The Aaronic Priesthood and
its ministry in our day
by Lynn Ridenhour
Restoring the principles of praise and worship
Truth is like an onion-it has many layers. This
topic--rights of the priesthood--is like an onion. There are many layers.
"...the rights of the priesthood," said Joseph, "are
inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and...the powers of heaven
cannot be controlled... [Sterling's note:
as Lynn cites below, the quote continues, "or handled only upon the
principles of righteousness"]" (Revelation received by Joseph
Smith while a prisoner in the Liberty jail, March 20, 1839)
Joseph, while a prisoner in the Liberty jail, received one of the grandest
(if not sobering) revelations on the priesthood:
"...There are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not
chosen? Because their hearts...aspire to the honors of men, that they do not
learn his 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 righteousness. 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 ambition, or to exercise control or dominion
or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of
unrighteousness, behold, 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Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the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 that it is the nature and disposition of almost
all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will
immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. Hence many are called, but
few are chosen." (dated March 20th, 1839)
Where do we begin? There is so much truth in the above revelation. Let's
digress a moment and point out a personality trait of Joseph's-the ability to
bring men of diverse backgrounds together in harmony and ministry.
I'm talking...the Pratts, the Sidney Rigdons, the Oliver Cowderys. What a
diverse group! Here we have Pratt the scholar, Rigdon the fireball preacher,
Cowdery the ambitious and Brigham Young the opportunist...all working together
in harmony with Joseph. And there were others. Joseph Smith had, somehow, the
unusual ability to wind up men so that they would keep running as if on their
own, says John Henry Evans. He knew how to inspire them with the greatness of
a cause. "...How do you manage to control so heterogeneous a
people?" someone asked the Prophet in Nauvoo. And he answered simply,
"...I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves."
Ah, "...they govern themselves..." In other words, Joseph brought
them into the fold and then left them alone. In short, he knew the
"...powers of heaven cannot be controlled." [Sterling's comment: again, remember the condition, the
"except" phrase: "only upon the principles of
righteousness"]
To be precise, he trusted the Spirit. And for that I greatly admire him.
Let's get down to it...
The Aaronic Priesthood: What is it?
Perhaps we're all more or less familiar with the traditional answer.
"...In the Aaronic Priesthood there are the following divisions: deacons,
teachers, and priests. The Aaronic Priesthood holds the keys of: (a) the
ministering of angels; (b) the gospel of repentance; and (c) baptism by
immersion for remission of sins. The Aaronic, or Levitical, Priesthood, is
sometimes called the Lesser Priesthood.
Yes, the above is the traditional answer. But I submit--there's more here
than meets the eye. Let's look beyond for a moment, get past the traditional.
Let's look at...
Aaron's Background: an overview
Aaron was the eldest son of Amram, a direct descendant of Levi, and brother
of Miriam and Moses. He was married to Elisheba and had four sons, Nadab,
Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. Despite Aaron's infamous episode with the golden
calf, he and his sons were anointed priests of the tabernacle. As high priest,
Aaron alone was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies on the annual Day of
Atonement. We mustn't forget, he was a holy man.
One day charged that he and Moses had unjustifiably usurped their positions
of authority, Aaron was confirmed in his priestly office by the budding of his
rod into a yielding almond tree. His death was mourned by Israel for thirty
days. As priests of Israel, Aaron and his descendants were considered to be
set aside as men "...holy unto the Lord." The priestly descendants
of Aaron are sometimes referred to as Aaronites. I repeat--Aaron was a holy
man and helped establish the priesthood of Israel.
[Sterling's Comment: What about the
possibility that part of God's plan to cause the Israelites to stumble
"because they desired it" (Jacob 4:14) was facilitated by placing
such men as Aaron in charge? God would affirm his "calling"
but that would not mean that Aaron himself was holy -- only that through this
paradox God would work it so that men would be spurred to be holy by not
repeating the poor examples set by the law of Moses and its general
leadership. Sholem Asch, in his brilliant historical novel,
"Moses," portrays this paradox with amazing clarity.]
What about the priesthood?
Israel's priesthood consisted of three levels: 1) at the top of the
structure was the high priest whose duty it was to represent the whole people
before the mercy seat of God and to make atonement for their sins. 2) At the
second level were the priests who officiated at religious feasts and
festivals, offering the sacrifices in the elaborate rituals. After the exile,
the priesthood attained enormous prestige and power and largely comprised the
educated class, guarding the traditions of the fathers. During the reign of
David, the priesthood was divided into twenty-four "courses," each
course consisting of descendants of one of the twenty-four grandsons of Aaron
(I Chron. 24). These officiated in the temple services. And all members of the
priesthood were Levites in that they were of the tribe of Levi. 3) The third
and lowest level of priests were called "Levites" which consisted of
members of the tribe of Levi not descended from Aaron. They were charged with
the subordinate functions of the temple service, such as caring for the
building and grounds, gate keeping, preparation of offerings, and assisting
the priests in whatever way was necessary.
As their inheritance, the Levites received no land of their own, but were
assigned forty-eight cities scattered throughout the territory of the other
tribes. Priests were maintained by the tithe of the congregation and in turn
gave a tithe of this to support the regular priests. By the time of Jesus'
ministry the priesthood had developed into an aristocratic ruling class, a
thing unpleasing to God. It finally came to this--the priesthood must be
restored.
[Sterling's comment: Again, I ask, was
this initial structure of the priesthood the ideal form or was it part of the
structure God gave them because that is what they wanted -- to cause them to
stumble -- so that in stumbling they would turn to Christ. Furthermore,
in looking at your next sentence, I would ask if the saints in the days of
Joseph Smith were prepared for the fullness, and hence was what he gave them
the ideal or was it yet another stumbling block to turn people to Christ and a
fullness when that stumbling was complete and a setting in order actuation --
which setting in order would entail not a "restoration" but a
getting it right finally.]
Enter Joseph Smith.
Restoration of Priesthood Authority
The date: May 15th, 1829. The place: nearby woods along the
Susquehanna River, upper New England. The party: Joseph Smith and Oliver
Cowdery. The occasion: Oliver and Joseph driven to mighty prayer in the nearby
woods to learn how they could obtain the blessing of baptism. The event: a
visitation from a heavenly messenger, John the Baptist, who ordains them to
the Aaronic Priesthood:
"...and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us, saying: '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 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."' (LDS Church
History, Vol. 1, p. 39) [S.A.: also
D&C 2]
Thus, the restoration of the Aaronic priesthood in these latter days.
Now what does it mean?...
Well, first, it means the restoration of Aaron's ministry. I want to state
the obvious.
It was literal.
Aaron's priesthood ministry was literal. And still is today. I say that
because Protestants are bad for "spiritualizing" truth when it
shouldn't be. The argument that God did away with Aaron's "temporal"
priesthood when He superseded it with Melchizedek's "eternal"
priesthood won't wash. That's typical Protestant cessation reasoning. I'll say
it again--it won't wash.
[Sterling's Comment: Is it possible that
the sons of Levi offering an offering in righteousness would be their finally
getting things right and hence graduating to a level compatible with
Melchizedek?]
God, in these latter days, has restored both priesthoods. And to be
emphatic, the Lord told Jeremiah,"...If ye can break my covenant of the
day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night
in their season, then may also my covenant be broken...with the Levites the
priests, my ministers. " --Jer.33:20,21
You can't get much plainer than that.
[Sterling's Comment: Let's not forget
our context. Just what was that covenant about? Was it about
rituals and washings and ordinances, or was it about a change of heart and
finally turning to Christ? Jeremiah himself, in close vicinity to the
scripture you quoted above answers this question:
Jeremiah 31:
31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day
[that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which
my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
33 But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of
Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward
parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall
be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his
brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least
of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their
iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
The order of priesthood and covenant of Moses'
day will be superseded by the correct order, not a return to the old order.]
As long as there is day and night, there will be Levitical and Aaronic
priests. The Lord has spoken.
[Sterling's Comment: But not in the form
that they used to be, but rather in a refined, perfected form.]
(And by the way, for our purposes we will use the terms "Levitical"
and "Aaronic" priesthood interchangeably.) Let's go on.
Purging of the Priesthood
The Lord told Malachi, "...And he [God] shall sit as a refiner and
purifier of silver; and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as
gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in
righteousness." --Malachi 3:3
Purging of the priesthood is linked with the restoration of Israel. God
knew, in order to restore the house of Israel, he had to first restore the
ministering tribe of Israel--the tribe of Levi. That purging was not
accomplished at his first coming, but it shall be before his second coming!
The Aaronic priesthood (like John the Baptist) was driven into the wilderness
so that it could lead the latter-day house of Israel out!
Let's get even more specific...
How or where are the Sons of Aaron to minister today?
Question: where did Aaron and his sons minister? In the tabernacle and
temple. "...And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse
themselves and that they should come and keep the gates to sanctify the
sabbath day..." --Nehemiah 13:22
"...their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of
the house of the Lord in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying
of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God...and to
stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at evening.
" --I Chron.23:28,30
Two things: 1) Levites were gatekeepers in the house of the Lord on the
sabbath and 2) they stood every morning and evening to thank and praise the
Lord. I see prophetic symbolism everywhere here. How will we know the Aaronic
priesthood in our day? They are the ones who go here 'n' yonder, traveling to
and fro' within the Body of Christ, preparing it for the Day of the Lord.
They're gatekeepers of the Sabbath! Did not the Psalmist exhort us to,
"...Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with
praise; be thankful unto him and bless his name" (Psa. 100:4). The
Aaronic Priesthood will prepare the Body of Christ, specifically the
restoration saints, to get ready for the arrival of the Greater Priesthood
(the Melchizedek) by teaching it how to praise and to worship.
[Sterling's Comment: what appears to be
a huge leap of logic here is substantiated further on.]
Saints, may I say something?
Restoration saints do not know how to enter in! We do not know how to
praise nor how to worship our Lord.
Not really. The early saints of the restoration knew how to do both! They
were worshipers. Praisers. How we need the spirit of praise and worship to be
poured out upon us both individually and corporately. The Aaronic priesthood
will release that spirit, and praise and worship will roll, like a river, over
the saints in our day. That is the calling of latter-day Sons of Aaron--become
a gatekeeper to restoration saints, ushering us in to the presence of God.
The Aaronic Priesthood is to stand "there" every morning and
every evening, praising our Lord and God, until we enter in. I'll say it
again--we haven't seen that ministry yet, but we shall. It's about to be
released upon the restoration saints.
This charge to the house of Levi is still in effect. They are to be
primarily music ministers, praisers and worshipers, skilled in opening the
gates with praise and thanksgiving to the saints. What a blessed calling the
Aaronic Priesthood is. Whenever temple worship was restored to Israel during
the time of Hezekiah, the Levites were in their place, offering praise and
thanksgiving:
"...And he [God] set the Levites in the house of the Lord with
cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of
David...for so was the commandment of the lord by his prophets. And the
Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with
trumpets...And all the congregation worshiped and the singers sang, and the
trumpeters sounded...And when they had made an end of offering, the king and
all that were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped." --II
Chron.29:25,26,28,29
Listen to this! David appointed 4,000 Levites as gatekeepers "... and
four thousand praised the Lord with the instruments which I made, said David,
to praise with...." --I Chron. 23:5
Can you imagine 4,000 Aaronic priesthood members praising the Lord with
instruments, leading the way for the rest of us saints! Causing all to bow and
worship! Now perhaps we can better understand the Lord's revelation to Joseph
while he was in the Liberty jail.
"...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..."
I'm afraid it's sad but true...
Many are called to the Aaronic priesthood in these latter days but few will
be chosen. Few will be willing to die "to the honors of men" in
order to become worshipers and praisers of the living God. Most will keep
their priesthood cards safely in their hip pockets and not get past
traditional definitions:
"...in the Aaronic Priesthood there are the following divisions:
deacons, teachers, etc..." Yes, we know that...
But listen to the early saints of the restoration:
"...I have seen the power of God as it was on the day of
Pentecost...I saw the Lord...The angels of God rested upon the Temple and we
heard their voices singing heavenly music..." --Zebedee Coltrin
Hear Oliver Cowdery in a letter to John Boynton:
"...Within that house God will pour out his spirit in great majesty
and glory and encircle his people with fire more gloriously and marvelously
than at Pentecost because the work to be performed in the last days is
greater than was in that day."
Feel the passion from Lorenzo Snow:
"...There [in the temple] we had the gift of prophecy-the gift of
tongues--the interpretation of tongues--visions and marvelous dreams were
related--the singing of heavenly choirs was heard, and wonderful
manifestations of the healing power, through the administrations of the
Elders, were witnessed. The sick were healed-the deaf made to hear--the
blind to see and the lame to walk, in very many instances. It was plainly
manifest that a sacred and divine influence--a spiritual atmosphere pervaded
that holy edifice."
No tired traditions there, no nominal routine. Nothing but pure, longed-for
heavenly ministry. The Aaronic priesthood is far more than young boys passing
sacrament. I love the Lord's promise:
"...And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the
trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance forever throughout your
generations." --Numbers 10:8
If the sons of Aaron blessed the early restoration saints, they'll bless my
generation. How does Aaron minister today?...
He ministers the Word of the Lord to the People
"...The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in
his lips; he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from
iniquity. For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek
the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts."
--Malachi 2:6,7
In the tabernacle and temple, the sons of Aaron were to keep the lamps
burning "...from evening to morning before the Lord; it shall be a statue
forever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel"
(Ex. 27:21).
Of course, the golden lamp stand is a type and shadow of the Word of the
Lord. "...Thy word is a lamp to my feet. And a light to my path"
(Psa.119:105). I want to say something again: restoration saints are, by and
large, ignorant of the scriptures. Especially the Stick of Judah, the Bible.
Aaronic priests will minister the "now word" of the Lord to the
restoration saints. Aaronic priests will be especially strong in prophetic
utterances, teaching the saints with anointed truths.
And finally, how will we recognize the Aaronic priesthood?
By effectual Prayer
Especially intercessory prayer. Aaronic priests are prayer warriors. We can
expect the lamps of Israel to once again be lit and to smell of sweet incense.
It's been too long.
"...And Aaron shall burn sweet incense every morning; when he
dresseth the lamps he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth
the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before
the Lord throughout your generations." --Exodus 30:7,8
Praise, prophetic words, prayer...
How do the sons of Aaron minister today? With...
...PRAISE on their lips; ...PROPHETIC utterances from the Word of God, and
with ...PRAYER on their hearts. Especially intercessory prayer.
What a calling!
I think the Lord, speaking to Moses, said it best:
"...Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'Thus you shall bless
the sons of Israel. You shall say to them: The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift
up His countenance on you, And give you peace.' So they shall invoke My name
on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them." --Numbers 6:23-27
That's more than a nice-sounding liturgical prayer meant to be read for
Sunday morning benedictions in most high churches. It's rhema truth if we can
believe it. The sons of Aaron, through their ministry of praise and worship,
with their hearts full of prophetic utterances and "white-hot"
prayer, are to bless the sons of Israel. The results? The Lord's
presence--that is, his countenance, is to be seen and felt in our worship
services. We're to see his face as did the saints at Kirtland! The ministry of
the Aaronic priesthood brings the shekenah glory and the ministry of angels in
our midst. It is the lesser of the two priesthoods. It's preparatory.
Saints, nothing else, other than the Aaronic Priesthood coming forth in
these latter days, will prepare us for the Greater Priesthood. That endowment
of that Melchizedek Priesthood, the holy order of the Son of God. (But that's
another essay.)
Suffice it to be said...
What an honor to be called to the Aaronic Priesthood. "...And no man
taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was
Aaron" (Hebrews5:4).
Look for Aaronic priests in their fulness to come forth...
Any day now.
