order of his Son, which order was from the foundation of the world; or in other words, being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things—Now they were ordained after this manner—being called with a holy calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance, and taking upon them the high priesthood of the holy order, which calling, and ordinance, and high priesthood, is without beginning or end—thus they become high priests forever, after the order of the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, who is without beginning of days or end of years, who is full of grace, equity, and truth. And thus it is. Amen.[xi]
Clearly, our past experience with the priesthood will be exceeded only by our glorious future experience. Moreover, our priesthood work now is an extension of our work then; and our work in the priesthood will continue into the eternities: “The faithful elders of this dispensation, when they depart from mortal life, continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel of repentance and redemption, through the sacrifice of the Only Begotten Son of God.”[xii]
The work that we assumed so long ago—the work of redemption—is the work that helps to establish Zion in the lives of people now. This work is as eternal as is the priesthood. The priesthood vitalizes the plan of redemption and makes possible the establishment of Zion. The priesthood of God is the power by which the foundation of Zion (the Atonement) and the three pillars of Zion (the new and everlasting covenant, the oath and covenant of the priesthood, and the law of consecration[xiii]) function together. Built upon this sure foundation, Zion rises to form “the highest order of priesthood society.”[xiv]
Author’s Note
This article was adapted from my new book, The Three Pillars of Zion. Click here to receive a free sample.
[i] Kimball, Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 125.
[ii] Alma 13:3.
[iii] McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 475–83; Alma 13:3, 5; Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 365.
[iv] Alma 13:3.
[v] Thomas, “Benjamin and the Mysteries of God,” 279.
[vi] Eyring, “Faith and the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood,” 61–64.
[vii] Moses 6:41; see Moses 6–7.
[viii] JST Genesis 14:34.
[ix] 4 Nephi 1:1–2; emphasis added.
[x] Thomas, “Benjamin and the Mysteries of God,” 280–82.
[xi] Alma 13:4–9.
[xii] D&C 138:57.
[xiii] D&C 42:67.
[xiv] Kimball, Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 125.
When we think about the restoration of the priesthood, we often stop at John the Baptist and Peter, James and John. But, in fact, they were only the beginning. The priesthood is a much larger principle with powers that challenge the boundaries of our appreciation. Once we begin to comprehend the full extent of what happened, we gain an understanding of how Zion might be established in a life, a marriage, a family, or in a priesthood society.
According to D&C 42:67, a Zionlike life is constructed of three covenants: 1) the new and everlasting covenant, 2) the oath and covenant of the priesthood, and 3) the law of consecration. The authority of the priesthood provides that the other two covenants could be administered to us.
The Orders of the Priesthood
Joseph Smith said, “All Priesthood is Melchizedek, but there are different portions or degrees of it.” That is, there is but one priesthood, which is Melchizedek, and it is “the highest and holiest priesthood, and is after the order of the Son of God, and all other priesthoods are only parts, ramifications, powers and blessings belonging to the same, and are held, controlled, and directed by it.” The Melchizedek Priesthood has a variety of orders, among which are Aaronic, Melchizedek and Patriarchal. Each of these priesthood orders needed to be restored.
The earliest recorded reference to priesthood restoration was in 1823, when Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith and prophesied, “I will reveal unto you the priesthood by the hand of the Elijah.” But to which order of the priesthood was Moroni referring?
The restoration of the priesthood began on May 15, 1829 with the appearance of John the Baptist, who restored the Aaronic Priesthood. Shortly thereafter, in June 1829, it is assumed, Peter, James and John restored the Melchizedek Priesthood, including the keys to the Kingdom of God, which priesthood and keys authorize men to perform the ordinances of salvation, and give those priesthood holders the right and the commission to preach the gospel of salvation throughout the world. Now the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods had been restored, but in 1823, Moroni had prophesied that Elijah would come and “reveal” priesthood. Because Elijah had not yet appeared indicates that there was still more of the priesthood to be revealed.
Elijah Restores the Sealing Keys to the Patriarchal Order of the Priesthood
A few years later, Elijah would return and reveal or restore the sealing keys. In addition to sealing the ordinances of the priesthood so that they are recognized in heaven, these keys are associated with what is called the Patriarchal Order of the Priesthood. That priesthood order, which included the ordinance of celestial marriage, was restored in a preceding vision by Elias. But prior to that event, a temple had to be built. Joseph Smith learned that this special priesthood order could not be restored unless it took place in a temple. Once, when the Prophet was expounding on the various priesthood orders, he made the following statement: “[This]…Priesthood is Patriarchal authority. Go to and finish the temple, and God will fill it with power, and you will then receive more knowledge concerning this priesthood.”
Shortly after the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, April 3, 1836, Elijah appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and committed to them the sealing keys associated with the patriarchal order of the Priesthood, which Priesthood had power “to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers.” This patriarchal order of the Priesthood is entered into by husbands and wives when they are sealed in the temple. “The patriarchal order is, in the words of Elder James E. Talmage ‘a condition where ‘woman shares with man the blessings of the Priesthood,’ where husband and wife minister, ‘seeing and understanding alike, and cooperating to the full in the government of their family kingdom.’ A man cannot hold this priesthood without a wife, and a woman cannot share the blessings of this priesthood without a husband, sealed in the temple.”
To turn the hearts of parents and children to each other is, according to Joseph Smith, the same as sealing their hearts together: “Elijah shall reveal the covenants to seal the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers.” To make possible this linkage, Elijah restored the keys that bind, ‘the covenants of the fathers in relation to the children, and the covenants of the children in relation to the fathers.’” That is, Elijah restored the sealing keys of the Priesthood whereby covenants and ordinances made and performed are bound in earth and in heaven, and therefore they carry “efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection of the dead.”
With regard to Zion, the message is clear: Zion is defined by the priesthood, by couples and families gathering to temples to obtain the covenants and ordinances of salvation, by entering into the patriarchal order of the Priesthood through marriage, and by having those marriages and families sealed together forever.
Elijah Restores the Fulness of the Priesthood
Elijah’s mission was greater still; Elijah’s charge was also to restore the “fulness of the priesthood,” which includes the fullness of the temple covenants and the ordinances of the house of the Lord. Therefore, the Lord commanded the saints to build a temple for the purpose of endowing them with power from on high: “Yea, verily I say unto you, I gave unto you a commandment that you should build a house, in the which house I design to endow those whom I have chosen with power from on high.”
To endow means to present as a gift of honor; to award, bestow, confer, give, grant. When a college receives an endowment, the principal is typically placed in a fund where it spins off income perpetually; that is, the endowment is structured to continually give. Just so, God endows us in the temple with knowledge and power that bless us eternally. By drawing upon the Lord’s endowment and by growing in our understanding of it, we receive progressively greater power to bless our families and others of God’s children.
Of the connection between the ordinances associated with the temple endowment and the fullness of the priesthood, Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote, “It is only through the ordinances of his holy house that the Lord deigns to ‘restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he hath taken away, even the fulness of the priesthood.’“ And Joseph Smith said: “If a man gets a fulness of the priesthood of God he has to get it in the same way that Jesus Christ obtained it, and that was by keeping all the commandments and obeying all the ordinances of the house of the Lord.”
Again, we see Zion in these descriptions. Zion people are endowed with power from on high; they receive all the ordinances of salvation, which culminates with temple marriage and the fulness of the priesthood. Their eternal standing and blessings are confirmed by revelation and by ordinance.
Moses Restores Priesthood Keys of Family Gathering
Elijah’s appearance in the Kirtland Temple was preceded by the appearances of the Savior, Moses and Elias. That Moses and Elias came to restore priesthood keys should hold enormous significance for parents in Zion. Moses committed the keys of the gathering of both the dead and the living of the families of Israel. This suggests that individually we now are in possession of priesthood powers to gather our families “from the four parts of the earth.”
For what purpose is the gathering of families? Elder McConkie wrote, “Israel gathers for the purpose of building temples in which the ordinances of salvation and exaltation are performed for the living and the dead.” On an individual level, this statement suggests that Zion couples gather to the temple to be sealed together for eternity, and Zion parents have power to gather or call their families to the temple to receive the crowning ordinances of salvation.
Elias Restores Priesthood Keys
Elias, whose office is that of forerunner, appeared after Moses and “committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed.” President Joseph Fielding Smith said, “Elias came, after Moses had conferred his keys, and brought the gospel of the dispensation in which Abraham lived. Everything that pertains to that dispensation, the blessings that were conferred upon Abraham, the promises that were given to his posterity, all had to be restored, and Elias, who held the keys of that dispensation, came.”
This is the power to organize families into eternal units.
That is, because of Elias, our children and grandchildren can now be blessed with the gospel of Abraham (the New and Everlasting Covenant), which blessings include the rights to receive the priesthood, all gospel blessings, ordinances and sealings, including the sealing of eternal marriage and their sealing to eternal life. These rights flow to children born to Zion parents because those parents, like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their wives, have entered into the New and Everlasting Covenant and progressed until they entered into the New and Everlasting Covenant of Marriage. Elder McConkie wrote,
That same day (April 3, 1836) ‘Elias appeared, and committed the “dispensation of the gospel of Abraham,” meaning the great commission given to Abraham that he and his seed had a right to the priesthood, the gospel, and eternal life. Accordingly, Elias promised those upon whom these ancient promises were then renewed that in them and in their seed all generations should be blessed. (D&C 110:12-16.) Thus, through the joint ministry of Elijah, who brought the sealing power, and Elias, who restored the marriage discipline of Abraham, the way was prepared for the planting in the hearts of the children of the promises made to the fathers. (D&C 2:2.) These are the promises of eternal life through the priesthood and the gospel and celestial marriage.”
The Joint Missions of Elias and Elijah
Joseph Fielding McConkie wrote, “Simply stated, Elijah was sent to restore the keys of the patriarchal order of priesthood, rights which had not yet been fully operational in this dispensation. Elijah restored the keys whereby families (organized in the patriarchal order through the keys delivered by Elias) could be bound and sealed for eternity.”
Why is the patriarchal priesthood important to Zion people?
Because patriarchal priesthood is family priesthood; because entering into this order of the priesthood directly effects and eternally empowers fathers and mothers to do the work of redemption among their posterity. President Joseph Fielding Smith said, “Through the power [keys] of this priesthood which Elijah bestowed, husband and wife may be sealed, or married for eternity; children may be sealed to their parents for eternity; thus the family is made eternal, and death does not separate the members. This is the great principle that will save the world from utter destruction.”
Imagine Moses, Elias and Elijah laying their hands upon your head to give you a blessing. First, Moses blesses you with the ability to gather with your family to the Kingdom of God and the holy temple. Then Elias blesses you and your spouse and children to organize into an eternal family. He offers you the same covenant of the gospel that Abraham received-the New and Everlasting Covenant. When you agree to its terms, Elias blesses you with everything that was promised to Abraham: you and your posterity will have the eternal “right to the priesthood, the gospel, and eternal life.” Central to those blessings is “the marriage discipline of Abraham,” meaning the promise that your marriage will be eternal, through your faithfulness, and that you and your spouse will enjoy the blessing of eternal posterity. Additionally you are promised, as was Abraham, that you and your posterity will receive a promised land in this world and a promised inheritance in the celestial world to come.
Now that you have entered into the New and Everlasting Covenant, which includes eternal marriage, Elijah confirms these blessings with a seal that cannot be broken, a “welding link.” Then, as a final blessing, because you have proven faithful at all hazards, Elijah seals upon you the fulness of the priesthood, which in the ultimate sense means that he seals you up unto eternal life; that is, Elijah makes everything with which you have been blessed more sure.
Now, because of your righteousness, Elijah extends to you a promise for your children. The promise is this: As you turn your heart to your children, their hearts will turn to you and the Covenant that you have entered into. Elijah’s blessing guarantees to you that no matter what happens in time or eternity, these children are yours. Then, when Elias and Elijah finish their blessing upon your head, the Savior steps forward, and he receives you into his embrace. You are home at last, and your spouse and your children are there with you.
Building One Priesthood Power upon Another
Of the interwoven tapestry of the restoration of the priesthood, Joseph Fielding McConkie wrote,
Joseph Smith taught that ultimate salvation is found only in the eternal union of man and woman. Every priesthood, grace, power, and authority restored to the Prophet Joseph Smith centers in the salvation of the family. Peter, James, and John restored the Holy Priesthood, thereby authorizing men to perform the ordinances of salvation; Elias restored the ordinance of eternal marriage and the promise of an endless seed; and Elijah restored the sealing power and the fulness of the priesthood by which husband, wife, and children are bound eternally. These doctrines build on the assurance of the Book of Mormon that the resurrection is corporeal and thus that women will be resurrected as women and men as men, the bond of their love ever intact. Thus, as baptism is the gate to the strait and narrow path leading to eternal life, eternal marriage becomes the door through which all who inherit that glory must enter. None enter alone. The man and the woman must stand side by side. Couples in turn must be bound in eternal covenant with their righteous progenitors and with their posterity. In that eternal and restored system we know as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, salvation is a family affair.
Rescuing This Generation
Joseph Smith said, “How shall God come to rescue this generation? He will send Elijah the Prophet…Elijah shall reveal the covenants to seal the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers.” Achieving Zion is impossible without eternal marriages and families. On a family level, the Lord will rescue this generation by sending Elijah the prophet to seal the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers. Elijah’s sealing, the crowning blessing of the priesthood.
We see the blessings of the priesthood unfold in the pattern set forth in D&C 110. First, the Savior comes. He directs the work of salvation and exaltation. His Atonement makes eternal marriage and family possible. Then comes Moses, whose keys gather a couple and a family to the temple. Then comes Elias, whose keys bless a couple and their children with saving and exalting ordinances. Finally, Elijah comes and seals or confirms all that has happened and makes these things more sure. The generation of that couple is rescued, and Zion is established.Invitation
Author’s Note
This article was adapted from my soon-to-be-released series The Three Pillars of Zion.
I invite you to join my new Facebook group called “Pillars of Zion.”
See D&C 42:67 footnote a
Joseph Smith, The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 180
Joseph Smith, The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.166-167
Encyclopedia of Mormonism, “Patriarchal Order of the Priesthood,” p.1067-1068
See Ezra Taft Benson, “What I Hope You Will Teach Your Children about the Temple,” Ensign, August 1985
See Mark 16:15; Bruce R. McConkie, “Elias,” Mormon Doctrine, p. 220
See Bruce R. McConkie, “Elias,” Mormon Doctrine, p.219
Joseph Smith, History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 5:554-555
John A. Tvedtnes, The Church of the Old Testament, p. 34
James E. Talmage, Young Woman’s Journal 25 [Oct. 1914]:602-603; Encyclopedia of Mormonism, “Patriarchal Order of the Priesthood,” p.1067
Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.323
See Matthew B. Brown, The Gate of Heaven, p. 215; B.H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church 5:530
See Ezra Taft Benson, “What I Hope You Will Teach Your Children About the Temple, Ensign, August 1985, quoting Joseph Fielding Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 308
“Endow,” American Heritage Dictionary
See D&C 124:28; 127:8; 128:17; Bruce R. McConkie, “Restoration of the Gospel: 10. Temple Ordinances,” Mormon Doctrine, p. 637, emphasis added
Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 308
Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.539
“Elias,” Encyclopedia of Mormonism, p. 449
Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, p.127, emphasis added
Robert L. Millet and Joseph Fielding McConkie, The Life Beyond, p.96.
Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.322
Joseph Fielding McConkie, Joseph Smith: The Choice Seer; Robert L. Millet and Joseph Fielding McConkie, The Life Beyond , p.96. For other references stating that Elijah restored the sealing keys of the patriarchal priesthood, see John A. Tvedtness, The Church of the Old Testament, p. 33-35; Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.172: [Elijah’s mission was to “restore the authority and deliver the keys of the priesthood…Why send Elijah? Because he holds the keys of the authority to administer in all the ordinances of the priesthood.”
Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol 2:, p.118, emphasis added
Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.322
Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.322
See Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 337-38
Joseph Fielding McConkie, (Chapter 20-”Salvation and the Eternal Family”), Joseph Smith: The Choice Seer
Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.323
(Note: This article has been adapted from a soon-to-be-released, 5-book doctrinal series, called, The Three Pillars of Zion.)
Why was the man, Melchizedek, chosen to be a model of a Zionlike priesthood holder? A brief review of his life and example provide answers. Because we assume the name Melchizedek when we are ordained to the high priesthood, we are expected to likewise assume the works of Melchizedek. If we do, we might expect to achieve similar results.
In Hebrew, the name Melchizedek is also a coronation title that means King of Righteousness. The identity of the man who originally bore this title is of some conjecture. What we do know about the man Melchizedek is of importance to every man who desires to become a Zion person and thus takes upon himself the high priesthood.
Melchizedek “represents the scriptural ideal of one who obtains the power of God through faith, repentance, and sacred ordinances, for the purpose of inspiring and blessing his fellow beings.” Because the man Melchizedek was so righteous and faithful “in the execution of his high priestly duties…he became a prototype of Jesus Christ (Heb. 7:15).”
We men who receive the high priesthood by ordination assume the title of Melchizedek. Now becoming part of that order, we are expected to do the works of Melchizedek and of Jesus Christ, the two great exemplars of what a priesthood holder should be. We are to become kings of righteousness to our posterity.
Melchizedek is the Model for Our Priesthood Service
We see an example of what we should become in Melchizedek’s life. Additionally, his ministry is a model that we should apply to our priesthood service. In the first place, because the New and Everlasting Covenant is common to all of God’s sons and daughters, Melchizedek would have received that Covenant by baptism and thereafter followed all the steps, making each additional covenant and receiving every ordinance, and endured in faith until her received the promise of individual salvation. Then, desiring to progress in the Covenant by becoming a savior on Mount Zion to his people, he would have sought for his ordination to the Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God so that he might administer the blessings of the Covenant to help save his people.
The scripture reads:
Now this Melchizedek was a king over the land of Salem and his people had waxed strong in iniquity and abomination; yea, they had all gone astray; they were full of all manner of wickedness; but Melchizedek having exercised mighty faith, and received the office of the high priesthood according to the holy order of God, did preach repentance unto his people.
Like Enoch, Melchizedek was enormously successful, and taught his people the principles of Zion until they, too, became Zion people:
And behold, they did repent; and Melchizedek did establish peace in the land in his days; therefore he was called the prince of peace, for he was the king of Salem; and he did reign under his father.
From this account, we learn that “Melchizedek was a man of faith, who wrought righteousness…. And his people wrought righteousness, and obtained heaven, and sought for the city of Enoch [they became Zion people and were likewise translated].”
This is our priesthood model as holders of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
Melchizedek Followed the Pathway of Righteousness
Again, we emphasize the fact that Melchizedek would have progressed in the New and Everlasting Covenant as we all must do: by baptism, by receiving the high priesthood with an oath and covenant, and by receiving all temple blessings culminating with eternal marriage, which is the patriarchal order of the priesthood, the highest order of the priesthood. We know that Melchizedek progressed in this manner because he is described as being both a king and a priest unto God, meaning that he received a fullness of the priesthood. The titles king and priest and their associated blessings are only possible by receiving the fullness of temple ordinances. This is the fullness that defines Zion people.
Melchizedek Achieved Power in the Priesthood
“What was the power of Melchizedek?” asked the Prophet Joseph Smith. “Those holding the fulness of the Melchizedek Priesthood are kings and priests of the Most High God, holding the keys of power and blessings. In fact, that Priesthood is a perfect law of theocracy, and stands as God to give laws to the people, administering endless lives to the sons and daughters of Adam.”
Zion marriages, families and priesthood societies function under the Melchizedek Priesthood, which is the “perfect law of theocracy.” Through Melchizedek’s righteousness and faith, he received the keys of power and blessings, ruled as a king of righteousness, administered endless lives (the covenants and ordinances of eternal life) to his people, and brought them back into the presence of God. This is the power of the Melchizedek Priesthood and the purpose and expectation of our ordination. Everything about the priesthood points to establishing Zion in a life, a marriage, a family, and in a priesthood society.
Melchizedek as a Priesthood Mentor and Servant
Because Melchizedek was an authorized servant of the Lord, he had the keys to ordain Abraham to the high priesthood. Moreover, Melchizedek administered to Abraham the New and Everlasting Covenant, tutored him in the doctrine of the priesthood, and of great importance, gave him authority to affect the ordinance of eternal marriage and perpetuate the patriarchal order, “a system that would make [Abraham] the Father of the Faithful from that day onward as long as the earth should stand.”
Additionally, Melchizedek kept “the storehouse of God” where the “tithes for the poor” were held, as is typical of Zion. We read that Melchizedek gave priesthood blessings to individuals such as Abraham; he preached repentance; and he administered the ordinances of the New and Everlasting Covenant to his people “after this manner, that thereby the people might look forward on the Son of God…for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord.”
The Results of Melchizedek’s Ministry
Melchizedek ministered with “extraordinary goodness and power…diligently administered in the office of high priest and ‘did preach repentance unto his people. And behold, they did repent; and Melchizedek did establish peace in the land in his days’ (Alma 13:18). Consequently, Melchizedek became known as ‘the prince of peace’ (JST Gen. 14:33; Heb. 7:1-2; Alma 13:18). ‘His people wrought righteousness, and obtained heaven’ (JST Gen. 14:34).”
Clearly, all of this is indicative of Zion, and therefore establishing Zion is the goal and the outcome of the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood.
Entering into the Same Priesthood “Order”
Alma noted that it was this “order” of the high priesthood coupled with faith “that gave Melchizedek the power and knowledge that influenced his people to repent and become worthy to be with God…. Those ordained to this order were to ‘have power, by faith,’ and, according to ‘the will of the Son of God,’ to work miracles.
Ultimately, those in this order were ‘to stand in the presence of God’ (JST Gen. 14:30-31). This was accomplished by participating in the temple ordinances associated with this order (Alma 13:16; D&C 84:20-22). The result was that ‘men having this faith, coming up unto this order of God, were translated and taken up into heaven’ (JST Gen. 14:32). Accordingly, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the priesthood held by Melchizedek had ‘the power of endless lives.’”
Zion is achieved through the Melchizedek Order of the Priesthood
If we ever hope to become Zionlike people, we must follow the example of Melchizedek in our individual lives, marriages, families, and within the realms of our callings. Like Melchizedek, we must enter into the New and Everlasting Covenant, follow it through to its conclusion, and live worthily so that we might receive a fullness of the priesthood.
We must seek the blessings of the priesthood for the purposes of individual salvation and the salvation of those in our stewardships.
We must become kings and priests unto God by means of temple ordinances, and “kings of righteousness” to our families and to those in our stewardships.
We must function in the priesthood, which is the perfect law of theocracy to preach repentance, administer endless lives, and bring our charges back into the presence of God.
We must set an example of righteousness by exemplifying Jesus Christ, “that thereby the people might look forward on the Son of God…for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord.”
We must become princes of peace by entering the order of the Son of God, and in every way typifying Jesus Christ, who authority this is.
As Melchizedek Priesthood holders, we take upon ourselves the title of Melchizedek and must become all that he and Jesus Christ were and are. Because Melchizedek was able to achieve Zion by virtue of the priesthood, we, who take upon ourselves the title of Melchizedek and who hold that same authority, might achieve Zion in our lives, marriages, families and stewardships.
Invitation
This article was adapted from my soon-to-be-released series The Three Pillars of Zion.
I invite you to join my new Facebook group called “Pillars of Zion.” Visit me on Facebook and share your stories and concerns.
Encyclopedia of Mormonism, “Melchizedek,” p. 879-880
Encyclopedia of Mormonism, “Melchizedek,” p. 879-880
Alma 13:17-18, insertion added
See Alma 13:17-18; JST Hebrews 7:3
See Bruce R. McConkie, Conference Report, October 1950, p.15-16; See Joseph Smith, The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph, compiled and edited by Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook, p.304
Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.322
See D&C 84:14; See JST Genesis 14:40
Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.36
Encyclopedia of Mormonism, “Melchizedek,” p.879
Encyclopedia of Mormonism, “Melchizedek,” p.879
The Book of Mormon truly contains the fulness of gospel truth. One truth concerns the priesthood-its purpose and its proper use. To teach us that truth, Mormon included an abbreviated life study of King Benjamin that culminated with his unabridged speech. Something magnificent happened because Benjamin applied to the priesthood’s purpose and proper use. This account becomes the priesthood model for every father, priesthood holder with a calling, and priesthood leader.
If Melchizedek is an ideal of a priesthood holder in the Bible, King Benjamin is an ideal in the Book of Mormon. Both kings used their priesthood to facilitate a spiritual rebirth of their people and managed to bring them into the presence of the Lord.
What is the Most Sought-after Power?
BYU professor, M. Catherine Thomas, wrote, “The power to play a saving role is the most sought-after power among righteous priesthood holders in time and eternity. The greater the soul, it seems, the deeper the desire to labor to bring souls to Christ through causing them to take his name upon them.” Benjamin was such a priesthood holder, a king and a priest after the order of Melchizedek. Because we are likewise kings and priests to our people, whether our people be our personal families, Home Teaching families, quorums, wards, stakes, or otherwise, we can glean priesthood saving principles from the example of King Benjamin, and thus learn how to establish the principles of Zion in their lives.
Looking for a “City”
One of the first things we learn about King Benjamin was that he followed in the tradition of great priesthood holders before him. What he desired and accomplished for his people was not new. As we have learned, Adam set the example. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “[Adam] wanted to bring [his people] into the presence of God. They looked for a city… ‘whose builder and maker is God’ (Hebrews 11:10).” Later, Enoch, Noah, and Melchizedek followed this pattern. Now Benjamin, who “held the keys of power and blessing for his community,” prayed earnestly for priesthood power to endow his people with spiritual blessings and make them Zionlike people. Of priesthood holders’ preparation to enact such a change in their people, Catherine Thomas wrote,
A priesthood holder’s office is to sanctify himself and stand as an advocate before God seeking blessings for his community in the manner of the Lord Jesus Christ himself (see John 17:19), whether the community be as small as a family or as large as Benjamin’s kingdom. A righteous priesthood holder can work by faith to provide great benefits to his fellow beings (see Mosiah 8:18). He can, in fact, exercise great faith in behalf of others of lesser faith, “filling in” with faith for them; thus a prophet [or any priesthood holder] and a people together can bring down blessings for even a whole community (for example, see Ether 12:14). The Lord seems to be interested not only in individuals but also in groups of people who wish to establish holy cities and unite with heavenly communities. Like the ancients, one who holds the holy priesthood is always trying to establish a holy community, is always “look[ing] for a city (Hebrews 11:10, 16). So it was with Benjamin.
Imagine if every priesthood holder would approach his stewardship in this manner: always “looking for a city.” If such were the case, Zion could easily be established in families, quorums, wards, and stakes. The Lord said,
The power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church–To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.
If Melchizedek priesthood holders do not instigate and disseminate spiritual blessings, those blessings will remain forever unknown and unclaimed.
King Benjamin-A Model for Priesthood Holders
What did King Benjamin do that is worthy of our emulation? First, he had lived a Christlike life, the covenantal obligation of all priesthood holders, having labored ceaselessly in the service of his people and his God. Next, he prepared his people for the blessings of salvation by fighting for them, waging battles in their behalf, doing all that he could to “triumph over the powers of evil-over ‘enemies.’” Catherine Thomas wrote,
This is the pattern: the priesthood holder labors with all his faculties to rout Satan from his loved ones as that enemy is manifested in contention, mental warfare, and physical violence among the people. For any priesthood holder to become a prince of peace, he must in some degree wrest his kingdom, great or small, from the adversary and halt the plans of the destroyer on behalf of his loved ones.” Establishing peace is absolutely essential for spiritual progress and “to receive greater spiritual blessings.
Thus, Melchizedek and Abraham were called princes of peace after the order to Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.
Another priesthood action of Benjamin that is worthy of our emulation is that he prayed earnestly for priesthood power to bring his people into the presence of the Lord. In response to his prayer, and angel appeared with permission to gather his people for the purpose of bestowing upon them a great spiritual endowment, and instructions for how to do it. These were “glad tidings of great joy,” the very thing that Benjamin had wanted for his people. “The Lord hath heard thy prayers, and hath judged of thy righteousness, and hath sent me to declare unto thee that thou mayest rejoice; and that thou mayest declare unto thy people, that they may also be filled with joy.”
The message of the angel would distinguish this group of people “above all the people which the Lord hath brought out of the land of Jerusalem.” Catherine Thomas explained, “”Perhaps this was the first time among all the people brought out from the land of Jerusalem that a king and priest-in the tradition of Adam, Enoch, and Melchizedek-had succeeded in bringing his people to this point of transformation actually to receive the name of Christ.”
To Fully Take upon Us the Name of Jesus Christ
What exactly happened? The process of taking upon ourselves the name of Christ begins at baptism, and our subsequent partaking of the Sacrament indicates our willingness to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, but to actually do so usually lies in the future. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained,
Mere compliance with the formality of the ordinance of baptism does not mean that a person has been born again. No one can be born again without baptism, but the immersion in water and the laying on of hands to confer the Holy Ghost do not of themselves guarantee that a person has been or will be born again. The new birth takes place only for those who actually enjoy the gift or companionship of the Holy Ghost, only for those who are fully converted, who have given themselves without restraint to the Lord. Thus Alma addressed himself to his “brethren of the church,” and pointedly asked them if they had “spiritually been born of God,” received the Lord’s image in their countenances, and had the “mighty change” in their hearts which always attends the birth of the Spirit. (Alma 5:14, 31.)
To fully take upon us the name of Christ requires at least three things:
- Intervention or assistance by the priesthood
- Our receiving all of the temple covenants and ordinances
- Our living worthily of all that we have received.
Using the Priesthood to Facilitate a Spiritual Experience
King Benjamin understood his priesthood role to act as an advocate for the people and facilitate a spiritual experience whereby the people could receive a greater endowment of the Spirit in a temple setting. We must remember that the responsibility of the priesthood is to bring people to the Holy Ghost, whose responsibility is to bring people to Jesus Christ, whose responsibility is to bring people to the Father.
Having prayed and received the angel’s permission to proceed with the promise that his people might “rejoice with exceedingly great joy,” and be “filled with joy,” which terms, according to Catherine Thomas, are synonymous with being born again, King Benjamin gathered his people to the temple, where he taught administered to them something akin to the temple endowment. He covered such temple themes as “the creation, fall, atonement, consecration, and covenant making. Benjamin last words pertain to being ‘sealed’ to Christ and receiving eternal life (see Mosiah 5:15).” The result was as astonishing as anything we read in scripture. These people became Zion people; they “received an endowment of spiritual knowledge and power which took them from being good people to Christlike people-all in a temple setting.
What they experienced through the power of the priesthood was a revelation of Christ’s nature and the power to be assimilated to his image.” That is, by Benjamin’s priesthood intervention, they fully took upon them the name of Jesus Christ and consummated their journey to be fully born again. Now they were Zion people.
The Temple is the Summit of our Spiritual Journey
The connection of the priesthood, temple and receiving the name of Christ does not escape us. The scriptures teach us that the temple is a house for “the name” of the Lord. The Kirtland Temple was a place where “thy name shall be put upon this house.” Clearly, the temple is where we fully receive the name of Jesus Christ through the covenants and ordinances of salvation. According to Elder Dallin H. Oaks, when we partake of the sacrament, we indicate our willingness to make our way to the temple to take upon ourselves fully the name of Christ and receive the blessings of exaltation, including those highest blessings associated with the name of Christ given to those who live righteously against all hazards.
Priesthood holders are specifically commissioned to help people take upon them the name of Christ. Beyond administering the ordinances of baptism and the Holy Ghost, priesthood holders are responsible to get people to the temple, where we take upon us the name of Christ more fully. Then priesthood holders are to teach those exalting covenants and to set an example of righteous covenantal living. The result will make their charges Zion people and eventually gods. Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote, “God’s name is God. To have his name written on a person is to identify that person as a god. How can it be said more plainly? Those who gain eternal life become gods!”
To fully take upon us the name of Jesus Christ, meaning the endowment and event that can only happen in a temple, opens the door to be nominated a candidate for exaltation. For King Benjamin’s people, this pivotal experience resulted in a “profound transformation from basic goodness to something that exceeded their ability to even describe. This much did they say, ‘The Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent…has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually’ (Mosiah 5:2).”
Priesthood-the Power to Bring People to a Higher Spiritual Plain
Who can underestimate a priesthood holder’s power and responsibility to help to establish Zion principles in his people? Catherine Thomas concluded,
It is the privilege and responsibility of a community’s priesthood leader, through exercising mighty faith and laboring with his people, to bring them to a higher spiritual plain in their quest to return to God. Benjamin had been praying that the Lord would send power to bring to pass a spiritually transforming experience for his people. The Lord sent his angel to declare to the king that power would be given to cause the people to be spiritually reborn, to becomes sons and daughters of Christ, and to receive the sacred name forever….The people tasted of the glory of God and came to a personal knowledge of him; through the power of the Holy Spirit they experienced the mighty change of heart and the mystery of spiritual rebirth.
Spiritual Awakening Linked to the Redemption of Zion
No priesthood responsibility could take precedence. It has everything to do with establishing Zion is one life or many lives. President Benson, “When we awake and are born of God, a new day will break and Zion will be redeemed.” That is what Benjamin did with his priesthood-that is what we all must do: awaken the people so that they are born of God; seek for a new day, so that Zion will be redeemed. This is the “city” we look for, the city “whose builder and maker is God.”
M. Catherine Thomas, “Benjamin and the Mysteries of God,” King Benjamin’s Speech, p.279
Smith, The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.159
M. Catherine Thomas, “Benjamin and the Mysteries of God,” King Benjamin’s Speech, p.281-82
M. Catherine Thomas, “Benjamin and the Mysteries of God,” King Benjamin’s Speech, p.282-83, referencing Mosiah 4:14
See Alma 13:17-18; Abraham 1:2
M. Catherine Thomas, “Benjamin and the Mysteries of God,” King Benjamin’s Speech, p.290-91
Bruce R. McConkie, “Born Again,” Mormon Doctrine, p.101
M. Catherine Thomas, “Benjamin and the Mysteries of God,” King Benjamin’s Speech, p.285-86
M. Catherine Thomas, “Benjamin and the Mysteries of God,” King Benjamin’s Speech, p.292
See 1 Kings 3:2; 5:5; 8:16-20, 29, 44, 48; 1 Chronicles 22:8-10, 19; 29:16; 2 Chronicles 2:4; 6:5-10, 20, 34, 38
See Dallin H. Oaks, “Taking Upon Us the Name of Jesus Christ,” Ensign, May 1985
Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, vol. 3:459
M. Catherine Thomas, “Benjamin and the Mysteries of God,” King Benjamin’s Speech, p.290
M. Catherine Thomas, “Benjamin and the Mysteries of God,” King Benjamin’s Speech, p.293
Ezra Taft Benson, A Witness and a Warning: A Modern-Day Prophet Testifies of the Book of Mormon, p.66
A parent shared the following experience. Keep in mind that rescuing wayward children is often a function of personal sanctification. That is, to the degree that we sanctify ourselves we gain power to rescue the person for whom we are praying. Beyond our view, heavenly help is summoned and a plan for rescue is made. Now it becomes a matter of timing, persistence, and especially relying on the Holy Ghost to open doors.
A breakthrough question
“I had been preparing a Family Home Evening lesson, and I though I had some pretty good ideas. When I was trying them out on my wife, she stopped me mid-sentence and said, “Maybe you should ask the kids what is on their minds.” My wife was right, of course. Imposing my ideas on my family has not always proven the best option. So I started over by asking each of my children what was on their mind. We would call our Family Home Evening, Ask Dad Hard Questions and See if He Has An Answer.
“One of my daughters has been inactive. She struggles with the question of why there has to be an organized religion, and why good people can’t just live good lives and end up in heaven. When I pondered her question, I threw out all the others. I suddenly realized that the Holy Ghost had just handed me an opportunity to plant a seed. If I had brought up the issue, she would have turned off. But now she was asking me! Here is the text of our Family Home Evening.”
What is the big deal about an organized Church?
The same thing was asked of Jesus, and his answer was one that he was killed for. Joseph Smith answered the question and he was killed too. This is the question of questions, and the answer is the most vital answer you or anyone will ever receive.
The idea of a church is not new, but in the days of Jesus the Jews had apostatized from the true religion and had adopted a system of performances and ordinances. In other words, they went through the motions, but they didn’t know why, and they thought the procedure could save them. They thought that being good and going through the motions were enough. Then Jesus came along and told them that they were in error; nothing that they were doing would land them in the celestial kingdom. The Jews were so incensed by his answer that they crucified him in order to preserve their erroneous ideas.
What did Jesus say about salvation?
Early in Jesus’ ministry, a man named Nicodemus came seeking information about salvation. Salvation means to be placed beyond the power of your enemies. “Enemies” could be yourself, other people, circumstances, health, financial or relationship problems, sins, and especially death. The ultimate meaning of the word salvation means exaltation, which means that a “saved” person can progress along a clearly marked path and eventually become exactly like God.
Jesus taught Nicodemus about the path: “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God…Ye must be born again” (John 3:5, 7). Nicodemus was startled by this new doctrine. Jesus was telling him that only authorized baptism and the Holy Ghost (born again) could set a person on the path to ultimate salvation. Baptism, like all ordinances, is a physical symbol of an important spiritual truth. In this case, baptism is a symbol of burying your former sins and way of life and coming up clean and new-like a birth. Another way to look at the symbol of baptism is death and resurrection. In any case, baptism symbolizes the decision to abandon a sinful life and pursue a new spiritual life.
That means you must have an infusion of Spirit. After you are baptized, according to Jesus, you must be born “of the spirit,” otherwise you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. The Holy Ghost is that Spirit. He purifies you so that you can remain as clean as the moment you emerged from the waters of baptism, and he walks you along the path until you achieve ultimate salvation. Clearly, if you believe in Jesus Christ, you must also believe Jesus’ teachings. According to his teaching to Nicodemus, the ordinances of baptism and the Holy Ghost are essential for entering the path that leads to salvation and exaltation.
But will any baptism do?
Evidently not. The apostle Paul was once teaching in the Roman province of Ephesus when he met a group of twelve disciples who said they had been baptized. He was suspicious so he asked them if they had received the Holy Ghost. They had not. Joseph Smith said you might as well baptize a bag of sand as baptize without conferring the Holy Ghost-one without the other is meaningless. Paul asked these people how they had been baptized, and they said they had received baptism in the name of John the Baptist.
Wrong! Paul explained their error–baptisms must be done in the name of Jesus Christ by someone having the authority of Jesus Christ. Because Paul had that authority. He baptized them again the right way, and then he confirmed them with the Holy Ghost. Now they were on the path.
What do we learn from this account?
Being good is not enough to save you. You must be good and do the right thing in the right order to end up in the right place. Keep in mind that these were sincere people who were trying to live good lives, but they had a mistaken idea. When Paul, who was authorized by Jesus Christ, performed the ordinance correctly, these people suddenly received the promised blessings associated with baptism and the Holy Ghost, and miraculous things began to happen (See Acts 19:1-7). Miracles always happen, and these are signs that the ordinances are true.
What does all of this have to do with a church organization?
Good question. Now we know that salvation is only made possible through ordinances, and these ordinances must be performed by someone who has the actual authority of Jesus Christ. They are given so that good people can do the right thing in the right order to end up in the right place.
So where do we find this authority?
During Jesus’ ministry, he chose twelve apostles to be his special witnesses and bear testimony of him. He laid his hands upon their heads and transferred his power to them; that is, he ordained them to the priesthood. On that occasion he said, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit” (John 15:16). Now the apostles could baptize and duplicate the works of Jesus with full authority.
What do we do with all the people who are baptized?
To hold together these newly baptized converts, to nurture them, and to help them progress, Jesus formed an organization or church whose leaders were the apostles. The apostles were to safeguard the doctrine of Christ so that it remained pure. As the Church grew, they were to ordain other men to the priesthood and authorize them to baptize and do the works of Jesus Christ.
To understand the necessity of a single organization with clearly authorized ministers of Jesus Christ, we need only observe the world’s 25,000 Christian denominations, which all believe is the necessity of baptism and which all perform it differently and teach diverse doctrines. On church, one faith, one baptism-that is the doctrine of Christ. There are not 25,000 ways; there is only one way, and that way involves apostles.
Where does authority come from?
Jesus chose Peter as the first president of the Church and gave him the “keys” of presidency. You turn a key to open something. Spiritual keys are “turned” to open spiritual powers and the blessings of heaven. (We will discuss these blessings later.) Jesus said to Peter, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).
Notice that Jesus said he would build a “church,” so it’s hard to argue that an organized church is not necessary. Jesus also stated that he would build his church in a specific way–upon the “rock” of the priesthood, which opens the channel of revelation from heaven to govern the Church. Upon that sure “rock” of priesthood keys, which Jesus gave to Peter, Jesus would build his Church and reveal truths from heaven. Therefore, the Church of Jesus Christ became the custodian of all blessings, ordinances and powers that are necessary to get people on the path and to follow it to their ultimate salvation.
What to “keys” do?
Jesus made an intriguing statement to Peter about keys. He said, “Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Keys have the power to lock and unlock-seal and loose-spiritual things. In other words, whatsoever Peter and the apostles did on earth would be recognized in heaven forever.
The power of “keys” is an amazing power, especially considering that everything on this earth and everything that man does comes to an end, including life, marriages and families. Only the power of God could bind or “seal” something so that it would last beyond death. In this scripture, Jesus told Peter, the president of the Church, that he was giving him his sealing power (keys) to put the seal of God on everything that Peter did so that those things could endure eternally. Therefore, on the condition of worthiness, a person, who desired salvation and exaltation, could go to Peter or one of the apostles and receive a baptism that would endure eternally.
Is there any other way?
No. Jesus said, “My house is a house of order” (D&C 132:8). The order of salvation is one of authorized ordinances. To Peter and the apostles, Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:15-16). Damnation means restricting blessings. According to Jesus’ statement, anyone who rejected Jesus’ teachings and baptism at the hands of the apostles would be “damned” or unworthy of further blessings. Without ordinances you are stuck.
Is baptism enough for ultimate salvation?
No. Baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost only gets you on the path. The purposes of Jesus Christ are 1) to bring us back to God and 2) to help us become like our Heavenly Parents. To bring us back requires baptism and the Holy Ghost. To help us become like our Heavenly Parents requires an infusion of heavenly power and knowledge. Now we are talking about more ordinances to give us that power and knowledge.
This process of ordinances seems like nonsense to the world. Remember, the Lord uses sacred symbols and rites to teach us of his world. To access the powers associated with these ordinances, we must make agreements or covenants with the Lord. When we keep our end of the agreement, he keeps his, and we progress blessing upon blessing, power upon power, knowledge upon knowledge until we become like God.
Covenants and ordinances are the markers along the path leading to salvation. As we have learned, the prophets and apostles are the custodians of the keys to these sacred covenants and ordinances. When we make a covenant and receive the associated ordinance by the power of these keys, we are assured that the terms of the covenant will endure eternally. We have God’s personal seal and guarantee.
What is Jesus’ purpose?
1) to bring us back to God and 2) to help us become like our Heavenly Parents. The path that we follow has the following markers (covenants and ordinances):
1. Baptism and the Holy Ghost
2. Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood ordination for men
3. Temple ordinances
4. Eternal marriage.
Here is how these markers help us become like God.
1. Baptism and the Holy Ghost–To step away from the telestial world and point us toward the celestial world
2. Priesthood-To obtain the authority of God.
3. Temple ordinances–To obtain the knowledge and power of God.
4. Eternal marriage. To obtain the lifestyle and kingdom of God.
What are these four “markers” called?
Collectively, these covenants and ordinances are called the New and Everlasting Covenant. The Covenant is “new” because it is new to every person that receives it; the Covenant is everlasting because it will last forever. This is the covenant of salvation. It is administered by the authority of the prophet and apostles, who have the keys to affix the names of all three members of the Godhead on the Covenant-the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. Effectively, these three Gods sign their names to this covenant of salvation, guaranteeing that if you remain worthy, everything that has been promised us in the Covenant will be yours forever.
What are the promises?
Here are the words of the Lord:
“And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed [the prophet], unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them–Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths–then shall it be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them” (D&C 132:19-20).
Can a person obtain these promises any other way?
No. The Lord states, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye abide my law ye cannot attain to this glory. For strait is the gate, and narrow the way that leadeth unto the exaltation and continuation of the lives, and few there be that find it” (D&C 132:22).
Why do only a few find this path?
“Because ye receive me not in the world neither do ye know me” (D&C 132:22).
Does this mean that God condemns these people?
No. It usually means that they have not found him yet, so he will find them. We have to remember that God is our Father and not a condemning judge. No loving parent would withhold the greatest of blessings from his children because of ignorance. He would use all his resources, and he would work for years to get the blessings to his children. Even if the children did not understand at first, he would continue to try until they understood perfectly and could make an informed choice. This is one of the great works of the Church of Jesus Christ and the essence of the gospel. No single issue is more important than this: God loves his children and he never gives up.
What happens when I desire these blessings with all my heart and choose to put forth the effort?
Here is the Lord’s promise: “But if ye receive me in the world, then shall ye know me, and shall receive your exaltation; that where I am ye shall be also” (D&C 132:23).
What happens if I start on the path and mess up?
Simply repent and move forward. Joseph Smith said, “All are within the reach of [God's] pardoning mercy” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 191). And on anther occasion: “Our Heavenly Father is more liberal in His views, and boundless in his mercies and blessings, than we are ready to believe or receive.” Elder Orson F. Whitney said, “Our Heavenly Father is far more merciful, infinitely more charitable, than even the best of his servants, and the Everlasting Gospel is mightier in power to save than our narrow finite minds can comprehend” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 257).
Forgiveness is a simple thing: turn back to God and recommit to obey his commandments. Moroni said, “fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins” (Moroni 8:25). God takes no pleasure in punishing us; he is only interested in helping us change so we can enjoy the greater blessings. We make a critical mistake when we judge God as if he had human traits. His love and mercy are described as infinite and perfect. “God is love,” the apostle John said. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear” (1 John 4:16, 18). You need not fear God or his motives or his judgment any more than you need fear Mom or me. Because we love you, you are safe. Because God loves you, you are safe.
But I still remember my sins and they haunt me.
You should stop listening to that voice. God never works that way. He may remind you to nudge you to repent, but when you do he promises that he will remember your sins no more. Of course, Satan would love to parade your sins before your eyes and tell you that all is hopeless. He would tell you that because you can still remember your sins are not forgiven. But that is not true. Remembering is simply a device to help you avoid repeating the mistake.
After you have repented, painful, condemning memories come from Satan. On the other hand, remembering with peace comes from God. It serves no good purpose to rehash mistakes. Those memories paralyze you and stop you in time. They retard your progress. Satan knows this and uses it as an effective strategy. Stop listening to Satan. Tell Satan that you detect him; he flees when you shine light on him. And forgive yourself! God has.
Where do I start?
The parable of the Prodigal Son gives the answer and it reveals the nature of God. Here was a boy who had lived a reckless and riotous life, only to find himself living with the pigs. At that low point, he “came to himself” and remembered a loving father. He could hardly turn back. Maybe he had gone too far, even for his father’s love. But he tore himself away from the pigs and started home.
The scripture says, “And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.” This scripture suggests that the father had waited every day, looking out at the horizon, praying that his son would come to himself and return home. When at last the father saw his boy, he did not wait for his son to come home. He ran to great him and helped him come home! Then the father put on his son the best robe, a ring on his hand, shoes on his feet and he made his son a great feast. The boy was home at last!