18) The power and authority of
the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual
blessings of the church—
19) To have the privilege of
receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened
unto them, to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn,
and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the
mediator of the new covenant. (D&C 107:18-19)
So both the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods have
something to do with those of us who are mortal priesthood holders having a
relationship with those in heaven, including God the Father and Jesus Christ. John
Taylor understood and spoke about how those of us who hold priesthood on earth
need to be aligned with and work with priesthood holders living in heaven or in
the spirit world:
“God has organized a priesthood,
and that priesthood bears rule in all things pertaining to the earth and the
heavens; one part of it exists in the heavens, another part on the earth; they
both co-operate together for the building up of Zion, the redemption of the
dead and the living, and the bringing to pass the ‘times of the restitution of
all things;’ [see Acts 3:21] and as they are thus closely united, it is
necessary that there should be a communication between the one and the other,
and that those on the earth should receive instructions from those in the
heavens, who are acquainted with earthly as well as heavenly things, having had
the experience of both, as they once officiated in the same priesthood on the
earth.” (Teachings: John Taylor,
Chapter 13)
“It is the intercourse and
communication of the priesthood in heaven, that gives power, life, and efficacy
to the living priesthood on the earth, and without which they would be as dead
and withered branches: and if any man has life, or power, it is the power and
life of the priesthood, the gift and power of God communicated through the
regular channels of the priesthood, both in heaven and on earth; …” (Teachings: John Taylor, Chapter 13)
“The priesthood in the heavens
are uniting with us to bring about these purposes, and as they are governed by
the same principle, that our works may agree—that there may be a reciprocity of
action, and that God’s will (so far as we are concerned) may be done on the
earth as it is in heaven. It is this which we have to learn, and this which we
must do to fulfil our calling, and render our works acceptable in the sight of
God and of the holy angels, and also in the sight of our brethren, who are
associated with us in the priesthood in the kingdom of God on the earth.” (Teachings: John Taylor, Chapter 13)
In those statements, John Taylor not only described the
priesthood association between men and angels, but he also described another
significant purpose of the priesthood – “the building up of Zion”. Nephi (son
of Lehi), prophesied about the work of building Zion that would be done by
those who would accept the restored gospel, including the Book of Mormon, in
the latter-days:
And blessed are they who shall
seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the
power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted
up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb;
and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon
the mountains shall they be. (1 Nephi 13:37)
John Taylor said that building Zion is a work of the
priesthood and Nephi talked about those who would seek to bring forth Zion
after the translation and publication of the Book of Mormon. Nephi was
prophesying about latter-day priesthood holders. In connection with doing the
priesthood work of building Zion (or at least seeking to build it), the
latter-day priesthood holders would have the gift of the Holy Ghost and the
power of the Holy Ghost, which again shows how intertwined the priesthood is
with the Holy Ghost.
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