This week I present an unique look at the name of Christ’s priesthood. I also discuss the use of councils in the church.
The Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God
The following paragraphs are my attempt at understanding the naming of Christ’s priesthood. It is far more complex than I ever imagined, and I can see why it was shortened by naming it after someone who lived a life of purity that all of us are supposed to attain to. Melchizedek was a man of peace, a man of great righteousness. The following is not doctrinal in that I have not seen any prophet describe what I have in the way that I have. This is purely my effort to understand Christ’s priesthood and its role in my life. I hope you find it helpful as you consider the words in the title of Christ’s priesthood.
Holy
This word first showed up in English about 900 A.D. It comes from two parts, the word “whole” with the addition of the letter “y”. The y on the end of the word is an English addition that indicates that the word the y is attached to is characterized by this attribute. So if something is whole or complete then it is holy, or that which is whole. In this context however it refers specifically to that which is of divine origin. Something not of divine origin that is complete would be spelled wholly.
The goal of repentance is to lead us to become a holy or completely healed person. When we have repented of our sins we become holy, or what the Lord often refers to as righteous. To be righteous is to be holy. Only those who have repented of their sins and stand approved of by God does He call righteous or holy (those characterized as being whole).
Priesthood
The Priest is one who is ordained to perform religious rites and who ministers to others as a representative of God (I added this last part, it isn’t in the Websters definition).
According to the Websters online dictionary the word “hood” has as one of its many meanings this old definition:
a native English suffix denoting state, condition, character, nature, etc., or a body of persons of a particular character or class, formerly used in the formation of nouns: childhood; likelihood; knighthood; priesthood . (underlining added)
This means that the priesthood is the class of people made up of priests, or those whose character are defined by being priests. To clarify, the world considers those who hold the office of priest to BE the priesthood, which is correct according to the dictionary definition. But the Lord separates the two. The priesthood is the power of God. Those who make covenants to follow Christ and administer his gospel make up the brethren of the priesthood. We are not the actual priesthood, just those who administer God’s kingdom through the covenants we have made. It is incorrect to refer to those who belong to God’s priesthood AS the priesthood. We use His priesthood to do our service in His kingdom. Every member of the church is a recipient of the blessings of the priesthood.
Order
An Order is a prescribed form of divine service or of administration of a rite or ceremony. It is also characterized by those who serve in this capacity. Those who belong to a particular Order are often required to make oaths or covenants as part of their service.
Putting it together
This list of word definitions builds a picture of how our Father’s plan for our salvation is administered through His Son, our Redeemer and Savior. The title describes both Christ’s role in our redemption and our responsibilities and duties as those who participate in his priesthood. To make us whole from our fallen state our lives are to be characterized by becoming priests, making and keeping sacred covenants and ministering to one another in his service. By taking upon us the Order of the Son of God we are able to repent and become healed of our spiritual infirmities, become whole and live holy or righteous lives that result in our ability to return to God, our Father.
The overall doctrine associated with this priesthood is that repentance is only exalting to those who have made covenants with God. The purpose of those covenants is to enable repentance to change us through the Atonement of Christ, to heal us, and to make us spiritually whole. This is how we become righteous, pure and holy as a people. Through our ministering to each other we demonstrate how God’s love and grace has changed us from the more selfish fallen condition of mankind to a more enlightened and pure people who are becoming more like Christ.
I understand this is a lot to consider. Take your time and reread everything I’ve written above and think and feel your way through each statement. Hopefully you feel a sense of “rightness” about the basic doctrine I’ve described. Feel free to ask any questions that arise in your heart in the comments below. I’ve always answered every sincere question asked, either privately or publicly.
A word about councils
There are a couple of doctrines associated with councils we need to be aware of. There is always one person who is ultimately responsible for decisions made in any council. That person has the final say. And as a result, that person is also held responsible for the decision and the actions that follow. The second doctrine associated with councils is that God has made it very clear that the gospel is not a “top down” plan. Everyone is supposed to participate in our salvation and the processes associated with that salvation. When we participate in a council we fulfill the Lord’s requirement that we contribute our voice and support to our priesthood leader by doing our best to listen to the voice of the Spirit and in contributing to the council’s effort to become one with the Spirit. This is a community-building effort as defined and designed by God.
Whether in a family setting, a ward setting, or a stake setting, the council is meant to strengthen our testimony, teach us love and tolerance towards others, and to build our character in administering the affairs of God’s kingdom, either physically or spiritually. We use as our best mortal example the Council of the Twelve Apostles. They are a diverse group of men with strong personalities, vastly different backgrounds, who must wrestle with the most difficult of situations. And in each situation their end goal in solving the problems of a worldwide organization is to listen to the Spirit so that the final decision is universally acceptable to each person, despite the differences of opinion that arose at the outset of the conversation. Many of the Apostles have born witness to the process of having the Spirit lead them to the best decisions and how the final outcome was reached through unity and love.
Remember the Savior’s goal for each of us is to bring us to a state of being a Zion people – of one heart and one mind. This is taught each time we meet together in a council and pray for and listen to the Spirit. We actually have many opportunities to learn to be one with another. Councils are only one example of when and how this can happen. Sustaining people in their callings is another opportunity, as is approaching our ministering assignments with sincerity and determination to serve like Christ.
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