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Seeking the Fu lness of the Priesthood

T H E O A T H A N D C O V E N A N T O F T H EM E L C H I Z E D E K P R I E ST H O O D:

A N E X E G E S ISBy Paul James Toscano

It is my meditation all the day,and more than my meat and drink, to know how I maymake the Saints of God to comprehend the visionsthat flow like an overflowing surg e before my mind.-Joseph S mith

T H I S P A P E R W A S O R IG I N A L L Y W R I T T E N T O E X P L O R Ecertain aspects of those verses in Doctrine and Covenants section84 tha t re fe r to the oa th and c oven ant of the pr ies thoo d. I nrevising and condensing the original piece for publication, Ibecame aw are that some readers might fault me for assuming thatthe v ie w of p r ie s thood I p r opose he r e c ou ld ha ve b e e n m a in-ta ine d b y the a u thor s o f a l l the sc r ip tu r a l te x ts f rom w hic h Iq uo te . T h a t i s n o t m y as s ump t io n a t a l l. W h at I a s s um e i s th a tJ o s ep h Smi th a r r iv ed a t a v iew o f p r i es th o o d th a t w as , fo r th em ost pa r t , in te r na l ly c ons is te n t a nd tha t t e nde d to ha r m onizemany of the pr iesthood passages appear ing in scr ip tural texts . Hexvas not the f irs t to ma ke such an a t tempt. This type of doctr inalsynthesis wa s used by many of the N ew T estament w r iters . TheLetter to the H ebrews is a good example of this process . The pointof th i s pa pe r i s tha t the " fu lne ss o f the p r ie s thoo d" c onc e p tsan n o un ced by J o s ep h Sm i th co m p r i s e a remarkabl y co n s i st en tand integrated body of teachings that not only tend towardd o ct r in a l h armo n y an d co h eren ce bu t th a t , in man y in s tan ces ,c ont r a d ic t popu la r no t ions o f the p r ie s thood he ld b y m ode r nMorm ons .The s tar t ing point for th is analysis is the 22 an d 23 Septem ber1832 revelat ion now know n as sect ion 84- of the Doctrine andPAUL JAM ES TOS CANO is an at totne~v practicing, law in Salt LakeCity with the law [irm o[ Prince, Yeates, and Geldzahler. Thisart icle is a shor tened vers ion o f a much longer m anuscr ip t wh ichmay be purchased from the Sunstone Reprint Service [or tendollars.

C o v e n a n t s . I w i s h t o a d d r e s s t h r e e q u e s t io n s r a i s e d b y t h irevelation:1 . W ha t i s the oa th a nd c ove n a nt o f the p r ie s thood a nd bw h o m a n d t o w h o m i s i t m a d e ?2. To wh ich pries thood does the oath and covena nt belong3. W hat is the relat ionship betwe en the oath and covenant anthe pr iesthood ?I have heard a number of different answers to the firs

quest ion. Th ose m ost frequent ly asserted are the fo l lowing :1. The terms "oath~ and "covenant" are synonyms, referring ta t ~ v o - p a r t . y c o n t r a c t between G od and an individual .2. These w ords are synonyms, used together as a term of ar tto refer to a mans promise to God that he wil l obey al l of Godsco m man d m en ts an d th ereby q ua l ify h ims e l f to rece iv e " a ll th[ the] Father hath." I f the man fa i l s to keep the com m andm entshe is gui l ty of breaking his "oath and covena nt ."3. The ph rase "oath and covenan t" refers to G ods promise toa man of ~a l l tha t [ the] Father hath: and i t is g iven to him condit ion of, and as an inducement for, h is future obedience G od: s c omma ndme nt s .q. The tw o terms "oath" and "covenant" are not synonyms, bare separate labels for the two sides of a bilateral agreement, o

contract , entered in to upon ordination to the M elchizedek pr ieshood , in w hic h a m a ns p r om ise (the "c ove na nt") to k e e p tc o m m a n d m e n t s is g i v e n i n e xc h a n g e f o r G o d s p r o m i s e (t"oath") to give h im pries thood power and bless ings.I bel ieve that none of these explanations is correct. The w ord"oa th" a nd "c ove na nt" a r e no t sy nony m s. Th e y de sc r ib e l e gnot ions that are di fferent both in form and substance. A n oath the r i tual of swearing or a t testa t ion. A covenan t i s a prom ise; is not a contract. A bare covenant i s not enforceable a t law.takes the exchange of two or more covenants to make an

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enforceable contract. H owever, under ancient rules of English law,a s ing le c ove n a nt , g ive n w i thou t c ons ide r a t ion ( tha t is , g ive nuni la tera lly , wi thout a re turn prom ise or performan ce) could beenforced as if it were a contract if the person making the unilateralpromise sealed the covenant wi th an oath.2The se legal concepts have theological relevance, for the term" co v en an t" a ls o re fe rs to " an en gagem en t en te red in to by th eDivine Being wi th som e other being or person. 3The nature ofthis engagement is an important subject of Old and NewTestament s tudy. The Hebrew word befit, f rom w hi c h t he t e rm"covenant" is translated, refers to any of three different types of"engagement":1. Mutual ly assumed obl igat ions ( i .e . , the exchange of prom -ises and performances) that create the type of bilateral contractw h ich i s co m mo n in mo d ern b us in es s tran s ac tio n s .2. A one-sided obligation imposed on the w eaker par ty by thest ronger, as typif ied by the Sinai covenan t in which G od (as thekin g o r s uz era in ) bo un d I s rae l (G o d s v as s a l ), bu t d id n o t b in dhim sel f (E xodus 19-20).

3. One-sided obligations assumed by one party withoutexpe,ztation of return (e.g. , a prom ise sealed w ith an oath), ast yp i f ie d b y G od s c ove na nt wi th A b ra ha m, i n whi c h G od b ou ndhim se l f to b le ss A b r a ha m a nd h is pos te r i ty w i thou t r e qu i ringA b r a ha m to :m a k e a ny pr om ise s in r e tu r n ( A b r a ha m 2 :8- 1 4,G enesis 15).I t appears that Joseph Smiths concept of the oath and cov-enant of the pries thood fal ls in to the las t category. D&C 84:38states that al l the "Father ha th shal l be given unto" the fa i thfu lpr ie s thood b e a r e r , b y wa y of a u n i la te r a l p r om ise o f G od, apron-t ise that i s b inding because i t i s made u nder oath.~ T h e o a t hand covenan t of the pr iesthood m ent ioned in these verses of theDo ctrine and Covenants appear to be connec ted to those pas-sages, in Hebrew s 6:13-18, wh ere Ab raham is presented as therec ip ien t o f th e b l es s in gs o f G o d . Ab rah am, w h o h ad p a t i en t l yendured h is tr ials , was a ccounted a suitable candidate to receivethe prom ise of "all that [ the] Father hath." The w riter of Hebrew ss t a te s t ha t G od wi she d t o show A b ra ha m a nd h i s pos t e ri ty t ha tt h e d i v i n e p ro m i s e w a s i m m u t a b l e , s o G o d " c o n f i rm e d " th ecovenant with an oath. A nd s ince God cou ld swear by no greaterperson, he swore by himself, thus giving Abraham and hisposter i ty the assurance of eternal l i fe, an endless p r iesthood, andjoint-heirship with Christ .Scripture states that Abraham was not the first to receive suchan oath and cov enant . God had previously granted i t to o thers :to E n o ch (JST G en es i s 14:30) an d M el ch iz ed ek (JST G en es i s14:26-29, 33) and la ter to Isaac (G enesis 26:3) and Jacob (G en-esis 2 8:4).~ Joseph Smith asser ted that i t was G ods intent ion tomake th is ; oath and covenant with each descendent of Abraham ,I s aac . an d J aco b a t M o un t S in a i (JST G en es i s 14:25 -34, 40) .H owe ver, as a resul t of unfai thfulness , the greater promises ofG od, " the p r ie s thoo d . . . m y ho ly or de r , a nd the o r d ina n c e sthereof (]ST E xodus 34:1-2) were withheld from the H ouse ofIsrael , as a people; and the law of carnal commandments wasgiven in p lace o f the h igher pr iesthood blessings. As a resul t , theH ou se o f I s ra e l d id no t b e c om e a "k i ng dom of p r i e s ts" (Ex odu s

19:5-6; c_/7. I Pe ter 2:9, T e a c h i n g s o f th e P r o p h e t J o s e p h S m t h , p. 322,hereinafter, T e a c h i n g s ) .Thou g h i t a ppe a r s tha t Jose ph S m i th v ie we d the oa th a ndcovenant as a priesthood blessing, it also appears that thisblessing was reserved for recipients of the fulness of the pr iest -hood, a nd no t f o r those m e n w ho ha d on ly b e e n o~ :da ine d to f f ice s in the M e lc h ize de k P r ie s thood he ld g e ne r a l ly b y m a lChurch mem bers. In h is inspired translat ion of Ge ne. ,~is , JosephSmith connected the concept of the oath and covenac~t with theconcept of the fulness of the pr iesthood. This conn ection appearsin the fo l low ing verses :M el ch ired ek l if t ed up h i s v o ice an d b l es sed A bram.N o w M e lc h i ze d e k w a s a m a n o f f ai th , w h o w r o u g h tr i g h t e o u s n e s s ; a n d w h e n a c h i l d h e f e a r e d G o d , a n ds topped the m ouths of l ions, and quenched the v io lenceof f i re . A nd t hu s , ha v i ng b e e n a pprove d of G od, he w a so rd a in ed an h igh p r ies t a f t e r th e o rd er o f th e co v en a n tG o d m a d e w i th E n o c h .I t being af ter the order of the Son of G od; which order

cam e, not by man, nor the wi l l of man ; nei ther by fa thernor mother; neither by beginning of days nor end ofy e a rs ; b u t o f G od; A nd i t wa s dd i ve re d u n t o me n b y t hecal l ing of h is own voice, according to h is own wil l , untoas man y as bel ieved in h is name.F o r Go d h av in g s w o rn un to E n o ch an d un to h i s seedwith a n o a th b y h im se l f ; tha t e ve ry one b e ing or da ine daf ter this ca l l ing should have power, by fa i th, to breakm ountains , to d iv ide seas , to dry up w ater, to turn themo u t o f t h e i r c o u r s e ; T o p u t a t d e f i a n c e th e a r m i e s o fnations, to divide the earth, to break every band, :o standin the presence of G od; to do al l th ings according to h iswil l , according to h is command, to subdue principal i t iesand pow ers; and th is by the w il l of the Son of G od w hichwas from before the foundat ions of the world.. .. . A nd i t c a m e to pa ss tha t G od b le sse d A b r a m , a ndgave unto him riches, and honor, and lands for aneverlast ing possession; according to the covenant whichh e h ad m ad e , an d acco rd in g to th e b l es s in g w h erew i thM el ch ized ek h ad b l es s ed h im (JST G en es i s 1~t:24-31,40).This passage establishes several important facts. It states thatEn oc h w a s c a l le d to a c a l ling in the p r ie s thood ( .IS l" G e ne s is6:32-36), and that th is cal ling w as del ivered not by m an, nor bythe will of man, but by the calling of Gods own voice. I~ describesh o w G o d p r o m i s e d t o E n o c h b y a n o a t h a n d c o v e n a n t t h a t,

because of h is ordinat ion to th is cal l ing, he should have powero v er n a ture . G o d a l s o p ro mis ed to E n o ch th a t an y o f E n o ch spos te r i ty who we r e o r da ine d u n to th i s c a l ling shou ld l ik e wisehave pow er over nature. We learn that Melchizedek, a descendanto f E n o ch , w as o rd a in ed un to th i s ca l lin g an d w as g iv en p o w erover nature. F inal ly, M elchizedek blessed A braham according tothe covenant.H o w e v e r , t h is a c c o u n t l e av e s u n a n s w e r e d t w o i m p o r ta n tquestions: (1) W hat was the na ture of the cal l ing E noch receiveda n d p a s s e d d o w n t o M e l c h iz e d e k ? a n d ( 2 ) D i d M d c h i z e d e k

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m e r e ly b l e s s A b r a h a m o r d i d h e , i n t u rn , p a s s t h is u n n a m e dca l l in g to h im a l s o ? Jo s ep h Sm i th ad d res s ed bo th th es e q ues -t ions. In answ ering the f i rs t , he said :A braham says to M elchizedek, I bel ieve al l that thouhast taught me conce rning the pr iesthood and the com ingof the Son of Man; so Melchi7edek ordained Abraham andsent him aw ay. A braham rejoiced, saying, Now I have apriesthood (Teachings, p. 322-23).In answ er to the second question, Joseph Smith character izedM elchizedek as a king and pr iest , while h is translat ion of Genesischaracterizes him as a high priest after the order of the covenantGod made with Enoch" (,JST Genesis 14:27, italics added). Theseare not inconsistent character izations because the term "highpriest" can refer to any of three distinct priesthood offices. In. theO l d T es tam en t , th e t e rm d es ign a tes th e p res id in g f igure o f th eLesser or Aaronic Pries thood (Levi t icus 21:10; Hebrews 7 :11,8 :3 - 5 ). A s u s e d i n t h e m o d e r n C h u r c h , t h e t e rm r e f e rs t o amem ber of the h igh pr iests quorum, wh ich John Taylor explained

wasinst itu ted for the purpose of qual i fying those w ho sh al l

be appointed s tanding presidents over the d if ferent Stakesscat tered abroad. A sort of norm al school , i f you please,to prepare m en to pres ide, to be fathers of the people."H ow ever , the term "high pr iest" also refers to one holding thefulness of the pr iesthood held by Jesus, who w as cal led a "H ighPriest" (H ebrews 3:1) , and by M elchi7edek, who w as a prototypeof Christ (H ebrew s 4:14; 5:4-11). As a "high priest" of this order,M el ch ized ek, l ike C h r i s t , w as g iv en p o w er o v er n a ture (D&C93:17). Abraham, who was ordained by Melchizedek, explainst h a t h e t o o w a s o r d a i n e d a " H i g h P r i es t ," b u t f a r f ro m b e i n gmerdy an office qual i fying him to pres ide or to receive greaterauthori ty and keys at some future t ime, A braham s h igh pries t-

hood gave him the blessings of the fathers and the rightwhereunto he might adm inis ter the same." This off ice consti tutedA braham a "prince of peace" (A braham 1:2), the t i tle by whichJesus w as know n (Isaiah 9:6), and a "rightful heir ," holding the"right belonging to the fa thers" (A braham 1:2).O n 15 O ctober 1843 Joseph Sm ith elaborated on the natureof M elchizedeks h igh pries thood:Th ere are three grand pr incip le or orders of pr iesthoodport rayed in this chapter [Heb rews 7 ] .1 s t Le v i t ic a l, whic h w a s ne ve r a b le to a dm in is te r ab le ss ing , b u t on ly to b ind he a vy b u r de ns w hic h ne i the rthey nor thei r fa thers w ere able to bear.2. A braham s pat r iarchal power w hich is the greatestyet experienced in th is church.3d. That of M elchizedek who had st i l l greater powe r,even pow er of an endless life, of which was our L ord JesusChris t , which also Abraham obtained by the offering ofhis son Isaac, wh ich was not the power of a prophet norapost le nor pat r iarch only, but of King and Priest to Go d,to o p en th e w in d o w s o f h eav en an d p o ur o u t th e p eaceand law of endless l i fe to ma n and no m an can at tain tothe joint heirship with Jesus Christ without beingadministered to by one having the same power and

authori ty of M elchizedek.r"W hat was the pow er of the pr iesthood?" asked Joseph Smitrhetorically: Tw a s no t t he Pr i e st hood of A a ron whi c h a dm i n is t e rsin ou twa r d or d ina nc e s a nd the o f f e r ing of sa c r i f ic e s .Th ose holding the fulness of the Melchizedek Priesthoodare kings and pries ts of the Mo st High G od, holding thekeys of pow er and b lessings. In fact , that Pr iesthood is aperfect law of theocracy, and s tands as God to give law sto th e p eo p l e , ad m in i ste r in g en d l es s l iv es un to th e s o n sand daughters of Adam . (Teachings, pp. 322-23)."King and pr iest" was the off ice M elchizedek held. I t was bth e keys an d p o w ers o f th a t o f f ice th a t M el ch ized ek ru l ed thpeople of Salem an d ruled as king. I t was b y this pow er that h

blessed them w ith endless liw~-s (Teachings, p. 322). By this powthey were t ransla ted into heaven to . join the C i ty of Eno ch ( ,JSG enesis 14:33-34). A braham , xvho w as blessed and ordained bM elchizedek, was l ikewise ra ised to ~:his ca l l ing, which held tr ight , be longing to the fa thers, to sanct i fy his people and adm ii s te r e nd le ss live s u n to the m (Teachings, p. 322). Joseph Smita l so sa id , "the L e v i t ic a l P r ie s thood . . . [ i s ] m a de w i thou t aoath; but the [fulness of the] Priesthood of Melchizedek is [madeby an oath and covenant" (Teachings: p. 323).

Tho u g h t he sc r i p tu ra l a c c ou nts o f G od s b e s t owa l o f su c h aoa th a nd c o ve na nt a r e f e w , in those tha t e x is t the ind iv idu arece iv in g th e o a th an d co v en an t (e .g ., M el ch ized ek, A brah amIsaac, Jacob, Moses, Elijah) can usually be identified as kings anpriests, e i ther because they are so denom inated or because theyare sa id to be pr iests "of the holy order of G od," "af ter the ordof Enoch," or "blessed with the blessings of Abraham." Thereforwhen the Joseph Smith T ran:~la t ion speaks of Enoch s poster ib e ing or d a ine d "a f te r th i s o r de r a ~ :~ d c a l l ing " b y whic h th"should have pow er , by fai th , to break m ountains," the "order acal l ing" referred to is the fu lness of the pries thood.

Th e point of al l th is is thatJoseph Sm ith connected the oatand co venant o f sect ion 84 to the fulness of the p r iesthood, i .eto the cal l ing of king and p ries t or queen and pries tess . Suppofor th is v iew is fou nd in sect i ion 84, part icularly in verses 33 42, w i th co n n ec t io n s to o th er s o urces o f th e R es to red Go s p e lBriet].y, the evidence fo r this is as follows :1. D&C 84:33 mentions the " two pr iesthoods spoken of ." Thf i rs t o f the se i s c le a r ly the l e sse r o r A a r onic P r ie s thood w i twhich, according to Joseph Smith, no oath and covenant connected. T he greater priestlq~ood is very likely the fulness of thpriesthood, for, as D&C 84:6-18 makes clear, it was passed dowf rom t he k i ng a nd pr i e s t A b ra ha m.2. D&C 84:33 also connects the greater pries thood with thdoctr ine of sanct i f ica tion. This con nect ion echoes the teachingof the B ook of M or m o n pr ophe t A lm a , wh o s ta te s tha t thosholding the fulness of the pries thood, who took "upon them thigh pries thood of the holy order" (Alma 13:8), were l ike Mechizedek, the "high pries t after th is .same order" (Alm a 13:14They were "sanct i f ied, and (heir garments were washed white

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th rough th e b l o o d o f th e L amb" (A l ma 13:11).3. D&C 84:34 designates the recipients of the greater pr ies-thood as the "seed of Abraham ." The B ook of Abraham equatesthe "seed of Abraham " wi th the pr iesthood of A braham , which,as Joseph Sm ith explained, wa s the fulness of the pries thood:And I will blessthe m tha t b le ss the e ,and curse them thatcurse thee; and inthee (that is, in thyPrie:sthood) and in thyseed that is, thyPriesthood) . . . shallal l the fam il ies of theear th be blessed, evenw i t h t h e b l e s s i n g s o fthe ,,_G ospel, which arethe blessings ofsalvat ion, even of l i fee te r na l ( A b r a ha m2:11, italics added).4. D&zC 84:34 connectst h e g r e a t e r p r i e s th o o d w i t hthe concept o[ election, which

Joseph Smith described atlength (Teachings, p p .150- 51). The "elect of G od"are descr ibed in section 76 as" th ey w h o a re th e ch urch o fth e Firstborn, they intowh ose hands the father hathgiven a l l things." They are :

priests and kings,who haw _" received ofhis fu lness, and of hisglory; And are pr iestsof the Most High, afterthe order oflv le lchizedek, whichwas a f ter the order ofEnoch, which wasafter the order of theO nly B e g ot te n S on... Th ese shal l dwellin the presence ofG o d an d h i s C h r i s t fo rev er (D& C 7 6 :5 4-5 7 , 6 2).5 . D & C 8 4: 1 -5 m a k e s r e f e re n c e t o t h e c i t y o f t h e N e wJerusalem and to the tem ple. This is impor tant because i t is in thet emp l e th a t th e fu l n es s o f th e p r i es th o o d i s co n fer red . Jo s ep hSmith explained:

If a man gets a fullness of the priesthood of God he hasto get it in the same way that Jesus Christ obtained it, andt ha t wa s b y k e e p i ng a l l t he c omm a ndm e nt s a nd ob e y ingal l the ordinances of the house of the Lord (Teachings, p .2 o 8 .

6. D&C 84:36-39 m akes reference to hei rship w hich is of tenl inked in the scrip tures with the fulness of the pries thood. Forexample, when Abraham receives that pries thood, he accountshimself a "r ightful heir" (Abraham 1:2) . Paul d eclares that Ab ra-ham becam e the "heir of the wor ld"(Rom ans 4:13), and that thoseT H E O A T H A N D C O VE N A N T O F T H E

P R I E S T H O O DDoctr ine and Covenants sect ion 8433 Fo r W hoso is fai thful unto the obtaining theset w o p r ie s t h o o d s o f w h i ch I h a v e s p o k e n , a n d t h e

ma gnifying their call ing, are sanctif ied by th e Spiritunto the ren ewing o f the ir bodies .3 4 T h e y b e c o m e t h e s o n s o f M o s e s a n d o f A a r o nand the seed of Abraham , and the church and kingdom,and the e lect o f God .35 An d also a l l they who re ceive this priesthoo d

receive me, sai th the L ord;36 F or h e that rece iveth m y servants rece ivethme; 37 And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father;38 And he that receiveth my F ather receiveth myFather s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shallbe g iven unto h im.39 And this is according to the o ath and covenantwhich belong eth to the priesthood.q0 Th erefor e , a ll those who rece ive the pries-thood , rece ive th is oa th and covenan t of my Fathe r ,

which h e cannot break , ne i ther can i t be moved .~1 But whoso break eth th i s covenan t af ter hehath received it, and altogether tu rneth th erefrom, shallnot ha ve forg iveness o f s ins in th is wor ld no r in theworld to come.42 And wo unto a l l those who come not unto thispriesthoo d which ye h ave received, which I now con-f irm upon you who are present this day by mine o wnvoice out o f the h eavens; and even I have g iven theheavenly host and m ine angels charge concerning you.

unto this priesthood which

who suffer with Christ andare glorified with him are"heirs of God and joint-heirsw ith C h r i s t" (R o m an s 8:17 ) .Joseph Smith rew.aled that"they who a re of the Churchof the F i r s tb or n" a r e p r ie s t san d k in gs " in to w h o s e h an d sthe Father has given allthings, i.e., they are heirs(D&C 76:54-57).7 . D& C 84:41 co n ta in s ap en a l ty c laus e . A p p l ied g en -eral ly to the pr iesthood bear-ers of the C hurch, the penaltyo f n o fo rg iv en es s o f s in s fo rb r e a k ing the covenant seemscuriously harsh. But if appliedt o a q u e e n a n d p r i e s t e s s o rking and priest, the punish-m e n t becomes more under-standable.Th e point of th is evidence,again, is that since [)~C 84 isabout the fulness of the pries-thood, it follows t~.at JosephSmith associated the oath andcovenant with that pries-thood and not the pries thoodhe ld by e lders , h igh p r ies ts ,patriarchs, seventies, orapostles.At this point, I digressb r ie f ly to m a k e a n ob se r va -t ion r e g a r d ing the h is to r ic a lcontext of section 84. Theoriginal version of this revela-t ion reads as fol low s:And wo unto allth o s e w h o co ~n e n o t

ye have received, which I nowconfirm upon you this day, viz. the 23rd ,:lay ofSep temb er A D 1832. E l ev en h igh p r ies ts s av e o n e , bymine ow n voice out of the heavens; and even I have givenmy angels charge concerning you.~W hat had apparent ly begun on Septem ber 22 as a revela t ionto s ix e ld ers becam e by Sep tember 23 a rev e l a t io n to t en h ighpr ie s ts . Th is r e ve la t ion w a s a ppa r e n t ly g ive n ove r a tw o- da yper iod at the t ime these m en w ere ordained to the Chu:. ch officeof "high pries t ." I t i s c lear that these m en w ere not at th is t ime

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elevated to the fulness of the pr iesthood b ut received the off iceof H igh Priest current ly held in the Church, since the fulness ofthe pries thood can only be conferred (1) in the temple or som eother place especially dedicated to that purpose, and (2) inconjunct ion wi th the adm inistra t ion of cer ta in sacred o rdinances(Teachings, p. 308). In 1832 no dedicated place was yet inexistence~ and the temple ordinances had not been ful ly restored(see D&C 124:28).~

The relat ionship between the fulness of the pries thood andt h e o a t h a n d c o v e n a n t o f G o d m a y b e s e e n i n t h e h i st o r ic a lcontext of the restoration of pr iesthood keys in th is d ispensation.Joseph Smith taught that al l pr iesthood w as M elchizedek, but thatthere were varying degrees of it (~sachings, p. 180). That portionof the M elchizedek pr iesthood taken from the chi ldren of Israelwas the fulness of the pr iesthood. , which w as restored in Jesust ime an d th en l o s t aga in .Beginning in 1829, the fulness of the pries thood of G od wa srestored to Joseph Smith by degrees. First the Aaronic P riesthoodwa s c onfe r re d u pon Jose ph S m i th a nd O l ive r Cow de ry b y Johnthe Bapt is t (D& C 13). Later, the M elchizedek Pries thood wasrestored when Peter, James, and John ordained Joseph and Oliverto the apost leship (D&C 18:9; 20:2-3; and 27:12). Th e res tora-tion of these two priesthoods ~vas followed by a period ofde ve lopm e nt in whic h pr ie s thood qu or u m s, o f f ic e s , a nd k e y swere defined in the growing Church organizat ion.O n 3 A pri l 1836, Jesus, M oses, El ias, and El i jah appeared toO live r Co wd e r y a nd Jose ph S m i th a s the y k ne e le d in p r a y e rb e h i n d t h e v e i l s o f t h e p r e s i d e n c y s p u l p i ts i n t h e p r i e s th o o dassembly room of the Kirtland Temple (D&C 110). In thisvisi tation, Joseph and O liver received pr iesthood keys v ital to thefur th er d ev e lo p m en t o f th e C h urch (Teachings, p. 224). From1836 unt i l his death,Joseph Sm ith increasingly st ressed the n eedto b u i ld te m ple s w he r e the f u lne ss o f the p r ie sthood c ou ld b ebestowed upon the L atter-day Saints as a crow ning blessing f romG o d .Th e fi rs t foreshadow ing of such a res torat ion cam e in 1829,m th e rev e l a tio n n o w ap p ear in g as s ec t io n 2 , w h ich s t a tes th a tEl i jah mu st come to reveal the pr iesthood an d plant in the heartsof the c h i ld r e n the p r om ise s m a d e to the f a the r s , so tha t thehe a r t s o f the c h i ld r e n wou ld tu r n to the f a the r s . O the r su c hal lusions fo l lowed. One of the m ost impor tant of these was madeby Oliver Cowdery at the time of the ordination of the firstmodern Q uorum of T welve, when he to ld Par ley P. Prat t that h isordinat ion to the apost leship was not ful l and com plete and thatother, greater keys and blessings ~vere yet to be restored (Histouo_f the Chu~ch 2:195-96, here inafter , H C). Acco rding to JosephSmi th , i t w as E l i jah w h o res to red th e ~key o f th e rev e l a t io n s ,ordinances, oracles , pow ers , and endowm ents of the fulness ofth e M el ch iz ed ek P r ies th o o d an d o f th e k in gd o m o f G o d o n th ee a r th" (Teachings p. 337), without w hich " the ordinances couldnot be ad m inistered in r ighteousness" (Teachings, p. 1.72).Th e preparat ion for the conferra l of the fulness of the pr iest -h o o d b e g a n o n 4 M a y 1 84 2 w h e n J o s e p h S m i th f i rs t a d m i n -

is tered the endow men t. These ordinances w ere an extension anelaborat ion of the o rdinances that had been adm inistered severyears before in the Kirtland Temple. ~ The endowmenad m in i s te red acco rd in g to th e p a t t e rn o f p r i es th o o d o rd in a t iestablished a t the visitation of John the Baptist: f irst Joseph Sm iwo uld adm inister an ordinance, and then the recipient(s) of thor d ina nc e wou ld , in tu r n , a dm in is te r the o r d ina nc e to JoseSmi th . T h i s p a t t e rn w as fo l l o w ed w h en th e en d o w m en ts w erf i rst performed. Joseph Smith sa id that he endow ed cer ta in m eo n q M a y 1 8q - 2 , a n d t h e n 5 M a y h e a n d h i s b r o t h e r H y r u mrece iv ed th e en d o w m en t f ro m th em (H C 5 :1-2).B y v i r tu e o f the e ndow m e n t the f u lne ss o f the k e ys o f thgreater pr iesthood w ere t ransmit ted to others. Th is was don e ipreparat ion for the adm inist ra t ion of those f inal r i tuals by wh im en an d w o m en co ul d be g iv en th e fu l n es s o f th e p r i esth o othat is , be made kings and pries ts and queens and pries tessesThe endowm ent i tself does not confer th is fulness, any more thathe conferral of the keys of the M elchizedek P r iesthood by P eteJ ames , an d J o h n up o n J o s ep h Smi th an d O l iv er C o w d ery cofen ed up o n th em th e G i f t o f th e I - tl o l y G h o s t . T h e keys co mbefore the sa lvi f ic ordinances. In this case, the endow m ent waadm inistered to confer the keys of the fulness of the pr iesthoos o th a t th e f in a l o rd in an ces co ul d be co m m un ica ted . Bo th Wford Woodruff and Orson Hyde, as well as other apostlesem phasized that in the w inter of 1843-4~- the apost les receivethe fulness of the keys and pow ers of the pr iesthood by at tendinto every ordinance of the temple."O n 6 A ugus t 18~-3 W i lfo rd W o o d ruf f rep o r ted th a t[Br igh am Y o un g] remarked th a t i f an y in th e C h u rchh ad th e fu l l n es s o f th e M el ch i :, :ed ek P r ies th o o d , h e d idnot know i t . For any person tc, have the ful lness of thep r ies th o o d , h e mu s t be a k in g an d p r ies t. A p ers o n m ayhave a port ion of that p~cies thoed, the same as governoror , judges of E ngland have pow er f rom the king to transactbusiness; but that does :not make them kings of E ngland.A person m ay be anointed king and pr iest long before herece iv es h i s k in gd o m (H C 5 :5 27 ) .The fulness of the pr iesthood wa s, f irs t conferred in the fal l 1843. A p p aren t l y, J o s ep h h ad h o p ed to ad m in i s te r th es e o rdn an ces in th e N auv o o T emp l e , bu t th a t st ruc ture w as n o t co mpleted at the t im e. So, beca~ase o f a prem onit ion of h is deatJ o s e p h S m i th w e n t f o r w a r d w i t h t h e a d m i n i s t ra t io n o f t h erituals in his private office. ~ T h e s e o r d i n a n c e s w e r e f i rsfo rmed o n 28 Sep tem ber 1843. T h e reco rd s t a tes th a t Jo s epS m i t h l e d t h e g r o u p i n t h e t r u e o r d e r o f p r a y e r, a f te r w h i cH yrum Sm i th an d W i l li am M arks , a t J o sep h Sm i th s d ic ta t i"anointed and ordn [Joseph] to the h ighest and ho l ies t orderthe priesthood, viz., a king and priest unto God After thEm ma w as anointed and ordained a queen and pr iestess unto hhusband. ~I t ap p ears to h av e been ,J o s ep h Sm i th s in ten t io n to ex tethese bless ings to many of the Church fai thful :W e calculate to give the Elders of Israel their washings

and anointings, and attend to those last and more:impress ive ordinances, without which we cannot obtain

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celestial thrones. But there must be a holy place prepared:ior that purpose .... so that men may receive their, en d o w m e n t s a n d b e m a d e k i n g s a n d p r i e s ts u n t o t h eMost High God, having nothing to do with temporall:hings (Teachings, p. 362-63).W h e n p l a n n in g t h e w e s tw a r d m o v e o f t h e C h u r c h s h o r t lybefore his; martyrdom, Joseph Smith wrote to the Elders of Israelwho were to go w est as an advance party: " I want every man thatgoes ~:o be a king and a pr iest . W hen he gets on the mou ntains,h e m ay w an t to ta l k w i th h i s G o d " (Teachings, p. 333). Againasseu: ing his intent ion to e levate a l l fa i thful Ch urch m em bers tothe R ~lness of the pr iesthood, Joseph Sm ith declared that i t wasGods; pul_poseto make o f th e C h urch o f J es us C h r i s t a k in gd o m o fPr ie s t s , a ho ly pe ople , a c hose n g e ne r a t ion , a nd a s inEnochs day, having all the gifts as illustrated to theChm ch in Pauls epis t les (Teachings, p. 202).B u t n o twi ths ta nd ing th i s in te n t , the p r a c t ic e w a s e v ide n t lyins t i t~.~ted of ordaining individuals to b e c o m e kings and pr iests or

queens and pr iestesses, rather than actual ly ordaining persons tothat calling This promissory and conditional ordination wasrefer red to in .an address given in the Na uvoo T emp le by HeberC. Kimball :We have come to this place and all your formercovenants are of no accou nt, and here is the p lace wherewe h ave to enter in to a new covenant, and be sealed, andh av e i t reco rd ed . On e reas o n w h y v v e br in g o ur w iv eswith us is ; that they may make a covenant with us to keepthese th ings sacred. Y ou have bee n anointed to be k ing sand pr iests , but you have not be en ordained yet. A nd youhave g ot to get i t by b eing fai thful . ~O r dina t ion to the f u lne ss o f the p r ie s thood i s a m u l t i - s te p

process to which Joseph Smith referred in the King Follett funeraldisco~_trse in A pril 1844:H ere, then, is eternal l ife-to know the on ly wise andt rue Go d . You have got to learn how to m ake yourselvesG ods in order to save yourselves and be kings and pr ieststo Go d, t lne sam e as al l G ods have done-by going froma sm all capacity to a great capacity, f rom a sm all degreeto another, from grac e to grace, until the destruction of thed e a d , from exal tation to exal tat ion-ti l l you are ab le to s i tin everlast ing burn ings, and everlast ing pow er and gloryas those who have gone before, s it enthroned. I want youto know that God in the last days, while certainindividuals are proclaiming H is name, is not t r if l ing withyOU noF me. ~

"l_~e steps of the process of ordination to the call ing of kingand pries t (for men) and queen and pries tess (for wom en) areo ut l in ed in th e D o ct r in e an d C o v en an t s :1. An individual m ust be born ag ain in to the family of JesusC h r i s t an d by fa ith in h im an d by h i s g race m us t o v erco me a l lopposi t ion. (D&C 84:33; 76:53).

2 . A m a n m u st r e c ei ve t he A a ron i c a nd M e l c h ize de k Pr i es-

th o o d s av a il ab le in th e C h urch , an d bo th men an d w o men mus tbe en d o w ed an d s ea l ed in marr i age in th e n ew an d ev er l as t in gcovenant (D&.C 84:33; 131:1-3; Teachings, p. 308).3. The m arr ied individuals must be anointed kings and p r iestsand queens an d pries tesses; and they mu st magn ify that cal l ingby m anifest ing to G od a wi l l ingness to sacr i f ice a l l ear thly thingto beco m e o n e in C h r i s t (D& C 84:33; 101:4-5 ).~. These individuals m ust be sanct i f ied by the Spir it unto therenewing of their bodies, thereby becom ing the "sons" of M oses,of A aron, the seed of A braham, the church, the kingdom, and theelect of God (D&C 84:34).5. The se ind iv idu a ls m a y the n r e c e ive the v is i ta t ion of theangels , but eventual ly m ust obtain the v is i tation of the Son (the"second com forter" spoken o f in John 14) (D& C 84:36).6. These individuals m ust , through the Son, be pre.sented tothe Father (D&C 84:37).7. The candidates must receive from the Father the promise orc ove na n t o f "a l l tha t [ the ] Fa the r ha th ," a nd th i s p r om ise theF ath er mu s t s ea l by h i s o w n o a th " o ut o f th e h eav en s " (D& C84 :38 40 .8. Th e candidates m ust receive the ful fi l lm ent of the prom iseo f th e F a th er by ac tua l l y o b ta in in g G o d s g l o ry , by w h ich th eacquire po~ver over nature, and must, finally, receive theira ppoin te d k ing dom in the wor ld to c om e ( D & C 84:63 -67; c f .Luke 22:29-30).

These requirements, if not realized in mortality, may bereal ized in the a fterl ife, for the necessary ordinances b y whichme n a nd w om e n a re o rda ine d k i ng s a nd pr i e s ts a nd qu e e ns a ndpriestesses may be d one by proxy for the dead in cer ta in of thetemples.O b v i o u s l y , t h e s e s t e p s c a n n o t b e t a k e n s u d d e n l y ( 1 T i m5:22.). Faith in Chr is t , patience in af f l ict ion, and subm ission to alhis ordinances, including the covenant of marriage, are funda-m ental precondit ions to receiving the fulness of the pries thood.Th is idea i s ref lec ted throughou t the scr iptures (DgrC 50:26-29;7 6 :5 3; E ther 12:6-9). Tw o exam ples are i l lust ra t ive:T h e refo re , th ey mus t n eed s be ch a s ten ed an d t r ied ,e ve n a s A b ra ha m , who wa s c om ma nde d t o o f fe r u p h i s

o n l y s o n . F o r a l l th o s e w h o w i l l n o t en d ure ch as ten in g ,but deny m e canno t be sanct i f ied (D& .C 101:4-5).M elchizedek was n ot ordained a king and pr iest unl :i l he wasf i rs t proved fai thful to God:N o w M el ch ized ek w as a man o f fa ith , w h o w ro ugh tr i g h t e o u s n e s s ; a n d w h e n a c h i l d h e f e a r e d G o d , a n ds topped the m ouths of l ions, and quench ed the v io lenceof f i re . And thus, having been approved of G od, ine wasor da ine d a h ig h pr ie s t a f te r the o r de r o f the c ove na ntw h ich G o d m ad e w i th E n o ch (J ST G en es i s 14:26 -27 ).I t is the v i tali ty of Chris t ian fai th beh ind the ordinanc es thatcondi t ions an individual for the recept ion bo th of the talness ofthe keys of the pries thood t ransmit ted by the endowment, andthe In lne ss o f the b le ss ing s o f the p r ie s thood, to wh ic h ind i -viduals are g iven access through the medium of the anoint ing tothe highest of ca l l ings, k ing an d pr iest and queen and pr iestess.

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queens and pr iestesses can be cons t i tu ted by an ano int ing r i tualperformed by the president of the High Priesthood, who is nowthe president of the Church, or by one delegated by him (D&C132:6-7). I t may a lso be conferred by angels (D&C 77:11). Th er i tual is cal led the second ano int ing. This r i tual , w heneve r fea-sible, is adm inis tered in the H oly of Holies of a temple de dicatedto that purpose. ~ It is conferred jointly upon husbands andwives sealed in the new and ever last ing covenant by the adm inis-tration of the anointing proper,~7 which is followed by thewashing of feet and o ther r i tes . These ordinances have the ef fectof sea l ing those rece iving th em to exa l ta tion in the ce les t ia lk ingdom of G od (Teachings, pp. 306, 321,323) and giving themal l the blessings of the pr iesthood w hich can be conferred by onemortal on another. 18 This authority, however, is held sub-ordinate to that of the pres ident of the High P ries thood, for hei s n o t o n l y a k in g an d p r ies t un to G o d in I s rae l , bu t a k in g an dpriest in and over Israel, and i n and over Zion. ~9-[hose anointed to the fulness of the priesthood have allauthori ty to adm inister in a l l the ordinances of the g ospel and o fthe priesthood ( T e a c h i n g s , p. 337), to officiate in any of the officesof the Church and kingdom of God , including the aposto l ic of fice(D&C 107:1-10), to bear witness of the Father and the Son (D &C8~:63-64), to pray in the true order to detect the source ofrevela t ions (D &C 124:95, 97), and to assist the president of theHoly Order of the High Pries thood in anoint ing o ther kings andpriests or queens and pr iestesses.

Although many believe that the second anointing is thehighest ordinance in the Ch urch, th is is not technical ly correct .T he h ig he s t o r d ina nc e in the Chu r c h i s the c onf e r ra l b y G odup o n an in d iv id ua l o f th e o a th an d co v en an t th a t i s as s o c ia tedwith the fulness of the priesthood. This idea was the gist of OliverCowderys statement to Parley P. Pratt in 1835: "Your ordinationsare n o t fu l l an d co m p l e te ti l l G o d h as l a id His h an d u p o n yo u"( H C 2 : 19 5 9 6 ). A n d B r i g h am Y o u n g s a i d , " A p e r s o n m a y b ean o in ted k in g an d p r ies t lo n g befo re h e rece iv es h i s k in gd o m "(HC 5:527). Joseph Smith m ade this same point in his discourseon E l ias, E l i jah, and M essiah:The Spirit of Elias is f irst, Elijah is second, and Messiah

last. Elias is a forerunner to prepare the wa y, and the spiritand pow er of El i jah i s to com e af ter , holding the keys ofp o w er , bu i l d in g th e t em p l e to th e cap s to n e , p lac in g th eseals of the Melchizedek Pries thood upon the House ofIsrael , and m aking al l th ings ~eady. Then M essiah comesto H is Tem ple, which is las t of al l (Teachings, p. 340).The spir it and pow er of E l ias refers to the work associa ted now

wi t h t he A a ron i c P r i e st hood a nd t he M e l c h i7e de k P r i es t hood i nthe Chu rch-proclaiming fai th and repentance, and bapt izing forthe remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the impartingof the gi f t of the H oly Gho st- in short , the work of adop t ion intothe H ouse of Israel, the family of Jesus Christ (of whom A braham~as father of the fai thful , was but a type and shadow ) (Teachings,pp. 335-36; Ether 3:14). A fter proving faithful to these nec essaryp re l imin ar ies , m en an d w o m en w i l l rece iv e , un d er th e keys o fEl i jah, al l the bless ings of the temple, including the endowmentan d th e s eco n d an o in t in g , th ereby o bta in in g th e fu l n es s o f th e

keys to tu rn ( i .e ., sea l or b in d) (Teachings, p. 330) the heartsthe fa thers to the chi ldren as w el l as the fulness of the blessingof the p r iesthood, i .e . , imm orta l i ty and e ternal l i fe . I t is a t tpoint that the seals are put upo n the H ouse of Israel . Individuaso sealed and so em pow ered to seal others have a l l that can beconferred upon m ortals by mortals . Such individuals , accordito Joseph Sm ith, m ust then receive the visi ta t ion of the Me ssi( i .e . , "Messiah com es to his temple") and be ush ered by him inthe presence of the Father (2 N ephi 9:41). I t i s a t this point ththe f inal compon ent ordinance of the: pr iesthood is administerby th e mem bers o f th e Go d h ead . T h i s i s th e o a th an d co v en anthat~ according to section 84-. , belongs to the pr iesthood. This the f inal conf irma tion f rom the G odtq~ead to the individual of prom ise of im m orta li ty, e ternal l ife , and everlast ing possessional l that the Father has. This , according to Joseph Smith, is thcapstone on the temple, "which tem ple," says Paul , "ye are ," thmem bers o f C h r i s t s C h urch (1 C o r in th ian s 3 :17 ) .

Er Joseph Smith, then, the oath and covenant of thpriesthood did not refer to the tw o ]parts of a b i la tera l contracn o r to an y k in d o f m utua l co n t rac t w i th G o d . In s tead , th e o aand covenant is a unilateral promise m ade by G od, and sealed bh i s o w n o a t h . T h i s p r o m i s e i s n o t e xt e n d e d t o a l l p r ie s t h obearers , but only to those men and wom en who have received t lnfulness of the pr iesthood. This highest of pr iesthood blessingsnot c ondi t iona l u pon f u tu r e ob e d ie nc e . I t i s g r a n te d u nc ondt ional ly as a rew ard for past loyal ty and devot ion.In the theolog y of Joseph Smith, then, it was not earthly statuor even sta tus in the pr iesthood hierarchy, that ensured onesalvation or exaltation, but direct contact with the Father and thSon. This is the final and indispensable component of to rd in an ce by w h ich th e fu l n es s o f th e p r i es th o o d i s co n fer reby wh ich the anointed ones are const i tu ted joint hei rs wi th JesuChris t and Saviors on M ount Zion (H C 6:184-, 364--365). W iththe w or ldvie~v of Joseph Smith , i t was by th is supernatural eveth a t th e rec ip ien t s o f th e fu l l m an i [01d o f go s p e l , C h urch , antemple ordinances became, in fact, fu lly called, elected, anointeand crowned kings and priests and queens and priestesses-possessors of the fulness o t7 the pries thood, who se l ives arhid . . . with Christ in God (D&C 86:8 9). cf 101:39-4103:9-10; Matthew 5:13)-individuals who have passed beyoth e i r p ers o n a l j ud gme n t an d h av e e n te red in to th e i r exa lt a t ioawa it ing only the t ime o f the :~esurrection to enjoy the fulf il lmof the promises of the M ost High.

N O T E S1 . T h e A m e r i c a n H e r i ta g e D i c t io n a ~ _ 5 , s.v. oath."2. A prom ise by an oath is a formula that goes baci~ to the third m illennium before Christ.S e e G M e n d e n h a l l . C o v e n a n t F o r m s i n Is r a e li t e T r a d i t io n , Biblical Archeologist 1 7 ( 1 9 ~ 0 ) 3 ,pp. 51 53; D. R . Hillers, C o v e n a n t : T h e H i s to U o f A B i b l i~ : a l I d e a , jo h n H o p k i ns Press,1969, p.40, 103, 181; D.J. McCarthy, O l d T ~ , s t a m e ~ t C o v e n a n t p p 4 , 3 2 , 6 0 ; a n d M . W e m f e l d .~Covenant of Grant in the Old T estamen~ and in the Ancient N ear East," J o t ~ m a I o ] t h eA m ~ : r i ca ~ O ~ i ~ n t a l S o c i c t ) 9 0 ( 1 9 7 0 ) , p . 1 8 4 .3 The Oxford English Dictio~aD, s.v. "promise"4 . C T o ~ m s J ~ n s 5 e c t ~ n d u m , C o v e n a n t s , S e c . 1 , a t { ~ ; 8 5 : C o r b i n , Contracts, S e c . 6 3 3 . a t 5 9 5(1952}

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5 W einfdd, p I96-99; Hi l lers, p. 103.6. J~urnal of Discourses, 1 9 : 2 4 2 . S e e a l s o J o u r n a l o f D i s c o u r s e s , 9 : 8 7 - 8 8 .7. Franklin D. Richards, Scriptural Items 26-27, Historical Department of the Church, MSd4409.8 Section 84, Revelations to Joseph Sm ith and Brigham Young 1829-1847, Newell KWhitney Paoers (1795-1850), Special Collections, Harold B. L ee L ibrary, Brigham Y oungU n i v e r s i t y9. Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W . Cook, The Word of Joseph Smith, R e l i g i o u s S t u d i e sCenter, Brigham Yo ung U niversity, Provo, U tah, 1980. pp. 305-307.10. See generally, Andrew F. Ehat, J o s e p h S m i t h s I n t r o d u c t i o n o J T e m p l e O r d i n a n c e s a n d t h e1 8 4 4 M o r m o n S u c c e s s i o n Q u e s t i o n : A T h e s i s P r e s e n t e d to t h e D e p a r t m e n t o J H i s t o r y , B r i g h a mYaung Univ ersity in Partial FulJillment of the Requirements for the D egree oJ Master of Arts,Decem ber 1981, Harold B. Lee Library,, Brigham Y oung U niversity; Hugh N ibley, "EarlyChristian Prayer Circles," B Y U S t u d i e s , 19 (Fall 1978) 1; D. Michael Quinn, "Latter-day SaintPrayer Circles," B Y U S t u d i e s , 19 (Fall 1978) 1.1 1 . W i l o c : t W o o d r u f f J o u r n a l , t 8 4 4 e n t r i e s f o r J a n u a r y 2 0 , 2 1 , 2 8 , 3 1 , F e b r u a r y 2 , 3 , 4 , M a y

5; Millennial Star 5:109; see also Wilford Wood ruff address, Journal of D iscourses 1:134,13:49, 19:232, 233, 235, 266; Times and Seasons 5:651,648, 661 663 and 6e6; Teachings,p. 237, 326; cJ~ DgzC 124:95-97.12. Times and Seasons, 5:651 (15 Septem ber 1844).13. Ehat, pp. 94-95.14. Heber C. Kimball Journal, Church Historical Department, Salt Lake City, Utah, (italicsadded); see also George Q Cannon 2 August 1883 remark, Minutes of the School of theProphets of 1883, Church Historical Department.15. 5tan Larson, "The King Follett Discourse: A Newly A malgamated Text," B Y U S t u d i e s,18 (Winter 1978) 2:201.1 6 . A P r o c l a m a t io n o f t h e T w e l v e A p o s t l es , Millennial S tar 6:9.17. Charles W. P enrose, Priesthood and Presidency, c.f Genesis 49:26, 48:12-20.18. Brigham Y oung in Heber C . Kimball Journal, 26 December 1845.19. Revelation 1:6; 5:10; T e a c h i n g s , p. 345, 363; see also, Heber C. Kimb alt Journal Jan8th 1846, Jan. llth 1846; The Franklin D. R ichards Miscellaneous Papers, I 318, R eel 12(February 4th, 1885), Church Historical Department.

C R O SSIN G T H E SW E E T W A T E RC h o F L 1 S Z

ChoFus

O Brigham , are you crying?Do your tears come just for me?O ur journeys done - I m the p ioneerY o u m ean t f o r m e to be .Y o u th in k I m m uch to o l i tt l eFor this heavy load you see.W ell, crossing the Sweetw aterT ook the l i tt le outa m e.

Don t cry for m e, a prophets tearsA r e m o r e th an I can bear .Y o u d reamed us to th e p ro mis ed l an d .W e l a id dow n ou r f a i r sha re .I los t f ingers to the bi te of fros tBaby sis ters to the f lu.I fought m y tears a long the t ra i l ,N ow I see the tears in you.W inter caught us ear ly ,Taug ht us Zions pr ice.By crossing the SweetwaterW e lost our mothers li fe .I heard her voice just days ago;W e d a lmo s t m ad e i t th ro ugh .I tu rn ed a ro un d an d s h e w as go n eJust two days short of you.O B r ig h a m -D o y o u weep o ur welco m e?I reckon sorrow makes us st rong.M ot he r s de a d i ns i de ou r wa g onShes a l ive here in m y song.Y o u th in k I m m uch to o l i tt l eFor this heavy loss you see.But crossing the SweetwaterT ook the l i tt le outa m e.

Chorus:

Y o u s a i d-"Suffer l i t tle children to com e w est:wardwith me."Did you m ean for us to suffer soIn our sojourn to be free?Y oure a prophet, youre a leader .Y ou cal led us to this place.Y o ur w elco m e f ee l s so b i t te rsweet-O h, wheres my mothers face?

I m c ry ing fo r my m a ma ;Y a n eed n o t weep a lo n g.Shes dead inside our wagon,Shes al ive here in my songA heavy load for a l i t t le gir l ,But yo u s ee I p u l l ed i t th ro ugh .

I m a l l g ro w ed up , w h ich came abo utW he n we c hose t o fo ll ow y ou .O Brigham, are you crying?Do your tears come just for me?O ur j o urn eys d o n e- I m th e p io n eerY o u m ean t f o r m e to be .I m real ly not too l i t t leFor th is heavy load you seeCause crossing the Sweetwater

T ook the l i tt le outa m e.Crossing the SweetwaterT ook the l i t tle outa me.

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