did he apparently expect to receive, revelation from God. After years
of the severest rigor, he came finally no longer to rely on his own
"good works," but to trust in "justification by faith" alone. Yet,
there had been given--either to him, or to another--no revelation
revising or changing the well-known doctrine that faith without works
is dead. Through a righteous indignation at the reckless claims made
by the hawkers of indulgences, Luther was led to protest against the
wicked practice of the Catholic church, and finally to establish a
church of his own. Yet, he had received no special commission to
institute the Church of Christ. His protest against the Catholic church
was unquestionably well taken; but he had received no appointment
to establish a new church. The only authority he possessed was that
bestowed upon him as a priest by the church from which he seceded. The
church bearing his name is therefore man-appointed.
So it is also with all the Protestant creeds. As with Martin Luther, so
it was with John Calvin, and the Presbyterian church; so it was with
Henry VIII., "the English Pope," and "the Church of England as by law
established;" so it was with Wesley who organized the independent sect
of Methodists; and so it was with all the religious reformers from the
first to the last. They recognized evils in the mother church. They
appreciated the necessity of reform. But no one of them received divine
appointment to accomplish the work they endeavored to do. Indeed, they
held no authority whatever, except such authority as had been conferred
upon them by the church which they declared to be apostate, and that
authority certainly could not be called divine.
Judging then, from the many examples set before the time of Joseph
Smith, we are justified in saying that he, too, might have organized
an independent church of his own. He, too, recognized the evils in the
Christian sects. He, too, felt the need of reform. Moreover, he had
received divine manifestations; he had been told that the churches
of the world were all corrupt, and he had translated by divine
inspiration a volume of sacred records attested by eleven men of good
repute. And moreover, still, the heavenly being who had visited him
had specifically told him that God had a great work for him to do.
Notwithstanding these many manifestations, however, Joseph Smith made
no attempt to establish a new church, or to reform those churches
already established. He had received no commission so to do. As yet, he
had been given no authority to act in God's stead.
It was, not until the fifteenth day of May, 1829, that the young
Prophet received authority to officiate in some of the ordinances
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith and his scribe, Oliver
Cowdery, had been engaged as usual on the translation of the sacred
plates. On that day, they happened upon a passage referring to
baptism. Since they knew nothing of the ordinance they became eager to
understand. They went out into the wood to pray for light. Together
they knelt upon the sod. United in their one great desire, they pleaded
with the God of heaven to give them understanding. "While we were thus
employed," writes the Prophet in his simple way, "praying and calling
upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light,
and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us, saying:
"Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the
Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels,
and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the
remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth,
until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in
righteousness."[A]
[Footnote A: "History of the Church," Vol. I, p. 15.]
The messenger who appeared thus to Joseph and Oliver said that he was
John the Baptist, and that he held the keys of the Aaronic priesthood
from the dispensation of Christ. He explained further that this
priesthood had not the power of laying on hands for the gift of the
Holy Ghost. He commanded them to baptize each other, and to re-ordain
each other after the pattern set them by him. Immediately Joseph and
Oliver went to attend to the holy ordinance. First the Prophet baptized
Oliver, then Oliver baptized the Prophet. The Prophet then laid his
hands upon Oliver's head and ordained him to the Aaronic priesthood;
and afterwards, Oliver ordained the Prophet. Both of them received
thereupon glorious manifestations from heaven. They prophesied of
things that were to be. They were filled with the Holy Ghost. And thus
was consummated another act in the story of the Restoration.
And what was this Priesthood restored by the heavenly messenger,
John the Baptist? Priesthood is the authority to act in God's stead.
Since the powers of God are infinite, so also must His priesthood be
infinite. Therefore, what a man may or may not do in representing God,
will depend upon the degree of authority he has received from the
Great Master. One who has been commissioned with great authority may
undertake great responsibilities for God; whereas one who has been
commissioned with but little, can do but little. The principle of
authority will not permit a man to attempt responsibilities greater
than his priesthood, though he may feel himself otherwise competent
to do them fully as well as does the man who holds the necessary
authority. Thus divine authority--or priesthood--becomes a power highly
to be respected.
Now, the Holy Priesthood has two divisions--the Lesser and the
Greater. It was the Lesser Priesthood that John the Baptist conferred
upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. It is also called the Aaronic
Priesthood since Aaron was the great representative of old bearing
this authority. The powers and limitations of this division of
priesthood--or Divine Authority--are indicated in the words of
ordination and the instructions of John the Baptist to Joseph Smith and
Oliver Cowdery.
First, the Priesthood of Aaron holds the keys of the ministering of
angels. One who has received this degree of authority has the right
to receive revelation and instruction from the angels of heaven.
They may minister to him, inspire him, and guide him, in his labors.
Moreover, the authority of this priesthood may call down upon man the
ministration of holy angels when it shall be necessary so to do.
Secondly, the Priesthood of Aaron holds the keys of the gospel of
repentance. One who holds this degree of authority may cry repentance
to his fellowmen. He may preach the Gospel of Jesus to them that they
may follow in His ways.
Moreover, the Priesthood of Aaron holds the keys of baptism by
immersion for the remission of sins. The preaching of one having
authority may be effective. Those hearing it may be converted. They
may confess their past sins and repent of them with a Godly sorrow. It
becomes necessary then to administer the ordinance of baptism to them.
This, one who holds the authority of the Aaronic priesthood may do. By
virtue of the delegated power which he holds, he may lead the candidate
for baptism into the water, and immerse him in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Finally, the Priesthood of Aaron may be said to hold the keys of all
temporal ministrations. Those holding this authority may look after the
needs of the poor, and the afflicted. They may care for the temporal
welfare of the Church. They may attend to such duties as will make for
the peace and comfort of worshipers. And they may attend to the sacred
ordinance of the sacrament, or the Lord's Supper.
Now, what is the significance of this glorious vision of John the
Baptist? It means, first, that man must have authority to act for
God; secondly, that the religious world in the time of this vision
had no authority to act for God. It is unreasonable to suppose that
any one should presume, without authority, to take another's place in
the business affairs of this world; or that any one would, without
protest, permit another to usurp his place and authority in the
business transactions of this world. And if this is so with finite
men, how much more unready will the God of heaven be to approve His
creatures' usurping His power and authority? How displeasing will it
not be to him that one to whom He has never delegated authority of any
kind or degree, shall presume to represent Him, and officiate in His
name? Certainly God will no more recognize the acts of men who arrogate
authority and dominion, than will an earthly monarch.
But the Priesthood held by men of old is not possessed by the sectarian
churches of today. The Lesser, or Aaronic, Priesthood finds no place
in their creeds. John the Baptist would have had no need to ordain
Joseph and Oliver, had the Aaronic Priesthood been held by anyone on
earth. All those who assumed, then, to organize churches, both before
and after the appearance of John the Baptist in this age of the world,
did so without the necessary authority. These two men--Joseph Smith
and Oliver Cowdery--were the only mortals on earth at that time who
held any degree of Priesthood--Divine Authority--from God. And the
priesthood that they held did not yet give them power to organize the
Church of Christ or to confer the Holy Ghost.
These facts are apparent, then: In answer to earnest prayer, a heavenly
being giving his name as John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith
and Oliver Cowdery; he conferred upon them the Aaronic Priesthood,
which holds certain definite keys, or powers; the possession of
Priesthood--or Divine Authority--is absolutely necessary to one who
would officiate in God's stead; the religious world at large has
lost entirely the Aaronic Priesthood; with this order of Priesthood
conferred upon them Joseph and Oliver became authorized to perform
certain duties for God; but even now they could not officiate in the
higher ordinances of the Gospel, therefore they could not yet establish
the Church of Christ with authority.
VIII.
THE HIGHER PRIESTHOOD.
In the days of Abraham, there lived in Palestine a great king and
"priest of the most high God," named Melchizedek. Melchizedek was
king of Salem. To him Abraham paid tithes of all that he had. Now,
Melchizedek was approved of God, and was ordained a high priest after
the order of the Son of God; "which order came," we are told, "not
by man, nor the will of man; neither by father nor mother; neither
by beginning of days nor end of years; but of God."[A] And ever
afterwards, Melchizedek was distinguished as a great high priest.
[Footnote A: Holy Scriptures, Inspired Version, Gen. 14:28; Compare
Heb. 7:1-3.]
In after years the Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God--the
Priesthood that Melchizedek held as a great high priest--came to be
named after Melchizedek. In the one hundred tenth psalm, King David
bursts forth in triumphant praise of the Lord who is to come. "The Lord
hath sworn," he says, "and will not repent, 'Thou art a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.'"[B] Again, a thousand years later,
Paul revives the memory of Melchizedek in a remarkable argument for the
saving power of the Lord's high-priesthood. "Though he were a Son,"
writes the great apostle, "yet learned he obedience by the things which
he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal
salvation unto all them that obey him; called of God an high priest
after the order of Melchizedek."[C] So, from generation to generation,
among the ancients, an order of priesthood called the Priesthood after
the Order of Melchizedek was undoubtedly well-known. It was this
priesthood--or Divine Authority--by virtue of which Jesus Himself
operated. It represented the power delegated to Him from God the Father.
[Footnote B: Psalms 110:4.]
[Footnote C: Read Hebrews, chs. 5, 6. 7.]
Moreover, it was the authority of this same priesthood by virtue of
which the apostles of Jesus, and all the divinely-appointed disciples,
officiated in Jesus' name. At some time during the second year of His
public ministry, Jesus went up into a mountain, and called to Him
certain of His disciples. He ordained twelve to be His apostles and
special witnesses, and gave them power similar to His own.[D] When
the labors of the ministry became too extensive for the twelve alone,
the Lord appointed other seventy and sent them two and two into every
city.[E] The authority of judgment was committed to the Son; and He
appointed to His disciples a kingdom, as His Father had appointed to
Him, that they might judge the twelve tribes of Israel.[F] To one
of the apostles the Savior gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven,
that whatsoever he should bind on earth should be bound in heaven.[G]
Afterwards, he gave the same binding and loosing power to all the
twelve.[H] Then, after His crucifixion, the Lord appeared again to the
eleven and conveyed to them a commission similar to that on which He
Himself had acted:
[Footnote D: Mark 3:13-14.]
[Footnote E: Luke 10.]
[Footnote F: Luke 22:29-30.]
[Footnote G: Matt. 16:19.]
[Footnote H: Matt. 18:18.]
"As my father hath sent me, even so send I you."[I]
[Footnote I: John 20:21.]
But the power and priesthood of Jesus was unquestionably that known
by the name of Melchizedek. He was called of God, says St. Paul, to
that order of priesthood; he was appointed of God "a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek." Then, when He imparted to His chosen
disciples the authority that He held Himself, it cannot be otherwise
construed than that He conferred upon them the Holy Priesthood after
the order of Melchizedek.
What became of that priesthood after the passing of the apostles?
During their ministry we have repeated references to the officers
divinely appointed to carry on the work of the Church. The apostles
themselves, as they traveled from church to church, ordained elders
and set apart officers for the continuance of the great gospel work.
And, of course, they could impart only what they had received. They had
received the Holy Priesthood called after the name of Melchizedek; this
priesthood, then, they conferred upon those appointed to preside and to
labor in the Church. Indeed, it follows but naturally that one could
not rightfully officiate in the Church unless he had been divinely
called and appointed by this priesthood.
After the passing of the apostles, however, the Priesthood after the
Order of Melchizedek, like that of Aaron, became lost. The officers
of the priesthood dropped out one by one. At the present day, neither
the Melchizedekian nor the Aaronic Priesthood is recognized in the
sectarian world as having existence even, let alone their being
essential to the complete organization of the Church. In a time of the
restitution of all things, then,--such as was spoken of by the holy
prophets--the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek as well as that
of Aaron must be restored to the earth.
John the Baptist had promised that the Higher Priesthood should be
restored to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. Not long after his own
visitation the promise was fulfilled. Joseph and Oliver were in the
wilderness on the Susquehanna river. To them appeared the ancient
apostles Peter, James, and John, who declared that they possessed the
keys of the kingdom, and of the dispensation of the Fulness of Times.
They laid their hands upon Joseph and Oliver, conferred upon them the
Holy Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek, ordained them to be
apostles and special witnesses of Jesus the Lord, and bestowed upon
them the keys of power which they themselves possessed.[J] Therefore,
Joseph and Oliver became known as Apostles of Jesus Christ, the first
and second elders of the Church.[K] In after years, the Prophet Joseph
wrote ecstatically of the event, saying:
[Footnote J: "History of the Church," Vol. I, pp. 40, 41.]
[Footnote K: Doc. and Cov. 20:2, 3; 18:9.]
"And again, what do we hear? Glad tidings from Cumorah! Moroni, an
angel from heaven, declaring the fulfillment of the prophets--the book
to be revealed. A voice of the Lord in the wilderness of Fayette,
Seneca County, declaring the three witnesses to bear record of the
book. The voice of Michael on the banks of the Susquehanna, detecting
the devil when he appeared as an angel of light. The voice of Peter,
James and John in the wilderness between Harmony, Susquehanna county,
and Colesville, Broome county, on the Susquehanna river, declaring
themselves as possessing the keys of the kingdom, and of the
dispensation of the fulness of times."[L]
[Footnote L: Doc. and Cov. 128:20.]
And Oliver Cowdery, too, bears record of the same marvelous event. He
says in a signed statement:
"John the Baptist, holding the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood; Peter,
James and John, holding the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood have
also ministered for those who shall be heirs of salvation, and with
these administrations, ordained men to the same Priesthood. These
Priesthoods with their authority, are now and must continue to be
in the body of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. * *
* Accept assurances, dear brother, of the unfeigned prayer of him
who, in connection with Joseph, the Seer, was blessed with the above
administrations."[M]
[Footnote M: "History of the Church," Vol. I, p. 42, footnote.]
This statement was written in 1849, nearly twenty years after the
event, and nearly five years after the martyrdom of the Prophet.
And so was consummated another act in the great drama of
the Restoration. The chosen prophet, Joseph Smith, and his
divinely-appointed associate, Oliver Cowdery, possessed now the higher
order of priesthood--the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek.
After many centuries the priesthood of the great king was restored
again to the earth finally, never again to be taken away while the
earth shall stand.
How does this Higher Priesthood differ from the Lesser? Briefly, the
difference is mainly one of degree. Both are divisions of the great
Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God. But the Lesser Priesthood
deals with lesser, and temporal things; whereas the Higher Priesthood
deals with spiritual things. Says the Lord in a revelation to the
Prophet Joseph:
"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 first born, and to enjoy the communion and presence
of God the Father, and Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant."[N]
[Footnote N: Doc. and Cov. 107:18, 19.]
It appears, then, that one holding the Priesthood of Melchizedek may
lay on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost; he may administer to
the sick that they may be restored; he may rebuke evil and cast out
devils in the name of Jesus the Christ; he may bless, and confirm, and
anoint with holy oil; he may, in short, call down the richest blessings
of heaven in his administration,--for he holds "the keys of all the
spiritual blessings."
He may possess the rights and powers of revelation, to learn the
mysteries of heaven, to look into the heavens themselves, and to
commune with heavenly beings. He may enjoy the communion, and the very
presence of God the Father and of Jesus Christ. Moreover, one holding
the Higher Priesthood has power and authority over all the lesser
offices of the Church. These are great and wonderful blessings. Yet,
they are really no greater than one should expect to find operative in
the true Church of Christ. For how can a church fulfill the measure of
its existence unless it possess the very powers here ascribed to the
Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek?
It is really a matter of wonder that Joseph Smith, an unlearned
youth--for he was less than twenty-four years of age at the time of
the restoration of the Melchizedekian Priesthood--should have felt
himself unauthorized fully to represent God until the two orders of
priesthood were conferred upon him. The so-called reformers were nearly
all learned men. They knew the scriptures not only in translation but
in the original tongue. They knew, too, the history and the customs
of Israel and surrounding nations. Of most of these things, Joseph
Smith as a young man was ignorant. Yet, the Protestant reformers never
once recognized the necessity of possessing the old order of Divine
Authority. They read the scriptures and claimed to understand them;
some even translated the Holy Bible; yet, not one of them seemed to
comprehend the meaning of Priesthood, nor the necessity of Divine
Authority. To Joseph Smith alone, of all the modern religious leaders,
belongs the credit of waiting till he was commissioned before he
attempted to act in God's stead. It is a striking testimony of his
divine inspiration.
IX.
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST.
Empowered with the authority of both the Lesser and the Higher
Priesthood, Joseph Smith was in a position to act in all things for
the Great Giver of that authority. Indeed, it would appear that
there was nothing, in righteousness, that Joseph Smith might not do
as the representative of God. Yet, he waited patiently, always, to
receive God's word before he ventured to act in any important matter.
During these early days of his experience, enemies continued to
array themselves against him, and persecution waxed fiercer and more
frequent. But the young Prophet was not required to stand absolutely
alone. Not only enemies, but friends also increased in numbers. It
was very generally known, long before the publication of the "Book of
Mormon," that Joseph was engaged in the translation of such a book.
Many men whose curiosity, and interest, had been aroused, sought out
the Prophet, and learned from his own lips the nature of his strange
message to the world. These men remained in most cases among the
Prophet's staunchest friends. They could not doubt the sincerity of
that testimony which alone withstood maligning and persecution. They
could not break the impregnable testimony to the divine authenticity of
the "Book of Mormon." They could not controvert the sober affirmations
of the two men who, without worldly gain in view, declared that they
had received by special ordination divine authority from heaven to
re-establish the Church of Jesus Christ. And, fortunately for the young
seer, his own family were among those who began early to repose faith
in him. His brother Samuel H. Smith was, according to the recorded
history, the third person in this dispensation to be baptized; and
shortly thereafter Hyrum Smith, another brother, also accepted the
truth. Thus, the followers of the Prophet increased in number, and his
friends multiplied. There was, however, no organization by which they
were bound together.
Near the middle of the year 1829, before the Higher Priesthood was
restored, the Prophet and his friends became anxious to effect a
permanent organization. The heavenly messengers that had visited the
Prophet had promised him that the true Church of Christ should be
establised in due time. And it was expedient--even necessary--that
there should be an organization effected. It may be urged that a
person can be as good out of an organization as in it, and that
the mere fact of organization can produce no improvement either
spiritually or otherwise. But there can be no system where there is
no organization. There can be no one particularly to look to, where
there is no organization. There can be no division of responsibility
where there is no organization. There can be no order where there is no
organization. Order, it has been said, is a fundamental law of heaven.
But organization means order. We have not space here to delve into
the philosophy of organization; but it is surely evident to every one
that if we had not organization, the world--physically, spiritually,
mentally, socially--would still be in the same chaotic condition it was
in when God first said, "Let there be light." In order to accomplish
the purposes of God, then, it was necessary to do more than merely to
restore the authority to act in His name. It became necessary to effect
an organization.