AUTHORITY.
I have now considered, at some length, the doctrines and ordinances
which constitute the First Principles of the Gospel of Christ. In
connection with these principles, however, there is another matter
which must claim the reader's attention; _viz_.: the important fact that
the gospel must be preached and its ordinances administered by those
having authority from God; or the administrations will have no binding
force in heaven or on earth, in time or in eternity.
We are informed in the scriptures that the Lord wrought special
miracles by the hands of Paul, whom he had called to be his servant.
The sick were healed, and evil spirits were cast out of those who
were possessed. "Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took
upon them to call over them which had evil spirits, the name of the
Lord Jesus, saying. We adjure you, by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And
there were seven sons, of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests,
which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know,
and Paul I know, but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit
was, leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them,
so that they fled out of that house, naked and wounded."[A] These
men presumptuously took it upon themselves to act as those who had
authority, and the result was that not even the devils would respect
their administrations, much less the Lord.
[Footnote A: Acts xix: 13-16.]
There is a principle of great moment associated with this incident. The
question is, if these men, when acting without authority from God could
not drive out an evil spirit, would their administration be of force,
or have any virtue in it, had they administered in some other ordinance
of the Gospel, say baptism for the remission of sins, or laying on
hands for imparting the Holy Ghost? Manifestly it would not. And hence
we rightly come to the conclusion, so well expressed in one of our
articles of faith, that "A man must be called of God, by prophecy and
by the laying on of hands, by those who are in authority to preach the
gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof."
Such a conclusion as this could reasonably be drawn also from the words
of Paul in Hebrews where he says: "Every high priest taken from among
men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer
both gifts and sacrifices for sins: * * * And no man taketh this honor
unto himself, but he that is called of God as was Aaron."[B] The manner
in which Aaron was called to the priest's office is recorded in the
writings of Moses as follows: "Take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother,
and his sons with him from among the children of Israel, that he may
minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu,
Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons."[C]
[Footnote B: Heb. v. 1, 5.]
[Footnote C: Ex. xxviii, 1.]
It may be objected that this was the law relating to the calling of
high priests alone, but if high priests are to be called in this
manner, is it not reasonable to conclude that all who administer in
"things pertaining to God" must be called in the same way--that is,
of God? So far as the scriptures are concerned, and on subjects of
this character their authority is conclusive, wherever we have an
account of men administering in the things pertaining to God, and their
administrations are accepted of him, they have either been called
directly by revelation from him, or through inspiration in those who
already had authority from God to act in his name; and to be called by
a legitimate, divinely established authority is to be called of God.
On the other hand, whenever men have taken it upon themselves to act in
the name of God, so far as any such instance is recorded, it has been
followed by some manifestation of displeasure from him.
As an example of this statement, I call attention to the case of Uzza.
The Lord appointed Aaron and his sons to take special charge of the
ark of the covenant and all the holy things belonging to it. When
it became necessary for the camp to move, after all things had been
arranged by Aaron and his sons, then the sons of Kohash were to come
to bear it; "but," said the Lord, "they shall not touch any holy thing
lest they die."[D] Some generations after this. King David undertook
to move the ark from Baalah,--called also Kirjathjearim, where it had
remained many years. Uzza and Ahio drove the cart on which the ark and
its furniture were placed, and when the company engaged in this pious
work reached Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to steady the ark, for the
oxen stumbled, but in doing so he broke the law which had been given to
Israel[E]--he acted without authority "And the anger of the Lord was
kindled against Uzza, and he smote him because he put his hand to the
ark; and there he died before God."[F]
[Footnote D: Num. iv: 15.]
[Footnote E: Num. iv: 15.]
[Footnote F: I. Chron. xiii: 10.]
Take still another case, that of Uzziah. He was one of the kings of
Israel; and for a long time he prospered exceedingly because of his
righteousness. His enemies were smitten before him, and wisdom was
given him to fortify Jerusalem as it never had been fortified before.
But in the midst of his glory and the pride of his heart, he undertook
to minister in the temple of God in the priest's office; and appeared
before the altar to burn incense." And Azariah the priest went in
after him, and with him four score priests of the Lord, that were
valiant men: And they withstood Uzziah the king and said unto him. It
appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord,
but to the priests, the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn
incense: Go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither
shall it be to thine honor from the Lord God. Then Uzziah was wroth,
and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth
with the priests, the leprosy even rose in his forehead before the
priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar. And
Azariah, the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and,
behold, he was leprous in his forehead and they thrust him out from
thence; yea himself hasted also to go out, because the Lord had smitten
him. And Uzziah, the king, was a leper unto the day of his death, and
dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the
house of the Lord."[G]
[Footnote G: II. Chron. xxvi.]
Swift punishment followed upon the presumptuous attempt of this king to
exercise the authority of God without having had it conferred upon him:
and we have already seen that in New Testament times the Lord would
not have respect for the administration of those who spoke in his name
without authority, no matter how nearly they conformed to the forms of
the ceremony; there was no force in it, and the devil could and did
prevail against him.
We have the testimony of Jesus respecting the authority which he had
conferred upon his apostles; said he, "Ye have not chosen me, but I
have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth
fruit."[H]
[Footnote H: John xv: 16.]
When seven men were chosen to look after the poor and minister to them,
they set them before the apostles who, when they had prayed, laid their
hands on them and ordained them to their calling.[I]
[Footnote I: Acts vi: 1-6.]
So in the case of Paul. It was not enough that he saw and spoke with
the Messiah, not enough to have Ananias come and baptize him, and
receive the Holy Ghost; for afterwards, when the Lord would have him
engage in the work of preaching the gospel and administer in the
ordinances thereof, the Holy Ghost said unto certain prophets at
Antioch, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have
called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands
on them, they sent them away."[J]
[Footnote J: Acts xiii: 1-3.]
Furthermore, as Paul went about confirming the souls of the saints, he
ordained elders in every church.[K] He did not suffer men to take the
authority on themselves to minister in the things of God; but warned
the saints against such characters. Having assembled the elders of the
church of Ephesus, he said to them: "Take heed unto yourselves, and to
all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to
feed the flock of God. * * * For I know this that after my departing,
shall grievous wolves enter in, not sparing the flock. And of your
own selves, shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away
disciples after them."[L]
[Footnote K: Acts, xiv: 2, 3.]
[Footnote L: Acts xx: 28, 29.]
This same thing pressed itself upon his mind when he wrote his Epistle
to Timothy; for we find him exhorting that worthy man to "Preach the
word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with
all long-suffering, and doctrine, for the time will come when they will
not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap
to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away
their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."[M]
[Footnote M: II. Tim. iv: 2-4.]
To this also agrees the testimony of Peter. After speaking of the
prophets that were in ancient Israel, he says: "But there were false
prophets also among the people [then addressing the saints of his own
day], even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily
shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought
them, and shall bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall
follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall
be evil spoken of."[N]
[Footnote N: II Peter ii: 1, 2.]
That is just what happened. False teachers arose, damnable heresies
crept into the churches, the Gospel was corrupted, and a few
generations after the gospel was introduced by the personal ministry
of John the Baptist and the Messiah himself, the authority of God was
taken from among men.
Hence, when a knowledge of the Gospel was restored to the earth in
this last dispensation, it became necessary to restore also the
authority to teach it, and administer its ordinances. For this purpose
John the Baptist, laboring under the direction of Peter, James and
John, was sent to restore sufficient authority to administer the
outward ordinances, to teach faith and repentance, and baptize for the
remission of sins.[O]
[Footnote O: Doc. and Cov. sec. xiii.]
Subsequently Peter, James and John were sent of the Lord[P] some
time in the early summer of 1829, and ordained Joseph Smith and
Oliver Cowdery to the holy Melchisedek Priesthood--in fact, they were
ordained apostles. [Q]And as the "Melchisedek priesthood holds the
right of presidency, and has power and authority over all the offices
in the church in all ages of the world to administer in spiritual
things"[R]--these men, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, had authority
to administer in all the ordinances of salvation, and to organize the
Church of Christ; which, under the direction of the Lord, they did. And
thus, not only has the Gospel been restored to the earth in this last
dispensation, but the authority to administer in all its ordinances,
and to build up the Church of Christ and the Kingdom of God on earth
has been brought from heaven and bestowed upon men.
[Footnote P: Doc. and Cov. sec. xxvii: 12.]
[Footnote Q: Doc. and Cov. sec. xx: 2, 3.]
[Footnote R: Doc. and Cov. sec. cvii.]