Apostolic Succession

I'm giving a lesson in Sunday School today about the apostolic succession of leadership in the LDS Church following the martyrdom of Joseph Smith. Since we teach that our system of leadership (apostles, etc.) is patterned after Christ's original church, it is important to make the connection of apostolic succession in modern times to those of ancient times, and since we teach that Joseph Smith restored the priesthood which was lost to the world after Christ's apostles died, we must ask what happened to the original apostolic succession?

Well, saying that the priesthood was "lost" when the apostles died is not quite accurate. It was really  more complicated than that.

The apostles, it is true, did not ordain new apostles (after adding Paul to their numbers), but they did ordain bishops to lead local congregations or churches in their absence with the intent that these bishops would continue to ordain new bishops in their stead. The Roman Catholic Church as well as the Orthodox and some Lutheran churches claim that this succession has continued down through time in an unbroken chain.

The LDS Church and many other churches and historians disagree. There is plenty of evidence to support the claim that the original apostolic succession of church leadership through its bishops has been broken on many fronts.  Here is a good article that explains some of this evidence: http://www.northforest.org/CatholicControversies/SuccessionBroken.html

If indeed the apostolic succession from the original apostles to today was broken, then Joseph Smith was right in believing that the priesthood authority needed to be restored on earth before the Church could move forward.

As the President of the Church (like the apostle Peter before him), Joseph Smith held all the keys of authority of the Church. He was smart in that he anticipated his own death, and in 1843-1844 he bestowed the keys of authority to the Twelve Apostles. So, when Joseph died in 1844, the authority to lead the Church passed to the Twelve Apostles who, in 1847, selected Brigham Young as Joseph's successor as President.

This process of succession has continued in the LDS Church until the present day and will continue as long as the Church exists.

Gathering of the Lost Tribes of Israel

I'm teaching a lesson tomorrow on the Gathering of Israel. In my research I came across this fascinating documentary about the Quest for the Lost 10 Tribes of Israel that suggests that some of the descendants of these tribes have already been discovered and are beginning to return to Israel in fulfillment of ancient prophecy.

Baptism for the Dead: Not Just for Mormons

Here is a fascinating article about the practice of baptism for the dead in early Christianity. The article was published by the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, but I have listened to lectures (non-LDS) on this topic as well.

http://publications.mi.byu.edu/publications/jbms/19/2/S00004-5018489f69cae3BapDead.pdf

Who is Melchezidek?

I ran across this interesting speculative post about the possible identity of Melchezidek in the Old Testament. I think he makes some pretty good arguments.

http://ad2004.com/Biblecodes/Hebrewmatrix/melchizedek.html

OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PRESERVE LIBERTY

I gave a talk in church today. In preparing it, I ran across many quotes I found to be important. Here is the talk in its entirety in case anyone wants those quotes.

OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PRESERVE LIBERTY

Long ago, before the civilizations of man appeared, before Adam and Eve, even before the formation of the Earth itself, a council was held in Heaven.[i] In this council, God presented a plan in which the children of men would be proved whether or not they would follow him and keep their first estate. But knowing that his children would err, he asked whom he would send to redeem them.[ii] Two stepped forward, one was Jesus Christ, who wanted to support God’s plan and give the glory to God. The other was Satan, who wanted to coerce mankind into obedience and to keep the glory for himself.

We are told by God in scripture: “Because … Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him… I caused that he should be cast down[iii]…And also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency.”[iv]

THE GIFT OF LIBERTY

Agency was the first gift of Heaven and continues to be among the greatest of God’s gifts to mankind. But while men and women have been endowed with the gift of agency, which is, according to LDS doctrine,^[v] the privilege of choice between good and evil,[vi] the gift of Liberty, which is the state or condition of people who are able to act and speak freely,[vii] is not so easily obtained or preserved.

Throughout history, liberty has been enjoyed by comparatively few individuals within select societies. The history of mankind is fraught with countless examples of slavery, war, social injustice, political corruption, and Genocide. Even when one group of people within a nation has been free, often other groups have not. Those of us fortunate enough to have enjoyed liberty throughout our lives might do well to remember that unlike Agency, which no man can take from you, liberty is more fragile a thing and requires vigilance to protect it.

In his April 2015 conference address, “Preserving Agency, Protecting Religious Liberty,” Elder Robert D. Hales said the following: “As prophets foretold about these latter days in which we live, there are many confused about who we are and what we believe. Some are “false accusers … [and] despisers of those that are good.”[viii] Others “call evil good, and good evil; [and] put darkness for light, and light for darkness.”[ix] We must understand that the faithful use of our agency depends upon our having religious freedom. We already know that Satan does not want this freedom to be ours.”

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

On December Dec. 15, 1791, Virginia became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights, which begins as follows:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

It was not accidental nor an oversight that the freedom of religion, the freedom of speech, and the freedom to assemble were to jointly share this first and most fundamental Amendment to the Constitution. They are interconnected. One cannot exist without the others. But to be able to exercise and defend these freedoms, we must first understand what they are. In regards to the freedom of religion, upon which the other aforementioned freedoms are hinged, two specific protections are included.

The first is The Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from passing legislation to establish an official religion or preferring one religion over another. The second is The Free Exercise Clause, which prohibits the government from interfering with a person's practice of their religion.

To provide even greater insight into what these protections mean to us, Elder Hales outlines The Four Cornerstones of Liberty:

The first Cornerstone of Liberty is the Freedom to Believe. In Doctrine & Covenants 134: 4 Joseph Smith states:  “We believe that religion is instituted of God … we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship, to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul.

Similarly, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by United Nations General Assembly on Dec. 10, 1948, states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”[x]

The second Cornerstone of Liberty is the Freedom to Share our Beliefs with Others.

After Christ’s resurrection he commissioned his apostles to “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”[xi] In our own lifetimes we have seen the freedom to preach the gospel open in more and more nations throughout the world. This is an example of how the Freedom of Speech is so vital to maintain right here at home.

The third Cornerstone of Liberty is the Freedom to Form a Religious Organization.

Protected by the freedom to assemble in the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights, all churches, not just our own, can remain free to worship as they choose  only as long as we are free to gather together and to practice our faiths within the framework of organized religions.

The fourth Cornerstone of Liberty is the Freedom to Live our Faith.

In his talk, Elder Hale states: “Some are offended when we bring our religion into the public square, yet the same people who insist that their viewpoints and actions be tolerated in society are often very slow to give that same tolerance to religious believers who also wish their viewpoints and actions to be tolerated. The general lack of respect for religious viewpoints is quickly devolving into social and political intolerance for religious people and institutions.”

In other words, intolerance of religious practices can become a threat to the freedom to exercise those practices.

PROTECTING OUR LIBERTY

As I mentioned earlier, for those of us fortunate enough to have enjoyed liberty throughout our lives, it might be too easy to forget the sacrifices and efforts of the countless individuals who obtained it and who continue to defend it for us.  If we believe our liberty can never be taken from us, we might do well to remember the admonition of the prophet Jacob: “And others will Satan pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.”[xii]

In his dissent of the recent Supreme Court Decision, Obergefell vs. Hodges[xiii], Chief Justice Clarence Thomas said the following: “Aside from undermining the political processes that protect our liberty, the majority’s decision threatens the religious liberty our Nation has long sought to protect.” He wrote the decision could create “potentially ruinous consequences for religious liberty.”

Similarly, in his own dissent, Chief Justice John Roberts stated: “Today’s decision…creates serious questions about religious liberty.”

Brothers and Sisters, I truly hope and pray they are wrong. But if they are correct, let us not be caught unawares. Even at the very birth of this nation, our forefathers understood the fragile nature of liberty. James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, the author of the Bill of Rights, and the 4^th President of the United States stated: “I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.”

In other words, we are more likely to lose our freedoms slowly over time than in one fell blow.

Elder Hales states: “We are responsible to safeguard these sacred freedoms and rights for ourselves and our posterity.”

So, what can we do to safeguard our freedoms? Elder Hales finishes his talk but suggesting three things each of us can do to protect our religious freedom today.

First, Be Informed.

Do not rely on the cherry-picked news headlines on the internet and television for truth. Seek out the facts—read the Supreme Court rulings and their dissenting arguments. Read the bills presented to Congress and the voting history of our elected representatives. Educate yourselves on the history of our nation and on the men and women who currently lead it.

Second, Work Side by Side to Protect Religious Freedom.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks has stated that, “religious persons should insist on their constitutional right and duty to exercise their religion, to vote their consciences on public issues, and to participate in elections and in debates. . . . These are the rights of all citizens and they are also the rights of religious leaders and religious organizations.  In this circumstance, it is imperative that those of us who believe in God and in the reality of right and wrong unite more effectively to protect our religious freedom to preach and practice our faith in God and the principles of right and wrong He has established.”[xiv]

Third, Be a Good Example of What You Believe.

This is not the time for silence or fear. This is the time to bolster our testimonies in what we know to be true and to boldly declare the Gospel to our friends, our neighbors and the world.

Remember, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”[xv]

In the words of Elder Hale, “Our Savior’s Second Coming is drawing nearer. Let us not delay in this great cause. Remember Captain Moroni, who hoisted the title of liberty inscribed with the words ‘In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children.’[xvi] Let us remember the people’s response: exercising their agency, they ‘came running together’[xvii] with a covenant to act.^”

The reason God sent his only begotten Son to Earth was to atone for the sins of all mankind. We are all children of God, those of us in this congregation and similar congregations throughout the world, those who profess beliefs different from our own, and those who may contend against us—we have all been given the divine gift of agency—and we must do everything we can to defend liberty for ourselves, for our children, and for everyone.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

---

[i] See Abraham 3:22-26

[ii] See Abraham 3:27-28

[iii] Moses 4:3

[iv] D&C 29:36

[v] https://www.lds.org/topics/agency?lang=eng

[vi] See 2 Nephi 2:26-27

[vii] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liberty

[viii] 2 Tim 3:3

[ix] Isaiah 5:20

[x]The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18 http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

[xi] Mark 16:15

[xii] 2 Nephi 28:21

[xiii] http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/14-556_3204.pdf

[xiv] “People of Faith Should Defend Freedom of Religion, Elder Oaks Says,” lds.org. https://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/people-of-faith-should-defend-freedom-of-religion-elder-oaks-says?lang=eng

[xv] Matthew 5:14-16

[xvi] Alma 46:12

[xvii] Alma 46:21

NOAH'S ARK - EVIDENCE THAT CAN'T BE IGNORED

This is a great article written by Dan Eden for ViewZone.  http://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/470/Noah-s-Ark-Has-Been-Found-Why-Are-They-Keeping-Us-In-The-Dark-

Ray's Musings: Matthew 1:16

My father, Ray White, is a self-taught scriptorian. He has written extensive studies on the Old and New Testament. I will be posting them here on occasion. If you'd like to read them all, they are available at www.valueplaza.com


JESUS WHO IS CALLED CHRIST (Matthew 1:16)

Matthew 1:16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

The Roman historian Eusebius wrote in his work The History of the Church: “Both Jesus and Christ were names honoured even by God’s beloved prophets of old…for in describing God’s high priest…(Moses) called him Christ…Moses (also foresaw) the title Jesus (which he bestowed) on the man…who would after his own death succeed to the supreme authority."

This is an incredible thing-if Eusebius is right. Is he? Let’s make his case for him.

Did Moses call the high priest Christ? Yes, he did. Leviticus 4:5 "The priest that is anointed." Christ means “anointed.”

Did Moses call his successor Jesus? Yes, he did. Numbers 13:16 "And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua." Jesus is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Joshua who became Israel’s second head of state, succeeding Moses.

So, Moses transferred authority to two men: priestly authority to Aaron and civil authority to Joshua, both prophets acting under God’s authority and direction. So there was a division of power, a separation of church and state. Priests were not kings and kings were not priests, not in the nation of Israel. They were separate authorities.

Then who was Messiah? The Hebrew word for anointed is translated to Messiah in only one place. Daniel 9:25 "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times."
:26 "And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself…"

The title “Messiah the Prince” means “the priest with royalty.”

Now we arrive at the question: But if in Israel kings were not priests and priests were not kings, when was there ever a priest who was also a king? And the answer is: Melchizedek.

Genesis 14:18 "Melchizedek king of Salem…priest of the most high God.”

There was no separation of church and state in Salem. The priest was the king. What does this have to do with Messiah? Everything. Because King David wrote in Psalms 110:4 "The Lord hath sworn and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."

When Messiah comes, he will not be a priest of Aaron, a priest without civil authority. But a priest like Melchizedek with all civil authority: a priest who is also a king.

Centuries after David, a baby was born in Bethlehem, whom God named Jesus Christ ― Joshua the anointed, a priest who rules, a priest who brings men to God and a king who rules men for God. His is a royal priesthood.

This royal priesthood, he gave to us.

Revelation 4:10 "And hath made us unto our God kings and priests."

1 Peter 2:9 "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation."

The words “a holy nation” are striking. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be a holy nation under a godly government, to live free of crime and in peace? That will happen, but only when Jesus Christ returns and begins his eternal rule.