"Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches," etc. Query.--How could Moses "esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt" if he knew nothing of Christ? Evidently, whatever may have been the status of the Israelites in respect of the Gospel and its administration among them during the period of their captivity, they at least preserved among themselves some knowledge of the Gospel and of Christ who is ever the central figure of it; and this even before the call of Moses. _4. The High Priesthood Held by Others Than the Direct Descendants of Abraham:_ We learn from the Doctrine and Covenants that the Priesthood existed with others than with Abraham and his direct descendants. For instance, one Esaias is named as being contemporary with Abraham and blessed of Abraham, but that Esaias himself received the Priesthood "under the hand of God." That he (Esaias) conferred it upon Gad; Gad upon Jeremy, and Jeremy upon Elihu, and Elihu upon Caleb, and Caleb, upon Jethro, Jethro, who was the priest of Median with whom Moses sojourned forty years after his flight from Egypt, and whose daughter he married--Jethro conferred the priesthood upon Moses. (Doc. & Cov. Sec. 84, 6-13.) So that Moses himself received the priesthood from a line of men holding it who were not descendants of Abraham. If what we have said in Note I of this lesson holds good; namely, that the Melchizedek priesthood and the Gospel are concomitants of each other, and that the High Priesthood exists for the purpose of administering the Gospel, which conclusion is based on the quotation in that note from the Doctrine and Covenants, (Sec. 84. 17:21), then the existence of the priesthood with this line of men above named, argues also that the existence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ among them: and therefore we have knowledge of the Gospel existing not only with Abraham and his successors, but with this independent line of men also. All of which tends to the conclusion that there was a wider dissemination of the Gospel in those ancient times than has generally been conceded.