Priesthood

PRIESTHOOD.

BY A. WOOTTON.

Whenever God has deigned to do any work among the chil- dren of men, he has always delegated authority to men to act in his name. This authority or agency is often designated by the name Priesthood. This term has become very odious to many Protestants as savoring of Catholicism, and suggests the idea of priestcraft, but with the Latter-daySaints, the term applies to that authority delegated to men by virtue of which they are authorized to act in the name of the Lord, and it is used in this sense by Peter: "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." Paul also calls Jesus, "the Apostle and High Priest of our profession." In Revelation, John says to the seven churches, speaking of Jesus, "And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father." It seems that these apostles were not ashamed of the words "priesthood" and "priest." It is often thought that the Latter-day Saints are like the Catholics because they speak of holding the priesthood, yet there is but little similarity between the two. We do not make this state- ment to cast any reflection on Catholicism, but only to correct erroneous ideas regarding the priesthood as we understand it. The members of the priesthood in The Church do not consti- tute a privileged class, whose right it is to rule over the others, as many suppose; but every adult male member may, if he is worthy, hold a portion of the priesthood, by which he has authority to act in the name of the Lord in his own household, and to preside in any position to which he may be called and sustained by a vote of the

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people. There are several grades in the priesthood, each with its peculiar duties and powers in administering the different ordinances of the Gospel, but there is no priesthood in The Church that may not be obtained by any faithful man; but as Paul says, "And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God as was Aaron." Yet no one is ordained to the priesthood, where there is a regularly organized branch of The Church, without the vote of the members of that branch, and when a man receives it, he is never deprived of it except by transgression. No priesthood that canbe conferred on a man will make him infallible, nor will it ex- empt him from The Church courts for any offense he may commit ; neither will it give him arbitrary power or authority over his fel- low men. That we may be correctly understood, many false stories being circulated on this subject, we present the following extract from Section 121, Doctrine and Covenants, beginning at the 34th verse, which gives a true statement of our belief as to the author- ity of the priesthood: "Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen ? "Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson- "That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteous- ness.

"That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambi- tion, or to exercise control, or dominion, or compulsion, upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, be- hold, the heavens withdraw themselves ; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, amen to the priesthood, or the authority of that man. "Behold! ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks ; to persecute the Saints, and to fight against God. "We have learned, by sad experience, thatit is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority,

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as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unright- eous dominion. "Hence many are called but few are chosen. "No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long suffering, by gentleness, and meekness, and by love unfeigned; "By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile, "Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; "That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death; "Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts un- ceasingly, then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God, and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. "The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy sceptre an unchanging sceptre of righteousness and truth, and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee for ever and ever." Blind obedience to the dictation of men is foreign to the genius and spirit of the Gospel; but we believe implicitly in the promise of the Savior, "If any man will do his (God's) will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of my- self."