The Lord's Truth is the Great Equalizer! The Lord is NOT a respector of people based upon their earthly position or power. But, rather He knows the heart of each one of us. Rather than bringing up women to the elevated heights of the Rameumptom (a tower in the Book of Mormon for the high and mighty - who disdained the poor, to publically pray unto God for their own glorification, Alma 31:13-21), it is for the men to come off the elevated pedestal to be ONE unto God with women in the true, full priesthood of God given simply at baptism. Personal REVELATION is the rock, Jesus built His Church upon; not Peter, a fallible man who denied the Christ three times. This is just one example of the precepts of men. Can you be taught as little children as the Lord asked? Do NOT reject new teachings, but rather study it out, research it, AND then pray about it!
Please don't say "I have the Bible (and the Book of Mormon), I don't need anything else" "Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost! Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more! ...Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough! For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have. Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost." (2 Nephi 28:26-31)
The Book of Mormon teaches the need for a Church to be formed through baptism by immersion for the remission of sin. This predates the Bible and John the Baptist, so we will teach what happened to 450 souls who accepted baptism between 147 - 145 BC and fled for their lives. The King’s army knew everyone of these baptized persons, including all children, women and men. All were to be executed.
This Book of Mormon “story” of teaching what Abinadi taught the king, priests and others about the identity of God and the importance of baptism into a church lasted for about two years. Women and children were just as important to this “requirement” as any man. Mosiah 18:10 is where the Prophet Alma is asking 204 Nephites if they believed in baptism into the Church of God or the church of Christ.
“Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you? And now when the people (women, children and men) had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts. And now it came to pass that Alma took Helam, he being one of the first, and went and stood forth in the water, and cried, saying: O Lord, pour out thy Spirit upon thy servant, that he may do this work with holiness of heart. And when he had said these words, the Spirit of the Lord wa upon him, and he said: Helam, I baptize thee, having authority from the Almighty God, as a testimony that ye have entered into a covenant to serve him until you are dead as to the mortal body; and may the Spirit of the Lord be poured out upon you; and may he grant unto you eternal life, through the redemption of Christ, whom he has prepared from the foundation of the world. And after Alma had said these words, both Alma and Helam were buried in the water; and they arose and came forth out of the water rejoicing, being filled with the Spirit. And again, Alma took another, and went forth a second time into the water, and baptized him according to the first, only he did not bury himself again in the water. jAnd after this manner he did baptize every one that went forth to the place of Mormon; and they were in number about two hundred and four souls; yea, and they were baptized in the waters of Mormon, and were filled with the grace of God. And they were called the church of God, or the church of Christ, from that time forward. And it came to pass that whosoever was baptized by the power and authority of God was added to his church….And it came to pass that Alma and the people the Lord were apprised of the coming of the king’s army; therefore they took their tents and their families and departed into the wilderness. And they were in number about four hundred and fifty souls.”
Mosiah 18: 10-17, 34-35
The following teaching will help the paradigm shift needed to understand that baptism is ALL that is needed for EVERYONE; women and men to receive the Full priesthood of God. Does the Lord care for positions? The levels of advancement of the "priesthoods" satisfy the insecurities of men and the need for "glorification" by this world. The Lord gave us the example of baptism as the key that opens the door to the priesthood of God. When a pure heart unto God is maintained DAILY (repenting when needed) you have the "priesthood" of God. You will seek after truth, of course, as Jesus commanded us and the door will be opened to you for further truths, line upon line.
A teaching given to a truth seeker:
Before my Near Death Experience began on October 29, 1960 (for three days) I knew the following information about the members (the "other sheep") of the Church of Jesus Christ after Jesus appeared to them in the Americas. This was later confirmed in Heaven.
There was no Priesthood information in the Americas recorded in the Book of Mormon after the Lord visited them and taught the followers of Christ: Baptism is all that was/is needed for the full priesthood of God to be bestowed upon everyone; female or male! Why was Jesus baptized? Did anyone “give” him “priesthood” authority? The Book of Mormon clearly gives us further confirmation.
1. Before Moroni (including his father), the “people of Jesus” was the only identity for the people spared during the three days after the death of Jesus in all the Americas! All that the Prophet Mormon knew about the people who believed in Jesus were called, “people of Jesus”. You quoted what Mormon wrote about the wickedness of the Nephites in 231 AD with “priests and false prophets” who built up “churches” for iniquity: 4 Nephi 1:34,
“Nevertheless, the people did harden their hearts, for they were led by many priests and false prophets to build up many churches, and to do all manner of iniquity. And they did smite upon the people Jesus; but the people of Jesus did not smite again. And thus they did dwindle in unbelief and wickedness, from year to year, even until two hundred and thirty years had passed away.”
2. 401 AD --- Mormon is already dead and Moroni exposes who taught him about the “authority of God:” and what the Lord PRIVATELY called the 12 Disciples – “ELDERS”, when the Lord appeared in the Americas === the Three Nephites.
Mormon 8: 10=11:
“And there are none that do know the true God save it be the disciples of Jesus, who did tarry in the land until the wickedness of the people was so great that the Lord would not suffer them to remain with the people; and whether they be upon the face of the land no man knoweth. But behold, my father and I have seen them, and they have ministered unto us.”
3. In the Book of Mononi, Chapter 2 it states:
“The words of Christ, which he spake unto his disciples, the twelve whom he had chosen, as he laid his hands upon them. And he called them by name, saying, Ye shall call on the Father in my name, in mighty prayer; and after that ye have done this, ye shall have power that on him whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it; for thus do mine apostles. Now Christ spake these words unto them at the time of his first appearing; and the multitude heard it not, but the disciples heard it; and on as many as they laid their hands, fell the Holy Ghost.”
Jesus ONLY spoke to the “12 disciples”. The “people of Jesus” lived on faith, repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost for hundred of years before Moroni was born. The Resurrected Jesus Christ taught the disciples to the Holy Ghost through the laying on of hands. There was no position or calling for any member, including ALL THE WOMEN and MEN who were baptized.
4 Baptism by one with the authority of God gives a person (including Blacks and Women) all that is needed to function. Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer were called “apostles” in 1829, before the Church of Christ was organized on April 6, 1830. None of them accepted this “calling by the Lord”. By the free agency choice of these three individuals, ignorance has prevailed since none of them did not read and understand what Angel Moroni was attempting to teach them, solely through the Book of Mormon and the Lord telling them to leaving the Bible alone. So when I met this same Angel who appeared to Joseph Smith in his bedroom in September, 1823 at the age of nineteen, I already knew that I didn’t need to be “twelve years old” to have the total authority of Jesus Christ to function on this earth. All I needed to be was “baptized” and at least 8 years old. The Lord’s Truth is pure and simple. It’s been the insecurities of men that have needed the prestige of “priesthood” authority. At baptism, everyone; women and men, girls and boys of pure heart receive the full priesthood of God!
5. Before the birth of Jesus Christ, how old was John the Baptist, Son of Zacharias and Elizabeth (cousin to Mary the Virgin) when he received the power and authority of God from the Angel Gabriel (Noah) to baptize? Luke 1: 5-25. John was a child of promise, which prophecies of his mission having been given by the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 40:3) and the Prophet Malachi (Malachi 3:1) and the Book of Mormon Prophet Lehi (1 Nephi 10:7-10) and the Prophet Nephi (2 Nephi 31: 4-8)
Isaiah 40:3: “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
Malachi 3:1: “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.”
1 Nephi 10: 7-10: “And he spake also concerning a prophet who should come before the Messiah, to prepare the way of the Lord--- Yea, even he should go forth and cry in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight; for there standeth one among you whom ye know not; and he is mightier than I, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose, And much spake my father concerning this thing. And my father said he should baptize in Bethabara, beyond Jordan; and he also said he should baptize with water; even that he should baptize the Messiah with water. And after he had baptized the Messiah with water, he should behold and bear record that he had baptized the Lamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world.”
2 Nephi 31: 4-8: “Wherefore, I would that ye should remember that I have spoken unto you concerning that prophet which the Lord showed unto me, that should baptize the Lamb of God, which should take away the sins of the world. And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water! And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water? Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments. Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.”
(Hint: There is only One Priesthood of the Lord after His resurrection --- check it out in the Book of Mormon.)
A Truth Seeker’s response:
I did. Interesting findings.
First:
After the resurrection of Christ, "priesthood" is not to be found in the Book of Mormon, and "priest" is found in only 6 verses (see below).
Second:
Only three priesthood offices are mentioned in those six verses: elder, priest, and teacher. AND, only the twelve "disciples" were referred to as "elders". "Deacon" is not a word found in the BOM. BUT ...
Third:
BUT ... prior to the time of Christ, there is mention of High Priests after the order of Melchizedek (also referred to as the "high priesthood") - see Alma 13. - This is before the time of Christ; who fulfilled ALL things.
QUESTIONS:
1. WHY is there no mention of the higher priesthood or High Priests after Christ? Answer: Because it is NOT needed – only baptism, repentance and a pure heart as a child to do the Lord’s will continually. How fun and simple this life is. No controlling positions, placing someone above another! All are on equal footing with the Lord based on the purity of their heart, mind & spirit.
2. Christ's "disciples" were "elders" ... Is this a higher or lesser priesthood office (or is it even an office at all)?? Answer: They were called to be special witnesses of the Lord and to teach the people. The original Twelve called by Jesus Christ in Israel have the specific calling as the “Apostles” of the Lord. A revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith came in the presence of six elders in September, 1830: D&C 29:12 “And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, and it hath gone forth in a firm decree, by the will of the Father, that mine apostles, the Twelve which were with me in my ministry at Jerusalem, shall stand at my right hand at the day of my coming in a pillar of fire, being clothed with robes of righteousness, with crowns upon their heads, in glory even as I am, to judge the whole house of Israel, even as many as have loved me and kept my commandments, and none else.”
3. Ne. 1: 34
34 Nevertheless, the people did harden their hearts, for they were led by many PRIESTS (called by man not God) and false prophets to build up many churches, and to do all manner of iniquity. And they did smite upon the people of Jesus; but the people of Jesus did not smite again. And thus they did dwindle in unbelief and wickedness, from year to year, even until two hundred and thirty years had passed away.
This was the knowledge of Mormon when he was abridging the records as he was called to do by the Lord. Jesus Christ fulfilled the letter of the law and gave us the spirit of the law which is simple and does not elevate one person over another. He has asked us to become as little children with pure heart willing to be taught by him, line upon line, to be a witness of Him and to teach others the “Good News” or the Gospel and NOT the interpretations of man which has corrupted the world for the past 6,000 years. NO organization has had the answers. We have the answers, because simply we have been called of God to teach. There is NO church in Heaven only truth that Jesus is God, the Eternal Father. The world has NEVER agreed on the identity of God, not even at the Council of Nicea in 321 AD, a political convention of religious leaders who brought forth a corrupted version of the Lord’s teachings pleasing unto them and not to God. No pure organization has come from this corrupt foundation of religious control and embellishments.
