More on Authority
Adam H. Berkey
Ray, Who among today’s prophets and apostles are teaching that the Holy Ghost ordains, or delegates, or otherwise authorizes men to priesthoods?
Ray Farmer
If you are referring to the LDS prophets and apostles, then none of them are teaching this. This would destroy their whole wobbly setup. Their whole approach, when boiled down, depends on the idea that only they have God’s authority. They must repeat “I, I am the Lord’s”, even contrary to The Book of Mormon’s warning which exposes them as a church made by man.
2 Nephi 28:3 For it shall come to pass in that day that the churches which are built up, and not unto the Lord, when the one shall say unto the other: Behold, I, I am the Lord's; and the others shall say: I, I am the Lord's; and thus shall every one say that hath built up churches, and not unto the Lord--
Almost every portion of discussion you submitted above refers back to “priesthood authority”. That is how effectively they have ingrained this idea in your heart and mind.
You seem to think that I have been saying “Holy Ghost ordains….to priesthoods”? What I have been trying to say (apparently not very effectively) is that when one has the Holy Ghost there is no “priesthood”, that the saints of the Church of the Lamb have the power of God which descends on them and gives them authority to act and speak in His name.
1 Nephi 14:14 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.
And so the spiritual house made up of saints (lively stones) is a “priesthood” whose purpose is to offer spiritual sacrifices, that is, their love and their broken hearts and contrite spirits.
1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Mark 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
3 Nephi 9:20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost [think authority].
Doctrine and Covenants 59:8 Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Let me just pause and expound on this last citation. “generation” is just another word for “seed”.
Mosiah 15:10 And now I say unto you, who shall declare his generation? ....who shall be his seed?
Who will be “his seed”?
Mosiah 15
11. Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord--I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God.
12. For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed?
This is the “chosen generation”, they who are “a royal priesthood, an holy nation”. These are they who have been called “out of darkness into his marvellous light”.
The “priesthood” offers sacrifices. All believers, man, woman and child, are to offer sacrifices of Love and Broken Hearts and Contrite spirits. All believers are of that “royal priesthood”. They are His seed.
Is this a new concept for you? Why would it be new to you? Because it has been put in your heart and mind to believe that only some men have the priesthood and only they are in authority. But our long discourse has shown that His Seed, when possessing the Holy Ghost, has all the power and authority they need.
2 Nephi 31:13. ...I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ….by following your Lord and your Savior….behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost;
1 Nephi 10:22 And the Holy Ghost giveth authority....
Finally, Jesus, in 3 Nephi 11, began explaining "my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me". He said:
33. And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.
You say more than this. You say "And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized by one who has the proper authority, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God”.
What must be assiduously ignored it this which follows:
39. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
40. And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.
This adding more and taking away has caused all the contention over the points of His doctrine over the centuries. He explains as clearly as can be his doctrine in this chapter before warning against adding to it.
28. ...I have commanded you thus shall ye baptize. And there shall be no disputations among you, as there have hitherto been; neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine, as there have hitherto been.
29. For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.
30. Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.
It is over made up additions that blood has been spilt through the Christian era.
2 Nephi 28
3. For it shall come to pass in that day that the churches which are built up, and not unto the Lord, when the one shall say unto the other: Behold, I, I am the Lord's; and the others shall say: I, I am the Lord's; and thus shall every one say that hath built up churches, and not unto the Lord--