The Offering of Sacrifice in the Times of the Restitution of all
Things--Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith thereon--The Sons of
Levi--Malachi's Prophecy--The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times.
It would appear that, when everything shall have been accomplished
pertaining or relating to the sacrifice and atonement of the Son of
God, in the time of the restitution of all things the sons of Levi
will offer up an acceptable offering unto the Lord; what this offering
will be does not distinctly appear. There are many things associated
with the final salvation of man, and the working out and
accomplishment of the purposes of God in relation to the human family,
which lie yet in the future: the peculiar position which the children
will occupy, also the position of the heathen who have died without
law, and of those who have been translated, and who it would appear
have a specified labor to perform associated with their mission to the
terrestrial worlds; the letting loose of Satan after the thousand
years, and many other things which it is not permitted for us at the
present time to comprehend in full. These will all be revealed in the
due time of the Lord. The Prophet Joseph makes the following statement
with regard to the offerings above referred to:
"Thus we behold the keys of this Priesthood consisted in obtaining the
voice of Jehovah, that He talked with him [Noah] in a familiar and
friendly manner, that He continued to him the keys, the covenants, the
power and the glory with which He blessed Adam at the beginning; and
the offering of sacrifice, which also shall be continued at the last
time; for all the ordinances and duties that ever have been required
by the Priesthood, under the directions and commandments of the
Almighty, in any of the dispensations, shall all be had in the last
dispensation; therefore all things had under the authority of the
Priesthood at any former period, shall be had again, bringing to pass
the restoration spoken of by the mouth of all the holy Prophets; then
shall the sons of Levi offer an acceptable sacrifice to tho Lord. See
Malachi, iii, 3: 'And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of
silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold
and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord.' It will be necessary
here to make a few observations on the doctrine set forth in the above
quotation, as it is generally supposed that sacrifice was entirely
done away when the Great Sacrifice was offered up, and that there will
be no necessity for the ordinance of sacrifice in future; but those
who assert this are certainly not acquainted with the duties,
privileges, and authority of the Priesthood, or with the Prophets. The
offering of sacrifice has ever been connected with and forms a part of
the duties of the Priesthood. It began with the Priesthood, and will
be continued until after the coming of Christ, from generation to
generation. We frequently have mention made of the offering of
sacrifice by the servants of the Most High in ancient days, prior to
the law of Moses; which ordinances will be continued when the
Priesthood is restored with all its authority, power and blessings.
Elijah was the last Prophet that held the keys of this Priesthood, and
who will, before the last dispensation, restore the authority and
deliver the keys of this Priesthood, in order that all the ordinances
may be attended to in righteousness. It is true that the Savior had
authority and power to bestow this blessing, but the sons of Levi were
too prejudiced. 'And I will send Elijah the Prophet before the great
and terrible day of the Lord,' etc., etc. Why send Elijah? Because he
holds the keys of the authority to administer in all the ordinances of
the Priesthood, and without the authority is given, the ordinances
could not be administered in righteousness. It is a very prevalent
opinion that the sacrifices which were offered were entirely consumed.
This was not the case; if you read Leviticus, second chapter, second
and third verses, you will observe that the priest took a part as a
memorial and offered it up before the Lord, while the remainder was
kept for the maintenance of the priests, so that the offerings and
sacrifices are not all consumed upon the altar, but the blood is
sprinkled, and the fat and certain other portions are consumed. These
sacrifices, as well as every ordinance belonging to the Priesthood,
will, when the Temple of the Lord shall be built, and the sons of Levi
be purified, be fully restored and attended to in all their powers,
ramifications and blessings. This ever did and will exist when the
powers of the Melchizedek Priesthood are sufficiently manifest, else
how can the restitution of all things spoken of by all the holy
Prophets be brought to pass? It is not to be understood that the law
of Moses will be established again with all its rites and variety of
ceremonies. This has never been spoken of by the Prophets, but those
things which existed prior to Moses' day, namely, sacrifice, will be
continued. It may be asked by some, What necessity for sacrifice,
since the Great Sacrifice was offered? In answer to which, if
repentance, baptism and faith existed prior to the days of Christ,
what necessity for them since that time? The Priesthood has descended
in a regular line from father to son, through their succeeding
generations. See Book of Doctrine and Covenants."--History of Joseph
Smith, Deseret News, Vol. IV., No. 30.
The remarks of President Joseph Smith are very plain and explicit, and
are a strong confirmation of the passage he himself refers to,
pertaining to the times of the restitution of all things; which will
embrace all systems, doctrines, ordinances, dispensations, and
Priesthoods connected with the Church and Kingdom of God. That there
will be a full manifestation of all these things, relating to the
various times and dispensations, is assured; yet, as Joseph Smith has
very properly said, the details of those rituals and observances
cannot now be fully defined. But as ancient Israel preserved in the
Ark of the Covenant memorials of God's power, goodness and mercy,
manifested during the exodus from Egypt, in the two tables of stone
and the pot of manna; and of the recognition of the Aaronic Priesthood
in Aaron's rod that budded; and as the sword of Laban, the sacred
plates already revealed, as well as numerous others yet to be made
manifest, and a Urim and Thummim were preserved on this continent; so
will there be an exhibition an evidence, a memorial, and an actual
manifestation of matters pertaining to laws, ordinances, ceremonies
and dispensations, from the commencement of the world to the present
time, preserved and manifested in the dispensation that the Lord in
His loving kindness has now inaugurated. This will be in accordance
with the eternal plans and purposes of God, and with the rights,
ceremonies and ordinances belonging to the Priesthoods of God in the
different ages, pertaining to the organization of this world, the
proposed mediation and atonement of the Son of God, the manifestations
and developments of the Melchizedek Priesthood, as the Prophet Joseph
has referred to, as well relating to sacrifices in early days as in
other matters, the introduction of the Aaronic Priesthood, together
with the Ark and the Tabernacle, which we are told were made after the
patterns shown unto Moses in the mount--patterns which existed in the
heavens; the eternal existence, authority and power of both
Priesthoods as connected with God and administering in time and
eternity; the attempts of Satan to overthrow the dynasty, power and
authority of Jehovah and his complete failure and discomfiture;
exhibiting in a panorama all the leading, prominent details of the
creation, atonement, redemption, salvation and exaltation of the world
and man, the organization of a new heaven and a new earth, and all the
purposes of God, His plans and ordinances, manifested through the
Priesthood from the first inception of the organization of the world
to the final consummation, purification and exaltation of the world
and its inhabitants, according to the foreknowledge and determinate
counsel of the Almighty.
For as these memorials of the atonement were used by the ancient
Patriarchs and Prophets to manifest to God their faith in the plan of
redemption and in the coming Redeemer; so will these great types be
again introduced as exhibiting the sacrifice of the great antitype,
Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant, and as a perpetual
recognition of the eternal salvation and exaltation wrought out by Him
for the human family by the sacrifice of Himself. (See also 3 Nephi,
xv, 4-8, previously quoted.)