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Priest & Priestess: New Testament with Lynne Wilson (Come, Follow Me) · Scripture Central

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Merry Christmas and welcome back to Scripture Central's.
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Come, follow me. I'm Lynn Hilton Wilson, and I've
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got a special Christmas lesson. That's not my usual I figure
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I've given 3 Christmas videos so far, and I also have chosen
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different portions of the Christmas story to tell this
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year. Also in the New Testament, we
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were blessed with a week or two around the first nativity
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chapters in Matthew and Luke's account.
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And so I thought for Christmas this year, I would give you a
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gift of a little bit of a different sort.
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I want to start with the story of Zacharias and Elizabeth.
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As you know, the New Testament chronologically starts with a
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priest and a priestess. We are told that Zachariah is
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from Aaron and his wife Elizabeth is also from Aaron,
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and that he begins the story in the temple.
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I think this is very significant that our New Testament has that
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beginning and I wanted to focus on that with you today.
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As we've gone through the Old Testament and the New Testament
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together. I've emphasized a lot of details
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about the ancient temple, but I'd just like to remind you that
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Christmas stories that we have in our Gospels began at Herod's
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Temple. Now, this was not necessarily a
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a pure place at the time. In fact, some of the righteous
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priests were so upset about it they joined a group called the
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Essenes and they left the temple.
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And they tried to keep a holy priesthood line out in the
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desert. And we know of many of their
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writings from the Dead Sea Scrolls that were found in
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Qumran. Elizabeth and Zachariah lived
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close enough to the temple that he could work there.
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At that time a priest had to serve for five weeks a year.
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They came for the Three Pilgrimage Feasts every year in
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the springtime Passover, then fifty days later Pentecost, and
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then the Feast of the Tabernacles or Feast of Booths
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in the fall time when they had their Thanksgiving celebration.
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All of these pilgrimages, the priests had to come in and work
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for one week, and then the priests also had the assignment
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for two other weeks. Now the Levitical line had to
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come in a little more often. Remember, the Levites are far
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more numerous because that's a larger you.
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You got 200 years before Aaron of procreation.
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That allowed the Levitical line. And so they helped with the the
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taking of the animals and washing them and preparing them
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for the altar. They helped with the clean up,
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they helped with the music, music.
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They helped with the police or the the guards around the
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temple. There were a lot of different
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positions that the Levites held, but the priest's responsibility
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was to take the animal and lay their hands on the head and
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vicariously transfer either the sin offering or the thank
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offering, whatever the sacrifice was for on to the animal.
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And they were to all represent, of course, the coming forth of
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the great and last sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus of Nazareth,
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who we're celebrating his birth. At this time of year, I want to
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focus a little bit more on this idea of the temple.
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Remember, in the ancient world, in order to serve as a priest at
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the altar, you had to be a descendant of Aaron.
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Now originally it was first born, so from Adam all the way
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up to Moses the priesthood was given to the first borns.
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But at the time of Moses we read in Exodus chapter 40, verse 15,
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that Aaron was taken and his sons, and Moses is given the
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commandment. Thou shalt anoint them that they
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may minister unto me in the priest's office, for their
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anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood
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throughout their generations. And so you know over 1000 years
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later, Zechariah is still offering the offerings that were
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outlined in the law of Moses at the foot of Sinai when he
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received these instructions. When Moses received these
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instructions from the Lord as the children of Israel left
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Egypt, I believe all of them are the type typify of Christ.
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And so now we have a priest in the temple performing those
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rituals that were to testify of our Savior's coming, testify of
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our Savior's life and mission and atoning sacrifice.
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And in the biblical priesthood time, the priest wore white
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linen. There's only one reigning high
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priest at the time, and initially it was the righteous
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Aaron. But sometimes the first born was
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not righteous, but it was still a position for life if you
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received it. And it had to be a descendant of
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Aaron. But by the time of Herod the
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Great Builder. So by 20 BC when he begins
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revamping the temple, actually he comes in to start serving at
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4037 is when he takes power. 37 BC, He doesn't want a lot of
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Jewish rulers, so he disseminates the Sanhedrin and
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he says, I will choose who's the high priest.
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And it's no longer a direct descendant, the first born or
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the first born or the first born of Aaron.
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It just has to be anyone from Aaron.
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And so he chooses people who will do what he wants.
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It's sort of a puppet position. It's a position who can bridge
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Herod's needs and the the Law of Moses directions in the book of
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Leviticus. Well unfortunately Herod was
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always upset about someone and he had people come in going in
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one year at one time he replaced multiple high priests but
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usually the high priest was able to serve for a year or two but
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it used to be for life. It was it was tragic during this
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time but they still wore the set clothes.
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So we assumed that when Zacharias came to the temple for
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one of these five weeks that he was there to serve.
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When Angel Gabriel came to announce the birth of the
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Messiah and his son the Prophet to prepare the way for the Lord,
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he was probably dressed in these white linens that we see in some
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drawings, as well as the text describing them as a head
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covering of robes and a sash around the waist.
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Now the high priest did not wear white linens except for the Day
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of Atonement, otherwise he wore very colorful things that were
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to remind people of the Garden of Eden.
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He had pomegranate sewn in and bells and and it was bright blue
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and very different clothing. By the time of the New
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Testament, the priesthood was not appreciated as something
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righteous. There were a few though, and
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that's where we believe we come in with Zacharias married to
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Elizabeth during the New Testament period, we see the
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Lord ordaining and giving power and authority to people who are
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not from Aaron's line. We're told that Jesus restored a
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Kingdom of priests and priestesses, and in fact, in the
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Book of Revelation he's going to talk more about that.
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And we just referred to that last week in chapter one and
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chapter 5. Also a couple weeks back in
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Peter, we read in chapter 2, verse five, ye are built up a
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spiritual house, a holy priesthood to OfferUp spiritual
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sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
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And then, skipping down to verse 9, ye are a chosen generation, a
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royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people.
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Now this is fascinating. What did?
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What happened in Christianity between the time of Zechariah
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performing that and then Second Peter calling a generation a
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royal priesthood? And then how does that affect us
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in our day and age? And how does the priesthood fit?
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I just thought that this Christmas that my present for
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you. It would be a little bit of my
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research on this subject. We know historically that the
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Catholic Church honored the position of priests as a Direct
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Line from Peter, and that their popes then had the authority to
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ordain others as priests. And so they claimed this
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priesthood line of authority coming from the Apostolic
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Church. Now historians like myself and I
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studied with the Catholics. My doctorate is with Marquette.
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We have a problem with this because there's these huge
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hiatuses and there's popes doing bad things and there's jumping.
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And you know, we have 300 years before the 1st Pope, and how are
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you claiming that from Peter? So historically, it's a little
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delicate. Another part of this history is
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Martin Luther. And we know as he was being
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raised up to be a priest in the Christianity, that he became
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very, very frustrated with a lot of the challenges.
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And he wanted some reformations that he felt we had strayed in
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the Christian faith in the 16th century from what was biblically
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recorded. And so he asked for some
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reformations and they were not granted.
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And so after his passing, his friends began a movement to
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start instigating some of these things and actually broke away
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from the mainstream of the Christian faith.
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One of the things that Martin Luther requested in these 95
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theses was a priesthood of all believers, and as the Protestant
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Reformation occurred over the next hundred 200 years, the
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priesthood began to receive a very different name.
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In fact the idea of authority coming from the Pope's was was
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denounced, was looked down upon and and and the idea of a
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priesthood became getting a bad name because the Protestants did
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not claim their authority from a person.
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They claimed their authority from the Bible.
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So if they could be educated, if they could get a degree in
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theology or biblical studies, then they had the right to
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preach. Now all of this starts changing
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by the 19th century when Methodism begins taking over.
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You know it's it's not even on the records in the United States
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in in the late 1700s, but by 1850 it's the number one
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tradition in faith, tradition in the Americas.
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I just wanted to give you a couple of examples.
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This is 1824. There's this enormous anti
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priesthood sentiment across the United States and I'm reading
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here from one of the greatest writers of the time.
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We distinctly know that the Popish priests, so Popish is
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their negative word referring to the Western part of Christianity
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that we refer to today as Catholicism.
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Popish priests only seek for power that they may employ it
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against our principles. And it's not just this one
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statement. I have volumes of stuff that
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really had an anti priesthood attitude.
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And yet 200 years ago Angel Moroni came to Joseph in upstate
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New York, a young prophet at age 17 on September 21st 1823.
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And one of the first things he mentioned out of his mouth was
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that a priesthood was going to be restored.
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But Jovov comes from this culture, this this puritan
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background of upstate New York where that was, that was
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revolting. That was anti religious.
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It's anti Bible they thought. But we read that bro and I
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quoted Malachi. Behold, I will reveal unto you
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the priesthood by the hand of Elijah the prophet before the
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coming of the great and dead full day of the Lord.
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So in order to restore the church, in order to prepare for
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the Lord's Second Coming, we needed God's power restored.
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We needed a priesthood line of authority.
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Well, the first thing that Joseph Smith does in his young
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years as a prophet is begin translating the Book of Mormon
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and I thought, is priesthood mentioned in the Book of Mormon?
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And I found all sorts of words that related to the priesthood,
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even though we know Lehigh and Soraya.
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And the rest of the people that came with them were not from the
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tribe of Aaron, They were from Manasseh, they were from
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Ephraim. And we may have had some from
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Judah, the Mulekites. But it's interesting to see all
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these references to the priesthood.
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Let me just give you one example, Alma 13, six through 8.
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Thus being called by this holy calling and ordained unto the
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High Priesthood of the Holy Order of God to teach His
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commandments unto the children of men that they also might
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enter into His rest. I don't know if you remember,
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but that means enter into your exaltation.
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That is an requires an ordinance to receive that the high
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Priesthood being after the order of His Son, which order was from
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the foundation of the world. I mean, we are learning so much
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about the priesthood right here in Alma 13.
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They were ordained after this manner, being called with a holy
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calling and ordained with holy ordinances and taking upon them
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the high priesthood of the holy Order, which calling and
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ordinance and high priesthood is without beginning or end.
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Joseph is learning about this for the first time as he's
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translating this with Oliver writing it down.
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And this is just powerful information.
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And I think it not only it opened a doorway for Joseph to
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realize this was something that had been lost and was needed,
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but it also opened a doorway for new information, for a new
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things that Joseph didn't have a vision of yet.
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As Joseph continued translating, he went to third Nephi 1837.
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The disciples bear record that he, that's Christ gave them
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power to give the Holy Ghost. So Joseph knew something was
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coming. But I thought, I wonder how many
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words in the Book of Mormon refer to holy order.
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Obviously Lehi and Nephi refer to the fact that they had the
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holy order of God, so they received the higher priesthood,
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not the ironic priesthood. So I looked up other words.
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Levitical, ironic, Melchizedek, Abrahamic, Power of God,
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miracles, visions. I just began looking at all
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these words that had to do with priesthood power.
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Are they in the Book of Mormon? And I realized that the Book of
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Mormon definition of priesthood is much broader.
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It doesn't mean those males who hold the keys.
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It is God's power given to earth.
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So the first introduction that Joseph has to the priesthood is
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this amazing power of God. Here's a small chart of some of
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the research that was done I I asked for my brother's help.
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He's a statistician as well as a a great scriptorian, and he
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developed some of these ideas for me to look at how the
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priesthood is organized in the Book of Mormon.
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I don't know if you have time to look at my charts or my
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handouts, but they will be on scripture central attached
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either to this video or on the archives.
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And this priesthood power I have divided or my brother divided
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for me into bestowing the priesthood authority or looking
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at some attributes of the priesthood.
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And this was fascinating. To divide them up, to organize
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them, to see how God restored this and every book of
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scripture. My brother is just phenomenal in
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this. His name is Cortland Hilton, and
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I'm hoping to do a full published article on his
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research because there is so much here.
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The percentage of the priesthood in the Book of Mormon, where it
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lies, what does it deal with? Well, I'm not surprised.
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It deals with prophecy. It deals with teaching.
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It deals with administration and directing the church.
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It deals with the offices and the hierarchy and the power and
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authority of God. It deals with the ordinances,
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miracles. You know, it's it's just
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powerful. And I thought, well, let's let's
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look at the doctor and covenants.
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Do you remember Section 13 when Joseph's translating the Book of
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Mormon? Probably in 3rd Nephi, That
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verse that I just read about the fact that the Savior required
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priesthood to be restored. He goes out to pray by the
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Susquehanna in Pennsylvania, and he and Oliver receive a
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visitation of the Angel of John the Baptist.
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And upon you, my fellow servants, in the name of the
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Messiah, I confer the priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys
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of the ministering of angels. Well, the word priesthood itself
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is only mentioned 130 times in the doctrine cabinets.
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I first looked at the book of commandments from sections 1 to
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65 that we have, and then I looked at the first published
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edition in 1835 of the Doctrine Covenants.
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That would be sections one through 137.
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And I then looked at the 1921 version as our current version.
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And if you'd look just at the word priesthood, it's so about
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130 times. But if you look at this broader
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scope where we're talking about elders and deacons and priests,
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then we have over 1000 references, 1200 is, is, is, is
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a low estimate of what what we came across.
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And interestingly in the 1st edition of that Doctrine
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Covenants, they ordered the chapters sections differently.
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They didn't put them. Ours are semi chronological, but
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of course you have to start with chapter or Section 1 'cause
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that's the prefaces. Well, the way they did that in
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the first one was to start with chapter one and then they put
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the articles and covenants of the church 'cause that made the
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church legal and that gave church direction.
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So section 20 was right there, 20/21/22 right there at the
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beginning and then the next one that they thought were most
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important were the two on the priesthood, Section 84 with the
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oath and covenant of the priesthood and section one O 7
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on the keys of the priesthood. Those two referred there and
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then the rest were semi chronological from there.
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As I look at this enormous list of words that could be used to
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refer to priesthood power, to sealing power to the keys, to
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the order of the priesthood and divide them up where they are, I
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was fascinated to see that Joseph received Section 84 on
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the 5th anniversary of first seeing the golden plates.
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It's September 22nd, 1832 as they are celebrating Moroni's
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visitation and the first coming forth of this marvelous work and
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a wonder that we get to study next year.
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The dates are important to the Lord, timing is important to the
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Lord, and this anniversary brought forth the gift of the
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oath and covenant of the priesthood.
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And as I analyzed the oath and covenant of the priesthood, I
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was touched by seeing the importance of the priesthood in
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God's great plan. The reason why we have the
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Restoration, the whole reason why we're here as members of the
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Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints began, is to prepare
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for the Second Coming. They began with the need to
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clarify doctrine with the scripture.
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So it began by opening the Canon with the Book of Mormon and the
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priesthood is restored. We begin our missionary work.
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More revelations come, more scriptures come, and we begin to
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gather Israel. Joseph's receiving counsel to
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start building a temple in Kirtland.
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And then Nauvoo, and then Salt Lake, and then Saint George and
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then. And then.
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And then receives in the oath and covenant of the priesthood
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is part of this great ascension to develop a Kingdom of priests
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and priestesses to prepare the world for the Lord's second
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coming. And this was needed to have the
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power of the priesthood restored to the earth.
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Remember, our prophet has recently said in 2019.
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Sisters, how I yearn for you to understand that the restoration
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of the priesthood is just as relevant to you as a woman as it
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is to any man. Because the Melchizedek
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priesthood has been restored, both covenant keeping women and
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men have access to all the spiritual blessings of the
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Church. Well, I began looking.
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I opened up the section and in verse 23 of section 84.
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Moses sought diligently to sanctify his people, that they
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might behold the face of God. You know, the original plan
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after leaving Egypt was for everyone to ascend the mount.
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We talked about this in the book of Hebrews.
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He wanted all to receive the higher law.
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But they were not ready. They were not prepared.
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So then I continued reading and starting on verse 38.
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We have an if Then. And the Lord says, if you
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covenant to serve the Lord, if you magnify your service to him,
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if you receive Jesus as your Redeemer, and if you live by
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every word of God. That's verse 44.
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So verses 38 to 44. Then you will be sanctified by
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the Spirit and you will receive all the Father has well
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sanctification by the Spirit and receiving all the Father has is
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then open to all who do this. No wonder the Prophet said it's
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as It's as important for women as men.
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If we are seeking priesthood power in our lives, the power of
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godliness is for all disciples. The oath and the covenant of the
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priesthood is for us. Continuing on in section 84,
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just reading verses 33 and 34. For whosoever is faithful in
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obtaining these two priesthoods and magnifying their calling,
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are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their
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bodies, and they become the church and Kingdom of the elect
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of God. And also all they who receive
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this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord.
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Now our Prophet has just said, this is as applicable to men and
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women. So as I go back to the Christmas
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story, did Elizabeth have this? Did Zacharias have this?
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I don't think so, because that was under the ironic order and
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this is under the Melchizedek order.
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Joseph Smith was able to restore so much opportunity, so much
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opportunity. Remember what's going on right
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now in the 19th century? Women don't own property.
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Women can't be a voice of of, of witness.
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Women can't. You know, there's so many things
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we weren't able to do. And Joseph is just throwing open
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the window. Some people have attacked Joseph
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by saying the Melchizedek priesthood was come up later on.
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You know, it wasn't part of the original plan.
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It wasn't even part of the plan. He just developed it for more
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power at the end. Well, I did a little study on
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that one. Where do the ideas of the
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priesthood start coming chronologically?
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1829 is our first one. Look at 1830.
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We've got two references, 1831, we already have 8.
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By 1832, there's 27 references. You know, you just keep going.
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The High Peak is 1835. That's when Section One O 7 is
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given. Now Section One O 7 is the
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organization of the priesthood to be used At that time of the
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Church. As we began to grow, we were
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still very small. 1835 is the year that the Quorum of the 12
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Apostles is formed. So we get Section One O 7, I
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believe in conjunction or in preparation for that
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organization of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles.
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But it talks about different orders, and as the Church grew,
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we needed more. And of course we know we had a
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Bishop right away in Kirtland and state presidents over time
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and as they grew in Nauvoo. And initially the deacons were
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all married in the book of Timothy and Titus, I mean that
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we read. But now of course we believe
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that we want all to help and serve, and different callings
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come to different ages. Elder Oaks referred to the keys
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of the priesthood Section 107 in an April general Conference talk
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in 2014. He said ultimately all keys of
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the priesthood are held by the Lord Jesus Christ, whose
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priesthood it is. He is the one who determines
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what keys are delegated to moral mortals and how those keys will
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be used. So I want to make sure that
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there's. I'm clearly defining a
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difference between the tradition in the restored scripture of the
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priesthood being an umbrella of God's power.
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All of God's power is included, and that's how Joseph defined it
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sometimes, versus those with the keys which are male, very, very
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few. And those are given just to a
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few people for a short period of time, very few for life.
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One way for me to help understand this is by going back
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and seeing how Joseph used these words.
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Do you remember when he's in Liberty Jail?
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Most of his communication was with the church was through
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letters. Occasionally people would come
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in and visit, and he'd be able to stretch his legs and go out
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and visit. But most of the time it was just
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through letters. One of those letters, December
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16th, 1838. This is before Section 121, a
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couple months before. He's writing to everybody back
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in not in Quincy. And he's saying dear, well,
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beloved brethren. And when we say brethren, we
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mean those who have continued faithful in Christ, men, women,
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and children. Ah, he's using the same
25:13
definition that we have in the New Testament, which is just the
25:16
way Joseph often does it. The vocabulary for the
25:19
Restoration is scriptural, and then it grows.
25:23
So in the New Testament, when King James says brethren, it is
25:26
usually the word that means disciple and those who are
25:29
faithful in Christ. And that is exactly how Joseph
25:32
is defining it. So as I go back and I read the
25:35
writings of Joseph, it's this greater umbrella because he's
25:38
saying it's to the brethren. So it helps to say who is his
25:43
audience. Is he talking about priesthood
25:44
keys which are held by a few men because that's who God has
25:48
delegated them to? Or is it a broader view?
25:51
So here we have section 121. This letter also comes from
25:54
Liberty Jail, of course. Verse 34 and 36 says, Behold,
25:58
there are many called, but few are chosen.
26:01
And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set too
26:04
much upon the things of this world.
26:07
They aspire to the honors of men.
26:09
They do not learn this one lesson, that the rights of the
26:13
priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of
26:18
heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor
26:21
handled only upon principles of righteousness.
26:25
And then he goes into the gentleness and the meekness and
26:27
the love unfeigned. There is no power can or ought
26:30
to be maintained except on these principles of righteousness.
26:34
I am convinced that God's power through the Spirit, through the
26:40
gifts of the Holy Ghost, has a major portion that is also
26:46
referred to as priesthood power. So let me just give you some a
26:49
little bit more research on that through Joseph Smith's
26:51
statements and our modern revelations.
26:54
When Joseph was talking about the priesthood in 1839, when
26:57
they first up in Nauvoo in one of his sermons outside, before
27:01
they had any buildings large enough to gather, when the
27:04
malaria is starting to spread that first summer, he said the
27:08
priesthood is an everlasting principle and existed with God
27:13
from eternity and will to eternity without beginning of
27:16
days or end of years. The keys have to be brought from
27:21
heaven whenever the gospel is sent.
27:24
The power of the Melchizedek priesthood is to have the power
27:28
of endless lives holding the keys of the power and blessings.
27:34
So Joseph is also clear to refer to the priesthood power of God,
27:40
manifest on earth in healings and tongues and visions.
27:44
And whenever we have the principles of righteousness, of
27:46
gentleness, meekness, kindness and love unfeigned, and then a
27:50
separate definition for those with keys to actually ordain and
27:56
have the saving ordinances accomplished to gather Israel on
28:00
both sides of the veil. Moving on to January 6th, bitter
28:04
winter in Illinois, 1842, Joseph is writing a letter.
28:10
Jehovah has promised his servants to prepare the earth
28:14
for the return of his glory, even a celestial glory, and a
28:18
Kingdom of priests and a Kingdom of God and the Lamb forever on
28:24
Mount Zion in the restitution of all things.
28:27
I think Joseph had received the green light to go ahead on the
28:31
endowment, not only for men, but for women, for ceilings, and for
28:37
this higher order of the priesthood that would be shared
28:40
by couples. We then have the organization to
28:43
release society. I just want to start out with
28:46
Sarah Granger Kimball, one of those great founders who
28:48
initiated the ideas that then opened up to the great plan that
28:52
Joseph had. And not just helping sisters be
28:55
able to serve one another, but to create a Kingdom of
28:58
priestesses and what Sarah Granger Kimball recorded at that
29:02
first meeting of March 17th, 1842.
29:05
I have desired to organize the sisters in the order of the
29:09
priesthood and I now have the key by which to do it.
29:14
Continuing on. In that meeting up in the upper
29:17
floor of the Red Brick Store, Sarah Granger Kimball said that
29:20
he was going to do it under the priesthood after the pattern of
29:25
the priesthood. Now this has been published and
29:27
recorded many times. I've got my footnotes here and
29:30
there on the handouts as well, but at this third Relief Society
29:34
meeting as they're being held regularly in March, the Prophet
29:38
said on March 30th, 1842, and this now is written by Eliza R
29:42
Snow, who is the taking minutes at the meeting.
29:45
At the same time that Joseph wanted to make this society a
29:49
Kingdom of priests, as in Enoch's day, as in Paul's day.
29:53
So that tells me right away that women were able to have their
29:57
higher initiatories and their endowments and their sealing
30:01
powers not only in the early Christian Church, as we've been
30:04
talking about throughout the epistles of Paul, but in Enoch's
30:08
day. And this is powerful
30:10
information. Continuing at that same third
30:13
Relief Society meeting in March of 42, Joseph said the society
30:17
should move according to the ancient priesthood.
30:20
Hence there should be a select society separate from all the
30:23
evils of the world, choice, virtuous and holy.
30:28
Well, Joseph did not want it to grow too fast.
30:30
He kept telling Emma and her counselors and the early 1st 19
30:34
sisters that came to that first meeting don't allow too many in.
30:38
I want everyone to come in to be very virtuous.
30:42
And he was trying to create the people that were going to serve
30:46
in the temple as priestesses. But the women just flocked,
30:49
flocked in. I've got a little chart here
30:51
that I made. These are just my notes from
30:53
looking at the Joseph Smith papers, reading all of Eliza R
30:57
Snow's minutes of the early relief sighting, meeting, and
31:00
counting up. Exactly how many members are
31:02
there? So the first meeting 19, the
31:04
next 168 growing way too fast for Joseph and so he gives him
31:08
this slow down talk on March 30th.
31:11
On April 14th, I counted 88 members that were listed in
31:14
attendance. I don't know how many were
31:16
actually there on the 19th, but by the 28th we have over 151
31:20
members and by March of 44 we have over 1300.
31:24
So it grew far too fast for for Joseph as people remember back
31:29
to this they recorded this is from Bathsheba Bigler Smith, The
31:33
Prophet Joseph wanted to make a Kingdom of priests and
31:37
priestesses. As we look shortly after that
31:40
time in June 15th of 1842, Joseph is just speaking on the
31:45
gift of the Holy Ghost. But it is then published as an
31:48
editorial in the newspaper and it says we believe that the gift
31:53
of the Holy Ghost is necessary to make and organize the
31:57
priesthood. So this was very interesting to
32:00
me, he continues on. No man can be called to fill any
32:04
office in the ministry without it.
32:07
We also believe in prophecy, in tongues and visions and
32:10
revelations and gifts and healings, that these cannot be
32:14
enjoyed without the gift of the Holy Ghost.
32:17
So this tie between the gift of the Holy Ghost and the
32:19
priesthood, between God's power and the gift of the Holy Ghost,
32:23
because we know as disciples of Jesus Christ, we're commanded by
32:27
Paul, by Roni, by Joseph, by the Lord to seek the gifts of the
32:32
Spirit, and yet he's tying them to the power of the priesthood.
32:36
August 27th, 1843 Joseph said the Holy Ghost is God's
32:40
messenger to administer in all those priesthoods.
32:45
He's talking about the power of God.
32:49
This is available to men and women.
32:51
It's once again the overarching umbrella of the priesthood.
32:55
So I, I go back and I look at the scriptures so differently
32:58
now that our prophet has said the oath and covenant of the
33:02
priesthood should work for you women as well as men.
33:07
And all these years of trying to figure out why did Joseph say
33:09
the gifts of the Holy Ghost could not work without the
33:11
priesthood When he received a vision before he got the
33:14
priesthood, his mother raised a child from the dead before he
33:17
had the priesthood. Well, I think it's because he's
33:20
referring to the power of God. And if there's going to be a
33:24
healing, of course it's through the power of God.
33:26
If there's going to be a vision, of course it's through the power
33:29
of God. And that's why we are encouraged
33:32
to seek for these gifts. And the greatest gift of course
33:35
is, is charity. As Joseph begins to organize the
33:38
read of society, I want to just pause and look at all the years
33:43
of temple preparation that were part of the Restoration.
33:47
If he is trying to organize a Kingdom of priests and
33:49
priestesses so that the bride can be ready for the bridegroom
33:53
that we will talk about next week in Revelation, look at this
33:56
Temple Prep 1829. He translates the Sermon on the
33:59
Temple 1830. The Book of Moses is translated
34:03
with that beautiful temple text in 1831.
34:06
The law of consecration is introduced 1832.
34:10
The degrees of Glory in section 76 is introduced 1832 and 33.
34:15
The obedience to the Celestial laws are introduced in Section
34:19
88. Anyway, you can keep reading it.
34:21
The visions, Elijah, the baptism, the Kirtland temple,
34:24
dedication, revelation on eternal marriage, the command to
34:28
build the Navu Temple in 41. Relief Society in 42.
34:32
And the key words of the priesthood come as he's
34:35
translating the Book of Abraham. They're published in 1842.
34:39
All of these are very necessary. And as that Nauvoo temple is
34:43
coming up, Joseph feels like he's running out of time.
34:45
He needs to introduce the endowment earlier.
34:47
People need the power from it. And so on May 4th, 1842, and the
34:52
upstairs of the Red Brick store, Joseph calls in a few dear
34:56
people and has them help set up the room the day before and then
35:01
opens it to those nine men who received their first endowment.
35:06
We're told in the record that the upstairs room was divided
35:09
with hanging rugs and decorated with plants and murals to look
35:13
like the Garden of Eden. In his small office he had a
35:17
room closed off for washing. In the storage room he had it
35:21
closed off for an anointing. And on May 4th, as those people
35:25
gathered together that day, it was recorded in the history of
35:29
the Church, which is you can also read it in the Joe Smith
35:31
papers that it was a Wednesday, 1842.
35:35
I spent the day in the upper part of the store, instructing
35:39
them in the principles and order of the priesthood, attending to
35:43
washings, anointings, endowments, and the
35:46
communication of the keys pertaining to the ironic
35:49
priesthood, and so on to the highest order of the Melchizedek
35:53
Priesthood. Setting forth the order
35:55
pertaining to the Ancient of Days and all these plans and
35:59
principles by which anyone is enabled to secure the fullness
36:04
of these blessings and abide in the presence of Elohim in the
36:09
eternal worlds. In this Council was instituted
36:13
in the ancient order of things for the first time in these last
36:17
days. A year later, June 11th 1843,
36:21
Joseph is again preaching in Nauvoo.
36:24
He asked what was the object of the gathering of the Jews
36:27
together of the people of God in any age of the world.
36:30
The main object was to build unto the Lord a house whereby he
36:36
could reveal unto his people the ordinances of his house and the
36:40
glories of His Kingdom. Skipping ahead a little bit, it
36:44
is for the same purpose that God gathers together the people in
36:48
the last days to build unto the Lord and House to prepare them
36:53
for the ordinances and endowments, washings and
36:57
anointings. This is powerful, and it all
37:00
relates to this beautiful idea of the New Testament, beginning
37:05
at the temple and Joseph's first introduction to by Angela
37:10
Maroney of the priesthood power that would then lead to temple
37:14
work and lead to the greatest blessings of exaltation.
37:18
One year later, after the men received their endowment, Emma
37:22
was ready. Emma agreed to live all the
37:25
promises that God asked her to do, and in late September 1843,
37:32
Joseph took her to in their home upstairs in her room and
37:37
prepared a tub of hot water for her initiatories and anointings.
37:43
She also received her endowment there on September 28th at 7:00
37:49
PM. We're told in the Joseph Smith
37:51
Papers journals in a separate ordinance performed this
37:55
following September. This is that 1843 Joseph and
37:59
Emma Smith were anointed, ordained to the highest and
38:04
holiest order of the priesthood. I appreciate this statement by
38:08
Andrew E Hat. In many ways. 28th September
38:12
1843 must have been one of the greatest days of Joseph Smith's
38:16
life. He had seen the inauguration of
38:18
the highest ordinances that it was possible for any man or
38:21
woman to receive in mortality, and shortly thereafter Emma was
38:27
able to give the Washington anointings to other women.
38:30
Of course, Joseph could only give it to his wife Emma.
38:33
No one else received these from Joseph.
38:36
Only Emma, and then Emma was able to provide these ordinances
38:41
for a few of the sisters of the Relief Society, who then began
38:45
giving them to more and more. But that day, Violet Kimball,
38:50
Leonora Taylor, Elizabeth Ann Whitney, Harriet Adams, Mary
38:55
Fielding Smith, Mary Ann Young, Mercy, Rachel Fielding, and
38:59
Jeanette Richards, wives of the 12 Apostles were able to receive
39:04
their initiatories, and later a holy and highest quorum was
39:10
established with 65 individuals who had prayer meetings together
39:15
prior to the opening of the temple.
39:18
Bathsheba Smith recorded once. When speaking in one of our
39:22
general fast meetings, Joseph Smith said that we did not know
39:26
how to pray or to have our prayers answered.
39:28
But when I and my husband had our endowments, now hers were.
39:33
In December of 1843, Joseph Smith presiding.
39:37
He taught us the order of prayer, and Joseph Smith
39:40
publicly explained to the Saints that in the endowment they would
39:44
be taught essential teachings on prayer and on angelic
39:48
administrations. Now in the early Church days,
39:52
the washing was done literally, not symbolically, and hence
39:56
there was a delay on when these things could happen.
39:59
Elder Tallmadge, in the sacred endowments associated with the
40:03
ordinances pertaining to the House, the Lord.
40:05
Women shares with man the blessings of the priesthood.
40:09
Then shall women reign by divine right.
40:11
A queen in her resplendent realm of her glorified state, even as
40:15
exalted man, shall stand priest and king unto the Most High God.
40:19
Mortal eye cannot see nor mind comprehend the beauty, glory,
40:23
and majesty of a righteous woman made perfect in the celestial
40:26
Kingdom of God. That comes from 1914, and it was
40:30
published in the Young Women's Journal, Moving ahead a little
40:34
bit later to the Encyclopedia of Mormonism.
40:36
We read that the fullness of the priesthood is shared by husband
40:40
and wives who are sealed in the temple, and I remember being so
40:46
ecstatic when I heard Elder Ballard say in General
40:49
Conference in 2013. In the eternal Perspective, both
40:54
procreative and priesthood power are shared by husband and wife.
41:00
And even more recently, at a women's conference with our
41:03
General Relief Society presidency in 2019, we heard all
41:07
women have access to priesthood power through their baptismal
41:11
and temple covenants. You are blessed with priesthood
41:14
power as you faithfully keep those covenants.
41:19
And then a few months later, our prophet said in General
41:21
Conference of April 2019, in the Holy Temple, you are authorized
41:26
to perform and officiate in priesthood ordinances.
41:30
And as your understanding increases, and as you exercise
41:34
faith in the Lord and His priesthood power, your ability
41:38
to draw upon this spiritual treasure that the Lord has made
41:42
available to you will increase. You know, I go back when I was a
41:46
child. President Kimball was my
41:48
prophet, and I remember him saying we are born to become
41:52
kings and Queens and priests and priestesses to our Lord.
41:56
And most recently, the slide that I have from Elder Oaks is
41:59
2020. The power of the priesthood
42:01
exists both in the Church and in the family organization, but
42:04
priesthood power and priesthood authority function differently
42:07
in the Church than they do in the family.
42:09
All of this is according to the principles the Lord has
42:12
established, and the purpose of God's plan is to lead his
42:16
children to eternal life. In addition to elder oaks, our
42:20
prophet has also said something similar.
42:23
The heavens are just as open to women who are endowed with God's
42:27
power, flowing from their priesthood covenants as they are
42:30
to men who bear the priesthood. I pray that truth will register
42:35
upon each of your hearts because I believe it will change your
42:39
life. And so this Christmas season, as
42:42
we celebrate the birth of the Son of God, may we draw upon his
42:46
powers as men and women ordained and blessed by priesthood power.
42:53
That we can go to the temple more regularly.
42:55
That we can live our covenants more thoroughly.
42:58
That we can honor the priesthood garment night and day more
43:01
completely in our lives, to wear it as a symbol of the armor of
43:07
God and become prepared to receive our Savior in the last
43:12
days, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.