| Priestcraft |
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The Book of Mormon frequently and roundly denounces priestcraft,
consistent with the anticlerical sentiment of early eighteenth-century America. |
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| Authority |
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As Nephi 1 and 2 were translated last, the first translated reference
to authority in the Book of Mormon occurs in Mosiah: |
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| Alma's authority |
12 |
And now it came to pass that Alma took Helam, he being one of the first,
and went and stood forth in the water, and cried, saying: O Lord, pour out
thy Spirit upon thy servant, that he may do this work with holiness of heart. |
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Mosiah 18:12–13 |
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13 |
And when he had said these words, the Spirit of the Lord was
upon him, and he said: Helam, I baptize thee, having authority from the
Almighty God, as a testimony that ye have entered into a covenant to serve
him until you are dead as to the mortal body; and may the Spirit of the
Lord be poured out upon you; and may he grant unto you eternal life, through
the redemption of Christ, whom he has prepared from the foundation of the
world. |
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| Authority required |
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A few chapters later, king Limhi cannot be baptized because no one in
the area has authority to baptize. |
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33 |
And it came to pass that king Limhi and many of his people
were desirous to be baptized; but there was none in the land that had authority
from God. And Ammon declined doing this thing, considering himself an unworthy
servant. |
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Mosiah 21:33 |
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| High
priest, High Priesthood |
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| High priest over church |
18 |
Now Alma did not grant unto [Nephihah] the office of being
high priest over the church
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Alma 4:18 |
| High Priesthood of the holy order
of God |
20 |
Alma delivered up the judgment seat to Nephihah, and confined
himself wholly to the high priesthood of the holy order of God
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Alma 4:20 |
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| Priests of the holy order the Son |
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| Priests after God's order, after
the order of the Son |
1 |
… and I would that ye should remember
that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after
the order of his Son
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Alma 13:12 |
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And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son
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| High Priesthood |
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| High Priesthood of the holy order
of God |
6 |
And thus being
ordained unto the high priesthood
of the holy order of God
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Alma 13:610 |
| After the order of the Son |
7 |
This high priesthood being after the order of his Son
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| Calling and ordinance without
beginning or end |
8 |
Now they were ordained after this order—being called with a holy
calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance, and taking upon them the high
priesthood of the holy order, which calling, and ordinance, and high priesthood,
is without beginning or end— |
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| Become high priests forever |
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Thus they become high priests forever, after the order of the Son, the
Only Begotten of the Father
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| Many of High Priesthood become
high priests |
10 |
Now, as I said concerning the holy order, or this high priesthood,
there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God; and it
was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness
before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to
perish;
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Alma 13:10 |
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| Melchizedek, a high priest, also takes
on High Priesthood |
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| Melchizedek a high priest |
14 |
Melchizedek, who was also a high priest after this same order
who also took upon him the high priesthood forever. |
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Alma 13:14 |
| Also took on high priesthood |
18 |
Yea, humble yourselves even as the people in the days of Melchizedek,
who was also a high priest after this same order which I have spoken, who
also took upon him the high priesthood forever. |
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Alma 13:18 |
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| Holy order
of God |
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| Baptize and preach |
30 |
[The word of God] was declared unto them by Helaman, and Shiblon,
and Corianton, and Ammon and his brethren, yea, and by all those who had
been ordained by the holy order of God, being baptized unto repentance,
and sent forth to preach among the people |
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Alma 49:30 |
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| Called by faith |
10 |
Behold it was by faith that they of old were called after the holy order
of God.
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Ether 12:10 |
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| Teachers |
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A teacher can refer to a function or an office, but the meaning is often
ambiguous. For example: |
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| Consecrated |
26 |
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did consecrate Jacob and Joseph, that
they should be priests and teachers over the land of my people |
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2 Nephi 26:26 |
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Offices
Priesthood
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