Symbolism of the Steps of Administering the Sacrament

This is part of 2 of 2 of a lesson that I wrote for my Elders Quorum. Part 1 showed where the sacrament fits in the steps of spiritual progression. This part explains the symbolism of the steps of administering the sacrament.

Step 1: Preparation and Setup

The sacrament begins when priesthood holders, typically Teachers in the Aaronic Preisthood, set trays of unbroken bread and water on the sacrament table and cover the trays with a white cloth. Those who prepare the sacrament represent God the Father and Jesus Christ (or Jehovah, his name in pre-earth life) preparing for the atoning sacrifice. Their preparation began before Christ was born into this world. When Alma the Elder (a prophet in The Book of Mormon) baptized a man named Helam, his baptismal prayer ended with these words – “and may [Almighty God] grant unto you eternal life, through the redemption of Christ, whom he has prepared from the foundation of the world.” (Mosiah 18:13). The scriptures do not explicitly tell us how God prepared Jehovah for the atoning sacrifice, but we can make some reasonable assumptions. God taught and mentored Jehovah. He also put Jehovah through tests and trials that allowed him to grow and develop, even in the pre-earth life. During his mortal life, Jesus further prepared by doing things such as studying the scriptures, being baptized, fasting for 40 days and then resisting Satan’s temptations, communing with his Father, giving service, and ascending the Mount of Transfiguration to be endowed with great power.

The sacrament bread symbolizes the body of Christ and the water symbolizes his blood. The body of Christ is the veil and the blood of Christ is the power by which we are able to go through the veil into the presence of God. The Apostle Paul explained the meaning of the body and blood of Christ – “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh” (Hebrews 10:19-20). The bread and water of the sacrament can represent approaching the veil and going through it into the presence of God.

The bread can also represent the physical acts of keeping the commandments, or what we physically do with our bodies. This is known as “the outward ordinances” (D&C 107:20), “the law of carnal commandments” (D&C 84:27), “the temporal law” (2 Nephi 2:5), and “the lesser portion of the word” (Alma 12:10). The water can represent “the inner man” (Moses 6:65), or the motives for action. This is known as “the spiritual law” (2 Nephi 2:5), “the law of God after the inward man” (Romans 7:22), and “the greater portion of the word” (Alma 12:10). The bread would represent a lesser set of commandments and trials and the water would represent a greater set of commandments and trials. When a person successfully completes both rounds of trials, he is then “sanctified by the Spirit” (D&C 84:33) and “it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full” (Alma 12:10).

The white cloth represents the power, spirit, light and glory with which God anointed Jehovah to be the Savior of the world before the creation of the earth. In fact, the title ‘Christ’ means ‘Anointed One’. The Lord revealed to Isaiah what his anointing specifically was for: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1-3).

The Apostle Peter described how God also anointed Christ at the time of this baptism, and the purpose of that anointing: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38).

The prophet Lehi saw the Savior in vision after he had been anointed with God’s spirit: “And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day.” (1 Nephi 1:9). The white cloth represents the brightness of Christ’s luster, which is his power, spirit, light and glory.

When Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration, “his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light” (Matthew 17:2). His light is, among other things, a protective covering, shielding him during spiritual warfare. In order for Christ to have performed the atoning sacrifice, he had to allow his protective covering of light to be opened so that all the sins of the world could be loaded into him.

The sacrament table represents an altar of sacrifice. Altars are designed with right angles, just like typical sacrament tables in LDS chapels. For Christ, the altar was the Garden of Gethsemane and then the cross, which was also made of right angles.

Step 2: The Congregation Sings a Hymn

After eating the last supper of the Passover, Christ and his disciples sang a hymn before he went to the Garden of Gethsemane to perform the atoning sacrifice (see Matthew 26:30). When we sing the sacrament hymn, we are re-enacting the hymn that Christ sang with his disciples. We are also singing a “song of redeeming love” (Alma 5:26).

Step 3: The Bread is Broken

While the congregation sings a hymn, the priests stand up, pull the white cloth away from the bread, and then break the bread into little pieces. The priests represent God the Father, the bread represents Christ, and the act of breaking the bread represents the atoning sacrifice when God “laid on [Christ] the iniquities of us all” (Isaiah 53:3), which “suffering caused [Christ], even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that [he] might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink” (D&C 19:18).

An angel told King Benjamin that Christ would suffer “more than man can suffer, except it be unto death” (Mosiah 3:7). Alma the Younger describes the suffering that he experienced for his sins after an angel appeared to him and his partners in crime, the sons of King Mosiah (grandsons of King Benjamin), and told him to stop destroying the spirituality and testimonies of the members of the church at that time and place. His ensuing suffering is likely the greatest suffering that “man can suffer, except it be unto death.” Alma also mentions the one thing that would have made his suffering worse, which is what Christ did suffer – “But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins. Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments. Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.  Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.” (Alma 36:12-15).

The one thing that would have made Alma’s suffering worse would have been to go into the presence of God in his sinful state. When Christ took his sins upon us, he suffered what Alma did suffer and more, because Christ “he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth” (D&C 88:6). He stood in the presence of God while he was in our sinful state, but did not “become extinct.” In this way, God the Father inflicted the greatest suffering on Christ his son. However, Christ healed from the ordeal and thus gained the knowledge to “justify many; for he [bore] their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:11). He arose “with healing in his wings” (Malachi 4:2). He suffered for us “according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance” (Alma 7:13).

Step 4: Prayers on the Bread and the Water

The priest who says the sacramental prayer represents Christ, in his role as our mediator and advocate with Father, offering an intercessory prayer to God during the atoning sacrifice. The priest who stands during sacramental prayer represents God the Father listening to the intercessory prayer.

The great intercessory prayer that Christ offered as part of the atoning sacrifice is found in John 17. The sacramental prayers have much of the same intent as that prayer. In the great intercessory prayer, Christ’s pleading to the Father on our behalf included the following – “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. … And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:17-24).

Step 5: Pass the Bread and the Water

The Deacons who assist in passing the sacrament represent Christ in his ongoing mission to search for his people and to find them, and to “bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.” (Alma 34:15). As the Deacon extends his arm with the tray, his arm represents “an invitation unto all men” (Alma 5:33) and Christ’s “arm of mercy [that] hath atoned for [our] sins” (D&C 29:1) extended towards us. The hands of the Deacons passing the sacrament symbolize this truth – “Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?” (Jeremiah 23:23).

While the sacrament is being passed, the Priests watch. They represent God the Father watching the work of salvation being carried out. Their eyes represent God’s eyes – “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.” (Psalm 34:15). As God watches us, he hopes that we accept the offering of the atonement and that we live righteous lives that will bring us back to his presence. God has a personalized plan of salvation for each one of us that he adjusts as necessary, depending on the path of life that we choose. The Priests’ eyes are like the eyes of God as he watches our life and adjusts our individual plans. The piece of bread that we eat in a given week is slightly different than the piece we ate the previous week, symbolizing adjustments in God’s work with us, based on our own choices and performance.

Step 6: Partake of the Bread and the Water

As we extend our hand to take the bread and the water, we exercise our agency to accept the gifts of the atonement. We “partake of the fruit of the tree of life” and “eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely” (Alma 5:34). We “partake of the goodness of God, that [we] might enter into his rest” (Jacob 1:7).

God gave Moses instructions on how to sanctify his brother Aaron and the other priests who would minister in the tabernacle so that they would be fit for temple service. One of the sanctifying acts was to eat bread made for the tabernacle – “And Aaron and his sons shall eat the . . . the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them” (Exodus 29:32-33). When we take the sacrament, we also become more sanctified. To sanctify means the same thing as to make holy. The apostle Peter tells us something that Christ had said – “Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). We become more holy, or sanctified, when we take the sacrament.

After King Benjamin had given the sermon that an angel had given to him, the people who heard it asked God in prayer, “O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified” (Mosiah 4:2). Drinking the water of the sacrament is one way in which the “atoning blood of Christ” is applied to us. The result for the people of King Benjamin was that “the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come” (Mosiah 4:3). The Spirit of the Lord applies the power of the atoning blood of Christ, which is the same spirit requested in the sacramental prayers – “that they may always have his spirit to be with them.”

God’s desire is that we accept the mercies offered to us in the sacrament. He is pained when we do not accept them. Alma the Younger quoted Zenock, an ancient Israelite prophet, when he was teaching the Zoramites about faith – “Thou art angry, O Lord, with this people, because they will not understand thy mercies which thou hast bestowed upon them because of thy Son.” (Alma 33:16). We must exercise our agency to accept the gifts and mercies that God offers, otherwise God’s effort is wasted and he is unable to rejoice with us – “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.” (D&C 88:33).

Step 7: Returning the Empty Trays of Bread and Water

When the Deacons return the empty trays of bread and water, they represent Christ returning and reporting to the Father to tell him that we have accepted the gift offered. Christ and his Father then counsel together to decide on how to best assist each of us to continue to progress spiritually by offering us gifts, sending divine aid, and putting us through additional trials. Jesus had something like this in mind when he told his disciples, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. … Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.” (John 14:2-3, 28).

Eventually, Christ will help us fulfill what is written in this revelation – “And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things. Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will. Remember the great and last promise which I have made unto you; … purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean; That I may testify unto your Father, and your God, and my God, that you are clean from the blood of this wicked generation; that I may fulfil this promise, this great and last promise, which I have made unto you, when I will.” (D&C 88:67-69, 74-75).

The Place of the Sacrament in The Way to Eternal Life

This is part 1 of 2 of a lesson I wrote for Elders Quorum on the symbolism of the sacrament. I tried to write it so that even a recent convert would understand. Maybe I achieved that purpose, maybe not.

INTRODUCTION

In order to better understand the sacrament, it is useful to understand the steps of spiritual progression that begin with faith, repentance and baptism, and culminate with entering God’s presence and being given a promise of eternal life. The scriptures use different phrases to describe these steps of spiritual progression such as “the way” and “the doctrine of Christ” (2 Nephi 31:21), “paths of righteousness” (Psalm 23:3), and “the way of eternal life” (2 Nephi 10:23). These steps are represented by the layout of the tabernacle of Moses. The showbread in the tabernacle corresponds to our ordinance of the sacrament today. The showbread and the sacrament represent the step in the journey of spiritual progression just prior to entering the presence of God.

Each step in the administration of the sacrament has symbolic meaning. It is like the enactment of a great drama. The steps that will be considered are preparation of the sacrament, singing a hymn, breaking the bread, offering the sacramental prayers, passing the sacrament, partaking of the sacrament, and returning the empty trays.

THE TABERNACLE OF MOSES AND THE STEPS OF SPIRITUAL PROGRESSION

The picture of the layout of the tabernacle of Moses above comes from a lesson titled “The House of the Lord in the Wilderness” from an LDS Church Education System Institute manual (http://www.ldsces.org/manuals/old-testament-institute-student-manual-1/ot-in1-04-exo-13.asp; I shifted the labels on left-hand side slightly in order to better align with the layout and then rotated it 180 degrees). The tabernacle represents the phases of a person’s spiritual journey from being a born into a fallen world to returning to the presence of God. The outer courtyard with the altar of sacrifice and the laver represents the phase of spiritual development where a person first develops faith in Christ, repents, and is baptized. This corresponds to a telestial level of spirituality and testing. At this level, you repent of major sins, particularly sins of commission (things that you actually do that are not right). At this level, the major test is to do the right things. One person’s experience at this level will be similar to other people’s experience at this level.

Receiving the Holy Ghost, or being baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost, is represented by the entrance to the Holy Place. In real life, it is a transition from a telestial level to a terrestrial level of spirituality and testing. At this level, you repent of smaller sins, particularly sins of omission (things that you should do but don’t). The main features of the terrestrial level in real life are an increase in spiritual experiences beginning with the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, and feasting on the word of Christ, represented by the table of showbread and the sacred lampstand in the Holy Place of the tabernacle. A person who is progressing within this level will likely be fasting, praying, and studying the scriptures regularly. He will also give more and more selfless service. The major test at this level is to do the right things for the right reason, which is love or charity, and God will put you through tests of his choosing to determine that. Or, as the Psalmist said, “him shall [the Lord] teach in the way that he shall choose” (Psalm 25:12). We each have very different experiences at this level. It is more individualized than the previous (telestial) level.

Once you have progressed through the terrestrial level in real life, you will meet God at the veil in a very real experience that may or may not include seeing him. However, once you are admitted into his presence and transition to a celestial level of spirituality, you will most likely see God. This is represented in the tabernacle of Moses by the veil and the Holy of Holies. Once at this point spiritually, you will likely receive a promise of eternal life, also known as calling and election made sure. God will also give you instructions on what you are then expected to do with your life.

Prophets Describe the Pattern of Spiritual Progression

The Book of Mormon prophet Alma the Younger told his son Helaman about his own ministry and the pattern he followed to bring souls to Christ – “For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God.” (Alma 36:26).

That verse outlines the order of the major phases of spiritual progression. First is to be born of God. This corresponds to faith, repentance, baptism and the reception of the Holy Ghost. This is symbolized in the tabernacle of Moses in the outer courtyard. Second is to taste of the joy that Alma had tasted. This corresponds to the principles of feasting on the word of Christ and hungering and thirsting after righteousness, to being tested by the “bread of adversity, and the water of affliction” (Isaiah 30:20), and to the symbolism of the ordinance of sacrament as we practice it today and to the showbread in the Holy Place of the tabernacle of Moses. To see eye to eye as Alma had seen refers to meeting Christ at the veil after mighty prayer. This corresponds to the symbolism of the altar of incense and the veil in the tabernacle of Moses. Christ described this step as “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). The final step is to gain the same knowledge that Alma had. This is symbolized in the tabernacle of Moses by being in the Holy of Holies. It is “the more sure word of prophecy,” which means that a person has knowledge “that he is sealed up unto eternal life, by revelation and the spirit of prophecy, through the power of the Holy Priesthood. It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.” (D&C 131:5-6).

Joseph Smith described the successive steps of spiritual progression similar to how Alma the Younger described them, but included more information about the final step:

“The other Comforter spoken of is a subject of great interest, and perhaps understood by few of this generation. After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy Ghost, (by the laying on of hands), which is the first Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted. When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and his election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints, as is recorded in the testimony of St. John, in the 14th chapter, from the 12th to the 27th verses.

“Now what is this other Comforter? It is no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; and this is the sum and substance of the whole matter; that when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even He will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, and the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him face to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God; and this is the state and place the ancient Saints arrived at when they had such glorious visions—Isaiah, Ezekiel, John upon the Isle of Patmos, St. Paul in the three heavens, and all the Saints who held communion with the general assembly and Church of the Firstborn.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 150-151)

The Sacrament in the Journey of Spiritual Progression

The ordinance of the sacrament represents a phase of spiritual development between receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and entering the presence of God. The sacrament is more or less equivalent to the showbread in the tabernacle of Moses. The showbread was kept on a table in the Holy Place of the tabernacle. Wine was also kept on the table. In Hebrew, the showbread was called “bread of the presence”, meaning that it was the bread of the presence of God. Twelve loaves were placed on the table each week. They were eaten and replaced at the end of the week. The Holy Place also had a giant menorah or sacred lamp stand. In the sacrament prayer, the priest asks “that they may always have his Spirit to be with them.” The light of the menorah represents the spirit of Jesus Christ to which the sacramental prayers refer.

Christ visited the Nephites at one of their temples after his resurrection. The Nephites built temples similar to the temple of Solomon, which had a layout very similar to the tabernacle. While he was speaking to the Nephites, he asked twelve disciples to go get bread and wine, which he would then use to institute the sacrament among the Nephites. They most likely went into the Holy Place of their temple and brought the showbread and wine to Christ so that he could administer the sacrament. Thus, the sacrament is rooted in the temple. Our sacrament is patterned after the Nephite sacrament as described in The Book of Mormon (see Moroni chapters 4 and 5).

If you were to walk further into the tabernacle, you would come to the veil and on into the Holy of Holies and the presence of God. After passing through the phase of spiritual development represented by the sacrament, “the man will find his calling and his election made sure.” The ordinance of the sacrament is preparation to enter the presence of God and to obtain eternal life. Priesthood holders who administer the sacrament are helping to prepare others to enter the presence of God. 

The Faith of Nephi and Lehi Facilitates Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost for 300 Lamanites

The prophet Moroni made the observation that “it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost” (Ether 12:14). The record of this event is found in Helaman 5. That account tells us that the brothers Nephi and Lehi (great-grandchildren of Alma the Younger) went on something like a preaching tour to both Nephites and Lamanites. They preached with “such great power and authority” (Helaman 5:18) that thousands of people were convinced to repent and be baptized. After arriving in a certain region controlled by Lamanites, they were “cast into prison many days without food” (Helaman 5:22). At this point, a mob or perhaps an organized army of about 300 angry Lamanites went into the prison to execute Nephi and Lehi. At some point in this operation of trying to slay the two brothers, and it might have been before they had even touched Nephi and Lehi or it might have been when Nephi’s and Lehi’s heads were on the chopping block, “Nephi and Lehi were encircled about as if by fire, even insomuch that they durst not lay their hands upon them for fear lest they should be burned. Nevertheless, Nephi and Lehi were not burned; and they were as standing in the midst of fire and were not burned.” (Helaman 5:23). Nephi and Lehi then started preaching to the mob and there was an earthquake right at that moment. Then the mob was “overshadowed with a cloud of darkness, and an awful solemn fear came upon them.” (Helaman 5:28). Then they heard a voice from heaven that pierced them to the soul telling them three times to stop the operation of executing the brother prophets and to repent. For added dramatic effect, God caused some more earthquakes that were big enough to be felt but not so big that the prison building would fall over.

God certainly had the attention of the mob and they were in a frame of mind where they were willing to make some drastic changes to their attitudes and belief structure. One of the members of the mob, Aminadab, a Nephite dissenter, happened to see Nephi and Lehi through the cloud of awful, solemn, and fearful darkness. He saw their faces shining and he saw that they were talking to someone, but he couldn’t see who they were talking to. The narrative doesn’t tell us how much time passed by from the moment that the cloud of darkness descended to the moment that Aminadab shouted to the rest of the mob to look at Nephi and Lehi. It could have been a few minutes, it could have been hours, it could have been an entire day or even longer. Well, the rest of the mob was impressed when they saw Nephi and Lehi’s shining faces. They asked Aminadab what to do to get rid of the cloud of darkness. He recommended, with certainty,  that they “repent, and cry unto the voice, even until ye shall have faith in Christ, who was taught unto you by Alma, and Amulek, and Zeezrom; and when ye shall do this, the cloud of darkness shall be removed from overshadowing you.” (Helaman 5:41).

All the members of the mob “did begin to cry unto the voice of him who had shaken the earth; yea, they did cry even until the cloud of darkness was dispersed.” (Helaman 5:42). The narrative does not tell us how much time they spent in prayer. I imagine that it was not just a couple of minutes, probably somewhere closer to an hour or more. I wouldn’t be surprised if three days went by from the time the cloud of darkness descended to this time when it dispersed because that would match the three days that Alma the Younger was in hell, the three days that Jonah was in the belly of the whale, the three days that Jesus was in the spirit world, and the three days of darkness in the Americas after Jesus was crucified. However long the mob was under the cloud of darkness, it was long enough for them to go from having every intention to carry out two murders to offering a sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit to God and Christ. After his crucifixion, Christ told the surviving Nephites and Lamanites that “whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.”

The baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost that the reformed mob members experienced included the following elements:

§  A pillar of fire encircled each of the men

§  The entire prison looked like it was on fire, but it didn’t burst into flames

§  They were “filled with that joy which is unspeakable and full of glory” (Helaman 5:44)

§  Their hearts were filled with the Holy Spirit and with fire

§  They were able to speak with the tongue of angels and spoke marvelous words

§  They heard the voice of God saying “Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world.” (Helaman 5:47)

§  Angels come down from heaven to minister to them

The point is that the 300 Lamanites were baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost because, according to Moroni’s commentary, of the faith of Nephi and Lehi. Christ explained that it was because of their own faith in him. Putting the two together, I would say that it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi in the first place that provided the setting for the Lamanites to exercise their own faith to be baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost.

Faith is a covenant where God dictates the terms, defines the objective, and provides the evidence that the covenant exists. Then it is up to the individual to do the work and undergo the trials of the covenant. After that, God fulfills his part of the covenant. The account in Helaman 5 does not specify the faith-covenant given to Nephi and Lehi. However, it was very likely that they were acting within the framework of a faith-covenant. The elements of that faith-covenant would possibly have been:

§  The objective was to baptize the Lamanites by fire and the Holy ghost

§  Nephi and Lehi were instructed by God to go to a particular city to preach the gospel; they were told that they had to be willing to lay down their lives for this covenant and they knew that they would be required to suffer and sacrifice themselves in some way even if their lives were not ultimately required

§  The evidence was a revelation consisting only of words to their minds, a vision, or an angelic message, along with a witness from the Holy Ghost

§  Nephi and Lehi showed their faith by works by going to the city in question to preach

§  God did his part by allowing Nephi and Lehi to be put into prison where they would be in contact with the group of people that God wanted to baptize with fire

§  Nephi and Lehi endured the trial of near failure by being put into prison, starved, and then nearly executed

§  After the mob attempted to kill them, they had a visit from either Christ himself or an angel and had a conversation with that being; the conversation included Nephi and Lehi asking for the whole faith-covenant to be a success so that in spite of the murderous disposition of the mob and the suffering that they had received in prison, that the members of the mob would be baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost

§  Nephi and Lehi’s works, sacrifice, suffering, obedience, and intercession created the conditions for the members of the mob to exercise their own faith and reach a state of being of having a broken heart and contrite spirit

§  The covenant was fulfilled by God when he baptized the reformed mob members by fire and the Holy Ghost

All of this information is nice to know. But what does it mean for me? How action can I take with this understanding? My question is this – is it possible for me as a priesthood holder to enter into a faith-covenant with God where I can facilitate the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost for other people? The answer coming to my mind right now is “yes, it is possible.” I’ll have to ponder on this to understand how to put it into practice, test it out, and write about it later.

Lorenzo Snow's Personal Account of the Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost

The following account is taken from “Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow”, by Eliza R. Snow, pages 7-9.

I was baptized by Elder John Boynton, then one of the Twelve Apostles, June, 1836, in Kirtland, Ohio.  Previous to accepting the ordinance of baptism, in my investigations of the principles taught by the Latter-day Saints, which I proved, by comparison, to be the same as those mentioned in the New Testament taught by Christ and His Apostles, I was thoroughly convinced that obedience to those principles would impart miraculous powers, manifestations and revelations.  With sanguine expectations of this result, I received the baptism and ordinance of laying on of hands by one who professed to have divine authority; and, having thus yielded obedience to these ordinances, I was in constant expectation of the fulfillment of the promise of the reception of the Holy Ghost.

The manifestation did not immediately follow my baptism, as I had expected, but, although the time was deferred, when I did receive it, its realization was more perfect, tangible and miraculous than even my strongest hopes had led me to anticipate.

Some two or three weeks after I was baptized, one day while engaged in my studies, I began to reflect upon the fact that I had not obtained a knowledge of the truth of the work—that I had not realized the fulfillment of the promise ‘he that doeth my will shall know of the doctrine,’ and I began to feel very uneasy.  I laid aside my books, left the house, and wandered around through the fields under the oppressive influence of a gloomy, disconsolate spirit, while an indescribable cloud of darkness seemed to envelop me.  I had been accustomed, at the close of the day, to retire for secret prayer, to a grove a short distance from my lodgings, but at this time I felt no inclination to do so.  The spirit of prayer had departed and the heavens seemed like brass over my head.  At length, realizing that the usual time had come for secret prayer, I concluded I would not forego my evening service, and, as a matter of formality, knelt as I was in the habit of doing, and in my accustomed retired place, but not feeling as I was wont to feel.

I had no sooner opened by lips in an effort to pray, than I heard a sound, just above my head, like the rustling of silken robes, and immediately the Spirit of God descended upon me, completely enveloping my whole person, filling me, from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, and O, the joy and happiness I felt!  No language can describe the almost instantaneous transition from a dense cloud of mental and spiritual darkness into a refulgence of light and knowledge, as it was at that time imparted to my understanding.  I then received a perfect knowledge that God lives, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and of the restoration of the holy Priesthood, and the fulness of the Gospel.  It was a complete baptism—a tangible immersion in the heavenly principle or element, the Holy Ghost; and even more real and physical in its effects upon every part of my system than the immersion by water; dispelling forever, so long as reason and memory last, all possibility of doubt or fear in relation to the fact handed down to us historically, that the ‘Babe of Bethlehem’ is truly the Son of God; also the fact that He is now being revealed to the children of men, and communicating knowledge, the same as in the Apostolic times.  I was perfectly satisfied, as well I might be, for my expectations were more than realized, I think I may safely say in an infinite degree.

I cannot tell how long I remained in the full flow of the blissful enjoyment and divine enlightenment, but it was several minutes before the celestial element which filled and surrounded me began gradually to withdraw.  On arising from my kneeling posture, with my heart swelling with gratitude to God, beyond the power of expression, I felt—I knew that He had conferred on me what only an omnipotent being can confer—that which is of greater value than all the wealth and honors worlds can bestow.  That night, as I retired to rest, the same wonderful manifestations were repeated, and continued to be for several successive nights.  The sweet remembrance of those glorious experiences, from that time to the present, bring them fresh before me, imparting an inspiring influence which pervades my whole being, and I trust will to the close of my earthly existence.

The Middle of The Way – The Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost

The prophet Nephi described the beginning of The Way as repentance and baptism in water. Repentance is a phase of spiritual development that maps to the altar of sacrifice in the tabernacle of Moses. Baptism in water is an event of spiritual development that maps to the laver in the tabernacle of Moses. Nephi says that the next major milestone of spiritual progression is baptism by fire and the Holy Ghost.

13) Wherefore, my beloved brethren, 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 [corresponds to the altar of sacrifice], witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water [corresponds to the laver or wash basin], according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.

17) Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do [in this sense, Christ himself is The Way, see John 14:6]; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost [the entrance to the Holy Place of the tabernacle of Moses].

18) And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life [from baptism, through the Holy Place, past the table of showbread and the sacred lampstand/menorah, through the veil, into the Holy of Holies]; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.

19) And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path [or entered into that phase of spiritual development represented by the Holy Place in the tabernacle], I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

20) Wherefore, [what follows next are three steps that take you to the presence of God] ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ [step 1], having a perfect brightness of hope [step 2], and a love of God and of all men [step 3 – note that steps 2 and 3 are hope and love, which is charity, so it seems reasonable that step 1 is actually faith so that steps 1, 2 and 3 are faith, hope and charity]. Wherefore, [what follows next are three steps that take you to the presence of God from another perspective] if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ [represented by the table of showbread], and endure to the end [represented by entering the Holy of Holies], behold, thus saith the Father [or, at that point, this is what the Father will say to you, and it is an oath or a promise, no longer conditional on passing through covenant trials]: Ye shall have eternal life. (2 Nephi 31:13, 17-20)

If we map Nephi’s language onto the layout of the tabernacle of Moses, it would look something like this:

Based on Nephi’s description of The Way and how it seems to map onto the layout of the tabernacle of Moses, the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost is a transition from a telestial life to a terrestrial life. It is like being born into a terrestrial state. Other prophet-writers use phrases to describe this step of spiritual development such as ‘born again’, ‘born of God’, ‘born of the spirit’, and ‘born of Christ’.

When someone receives the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, he may or may not understand it. Jesus told the Nephites – “And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.” (3 Nephi 9:20). There are two ways in which it may be true that someone has this experience and knows it not. One is that he has the experience, is very aware of something spiritual happening, but doesn’t know what it is. The other is that the experience is so subtle that he is not aware of it. In this second case, the way you can tell if you have been baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost is if you experience the after-effects.

Joseph Smith explained the effects of being baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost, which he calls the first Comforter:

There are two Comforters spoken of. One is the Holy Ghost, the same as given on the day of Pentecost, and that all Saints receive after faith, repentance, and baptism. This first Comforter or Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence. It is more powerful in expanding the mind, enlightening the understanding, and storing the intellect with present knowledge, of a man who is of the literal seed of Abraham, than one that is a Gentile, though it may not have half as much visible effect upon the body; for as the Holy Ghost falls upon one of the literal seed of Abraham, it is calm and serene; and his whole soul and body are only exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence; while the effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to purge out the old blood, and make him actually of the seed of Abraham. That man that has none of the blood of Abraham (naturally) must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost. In such a case, there may be more of a powerful effect upon the body, and visible to the eye, than upon an Israelite, while the Israelite at first might be far before the Gentile in pure intelligence. (TPJS, p. 150-151)

Apparently a person who is not descended from Abraham will have a more noticeable experience with the Holy Ghost than someone who is descended from Abraham. Notice how he explained that the emotional affects of the Holy Ghost are calm and serene, which are very subtle emotions. However, the Holy Ghost’s primary purpose is to impart knowledge or information, not sentiment. You may know if you have been baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost if you are learning the things of God. Joseph Smith further explained how to recognize the effect of the Spirit:

The Spirit of Revelation is in connection with these blessings [the first and second Comforters]. A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; (i.e.,) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus. (TPJS, p. 151)

The apostle Paul does a fair job at contrasting the difference between someone who is still in the state of a natural man and someone who has been baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost and is thus able to learn the things of God:

7) But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory [note that this is information or knowledge, not emotion]:

8) Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9) But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

10) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11) For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God [in other words, they learned things about God and his works that they could not have understood if they hadn’t been already been baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost].

13) Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14) But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15) But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

16) For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:7-16)

The Holy Ghost has another primary purpose, and that is to sanctify a person by delivering the power of the atoning blood of Christ. Jesus explained – “Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.” (3 Nephi 27:20). The word ‘sanctified’ comes from a Latin root that has the exact same meaning as the word ‘holy’, which comes from a Germanic root. A saint is the same as a holy person. To be sanctified has the same meaning as to be made holy. The words ‘holy’ and ‘sanctified’ describe a state that is equivalent to a celestial state. So we have this gospel algebra: holy = sanctified = celestial. As long as I am at it, the word ‘heavenly’ is the Germanic equivalent of the word ‘celestial’, which comes from a Latin root. So our gospel math now looks like this: holy = sanctified = celestial = heavenly. What is the point of that, you may ask. After being baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost and transitioning from a telestial state to a terrestrial state, the Holy Ghost imparts knowledge and power to assist you to be sanctified, or to transition to a celestial state. Alma the Younger describes people who become sanctified, or celestial, through priesthood service:

Now they [people who serve in the priesthood], after being sanctified [made holy or celestial] by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God. (Alma 13:12)

Perhaps you are wondering how I found the equation holy = sanctified = celestial = heavenly? The key was in these passages from Doctrine and Covenants 88:

2) Behold, this is pleasing unto your Lord, and the angels rejoice over you; the alms of your prayers have come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded in the book of the names of the sanctified, even [‘even’ means ‘equivalent’] them of the celestial world [so the sanctified are those who are of the celestial world].

25) And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law—

26) Wherefore, it shall be sanctified [the earth, by keeping the celestial law will be sanctified, or made fit for the celestial kingdom] (D&C 88:2, 25-26)

I first realized that celestial = sanctified. Then with a little study of root words I found out that celestial = heavenly and sanctified = holy.

To summarize, by the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost you become “a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17), being born into a terrestrial state of spirituality. You may or may not be aware of the actual moment of that transition. Some people experience that transition as an event where they know something spiritually powerful is happening. Others are not aware that God has affected the transition for them. However, the after-effects are similar for both groups of people. The Holy Ghost reveals information, wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge, especially revealing to “you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:5) until Christ “shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh” (2 Nephi 32:6). The Holy Ghost also applies “the atoning blood of Christ” (Mosiah 4:2) so that you may be sanctified and enter into “the celestial world” (D&C 88:2).

Faith and Priesthood

During General Conference a few years ago, I was struck by something said by Bishop Richard Edgley – “Because of my faith, I have activated the power of the priesthood that I hold and have been a partaker of the sweetness of the gospel and have embraced the saving ordinances.” (Faith –The Choice is Yours, https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/faith-the-choice-is-yours?lang=eng). According to Bishop Edgley, faith is what activates priesthood power. There is a very close relationship between faith and priesthood power. In some cases, the two principles of faith and priesthood are essentially the same.

Faith can be understood to be a covenant between God and man. The elements of such a covenant are:

1) The object, purpose, or final outcome of the covenant

2) The terms of the covenant, or what the two covenanting parties agree to do
3) Evidence that the covenant is valid and in force, such as a written revelation or simply a witness from the Holy Ghost
4) Man’s responsibility to do the physical work of the faith-covenant, to persevere through trials of the faith-covenant, to do the mental and spiritual work of praying, believing and hoping that God will do his part of the covenant
5) Fulfillment of the covenant where the original objective is accomplished

Joseph Smith understood that man may progress through successive points of faith (TPJS, p. 51) or degrees of faith (Lectures on Faith 7:9). He also understood that faith is a principle of power and that it was by His faith that God created the earth and the heavens and that by His faith he continues to govern all creation and existence:

13) As we receive by faith, all temporal blessings that we do receive, so we, in like manner, receive by faith all spiritual blessings, that we do receive. But faith is not only the principle of action, but of power, also, in all intelligent beings, whether in heaven, or on earth. Thus says the author of the epistle to the Hebrews. (11:3):

14) Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God: so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

15) By this we understand that the principle of power, which existed in the bosom of God, by which the worlds were framed, was faith; and that it is by reason of this principle of power, existing in the Deity, that all created things exist—so that all things in heaven, on earth, or under the earth, exist by reason of faith, as it existed in HIM.

16) Had it not been for the principle of faith the worlds would never have been framed, neither would man have been formed of the dust—it is the principle by which Jehovah works, and through which he exercises power over all temporal, as well as eternal things. Take this principle or attribute, (for it is an attribute) from the Deity and he would cease to exist.

17) Who cannot see, that if God framed the worlds by faith, that it is by faith that he exercises power over them, and that faith is the principle of power? And that if the principle of power, it must be so in man as well as in the Deity? This is the testimony of all the sacred writers, and the lesson which they have been endeavoring to teach to man.

24) Faith, then, is the first great governing principle which has power, dominion, and authority over all things: by it they exist, by it they are upheld, by it they are changed, or by it they remain, agreeably to the will of God. Without it, there is no power, and without power there could be no creation, nor existence! (Lectures on Faith 1:13-17, 24)

To summarize, faith is a covenant and a trial, has progressive levels, is a principle of power in man and is the power of God by which he creates and governs worlds. Priesthood is also a covenant and a trial, has progressive levels, is a principle of power in man and is the power of God by which he creates and governs worlds.

According to the Doctrine and Covenants, there is an “oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood. Therefore, all those who receive the priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved.” (D&C 84:39-40). When a man receives the priesthood, he is put under covenant. A covenant between man and God typically puts the man in a position of being tried or tested to see if he will fulfill his part of the covenant. Once the covenant, or faith-covenant, has been fulfilled, then the man is called ‘faithful’. A man must be faithful in obtaining progressive levels of priesthood, or fulfilling priesthood faith-covenants – “For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken [or fulfilling the covenant trials of two levels of priesthood], and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.” (D&C 84:33).

Joseph Smith revealed information about the ancient prophet Melchizedek and how faith, trials, covenants, and priesthood orders were all closely interrelated:

26) Now Melchizedek was a man of faith, who wrought righteousness; and when a child he feared God, and stopped the mouths of lions, and quenched the violence of fire.

27) And thus, having been approved of God, he was ordained an high priest after the order of the covenant which God made with Enoch,

28) It being after the order of the Son of God; which order came, not by man, nor the will of man; neither by father nor mother; neither by beginning of days nor end of years; but of God;

29) And it was delivered unto men by the calling of his own voice, according to his own will, unto as many as believed on his name.

30) For God having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself; that every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course;

31) To put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God; to do all things according to his will, according to his command, subdue principalities and powers; and this by the will of the Son of God which was from before the foundation of the world.

32) And men having this faith, coming up unto this order of God, were translated and taken up into heaven. (JST Genesis 14:26-32)

The priesthood obviously has different levels to it. We frequently talk about two levels known as Aaronic and Melchizedek. Joseph Smith explained some of the differences between the different levels of priesthood:

Answer to the question, Was the Priesthood of Melchizedek taken away when Moses died? All Priesthood is Melchizedek, but there are different portions or degrees of it. That portion which brought Moses to speak with God face to face was taken away; but that which brought the ministry of angels remained. All the prophets had the Melchizedek Priesthood and were ordained by God himself. (TPJS, p. 180-181)

Joseph Smith said that “There are three grand orders of priesthood referred to” in Hebrews chapter 7 (TPJS, p. 322). These three orders likely correspond to the lesser (or Aaronic) priesthood, the greater (or Melchizedek) priesthood, and the “mysteries of the kingdom” that are referred to in D&C 84:18-26. Alma the Younger referred to three portions of “the word” using the same descriptors used in D&C 84 (the descriptors are lesser, greater, and mysteries) – “And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word [first level]; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word [second level], until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God [third level] until he know them in full.” (Alma 12:10). I would bet that the three grand orders of the priesthood and the three portions of “the word” all align with “the three principal rounds of Jacob’s ladder—the telestial, the terrestrial, and the celestial glories or kingdoms, where Paul saw and heard things which were not lawful for him to utter” (TPJS, p. 305). I would also bet that different degrees of faith that Lectures on Faith talks about would also align with the three degrees of glory. If you put it all into a table, it would look like this:

Portion of The Word Alma 12	Order of Priesthood Hebrews 7, D&C 84	Kingdom of Glory Jacob’s Ladder, D&C 76 and 88	Degree of Faith Lectures on Faith
Lesser portion	Lesser, Aaronic	Telestial	Principle of action
Greater portion	Greater, Melchizedek	Terrestrial	Principle of power
Mysteries of God	Mysteries of the kingdom, the knowledge of God, key and power of an endless life	Celestial	To lay hold upon eternal life, power to create or organize element and intelligence

If you mapped it all onto the layout of the tabernacle of Moses, it would something like this:

Like faith, priesthood is a principle of power in man, as described here – “No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile” (D&C 121:41-42).

Brigham Young described priesthood as “the law by which the worlds are, were, and will continue for ever and ever. It is that system which brings worlds into existence and peoples them, gives them their revolutions—their days, weeks, months, years, their seasons and times and by which they are rolled up as a scroll, as it were, and go into a higher state of existence” (DBY, 130). President Marion Romney also understood that God’s priesthood is the power by which he created the earth – “Well, the priesthood, as I have come to understand it through studying, is power. It’s the power that God used in the Creation. It is the power that he used to feed the people in the days of Moses.” (Priesthood, https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1982/04/priesthood?lang=eng).

Here are some additional passages of scripture, which all happen to be from The Book of Mormon, that describe the relationship between faith, power and priesthood orders:

20) I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord [this is a description of the Lord fulfilling his part of a faith-covenant] are over all those whom he hath chosen [you are chosen after you pass a trial of faith], because of their faith [because of doing the work of their faith-covenants], to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance [they are given powers associated with the celestial level]. (1 Nephi 1:20)

17) And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost [the power of the Holy Ghost is more or less the same as the power of the priesthood], which power he received by faith [the work of a faith-covenant] on the Son of God—and the Son of God was the Messiah who should come—I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men. (1 Nephi 10:17)

10) But behold, when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in unbelief, after they have received so great blessings from the hand of the Lord—having a knowledge of the creation of the earth, and all men, knowing the great and marvelous works of the Lord from the creation of the world; having power given them to do all things [this is the power to control elements at the celestial level] by faith [by doing the work and passing the trials of faith-covenants]; having all the commandments from the beginning, and having been brought by his infinite goodness into this precious land of promise—behold, I say, if the day shall come that they will reject the Holy One of Israel, the true Messiah, their Redeemer and their God, behold, the judgments of him that is just shall rest upon them. (2 Nephi 1:10)

3) And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith [what degree of faith is this – 1^st or 2^nd?], are called with a holy calling [3^rd or celestial level of faith, priesthood and glory], yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.

4) And thus they have been called to this holy calling [advanced to the 3^rd level] on account of their faith [on account of fulfilling the 1^st and 2^ndlevels], while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren.

10) Now, as I said concerning the holy order, or this high priesthood, there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God [the 3^rd level]; and it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish;

11) Therefore they were called after this holy order, and were sanctified, and their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb. (Alma 13:3-4, 10-11)

28) And Alma and Amulek came forth out of the prison, and they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them power [celestial level, or power to create], according to their faith which was in Christ [or, according to the fact that they fulfilled the faith-covenants corresponding to the telestial and terrestrial levels]. And they straightway came forth out of the prison; and they were loosed from their bands; and the prison had fallen to the earth, and every soul within the walls thereof, save it were Alma and Amulek, was slain; and they straightway came forth into the city. (Alma 14:28)

35) And a portion of that Spirit dwelleth in me, which giveth me knowledge, and also power according to my faith and desires which are in God. (Alma 18:35) [Notice the relationship between spirit, knowledge, power, faith and desire!]

10) Behold it was by faith that they of old were called after the holy order of God. (Ether 12:10) [Could it be that “the holy order of God” is the third grand order of priesthood, corresponding to a celestial glory, and that men, and women, reached that level after fulfilling the degrees of faith corresponding to telestial and terrestrial glories?]

33) And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me [or, if you have a faith-covenant and pass the associated trials] ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me. (Moroni 7:33)

7) And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power [God fulfills his part of a faith-covenant], according to the faith of the children of men [or, as people fulfill their part of a faith-covenant], the same today and tomorrow, and forever. (Moroni 10:7)