MG-16 – No Need for a Restored Priesthood

Does Mormonism restore the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods mentioned in the Bible?

Joseph Smith claimed that he was ordained to the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods through a special visitation of the biblical patriarchs who gave him these priesthoods to be passed down to the male members of the Church through ordination.

One former bishop shared that when he was in the Mormon Church, he took pride in the fact that his Priesthood Line of Authority went back to the former Mormon Prophet Thomas S. Monson with only one man between him and the prophet.  It wasn’t until he studied the Bible that he learned that it was all a lie.  No man in the Bible ever held both priesthoods, and Joseph Smith was not qualified, under biblical standards, to hold either one of these priesthoods. Even Jesus Himself never held the Aaronic priesthood. So how can any Mormon claim to hold something Jesus could not hold?

The Bible explains at Hebrews 7:12, 14: “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law…. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.”  Because Jesus was not of the tribe of Levi, the only way He could function as our High Priest was for Him to be ordained to a completely different priesthood, the priesthood of Melchizedek.[1]  And because Christ lives forever, the Bible says at Hebrews 7:24, “he hath an unchangeable priesthood.” This priesthood is called “unchangeable” because it doesn’t “change” hands from one person to another. In other words, it is a non-transferable, priesthood.

So how can any Mormon believe that he holds the Melchizedek priesthood when it is not transferable from Jesus to them?  Because Christ is our only High Priest, we do not need Mormon Aaronic and Melchizedek “High Priests” to stand between us and God.

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 ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS:

As we have seen, Jesus Christ could not hold the Aaronic priesthood because He was not a descendent of Aaron, so neither could Joseph Smith because he “was of the lineage of Joseph through the loins of Ephraim.”[2]  In the Bible, only one high priest served at a time so only one priesthood was in power at one time. Thus, when Jesus received all authority after His resurrection, the Aaronic priesthood authority was replaced by the greater Melchizedek priesthood.[3]  Because Jesus lives forever, the Aaronic priesthood authority is not longer needed as is explained in Hebrews 7:21-28.

[1] See Hebrews 7:21.

[2] See Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, p. 247.

[3] See Hebrews 7:11-17.

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE:

Who has the Proper Authority to Administer Gospel Ordinances?

NOTE: Background Instrumental Music is by Jason [email protected].

 

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