Items on the Priesthood, presented to the Latter-day SaintsTaylor, John
Religion
Items on the Priesthood, presented to the Latter-day Saints
Taylor, John
Aaronic Priesthood (Mormon Church); Latter Day Saints -- Controversial literature; Latter Day Saints -- Doctrines
Sixth.--It is evident that all the Aaronic Priesthood did not have the
Urim and Thummim, nor did they call, anoint and direct kings, or bear
rule in the nation. But only the High Priest--one man--and that one man
presided over and directed the action of the kings, telling them when
to go out to war, and when not to go, and giving unto them the word of
the Lord through the Urim and Thummim.
Seventh.--That they only had one tabernacle, one ark of the covenant,
or one temple at one time; and not as we, many stakes, many temples,
and many services. But then they, when Moses left, were under the
Aaronic, and we are under the Melchizedek Priesthood; they were under
the law and the Mosaic dispensation; we are under the Gospel, and in
the dispensation of the fullness of time, and have consequently labors
and duties to perform which did not belong to them.
It may be proper here to remark that there was a council, called a
"senate of the children of Israel."--Acts v, 21. The High Priest called
this council together. The council, it is said, was composed of seventy
men or judges, and to have taken its rise from the installment of the
seventy Elders spoken of in Num. xi, 16, 17. They were to be known by
Moses to be Elders of the people and officers over them--"Able men,
such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness"--a portion of
Moses' spirit was to be given unto them, and they were to help him to
bear the burdens of the people. As Saul was anointed by Samuel to be
captain over the Lord's inheritance, and the Spirit of the Lord was to
come upon him, and he was to prophesy and be turned into another man.
(See I. Samuel x, 6.) And God gave him another heart, and all the signs
came to pass that day, and he prophesied.
This senate or council was known by the name of the Sanhedrim, and
it is said, sat in the form of a half moon. This council is spoken
of in John xi, 47-52. "Then gathered the Chief Priests and Pharisees
a council. * * And one of them named Caiaphas, the High Priest, said
* * it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people. *
* And this spake he not of himself; but being High Priest that year,
he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation, and not for
that nation only; but that also he should gather together in one the
children of God that were scattered abroad." "Now Caiaphas was he
which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man
should die for the people."--John xviii, 14. This council had not the
power of death, (ver. 31.) (See also Acts iv, v and vi.) About this
Sanhedrim there is little or nothing said in the Old Testament nor of
the organization of this court. It is thought by some it existed after
the captivity, or in the days of the Maccabees only.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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