The Sons of Levi

The priesthood, or the power and authority of God, may be conferred upon us here on earth. We operate under the direction of God in exercising this authority, which is used to bless, heal, strengthen, baptize, ordain, guide, and otherwise serve mankind. These actions are limited in nature when compared to how the Almighty exercises this same power. He creates worlds, sets their orbits, controls weather, and allows judgments to fall upon the wicked. He gives and takes life. He defends His people, calls and inspires prophets, and causes His kingdom to roll forth in majesty and order.

As we witness the expansion of the Kingdom of God on the earth, there will be unfolded to our view the magnificence of the fulness of two priesthoods, commonly called after the names of two exemplary holders thereof: Aaron and Melchizedek. These two men are remembered for their great leadership in what have become known as the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods, respectively.

If we are to attain oneness with God by emulating His example, seeing His face, and entering His presence, why is the priesthood divided in two? Why do we have the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods instead of simply, The Priesthood?

It has to do with our readiness to enter the presence of God, and how closely we are willing to come to Him. You'll need to study for yourself some of the great passages of scripture dealing with priesthood: Matthew 10; 28; Doctrine and Covenants 4; 20; 84; 107; 121-122; Alma 13; 3 Nephi 11-30; Moroni 2-8. Men and women must understand how the priesthood empowers and blesses their lives.

Anciently, the priesthood was called the "Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God." To avoid the name of God being used too frequently or irreverently, it began to be called after Melchizedek since he was such a well-known and respected high priest.

This priesthood of Melchizedek holds all the keys and authority granted to mortals who act on behalf of God on earth. (Doc. & Cov. 107: 1-5)

In the time of Moses, a lesser priesthood was conferred upon Aaron, Moses' brother. This Aaronic priesthood is preparatory in nature, helping us grow line upon line, moving from grace to grace until we attain a fulness. In fact, this progression of receiving grace for grace continues long after we complete our earthly probation and extends on into the next life. (Doc. & Cov. 93)

How is the Aaronic priesthood preparatory? To understand this, it is helpful to compare and contrast with the Melchizedek priesthood.

Aaronic:

Keys of the Ministering of Angels
Gospel of Repentance
Baptism by Immersion for the Remission of Sins

Doc. & Cov. 13: 1

Melchizedek:

Administereth the [whole] Gospel, including the gift of the Holy Ghost
Key of the Mysteries of the Kingdom
Key of the Knowledge of God

Doc. & Cov. 84: 19

Additional authorities have been outlined in connection to the operation of the Church in various dispensations, such as the carnal commandments observed in the Mosaic law. In our time, we have specific duties required at the hands of holders of both priesthoods.

The Aaronic priesthood deals with the ministering of angels, who can prepare us through faith, repentance and baptism to speak with the tongue of angels and to eventually behold the face of God or to have knowledge of Him. This knowledge only comes by revelation, which is where mysteries come into play. The Lord defines mysteries as those things that can only be learned by revelation. The full, complete knowledge of God comes by beholding Him in a personal experience. This way of entering into His rest, or presence, comes by faithful adherence to the laws, ordinances, covenants, and commandments of the Melchizedek priesthood.

It is very interesting what the Lord has revealed about the Mosaic law, leading to the division of priesthood into Aaronic and Melchizedek.

He tells us that He desired to organize Moses' people into a "kingdom of priests" (Exodus 19: 6). "Priests" here means High Priests, of the higher priesthood. As the Israelites left Egypt, they were in need of some harsh correction and training. They were not ready to be organized into such a kingdom of priests.

The High Priest is the one who entered the tabernacle and performed all the temple ceremonies, penetrating entirely through the sacred precincts, allowing him to enter the Holy of Holies to stand in the presence of God.

Thus we see in Moses' time the Lord's desire to allow everyone to enter into His presence, even while journeying in the desert on the way to their permanent home. The configuration of the temple, or tabernacle, reflects the limitations placed on Israel as they spent their lives preparing to enter God's presence, but without fully enjoying the privileged possibilities offered according to a higher devotion: that of personally witnessing the power of Godliness as it is expressed in God's very Person.

More so than the previously seen natural mountain used for holy communion, or the single altar for offering sacrifice, which is a manmade "mountain" of cast-up earth, the more complete temple becomes a model of the cosmos as a whole. Its rituals, visuals and other aids help us to understand our position relative to God and our journey ever closer to Him.

The Lord tells us a consequence of Israel's disobedient, hardened hearts is that "they should not enter into His rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of His glory." (Doc. & Cov. 84: 24)

Cut off from His presence by restricted access to the ordinances of the Melchizedek priesthood, the Aaronic priesthood continued among the people as their main connection to God down through the centuries. The work of sacrifice and other purification rituals meant to prepare the people for the full priesthood blessings trained them to look forward to the Messiah. He would come and take His place as the great presiding High Priest who would be the ultimate intercessor between them and God, of which the high priest in the tabernacle and later Jerusalem temples had been only a type.

God wants us all to enjoy His rest while struggling through this mortal life. He doesn't want only Prophets and Apostles to enjoy these privileges. He wants us all to be (lower-case) prophets (possessing the testimony of Jesus) and apostles (one who is sent), to exercise His priesthood within a family and a sphere appropriate to our own abilities.

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May 15, 1829:

Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, intrigued by writings they had been translating from the Book of Mormon, questioned the Lord regarding the authority to baptize.

In response, a heavenly messenger appeared and identified himself as John, who had baptized Jesus. John, standing whole in resurrected glory, laid his hands on their heads and spoke:

"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."

Doctrine and Covenants 13: 1

What an experience for Joseph and Oliver! What a thing for John to say!

I doubt Joseph knew the full significance at the time. Another incident from the time of translating the ancient metal plates leads me to this doubt. Emma, his wife, was surprised when Joseph asked her if there was a wall around Jerusalem. He translated the story about Nephi and his brothers hiding near the wall, but was confused by the description. She didn't understand how he could fail to know such a thing, so easily learned from her study of the bible.

I ask you to consider a thought: If Joseph wanted to start a religious movement out of whole cloth, by stoking the fervor of those around him and gathering a group of followers to blindly feed his ambition, do you really think he would include a story of a heavenly declaration that his authority was subject to revocation by the future actions of the Jews an ocean away? The people who had crucified the Savior, that they would be restored to the priesthood of God and build up a branch of the Lord's kingdom, after having lost it to the Gentiles! The subjects of curse and derision among so many of the airy Christian supremacists he was among, and trying to impress and persuade! The sadly demoted ones lamented by Isaiah and other prophets as having defiled the earth, transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant! (Isaiah 24: 5)

He would not do that! He would not have likely even known enough of the revelations of God to suppose such a thing were possible, let alone prophetically presumed. Why would he dare risk his own authority over the people by asserting such a thing? He wouldn't have. Unless of course, his authority was not his own.

This is one piece of clear evidence to me that Joseph was sincere in his prophetic claims regarding visitations by angels following a grand theophany of two Godly Personages, which flew in the face of the corrupt creeds adopted by every major Christian church of his time.

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The Sons of Levi

When shall the sons of Levi be purified and offer an offering again to the Lord in righteousness? We ought to be looking, not too far in the future, for the tribe of Judah to continue their gathering to the land of Jerusalem, and for them to build their great temple, patterned after the former structures raised there by their beloved kings, David, Solomon and Zerubbabel.

We should look for the gathered Jews to again resume physical sacrifices. Perhaps not the whole law of carnal commandments, but the sacrifices that preceded them, and which will follow them. Remember that sacrifices began in the time of Adam and are not only Mosaic laws.

This future event may be unfamiliar. One may properly ask: Didn't Jesus perform the great and last sacrifice, forever ending sacrifice by the shedding of blood? Wasn't the whole purpose of blood sacrifices to point us to the Messiah, whose Atonement fulfilled the law of sacrifice and established a new covenant, that no longer recognizes the sacrifices as valid parts of administering the gospel of expiatory repentance? Isn't a "broken heart and a contrite spirit" the only acceptable sacrifice the Lord is interested in today? (3 Nephi 9: 18-22; Doc. & Cov. 59: 8)

The answer is yes! And no.

Yes, for those to whom He has revealed His will in this, the last and great dispensation.

No, for those yet to embrace Him as the Messiah, who operate on borrowed light from previous dispensations and divine mandates to serve Him by priesthood through birthright.

There will be a time, as part of the restitution of all things, when the Levites will again practice their religion in their Temple, complete with a laver, altar of burnt sacrifice, altar of incense, table of showbread, menorah, mercy seat, etc. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg 171-172)

Are you ready to see the glory of the kingdom of Judah, equally favored, though perhaps less sizable than the glorious Zion we build here in America?

Are you ready for the day when there are prophets again raised up among the Jews, to positively proclaim "the word of the Lord from Jerusalem?" (Isaiah 2: 3)

Perhaps you've considered the two prophets that will be slain by the great evil army in the latter days. (Revelation 11)

Do you assume these would be two men from among the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ in America? I urge you to reconsider that assumption. They will be anointed witnesses, obviously bearing Godly authority to preach and perform miracles. They will be "two prophets, that are to be raised up to the Jewish nation in the last days, at the time of the restoration, and to prophesy to the Jews after they are gathered and have built the city of Jerusalem in the land of their fathers." (Doc. & Cov. 77: 15)

They will be Jewish prophets. Real prophets, aflame with testimony of God and His coming Messiah! They will speak forth withering words of rebuke and reform, and bring forth mighty miracles, as their forefathers did over centuries of prophetic ministry preceding them.

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The story of the conversion of the Jews at large to the Lord Jesus Christ as their long-awaited Messiah is a dramatic, poignant encounter. Part of this is prophesied by Zecharaiah, who came near the end of the line of prophets in the Old Testament.

The Jews will be purified as gold and silver, as if by a refiner's fire, or by the bleaching effects of fuller's soap (Malachi 3: 1-6). I suppose nuclear weapons might be employed, creating such a fervent heat, if literal heat is to be expected in this purification. At the battle of Armageddon, the Israelite army will be trapped at the Mount of Olives. There will be a great earthquake, and the mountain will split in two. The army will find escape from their enemies and take refuge on the other side, where they will finally meet the long-promised One. Their Messiah will deliver them from their enemies and trample them under His feet. They will rejoice in their salvation at His hands.

Then, they will ask about the marks they see in those hands. He will kindly explain that they are the wounds of His crucifixion, received in the house of His friends. There will be great mourning as they lament their blindness and the pain of regret by having rejected Him. Nevertheless, He will receive them as His own, and they will join in on the great Millennium of terrestrial glory as Christ's kingdom rolls out as a scroll to bathe and blanket the earth in a thousand years of glorious rest.

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For now, it seems to me that we are really only borrowing the Aaronic priesthood from the Jews. We certainly have it, use it, and confer it. But the Levites have a right to it by birth. Aaron's descendants are the true Bishops, who will set in order the house of God, and bring about much righteousness in establishing the Kingdom of God on the earth (Doc. & Cov. 68). I look forward to more "times of refreshing, [which] shall come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3) wherein the full order of His kingdom will be established. This preparatory leading-up includes some great and terrible things to come in the meantime.

"So many wonderful things are ahead. In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has ever seen. Between now and the time He returns 'with power and great glory' (Joseph Smith-Matthew 1: 36), He will bestow countless privileges, blessings, and miracles upon the faithful."

Russell M. Nelson

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The Sons of Levi

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