the lesser Priesthood, should consult the First Presidency in all
important matters pertaining to the Bishopric.
Tenth.--That in regard to the appointment and trial of ward Bishops, it
appears that they stand in the same relationship to the Presidents of
Stakes as the early Bishops did to the First Presidency, who presided
over the Stake at Kirtland; but that those Presidents should consult
with the First Presidency on these and other important matters, and
officiate under their direction in their several Stakes.
That in regard to the office and calling of Bishops it is very much
like the office and calling of High Priests. All High Priests are
eligible to any office in the Church, when called, ordained and
appointed to fill such office. The First Presidency are High Priests.
The Twelve are High Priests, High Councilors are High Priests,
Presidents of Stakes are High Priests, and all their Counselors;
Bishops and their Counselors are High Priests: but it does not follow
that all High Priests are First Presidents, members of the Twelve
Apostles, Presidents of Stakes, High Councilors, Bishops or Bishops'
Counselors, they only obtain these offices by selection and appointment
from the proper source, and when not appointed to any specific calling,
they are organized in a Stake quorum, under a President and Council.
So although the Bishopric is eligible to fulfill any office to which
they may be appointed, all are not presiding Bishops, all are not
general Bishops, or special Bishops, or ward Bishops, or even Bishops'
agents; they occupy their several offices, as do the High Priests, by
selection, appointment, as well as ordination, and that the Presidency
of the Melchizedek Priesthood presides over, calls, directs, appoints
and counsels all. It is further evident that as the Melchizedek
Priesthood holds the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the Church,
and that the Presidency thereof has a right to officiate in all the
offices of the Church, therefore that Presidency has a perfect right
to direct or call, set apart and ordain Bishops, to fill any place
or position in the Church that may be required for that ministry to
perform in all the Stakes of Zion, or throughout the world. Thus, after
going through the whole matter, we come back to a term frequently used
among us: Obey counsel.
THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD.
As the Levitical Priesthood is referred to in the Old Testament
scriptures, as well as in the book of Doctrine and Covenants, the
following quotations and remarks may throw some light upon the subject:
LEVITES AND LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD.
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying: Bring the tribe of Levi near,
and present them before Aaron the Priest, that they may minister unto
him. And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole
congregation, before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the
service of the tabernacle. And they shall keep all the instruments of
the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of
Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. And thou shalt give the
Levites unto Aaron and to his sons, they are wholly given unto them out
of the children of Israel. And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons,
and they shall wait on their Priest's office: and the stranger that
cometh nigh shall be put to death."--Num. iii: 5, 10.
Aaron and his sons held the Aaronic Priesthood, and the Levites were
given unto them to minister unto them to keep his charge, the charge
of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle, keep the
instruments of the tabernacle, and the charge of the children of Israel.
"And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of
Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the
children of Israel; therefore the Levites shall be mine; because all
the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn
in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel,
both man and beast: mine they shall be: I am the Lord."--Num. iii, 12,
13.
All the firstborn the Lord claimed as belonging to him, because when he
destroyed the firstborn of the Egyptians, he spared the firstborn of
the Israelites. But the Levites were appointed to fill the place of the
firstborn of all Israel, and they were commanded to be numbered, viz.,
all the males from a month old and upward, to assist Aaron and his sons
in the service of the tabernacle; at that time there were twenty-two
thousand of them. (Ibid, ver. 39.)
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying: Take the Levites instead of
all the first born among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the
Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am
the Lord." (ver. 44, 45.)
The remainder of the Israelites had to redeem their firstborn, and
the money for the redemption was given by Moses to Aaron and his sons
according to the word of the Lord. (ver. 50, 51.)
They seemed to have been an appendage to the Aaronic Priesthood to
assist in the service of the tabernacle and other duties. Aaron and
his male descendants were selected for the Priesthood, and the other
Levites as assistants, or an appendage.
The Levites had forty-eight cities and their suburbs provided for them
from among the possessions of the other tribes: First came by lot the
children of Aaron: "And the children of Aaron the Priest, which were of
the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe
of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities."--Josh,
xxi, 4. (See the whole of the chapter for a division of cities to the
remainder of the Levites, or the tribe of Levi, who were thus provided
for as distinct from the other tribes.) "All the cities of the Levites
within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight
cities with their suburbs."--Josh, xxi, 41.
It may here be observed that both Moses and Aaron belonged to the tribe
of Levi, and that the Levites had a tithing given to them. "And the
Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land,
neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine
inheritance among the children of Israel. And, behold, I have given the
children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their
service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the
congregation."--Num. xviii, 20, 21. (See also the chapter.)
There is a peculiarity about this tithing, for while one-tenth was
given to the Levites, they, the Levites, were commanded to give
one-tenth of the tithe to Aaron.
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying. Thus speak unto the Levites,
and say unto them. When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes
which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall
offer up an heave offering of it * * * for the Lord, even a tenth part
of the tithe * * and ye shall give thereof the Lord's heave offering to
Aaron the Priest." Num. xviii, 25-28.
It would seem that while the Levites were called "to do the service
of the tabernacle of the congregation" (ver. 6), that the Priest's
office belonged especially to Aaron and his family. The Lord, in
speaking to Aaron, says, "And I, behold, I have taken your brethren
the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given
as a gift for the Lord, to do the service of the tabernacle of the
congregation."--Num. xviii, 6.
It furthermore appears that while the Levites were given to Aaron, that
Aaron and his sons were to hold the Priest's office. "Therefore thou
and thy sons with thee shall keep your Priest's office for everything
of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given
your Priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger
that cometh nigh shall be put to death."--Num. xviii, 7.
In the case of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, whom the earth opened and
swallowed up for assuming the Priest's office, "Moses said unto
Korah, hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi: Seemeth it but a small
thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the
congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service
of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation
to minister unto them? And he hath brought thee near to him, and all
thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: _and seek ye_ the Priesthood
also?"--Num. xvi, 8-10. And also the whole chapter, in which is
depicted the terrible judgment of God upon them for assuming the
Priest's office.
From the above it would seem--
First.--That the Levites were selected in the place of the firstborn
whom the Lord called his own.
Second.--That they were given to Aaron to assist him in the minor or
lesser duties of the Priesthood; but that Aaron and his sons officiated
in the leading offices of the Priesthood, and not the Levites.
Third.--That there was a tithing paid to them by the whole house of
Israel for their sustenance.
Fourth.--That they paid a tithe of this to Aaron.
Fifth.--That on assuming the higher duties of the Priesthood of Aaron,
the judgments of God overtook them.
Sixth.--That their Priesthood was only an appendage to the Aaronic
Priesthood, and not that Priesthood itself as held by Aaron and his
sons.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:
Where the original reads "peolpe," this edition reads "people."
Where the original reads "thh," this edition reads "the."
Where the original reads "Willaims," this edition reads "Williams."
Where the original reads "Aopostles," this edition reads "Apostles."
Where the original reads "authotities," this edition reads "authorities."
Where the original reads "too frequent repetion," this edition reads "too
frequent repetition."
Where the original reads "Was there anything but the Gospel to add it to
to?," this edition reads "Was there anything but the Gospel to add it to?"
A case of a quotation mark appearing without a partner has been corrected
by adding the partner, after comparison with the original quoted material.