4. _The Priesthood of the Nephites:_ In order to offer sacrifices and administer in the other ordinances of the law of Moses (which the Nephites were commanded to observe), it was necessary, of course, that they have a priesthood, and this they had; but not the priesthood after the order of Aaron; for that was a priesthood that could only properly be held by Aaron's family and the tribe of Levi; while Lehi was of the tribe of Manasseh. Lehi held the priesthood, however, the higher priesthood, which was after the order of Melchisedek, and was a prophet and minister of righteousness. This he conferred upon his son Nephi, and Nephi shortly after his separation from his elder brothers on the land of promise, consecrated his two younger brothers, Jacob and Joseph, to be priests and teachers unto his people. Jacob, when explaining his calling to his brethren, states that he had been called of God, "and ordained after the manner of his holy order." What the significance of the phrase "his holy order" means, is learned very distinctly from other parts of the Book of Mormon. Alma, for instance, before giving up the chief judgeship of the land, is represented as confining himself "wholly to the holy priesthood of the holy order of God, to the testimony of the word, according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy." Again Alma explains, "I am called * * * * according to the holy order of God, which is in Christ Jesus, yea, I am commanded to stand and testify unto this people." All of which is made still clearer by what Alma says later. Having given an explanation of the plan of redemption which was laid for man's salvation, and which he represents as having been understood from earliest times, he adds: "I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son (meaning Jesus Christ), to teach these things unto the people. * * * * This holy priesthood being after the order of his Son, which order was from the foundation of the world, or in other words, being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity. * * * * Thus they become the high priests forever after the order of the Son, the only begotten of the Father, who is full of grace, equity and truth." Alma then admonishes his people to be humble "even as the people in the days of Melchisedek, who was also a high priest after the same order (of which he had spoken). * * * * And he was the same Melchisedek to whom Abraham paid tithes." The Nephite priesthood, then, was not a priesthood after Aaron's order, but of a higher order, even the priesthood after the order of the Son of God; the same kind of priesthood held by Melchisedek, by Moses, by Lehi, and many other prophets in Israel. That this higher priesthood was competent to act in administering the ordinances under what is known as the law of Moses is evident from the fact that it so administered before the