Levitical Priesthood of Mormonism

Levitical Priesthood of Mormonism
Hello! I’m Danny Larsen, and I was an active Latter-day Saint for 60 years.
Today, I want to answer the question: Is there any legitimate connection with the biblical Levitical priesthood and today’s Mormon Aaronic priesthood? By the way – the phrase “Aaronic priesthood” was never in the Bible. It was simply called the “Levitical priesthood” or “order of Aaron.”
During my adolescent years, I received the Mormon Aaronic priesthood. I was ordained a deacon at age 12, a teacher at age 14, and a priest at age 16. I progressed through those priesthood offices upon my birthdates without any real qualifications. It was an automatic advancement for us Mormon boys. Those offices of deacon, teacher, and priest might sound biblical because those titles are mentioned in the Bible. But I was not taught how those offices compared or functioned in the Bible. I was only told that they were a latter-day “restoration.” I would come to find out decades later through study – that the responsibilities of each of those LDS priesthood offices do not match at all with the duties found in the Bible. Which were only held by adult males – not teenage boys.
Let’s first take a closer look at the Levitical priesthood in the Bible. We must look there because it is the ONLY true source for understanding it. It certainly isn’t mentioned in the Book of Mormon. It is only in the Old Testament where we find the Levitical priesthood’s origin and purpose. Then in the New Testament, where we find the Levitical priesthood being fulfilled and abolished or terminated forever – and being replaced by a better, greater High Priest in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Now, let us examine the real need for the Levitical priesthood to be established. We go back in time to Mount Sinai, when God gave the children of Israel the Law of Moses and instituted a formal priesthood. It began with Moses’ brother Aaron, who was from the tribe of Levi. Aaron’s sons and their descendants were to serve as future high priests of the nation of Israel – which continued, for hundreds of years until the time of Jesus or Yeshua. All priests had to be Levites, but not every Levite was made a priest. The Levites who, were not priests were given various duties in the caretaking of the tabernacle and later the temple and its furnishings. But they were not to participate in the animal blood offerings. Only the priests were in, charge of that.
Levitical priests had to meet certain physical requirements and age qualifications. They had to be 30 to 50-year-old adult males. God held these priests to the most stringent standards of behavior and ritual purity. We read in Leviticus 8 the elaborate details as to how these priests were prepared for holy service to God. They were consecrated, then set apart, and anointed with oil.
From among all the Levitical priests was chosen only one called a high priest and his was a lifetime vocation until his death. The most sacred duty of the high priest was to enter the holy of holies in the tabernacle/temple on the Day of Atonement (called Yom Kippur) to make a blood offering. The holy of holies was separated by a thick veil and hidden from everyone’s view. The high priest would sprinkle the sacrificial animal’s blood on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant, which was symbolic of God’s very presence. This was to be an act of atonement for sins committed that year by the high priest and the nation of Israel. If the offering was accepted by God – the high priest would exit the holy of holies, alive. That would indicate to the Israelites that the, offering for sin was acceptable to YHWH or Yahavah.
When the high priest came to the end of his life, a new mediating Levitical high priest would take his place. This continued for hundreds of years until Yeshua, our Great High Priest became the permanent and final sacrificial blood offering – atoning on the cross for the sins of the world.
This Levitical priesthood was never intended to be permanent. It was a foreshadowing of the final sacrifice of the Lamb of God. The Levitical priesthood would finally terminate with Yeshua. After Christ, there was no more need for Levitical priests in the New Testament Church. The priesthood, the law of blood sacrifice, and its ordinances were entirely abolished and came to a permanent end in the life, death, and resurrection of Yeshua. Consider these passages. Ephesians 2:15 “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.” Colossians 2:14 “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” Hebrews 8:13 “In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” Hebrews 10:9-10 “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
In the New Testament, we read about Zechariah who was a Levite priest serving in the temple. He was about to have a son who would prepare the way for the coming Messiah. His son, John the Baptist, who was also a Levite like his father – was not a priest. Remember all priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests? Moses wasn’t a priest like Aaron – Moses was a prophet. John also was a prophet. In fact, he was the final prophet, ushering in the long-awaited promised Savior of the world. It declares in Luke 16:16 “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presses into it.”
By the time of Yeshua’s earthly ministry – the Levitical priesthood had become very corrupt, and the temple had become defiled. By then, the Jewish priesthood held much political power. In fact, it was the Jewish “chief priests” who were primarily responsible in sentencing their Messiah to death.
Paul emphasizes that there were no authorized priests or high priests being a part of the New Testament body of Christ. Ephesians 4:11 “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.” God gave no more priests nor high priests. However, there were some Jewish Levitical priests left over from the old covenant – who became converts to Christianity in the New Testament. But they never functioned as an office of priests.
As Yeshua hung on the cross and was suffering and dying for our sins, He proclaimed “It is finished.” (“tetelestai” in Greek) He had fulfilled the Law and the prophets and put an end to the old covenant. Yeshua proclaimed to His disciples that He, and only He – has ALL power and authority in heaven and in earth. Matthew 28:18 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Which means that mortal men do not have any priesthood power or authority. All power now belongs to the resurrected Yeshua. Christ upholds the universe, by the power of His Word, not by any priesthood power. Hebrews 1:3 “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
Yeshua currently does not preside in physical temples made with hands. Acts 7:48-49 “Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?” Acts 17:24 “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.” He now dwells in the heavenly tabernacle. Hebrews 8:2 “A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Hebrew 9:24 “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” Yeshua declared in Luke 22:69 “Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.”
As our high priest entered the heavenly holy of holies for us with His own shed blood – the physical veil of the Jerusalem temple separating man from God was torn in two, top to bottom (Matthew 27:50) – symbolically and in reality – ending the need for another mortal high priest to intercede for humans. The temple veil was never meant to be hung up again, like it is today in material LDS temples. Where men once again are the mediators and gatekeepers to God.
Unlike the Levitical high priests who served until their deaths, Yeshua lives forever. Since the Resurrected Christ will never die, His priesthood or authority will never be transferred to any mortal – but will remain with Him forever. It is “unchangeable” meaning it is “nontransferable.” The Greek word for “unchangeable” is “aparabatos,” which literally means “untransferable, or permanent.” It states in Hebrews 7:24 “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.” Yeshua is without successors. He does not share it with anyone. He is eternally – the sole possessor of it.
When the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70 by the Romans – that marked the end of temple worship. The stone and mortar structure that once represented the old covenant system was abolished. That is why Christians are not a temple building people. Instead, WE become God’s temple where His Spirit dwells. Christian believers offer their bodies as a living sacrifice to God through righteous living and works of service. Through the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit, we function as the body of Christ.
Now, let’s take a close look at the Aaronic priesthood in Mormonism to see how it compares to the biblical Levitical priesthood. Mormonism claims that God “restored” through its prophet Joseph Smith all things that once existed in Christ’s ancient church.
Mormonism teaches that John the Baptist “restored” the “Aaronic priesthood” in 1829 to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. LDS scripture claims that John the Baptist was a priest in the Aaronic order (D&C 84:26-27). But we already established that John was a prophet and not a priest. Consequently, John could not have passed on to a non-Jewish, non-Levite, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey a priesthood he himself did not possess. And, since Mormonism teaches that baptism is necessary for salvation – Smith and Cowdery would have been unsaved sinners at the time they received their priesthood from John the Baptist. In Mormonism, baptism MUST proceed receiving the priesthood. So, how could Joseph and Oliver receive the priesthood before they were baptized? Do you see the problem?
It would have been more logical for John, who according to Mormonism was a resurrected angel – to baptize Joseph and Oliver himself – before giving them a priesthood. Instead – John the Baptist supposedly told Joseph, who had not yet been baptized – to baptize Oliver, and vice versa. (So, which came first the chicken or the egg?) This nonsensical story proves even by LDS standards, both baptisms of Smith and Cowdry to be invalid.
I mean – why didn’t Smith follow the Book of Mormon example and baptize himself while at the same time baptizing Cowdery – like Alma did when he baptized Helam. It says in Mosiah 18:14-15 “And after Alma had said these words, both Alma and Helam were buried in the water; and they arose and came forth out of the water rejoicing, being filled with the Spirit. And again, Alma took another, and went forth a second time into the water, and baptized him according to the first, only he did not bury himself again in the water.”
Interestingly, in the 1833 Book of Commandments – which is the predecessor of the Doctrine and Covenants – no mention is made of an 1829 account of John the Baptist restoring the Levitical priesthood. It was initially published in the Times and Seasons on August 1, 1842. So, for almost a decade and a half – no one in the Mormon Church knew about this important event. And it was not part of their canonized scripture for nearly half a century when it was finally added to the Doctrine and Covenants (Section 13) in 1876. Obviously, Joseph Smith backdated the invented story to include “priesthood authority”.
There is also no mention of the Aaronic priesthood in the Book of Mormon. And problematically, it states in 1 Nephi 5:16 that the family of Lehi came from the tribe of Joseph, not the tribe of Levi. And then in Alma 10:3 “And Aminadi was a descendant of Nephi, who was the son of Lehi, who came out of the land of Jerusalem, who was a descendant of Manasseh, who was the son of Joseph who was sold into Egypt by the hands of his brethren.” Meaning that upon arriving in the Americas around 600 BC, there was not one Levite to perform temple ordinances for the Nephites. Ever think of that?
You also need to know that – today when young adolescent LDS boys receive their “patriarchal blessing” – they are told what tribe of Israel their lineage is. Nearly all these young men are from the tribe of Ephriam. They are not from the tribe of Levi nor the tribe of Judah. Thus, they should be exempt from the Levitical priesthood. Mormonism teaches that the restrictions of the Levitical priesthood were lifted, when the law of Moses was fulfilled. And now it can be conferred upon males without limitations. But that simply isn’t the fact!
It’s important to know that Yeshua, Himself, could not hold the Levitical priesthood because He was from the tribe of Judah and not the tribe of Levi. Hebrews 7:11-17 “If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”
To quote from a popular book written by LDS Church historian and former BYU professor, Richard Bushman. It states in Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling pg. 75 “Joseph did not tell anyone about John the Baptist at first. Summarizing the key events in his religious life in a 1930 statement, he mentioned translation but said nothing about the restoration of priesthood or the visit of an angel. The first compilation of revelations in 1833 also omitted an account of John the Baptist. David Witmer later told an interviewer he had heard nothing of John the Baptist until four years after the Church’s organization. Not until writing his 1832 history did Joseph include ‘reception of the holy Priesthood by the ministering of angels to administer the letter of the Gospel’ among the cardinal events of his history, a glancing reference at best… The late appearances of these accounts raises the possibility of later fabrication.”
If the Mormon priesthood is supposed to be a restoration of the ancient priesthood, why are LDS teen-age priests not prepared and set apart in a similar fashion – as those adult priests in Old Testament? Today, eleven-year-old LDS boys are given the Aaronic priesthood with the title of “deacon.” This is laughable, since it says in 1 Timothy 3:12 “Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.” Seems that grown men in the LDS Church, not pre-teens should be the ones who serve as deacons if it is to be a restoration. But you see – Mormonism is different! It is not equivalent at all to the biblical priesthood.
The structure of the Aaronic priesthood in Mormonism is outlined in the Doctrine and Covenants. The duty of each office is found in Section 20 and 84. As early as eleven years old, a boy can be ordained a “deacon.” A deacon has the responsibility of collecting fast-offerings and passing the sacrament to the ward congregation. At age 14, a male can be ordained a “teacher.” A teacher has the same responsibilities as a deacon, plus the task of preparing the sacrament. Then, at age 16, a male can be ordained a “priest.” A priest has the same responsibilities as a deacon and a teacher, plus the task of blessing the sacrament. He can also confer the Aaronic priesthood onto another male and ordain him. And he can baptize a new member into the LDS Church.
As you see, none of these offices and duties correlate to what the ancient church taught in the Bible. It’s not a restoration of anything. It is a completely man-made invented separate priesthood system – outside the ancient priesthood which God instituted before His Son, the Messiah came upon the scene to replace it.
As true believers, we determine that God could never have authored a restoration of the Levitical priesthood within the Christian church. To do so would be to cast condemnation on the perfect work God had already accomplished through His Son. Evidence from both the New Testament and the early church history confirm that no such priesthood order existed in the ancient historical body of Christ. There is no evidence in the post-Resurrection texts of the Bible that Christians were ever ordained to the Levitical or Aaronic priesthood.
Mormonism is an outright mockery of the priesthood system of God established under the old covenant. According to Hebrews 7, the Levitical priesthood was “annulled” because it was “weak and unprofitable.” It was then replaced by Christ, who is our “priest forever.” Thus, the LDS Church claims to hold the annulled Aaronic priesthood. Doesn’t make sense, does it!
We hold Joseph Smith and his accomplices guilty—this time of contempt for the perfect work of Christ by seeking to revert, back to the old order of things represented by the Mosaic law and its Levitical priesthood. Today’s General Leadership of the LDS Church compounds their own sin by perpetuating a priesthood system – whereby millions of other members share, albeit ignorantly for the most part, in their same deception of truth. I know from experience because I was ordained a Mormon high priest for 30 years. I now call it priestcraft.
In my next video, I have important things to say about the Mormon Melchizedek priesthood – which I held for 40 years in the LDS church. You will want to watch that one.
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Until next time, God Bless!