Pearl of Great Price. _Page_ 13. the same Priesthood, in the beginning and end of the world. 17. thou art after the order of him who was without beginning of days. 23. and the Lord ordained Noah after his order. 29. the seed of Abraham to bear this mission and Priesthood to all nations. THE AARONIC PRIESTHOOD. John the Baptist was the acknowledged forerunner of Christ, and, as such, he preached the preparatory Gospel of repentance, and baptism for the remission of sins. His father, Zacharias, was a priest of the course of Abia, and his mother was of the daughters of Aaron; _Luke_ 1. 5. Thus the Aaronic Priesthood was the heritage of John the Baptist. His ministry evidences that he was clothed with its authority. That the chain of evidence might be complete, regarding this fact, the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith, Jun., that he was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood by an angel; _Doc. & Cov_. 84. 28. Being the first man ordained to it in the former Gospel dispensation, he holds the presidency of that Priesthood in all subsequent dispensations. As a sequence, the man who should open up the last dispensation must receive it from him. We have the testimony of Joseph Smith, Jun., and Oliver Cowdery, that John the Baptist did ordain them to this Priesthood, using the following words, "Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the Gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness;" _Doc. & Cov., sec_. 13. "The messenger who visited us on this occasion, and conferred this Priesthood upon us, said that his name was John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James and John, who held the keys of the Priesthood of Melchisedek, which Priesthood he said should in due time be conferred on us, and that I should be called the first Elder, and Oliver the second. It was on the fifteenth day of May, 1829, that we were ordained under the hand of the messenger and baptized;" _His. of J. Smith, Jun., May_ 15, 1829. Thus was the succession of the Lesser Priesthood again restored to the earth. Bible. _Gen_. 29. 34 Levi was the third son of Jacob and Leah. 50. 7 all the elders of his house, and of the land of Egypt. _Exo_. 3. 16 go and gather the elders of Israel together. 6. 16 names of the sons of Levi. 17. 5 take with thee of the elders of Israel. 18. 1 Jethro, the priest of Midian. 19. 7 Moses called for the elders. 22. 28. 1 Aaron and his sons set apart to minister in the priest's office. _Chap_. 29. 44. _Chap_. 30. 30. _Chap_. 40. 13, 15. _Lev_. 7. 35, 36 Aaron and his sons anointed priests by a statute throughout all their generations. 4. 15.