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Wow, this is a lot of food for thought, and I’m going to have to read this all again. But if the author is willing I have a few questions:
I’m curious if you agree with Larry Porter’s dates (as published years ago in a couple of Ensign issues) for the restoration of the Melchizedek priesthood via Peter, James and John. You mentioned that the Melchizedek priesthood was “restored” in 1831 with the office of high priest, since it encompasses all the other offices (“In sum, claims that the restoration of the high priesthood office in 1831 was the first time the Melchizedek priesthood was given to the Church is correct.”); but are you using that word restored in the same sense that the Melchizedek priesthood must have been restored prior to April 6, 1830? Anyway, that 1831 event references the “high priesthood” and it is confusing, for me at least, if this refers to the office of high priest or the Melchizedek priesthood itself.
I have been similarly confused with Alma 13, the chapter heading for which starts out “Men are called as high priests…” Whereas I have believed that the chapter refers to the Melchizedek priesthood rather than just the office of high priest. My reason is that elders in the Melchizedek priesthood can bestow the Holy Ghost and give blessings, and it is to the office of elder that we ordain deceased brothers in the temple. Elder McConkie’s speech “Only an Elder” seems to agree with my thoughts by teaching that one need not be a high priest to obtain all the blessings of salvation and exaltation.
Do you have any more ideas on the growth of the apostleship in this dispensation from an office seemingly (if I understand correctly) to be used outside of organized stakes/branches but not presiding over organized units, to today’s situation where the apostles preside in organized units as well as bring the gospel to areas where it does not yet exist?
I am interested to see that you discussed offices gained by laying on of hands, vs. by temple rituals; I have also thought along these lines and speculated that such rituals are like “keys” in that they may allow us to use our priesthood for additional functions. Brigham Young speculated that there might be a “key” to performing resurrections, and I’ve speculated that there might be a “key” to creating earths. Such “keys” might be inherent in temple ordinances.
Good questions Richard,
On Larry Porter’s dates: I believe Joseph Smith’s teachings indicate that apostleship is the _only_ authority “in the wilderness” that can establish a church kingdom. So a restoration of apostleship by Peter, James, and John would need to precede April 6, 1830. Larry Porter’s conclusions fit within that parameter.
On “restore”: What we need to incorporate better into our dialogue is a recognition that the restoration of apostleship, elder, high priest, and the temple are _all_ considered the restoration of Melchizedek Priesthood. Apostleship is the MP from which all other offices proceed, elder is the MP for giving the Holy Ghost and “confirming the church,” high priest is totality of all MP offices (therefore most references to MP as whole in scripture are talking about high priests–this answers your question about Alma 13), and the temple is the way in which MP high priests are fully initiated and made sure.
On “Only an Elder” – while we ordain deceased men as elders in the temple, it must be remembered that the office of elder is an appendage to high priest. For a man to obtain the fulness of his kingdom, I suspect he will need to be ordained a high priest at some point.
Yes, there have been some changes in how apostles interact with the established church over the year. However, it must be remembered that apostles are also, in tandem, elders/high priests, therefore they can function both inside and outside the church as Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery did.