LDS Patriarchial Blessings: Genuine Prophecy or Wishful Thinking ???

drstevej

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LDS members receive a "Patriarchial Blessing" which makes many predictions. Is this genuine prophecy or wishful thinking. I say the latter.

Here is an example for consideration:

Patriarchal-Blessing-p1_reduced.jpg
 

withwonderingawe

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I don't know where you got this but Patriarchial Blessing are considered sacred and private, we don't flaunt them to the world. Posting it here is almost sacrilegious.

They are blessing and all blessing are predicated upon obedience and in accordance with faithfulness as the blessing states.
 
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drstevej

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If this offends you you can avoid the thread. It is a valid subject of debate.

"You are heir to your inheritance blessing through the lineage of Ephriam, the son of Joseph who was sold into slavery."

How can this be based upon obedience and faithfulness?
Could this be established genetically or is it wishful thinking?
 
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drstevej

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This is the topic:
LDS members receive a "Patriarchial Blessing" which makes many predictions. Is this genuine prophecy or wishful thinking. I say the latter.

I can add additional examples if the one I gave is not representative to illustrate the issues.
 
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ToBeLoved

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LDS members receive a "Patriarchial Blessing" which makes many predictions. Is this genuine prophecy or wishful thinking. I say the latter.

Here is an example for consideration:

Patriarchal-Blessing-p1_reduced.jpg
This is very interesting.

A few things that caught my eye.

the 'and the Lord shall direct' is prophesying. And those in the Old Testament, of the Melchezedek Priesthood would have been KILLED by God for a false prophecy.
http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/18-19.htm
Deuteronomy 18:19-20
19 It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. 20 'But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.


Jer. 28:9
“But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true

Ezek. 33:33

“When all this comes true - and it surely will - then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

Isaiah 48:3, 5
I declared the former things long ago and they went forth from My mouth, and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.… Therefore I declared them to you long ago, before they took place I proclaimed them to you, lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them, and my graven image and my molten image have commanded them’”


I wonder why they consider themselves of the inheritance blessing of the lineage of Ephraim?
 
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ToBeLoved

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Right now, we're upset because you made a spectacle of something that most people regard as personal.
It does say a lot about Mormonism and it is an official document. I think Dr. Steve is being very fair.

It is not making fun of it or using it for sport, but to see the information in it.
 
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ToBeLoved

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I don't know where you got this but Patriarchial Blessing are considered sacred and private, we don't flaunt them to the world. Posting it here is almost sacrilegious.

They are blessing and all blessing are predicated upon obedience and in accordance with faithfulness as the blessing states.
No, what it does is state "you were faithful to your Heavenly Parents". So the blessing is making an observation about the blessee
 
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ToBeLoved

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LDS members receive a "Patriarchial Blessing" which makes many predictions. Is this genuine prophecy or wishful thinking. I say the latter.

Here is an example for consideration:

Patriarchal-Blessing-p1_reduced.jpg

I did a little research on the holy Melchizedek priesthood as referenced above.


This is from the Christian perspective:


A Priest Like Melchizedek: A Study of Hebrews 7

The New Testament often quotes the Old Testament. One of the most commonly quoted verses is Psalm 110:1: "The Lord says to my Lord: `Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'" The Gospels tell us that Jesus quoted this verse as a scripture about the Messiah.

If we read further in this psalm, we will come to verse 4, which has a thought found nowhere else in the Old Testament. This Lord is to be a priest—not a Levitical priest, but a different kind of priest.

The book of Hebrews tells us that this verse of the psalm is also about Jesus. It briefly mentions this in chapter 5, and then again at the end of chapter 6, telling us that Jesus "has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." Chapter 7 then explains this in more detail.

A priest without genealogy
It begins with a quick summary of the story in Genesis 14: "This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything" (Heb. 7:1-2).

First, the unusual name is explained. The Hebrew word melek means king, and tsedek means righteousness, so his name is explained as meaning "king of righteousness." And since shalom means peace, he was also the "king of peace" (v. 2). These titles are significant because Melchizedek prefigures Jesus Christ.

Then we are told that Melchizedek was "without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever" (v. 3).

From the grammar, it is not clear whether Melchizedek is like the Son in every respect, or just in being a perpetual priest. We know that Jesus had a Father, a mother, a genealogy, a birth and a death, so he was different in these respects. Scripture does not say that Melchizedek was the Son of God—just that he was "like" the Son. Hebrews 1:1-2 implies that the Son of God did not speak to the patriarchs.

However, Melchizedek had no parents that are mentioned in Scripture. His position as priest did not depend on his parents or his genealogy (unlike the Levitical priests). His priesthood was a different kind, a different order. Similarly, Scripture says nothing about his birth or death (unlike the patriarchs, who are carefully chronicled). He did not create a dynasty of priests, each dying and passing the priesthood to a son.

We might say today that he came out of nowhere, and then disappeared. Nevertheless, he remains known as a priest even today. "He remains a priest forever ... is declared to be living" (vv. 3, 8). (A similar thought may be in Luke 20:37-38—the patriarchs are among "the living.") This mysterious Melchizedek is the prototype of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 110 predicted that the Lord would be a priest in the same way: not according to genealogy, but by special appointment. This order of priests was significant in several ways: 1) it was more important than the Levitical priesthood, 2) it implied that the Levitical priesthood was temporary and 3) the new order was permanent.

Greater than Levi
Although little is known about Melchizedek, we can discern that he was very important. Abraham gave him 10 percent of the spoils of war (v. 4). The old covenant required the Israelites to give 10 percent to the Levites, but Abraham gave 10 percent to Melchizedek even though Melchizedek was not a Levite (vs. 5-6). He was getting priestly honors before Levi was even born.

From this, the author constructs a hypothetical argument: "One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor" (vs. 9-10). The author knows that Levi didn't actually pay tithes to Melchizedek, but in a figure of speech he did. The point is that Abraham is greater than Levi, since Abraham is Levi's ancestor, and Melchizedek is greater than Abraham, since Abraham paid tithes to him, so Melchizedek is greater than Levi.

Verses 6-7 emphasize Melchizedek's greatness: He not only received a tithe, he also blessed Abraham. "And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater." Abraham is the lesser person—but the real point of comparison being made is with Levi.

Since Melchizedek is greater than Abraham, he is also greater than Levi, and—most important for the book of Hebrews—his priesthood is more important than the Levitical priesthood. The Levitical priests die, but Jesus has been made a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, a priesthood that is more important for our salvation.

New priesthood implies a new law
Now the author observes that "if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come—one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?" (v. 11).

Note in the middle of verse 11 that the law was given on the basis of the priesthood. The law was designed with the Levitical priesthood in mindthe law and the priesthood went together. But neither the law nor the priests could bring people to perfection. That is why Psalm 110 spoke of another priesthood.

The descendants of Aaron would be replaced by a better priesthood, a better priest—and that has enormous consequences: "For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law" (v. 12). What law is changed? The law that said only Levites could be priests. Which law said that? The old covenant. This will become more clear later in this chapter, and in the next few chapters.

But first, the author wants to make certain basic facts clear. "He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe" (v. 13). We are speaking about Jesus, of whom it is said that he is a priest after the order of Melchizedek—but Jesus was not a Levite. He belonged to the tribe of Judah, and no one from that tribe was ever a priest, and Moses did not authorize anyone from Judah to be a priest (v. 14).

"And what we have said"—that is, that the law has been changed—"is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life" (vs. 15-16).

Jesus was appointed as priest not by a law that focused on genealogy, but because he lives forever at God's right hand. From this fact alone, we can see that the Law of Moses is no longer in force.

"The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God" (vs. 18-19). The law that restricted the priesthood to Levites was ineffective.

How much was "set aside"? Certainly, it was the regulation restricting the priesthood. But no one expected that restriction to produce perfection, anyway. There is more involved than just one regulation. It is "the law" as a whole that is under discussion here. The law of Moses did not have the power to make anyone perfect. The best that the old covenant could offer was not good enough.

Instead of the law, we are given a better hope, and since we have something better than the law, we are now able to draw near to God in a way that was not possible under the law of Moses.

Guaranteed by an oath
The author then uses a small detail from Psalm 110 to emphasize the importance of Jesus' appointment as priest. God himself makes an oath to appoint Jesus as high priest (v. 20). The descendants of Aaron became priests without any oath, but Jesus became priest by a special oath.

The old covenant was given by God, but here is a new word from God—not just an oath but also a promise of permanence: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: `You are a priest forever' " (v. 21). The old priesthood is obsolete. The old regulation was set aside. A new and better hope is given to bring people to a perfection that the law could not give.

"Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant" (v. 22). Here the word covenant is used for the first time in this letter, almost casually. It will be picked up again in the next three chapters for more detailed comment, but even here it is implied to be a replacement for the inferior, ineffective law of Moses. The discussion is not just about a minor priestly regulation but a covenant, which includes many laws.

Taken from https://www.gci.org/bible/hebrews7
 
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Jane_Doe

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It does say a lot about Mormonism and it is an official document. I think Dr. Steve is being very fair.

It is not making fun of it or using it for sport, but to see the information in it.

Displaying a personal document on a public forum is inappropriate. And it isn't even Steve's personal document to display.
 
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ToBeLoved

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LDS members receive a "Patriarchial Blessing" which makes many predictions. Is this genuine prophecy or wishful thinking. I say the latter.

Here is an example for consideration:

Patriarchal-Blessing-p1_reduced.jpg
From the LDS and a Christian perspective:


The authority of the LDS Church as the only true church on the earth today rests on its claim that it alone is the custodian of the “Melchizedek priesthood”—a priestly order that God supposedly withdrew from the world sometime after the passing of the New Testament apostles. Mormons believe this priesthood is something the early church had and that has now been “restored” through Joseph Smith. The New Testament does talk about Melchizedek and priesthood in Hebrews 7. Is the rest of Christianity missing something essential to the Christian church that only the Mormons have? What does Hebrews 7 really teach about Melchizedek and priesthood? We’ll consider those questions in this article.


A. Melchizedek Priesthood: Is There Such a Thing?

The second and far more important priesthood division in LDS religion is the Melchizedek priesthood. According to LDS teaching, the Aaronic priesthood is merely “an appendage” to the Melchizedek priesthood (D&C 107:14). Although the name might suggest that Mormons view Melchizedek as the first member of this priesthood, in fact that is not their view at all. According to the Book of Mormon, the priesthood order is actually “the holy order of God” or “the order of the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father” and existed “from the foundation of the world…being prepared from eternity to eternity” (Alma 13:2, 6-7, 9, 18; see also Alma 4:20). Melchizedek “was also a high priest after this same order” (Alma 13:14). Although there were many priests in this order both before and after Melchizedek, “none were greater,” which is why it is sometimes named for him (Alma 13:19).

In Doctrine & Covenants, Joseph Smith gives a similar explanation for the term Melchizedek priesthood:

“Why the first is called the Melchizedek Priesthood is because Melchizedek was such a great high priest. Before his day it was called the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God. But out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too frequent repetition of his name, they, the church, in ancient days, called that priesthood after Melchizedek, or the Melchizedek Priesthood” (D&C 107:2-4).

There are at least two fatal problems with this explanation for the term “Melchizedek priesthood.” The first problem is simply that the term “Melchizedek priesthood” never occurs in any ancient literature. In fact, not only does this term never appear in the Bible, it never appears in the Book of Mormon, the Book of Abraham, or the Book of Moses—even though all three books refer to priests and priesthood. Moreover, in all three of these books that Mormons view as ancient scripture, only one person is ever said to be a priest “after the order of Melchizedek”: Jesus Christ—and only in two passages of the Bible (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5-7). To say that this expression was used to avoid the “too frequent repetition” of the name of God doesn’t make any sense given how rare the expression is.

The second problem is that the practice of using substitute terms or names in place of God’s name began long, long after the time of Melchizedek (who lived around 2000 BC). There is no evidence whatsoever for the practice until toward the end of the Old Testament period (roughly 500-400 BC). The word “God” appears about 200 times in the book of Genesis (where Melchizedek is mentioned) alone!

According to LDS doctrine, the “Melchizedek priesthood” is an eternal priesthood order that existed before the world and that was passed down from generation to generation. It is “the order ofMelchizedek, which was after the order of Enoch, which was after the order of the Only Begotten Son” (D&C 76:57). In D&C 84, Joseph Smith gives a kind of genealogy of the priesthood, tracing its history from Moses backward through his father-in-law Jethro, Abraham, Melchizedek, Noah, Enoch, Abel, and finally Adam (D&C 84:6-16). In the same revelation, Joseph Smith explains that God took this greater priesthood away from the Israelites because of their disobedience in the wilderness following the Exodus, while the lesser Aaronic priesthood continued to be passed down from one generation to the next until John the Baptist (D&C 84:18-28). Jesus, who as the Only Begotten Son already had the Melchizedek priesthood, restored it to the earth for a short time in the first century, but with the passing of the apostles God again removed that priesthood from the earth. The LDS Church teaches that the Lord restored both priesthoods in 1829 by having heavenly figures confer them on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery—the Aaronic priesthood by John the Baptist in May 1829 and the Melchizedek priesthood by the apostles Peter, James, and John in June 1829 (see D&C 13:1; 27:7-8, 12-13).

Beyond the issue of the term “Melchizedek priesthood,” the LDS understanding or idea of that priesthood is simply not consistent with the teaching of the Bible. Specifically, it distorts the teaching of Hebrews 7, the main passage in the New Testament on the subject, as we shall now explain.

B. Melchizedek and the Priesthood: What the Bible Says

The LDS concept of the Melchizedek priesthood departs even more radically from biblical teaching, if that were possible, than their concept of the Aaronic priesthood. In the Bible, there is no such thing as a “Melchizedek priesthood” that men hold and pass down from one generation to the next. We may see this simply by reading the only three passages in the Bible that mention Melchizedek: Genesis 14, Psalm 110, and Hebrews 5-7.

Melchizedek is a mysterious figure in Genesis 14 who stands alone in the narrative. In contrast to all of the other significant figures of the book of Genesis whose genealogies provide some background as to their origins (see especially Genesis 4, 5, 11, 25, 35, and 36), we are told nothing about Melchizedek’s family, tribe, or roots, or even about his birth or death. He appears suddenly in the narrative as the “king of Salem” (later called Jerusalem) and as “a priest of God Most High” (Genesis 14:18). Melchizedek served Abram and his men bread and wine and blessed Abram following Abram’s defeat of the five kings and rescue of Lot. In turn, Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of the spoils of the battle (Genesis 14:19-20). That is literally all that the Bible tells us about this man Melchizedek. The text tells us nothing about how he came to be a priest, and certainly does not suggest that he ordained Abraham (or anyone else, for that matter) as a priest. As far as we can tell from the book of Genesis, Melchizedek was, figuratively speaking, an “order” of one priest. As we shall see, this is not a mistaken way of reading Genesis 14.

The only other Old Testament reference to Melchizedek comes in Psalm 110:4, which says that the Messiah would be “a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” David (the psalmist) was not referring to a priestly office that was being passed from one generation to the next from Melchizedek down to the time of David and that would continue to be passed all the way down to Jesus. David doesn’t even claim that he is a priest, but speaks prophetically of his future descendant who will be that priest. Throughout Psalm 110, David is speaking of the exalted position that his descendant the Messiah would have forever as the King ruling at God’s right hand (see especially verses 1-2, 5). Just as Melchizedek was a king-priest ruling on the throne in pre-Israelite Jerusalem, so the Messiah would be a king-priest ruling at God’s right hand on his heavenly throne, of which David’s throne in Jerusalem was a type. Neither David nor any other Israelite king in Jerusalem was a priest; the prophetic words of Psalm 110 refer forward to just one individual, Jesus the Messiah. Psalm 110 thus treats Melchizedek as a type of the Messiah, a human being foreshadowing the coming of the ultimate, eternal King-Priest. Melchizedek is not an example of a position that all worthy men may hold, but a type prefiguring one Man, Jesus Christ, whose position is absolutely unique.

The enigmatic figure of Melchizedek prompted all sorts of speculations about him in ancient Jewish literature outside the Bible, as well as later Christian literature. However, no ancient literature of any kind (unless one counts the Book of Mormon) identifies Melchizedek’s priesthood as belonging to an order that was passed down from one generation to the next. The idea simply does not come up in any of the ancient Jewish and Christian writings that referred to Melchizedek. (See, for example, the articles on Melchizedek in such standard reference works as the Anchor Bible Dictionary or the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.) We may presume that there were priests serving the true God both before and after Melchizedek (although Genesis does not mention any other priests of God besides Melchizedek), but neither the Bible nor any ancient text outside the Bible presents him as a figure whose priesthood was transmitted from person to person.

Now we come to the last mention of Melchizedek in the Bible—Hebrews 5-7. Hebrews states repeatedly, quoting Psalm 110:4, that Jesus is a priest “according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:11, 17). This is surely an odd way of stating matters if, as the LDS Church teaches, Melchizedek was actually a priest after the order of Jesus! The LDS teaching turns the argument of Hebrews 5-7 on its head. Hebrews teaches that Melchizedek’s priesthood was a type of Jesus’ priesthood that was to come; the LDS Church teaches that Melchizedek’s priesthood was an example of Jesus’ primordial priesthood that he passed down to him.

Mormons often argue that Melchizedek’s priesthood must have been part of an order that could be passed from one generation to the next because Psalm 110:4 (and its quotations in Hebrews) refers to “the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews also contrasts “the order of Melchizedek” with “the order of Aaron” (Hebrews 7:11). This argument overlooks evidence in Hebrews that the author is interpreting “order” figuratively with regard to Melchizedek. The writer shows us what he understood Psalm 110:4 to mean when he says that Jesus is a priest “according to the likeness of Melchizedek” (7:15). He is arguing that Jesus holds a unique position that Melchizedek’s status as a king and priest foreshadowed. As we have seen, this is precisely what Psalm 110 says as well.

The Book of Hebrews, especially in chapter 7, draws several comparisons between Melchizedek and Jesus to show that Melchizedek was a type of Jesus, the future Messiah:

  • Melchizedek’s name foreshadows Jesus as the “king of righteousness,” and his position as king of Salem (Jerusalem) foreshadows Jesus as the king of peace (Hebrews 7:2).
  • The account of Melchizedek in Genesis does not mention his parents, genealogy, or the beginning or end of his life (unlike the other major figures in Genesis). This makes him foreshadow the coming of Jesus, who as the divine Son of God is literally eternal (Hebrews 7:3).
  • Melchizedek was apparently greater than Abraham and his descendant Levi, since Melchizedek collected tithes from Abraham and imparted a blessing on Abraham (Hebrews 7:4-10). Likewise, Jesus is greater than Abraham or Levi.
  • Melchizedek was both a king and a priest, something which under the Mosaic Law was not true of anyone in David’s tribe of Judah (Hebrews 7:14). But Jesus is both King and Priest as prophesied in Psalm 110 (Hebrews 7:15-17).
Again, what this shows is that Melchizedek was not a member of a priestly order that began with Jesus. Rather, he was a priest who foreshadowed the priesthood to end all priesthoods, the priesthood of Jesus.

Another problem for the LDS view is that Hebrews teaches that Jesus was not already a priest in this order that supposedly existed before the world, but rather that he became a priest (or a high priest) at his resurrection and exaltation to the right hand of the Father. Jesus had to become a human being “so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17 ESV). It was after his death and resurrection that Jesus was “designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek” (5:10 ESV). Jesus went into heaven, “having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (6:20). Jesus was “another priest” who was to “arise” (7:11, 15). These statements all indicate that Jesus’ priesthood was not a primordial priesthood passed down by Jesus through Adam to Melchizedek and other men. Rather, Jesus’ priesthood was the ultimate reality that those mortal priests merely anticipated. Jesus became our priest by dying on the cross for our sins, rising from the dead, and ascending to heaven to enter the heavenly “sanctuary” and sit down at God’s right hand to make intercession for those who put their faith in him. In doing these things, Jesus has become the fulfillment of everything that the system of priests and sacrifices had symbolized and prefigured. To put it succinctly: Jesus is not the first priest; he is the last priest.

Once the meal has been served, there is no more use for the menu. Once you arrive at your destination, you have no further need of a map. Once you find the person for whom you are searching, you are done with artists’ sketches of what the person looks like. Likewise, once the real High Priest has offered the ultimate, final sacrifice for sins and taken his place as our Intercessor, we have no use for earthly priests whose sacrifices and offerings actually did nothing to take away sins (Hebrews 10:1-18).

That Jesus is the last priest, the final high priest, is also clear from the teaching of Hebrews that Jesus holds his office of high priest permanently. In Israelite religion under the Mosaic covenant, the high priesthood was an office passed down from one generation to the next for the obvious reason that mortal high priests died. Unlike those priests who died and passed down their office to others, Jesus holds his office as high priest “forever” and “permanently” (5:6; 6:20; 7:17, 21, 24). Jesus holds his office of priest “according to the power of an indestructible life,” because he is immortal (7:16). That is, being immortal is a key qualification for Jesus holding this priesthood. Anyone who is mortal, therefore, is unqualified to hold this priesthood. Of course, that applies to all Mormons—and to the rest of mortal humanity as well.

Thus, like Melchizedek, Jesus is a priestly “order” of one member. He is the only priest of his kind because he alone is perfectly innocent, holy, immortal, and exalted, sitting at the right hand of God the Father in heaven (Hebrews 7:26-8:2). The church never “lost” this office because Jesus has had it all along!

It is truly distressing to see that in two chapters (13 and 14) on priesthood in Gospel Principles, the idea that Jesus Christ is our heavenly high priest is never mentioned and plays no role in the LDS understanding of priesthood. The LDS Church loudly claims that it is centered on Christ, yet on this fundamental aspect of the redeeming work of Christ, LDS teaching is strangely off the mark. Instead of magnifying Jesus Christ as our great, heavenly, eternal High Priest, the LDS view of priesthood emphasizes its religious ordinances and offices, promoting the LDS Church hierarchy as a system for magnifying one’s own spiritual worthiness.


Taken from http://irr.org/jesus-melchizedek-and-priesthood
 
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ToBeLoved

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Displaying a personal document on a public forum is inappropriate. And it isn't even Steve's personal document to display.
But it is a real document and not speculation. So in that way we can see what it really entails without speculating. That's why I find it so interesting.
 
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ToBeLoved

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LDS members receive a "Patriarchial Blessing" which makes many predictions. Is this genuine prophecy or wishful thinking. I say the latter.

Here is an example for consideration:

Patriarchal-Blessing-p1_reduced.jpg
The Mormon perspective per lds website


The Guide to the Scriptures

Melchizedek Priesthood
See also Elder; Melchizedek; Priesthood

The Melchizedek Priesthood is the higher or greater priesthood; the Aaronic Priesthood is the lesser priesthood. The Melchizedek Priesthood includes the keys of the spiritual blessings of the Church. Through the ordinances of the higher priesthood, the power of godliness is made manifest to men (D&C 84:18–25; 107:18–21).

God first revealed this higher priesthood to Adam. The patriarchs and prophets in every dispensation had this authority (D&C 84:6–17). It was first called the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God. It later became known as the Melchizedek Priesthood (D&C 107:2–4).

When the children of Israel failed to live up to the privileges and covenants of the Melchizedek Priesthood, the Lord took away the higher law and gave them a lesser priesthood and a lesser law (D&C 84:23–26). These were called the Aaronic Priesthood and the law of Moses. When Jesus came to the earth, he restored the Melchizedek Priesthood to the Jews and began to build up the Church among them. However, the priesthood and the Church were lost again through apostasy. They were later restored through Joseph Smith, Jr. (D&C 27:12–13; 128:20; JS—H 1:73).

Within the Melchizedek Priesthood are the offices of elder, high priest, patriarch, Seventy, and Apostle (D&C 107). The Melchizedek Priesthood will always be a part of the kingdom of God upon the earth.

The President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the president of the high or Melchizedek Priesthood, and he holds all the keys that pertain to the kingdom of God on the earth. The calling of President is held by only one man at a time, and he is the only person on the earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys (D&C 107:64–67; 132:7).

  • Christ shall be a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek:Ps. 110:4; ( Heb. 5:6, 10; Heb. 7:11; )
  • The Melchizedek Priesthood administers the gospel:Heb. 7; ( D&C 84:18–25; )
  • Melchizedek exercised mighty faith and received the office of the high priesthood:Alma 13:18;
  • The Melchizedek Priesthood was conferred on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery:D&C 27:12–13; ( JS—H 1:72; )
  • This priesthood received by oath and covenant:D&C 84:33–42;
  • There are two divisions or grand heads, the Melchizedek and the Aaronic priesthoods:D&C 107:6;
  • The Melchizedek Priesthood holds the rights to administer all spiritual blessings:D&C 107:8–18;
  • Moses, Elias, and Elijah gave Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery priesthood keys:D&C 110:11–16;
  • I now give unto you the officers belonging to my priesthood, that ye may hold the keys thereof:D&C 124:123;

Taken from https://www.lds.org/scriptures/gs/melchizedek-priesthood?lang=eng
 
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From the LDS and a Christian perspective:


The authority of the LDS Church as the only true church on the earth today rests on its claim that it alone is the custodian of the “Melchizedek priesthood”—a priestly order that God supposedly withdrew from the world sometime after the passing of the New Testament apostles. Mormons believe this priesthood is something the early church had and that has now been “restored” through Joseph Smith. The New Testament does talk about Melchizedek and priesthood in Hebrews 7. Is the rest of Christianity missing something essential to the Christian church that only the Mormons have? What does Hebrews 7 really teach about Melchizedek and priesthood? We’ll consider those questions in this article.


A. Melchizedek Priesthood: Is There Such a Thing?

The second and far more important priesthood division in LDS religion is the Melchizedek priesthood. According to LDS teaching, the Aaronic priesthood is merely “an appendage” to the Melchizedek priesthood (D&C 107:14). Although the name might suggest that Mormons view Melchizedek as the first member of this priesthood, in fact that is not their view at all. According to the Book of Mormon, the priesthood order is actually “the holy order of God” or “the order of the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father” and existed “from the foundation of the world…being prepared from eternity to eternity” (Alma 13:2, 6-7, 9, 18; see also Alma 4:20). Melchizedek “was also a high priest after this same order” (Alma 13:14). Although there were many priests in this order both before and after Melchizedek, “none were greater,” which is why it is sometimes named for him (Alma 13:19).

In Doctrine & Covenants, Joseph Smith gives a similar explanation for the term Melchizedek priesthood:

“Why the first is called the Melchizedek Priesthood is because Melchizedek was such a great high priest. Before his day it was called the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God. But out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too frequent repetition of his name, they, the church, in ancient days, called that priesthood after Melchizedek, or the Melchizedek Priesthood” (D&C 107:2-4).

There are at least two fatal problems with this explanation for the term “Melchizedek priesthood.” The first problem is simply that the term “Melchizedek priesthood” never occurs in any ancient literature. In fact, not only does this term never appear in the Bible, it never appears in the Book of Mormon, the Book of Abraham, or the Book of Moses—even though all three books refer to priests and priesthood. Moreover, in all three of these books that Mormons view as ancient scripture, only one person is ever said to be a priest “after the order of Melchizedek”: Jesus Christ—and only in two passages of the Bible (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5-7). To say that this expression was used to avoid the “too frequent repetition” of the name of God doesn’t make any sense given how rare the expression is.

The second problem is that the practice of using substitute terms or names in place of God’s name began long, long after the time of Melchizedek (who lived around 2000 BC). There is no evidence whatsoever for the practice until toward the end of the Old Testament period (roughly 500-400 BC). The word “God” appears about 200 times in the book of Genesis (where Melchizedek is mentioned) alone!

According to LDS doctrine, the “Melchizedek priesthood” is an eternal priesthood order that existed before the world and that was passed down from generation to generation. It is “the order ofMelchizedek, which was after the order of Enoch, which was after the order of the Only Begotten Son” (D&C 76:57). In D&C 84, Joseph Smith gives a kind of genealogy of the priesthood, tracing its history from Moses backward through his father-in-law Jethro, Abraham, Melchizedek, Noah, Enoch, Abel, and finally Adam (D&C 84:6-16). In the same revelation, Joseph Smith explains that God took this greater priesthood away from the Israelites because of their disobedience in the wilderness following the Exodus, while the lesser Aaronic priesthood continued to be passed down from one generation to the next until John the Baptist (D&C 84:18-28). Jesus, who as the Only Begotten Son already had the Melchizedek priesthood, restored it to the earth for a short time in the first century, but with the passing of the apostles God again removed that priesthood from the earth. The LDS Church teaches that the Lord restored both priesthoods in 1829 by having heavenly figures confer them on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery—the Aaronic priesthood by John the Baptist in May 1829 and the Melchizedek priesthood by the apostles Peter, James, and John in June 1829 (see D&C 13:1; 27:7-8, 12-13).

Beyond the issue of the term “Melchizedek priesthood,” the LDS understanding or idea of that priesthood is simply not consistent with the teaching of the Bible. Specifically, it distorts the teaching of Hebrews 7, the main passage in the New Testament on the subject, as we shall now explain.

B. Melchizedek and the Priesthood: What the Bible Says

The LDS concept of the Melchizedek priesthood departs even more radically from biblical teaching, if that were possible, than their concept of the Aaronic priesthood. In the Bible, there is no such thing as a “Melchizedek priesthood” that men hold and pass down from one generation to the next. We may see this simply by reading the only three passages in the Bible that mention Melchizedek: Genesis 14, Psalm 110, and Hebrews 5-7.

Melchizedek is a mysterious figure in Genesis 14 who stands alone in the narrative. In contrast to all of the other significant figures of the book of Genesis whose genealogies provide some background as to their origins (see especially Genesis 4, 5, 11, 25, 35, and 36), we are told nothing about Melchizedek’s family, tribe, or roots, or even about his birth or death. He appears suddenly in the narrative as the “king of Salem” (later called Jerusalem) and as “a priest of God Most High” (Genesis 14:18). Melchizedek served Abram and his men bread and wine and blessed Abram following Abram’s defeat of the five kings and rescue of Lot. In turn, Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of the spoils of the battle (Genesis 14:19-20). That is literally all that the Bible tells us about this man Melchizedek. The text tells us nothing about how he came to be a priest, and certainly does not suggest that he ordained Abraham (or anyone else, for that matter) as a priest. As far as we can tell from the book of Genesis, Melchizedek was, figuratively speaking, an “order” of one priest. As we shall see, this is not a mistaken way of reading Genesis 14.

The only other Old Testament reference to Melchizedek comes in Psalm 110:4, which says that the Messiah would be “a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” David (the psalmist) was not referring to a priestly office that was being passed from one generation to the next from Melchizedek down to the time of David and that would continue to be passed all the way down to Jesus. David doesn’t even claim that he is a priest, but speaks prophetically of his future descendant who will be that priest. Throughout Psalm 110, David is speaking of the exalted position that his descendant the Messiah would have forever as the King ruling at God’s right hand (see especially verses 1-2, 5). Just as Melchizedek was a king-priest ruling on the throne in pre-Israelite Jerusalem, so the Messiah would be a king-priest ruling at God’s right hand on his heavenly throne, of which David’s throne in Jerusalem was a type. Neither David nor any other Israelite king in Jerusalem was a priest; the prophetic words of Psalm 110 refer forward to just one individual, Jesus the Messiah. Psalm 110 thus treats Melchizedek as a type of the Messiah, a human being foreshadowing the coming of the ultimate, eternal King-Priest. Melchizedek is not an example of a position that all worthy men may hold, but a type prefiguring one Man, Jesus Christ, whose position is absolutely unique.

The enigmatic figure of Melchizedek prompted all sorts of speculations about him in ancient Jewish literature outside the Bible, as well as later Christian literature. However, no ancient literature of any kind (unless one counts the Book of Mormon) identifies Melchizedek’s priesthood as belonging to an order that was passed down from one generation to the next. The idea simply does not come up in any of the ancient Jewish and Christian writings that referred to Melchizedek. (See, for example, the articles on Melchizedek in such standard reference works as the Anchor Bible Dictionary or the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.) We may presume that there were priests serving the true God both before and after Melchizedek (although Genesis does not mention any other priests of God besides Melchizedek), but neither the Bible nor any ancient text outside the Bible presents him as a figure whose priesthood was transmitted from person to person.

Now we come to the last mention of Melchizedek in the Bible—Hebrews 5-7. Hebrews states repeatedly, quoting Psalm 110:4, that Jesus is a priest “according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:11, 17). This is surely an odd way of stating matters if, as the LDS Church teaches, Melchizedek was actually a priest after the order of Jesus! The LDS teaching turns the argument of Hebrews 5-7 on its head. Hebrews teaches that Melchizedek’s priesthood was a type of Jesus’ priesthood that was to come; the LDS Church teaches that Melchizedek’s priesthood was an example of Jesus’ primordial priesthood that he passed down to him.

Mormons often argue that Melchizedek’s priesthood must have been part of an order that could be passed from one generation to the next because Psalm 110:4 (and its quotations in Hebrews) refers to “the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews also contrasts “the order of Melchizedek” with “the order of Aaron” (Hebrews 7:11). This argument overlooks evidence in Hebrews that the author is interpreting “order” figuratively with regard to Melchizedek. The writer shows us what he understood Psalm 110:4 to mean when he says that Jesus is a priest “according to the likeness of Melchizedek” (7:15). He is arguing that Jesus holds a unique position that Melchizedek’s status as a king and priest foreshadowed. As we have seen, this is precisely what Psalm 110 says as well.

The Book of Hebrews, especially in chapter 7, draws several comparisons between Melchizedek and Jesus to show that Melchizedek was a type of Jesus, the future Messiah:

  • Melchizedek’s name foreshadows Jesus as the “king of righteousness,” and his position as king of Salem (Jerusalem) foreshadows Jesus as the king of peace (Hebrews 7:2).
  • The account of Melchizedek in Genesis does not mention his parents, genealogy, or the beginning or end of his life (unlike the other major figures in Genesis). This makes him foreshadow the coming of Jesus, who as the divine Son of God is literally eternal (Hebrews 7:3).
  • Melchizedek was apparently greater than Abraham and his descendant Levi, since Melchizedek collected tithes from Abraham and imparted a blessing on Abraham (Hebrews 7:4-10). Likewise, Jesus is greater than Abraham or Levi.
  • Melchizedek was both a king and a priest, something which under the Mosaic Law was not true of anyone in David’s tribe of Judah (Hebrews 7:14). But Jesus is both King and Priest as prophesied in Psalm 110 (Hebrews 7:15-17).
Again, what this shows is that Melchizedek was not a member of a priestly order that began with Jesus. Rather, he was a priest who foreshadowed the priesthood to end all priesthoods, the priesthood of Jesus.

Another problem for the LDS view is that Hebrews teaches that Jesus was not already a priest in this order that supposedly existed before the world, but rather that he became a priest (or a high priest) at his resurrection and exaltation to the right hand of the Father. Jesus had to become a human being “so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17 ESV). It was after his death and resurrection that Jesus was “designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek” (5:10 ESV). Jesus went into heaven, “having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (6:20). Jesus was “another priest” who was to “arise” (7:11, 15). These statements all indicate that Jesus’ priesthood was not a primordial priesthood passed down by Jesus through Adam to Melchizedek and other men. Rather, Jesus’ priesthood was the ultimate reality that those mortal priests merely anticipated. Jesus became our priest by dying on the cross for our sins, rising from the dead, and ascending to heaven to enter the heavenly “sanctuary” and sit down at God’s right hand to make intercession for those who put their faith in him. In doing these things, Jesus has become the fulfillment of everything that the system of priests and sacrifices had symbolized and prefigured. To put it succinctly: Jesus is not the first priest; he is the last priest.

Once the meal has been served, there is no more use for the menu. Once you arrive at your destination, you have no further need of a map. Once you find the person for whom you are searching, you are done with artists’ sketches of what the person looks like. Likewise, once the real High Priest has offered the ultimate, final sacrifice for sins and taken his place as our Intercessor, we have no use for earthly priests whose sacrifices and offerings actually did nothing to take away sins (Hebrews 10:1-18).

That Jesus is the last priest, the final high priest, is also clear from the teaching of Hebrews that Jesus holds his office of high priest permanently. In Israelite religion under the Mosaic covenant, the high priesthood was an office passed down from one generation to the next for the obvious reason that mortal high priests died. Unlike those priests who died and passed down their office to others, Jesus holds his office as high priest “forever” and “permanently” (5:6; 6:20; 7:17, 21, 24). Jesus holds his office of priest “according to the power of an indestructible life,” because he is immortal (7:16). That is, being immortal is a key qualification for Jesus holding this priesthood. Anyone who is mortal, therefore, is unqualified to hold this priesthood. Of course, that applies to all Mormons—and to the rest of mortal humanity as well.

Thus, like Melchizedek, Jesus is a priestly “order” of one member. He is the only priest of his kind because he alone is perfectly innocent, holy, immortal, and exalted, sitting at the right hand of God the Father in heaven (Hebrews 7:26-8:2). The church never “lost” this office because Jesus has had it all along!

It is truly distressing to see that in two chapters (13 and 14) on priesthood in Gospel Principles, the idea that Jesus Christ is our heavenly high priest is never mentioned and plays no role in the LDS understanding of priesthood. The LDS Church loudly claims that it is centered on Christ, yet on this fundamental aspect of the redeeming work of Christ, LDS teaching is strangely off the mark. Instead of magnifying Jesus Christ as our great, heavenly, eternal High Priest, the LDS view of priesthood emphasizes its religious ordinances and offices, promoting the LDS Church hierarchy as a system for magnifying one’s own spiritual worthiness.


Taken from http://irr.org/jesus-melchizedek-and-priesthood
Oh no I see the error of my ways. The church isn't true. I must repent.
 
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Albion

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Displaying a personal document on a public forum is inappropriate. And it isn't even Steve's personal document to display.
That's why it's not an issue. It's in the public domain. What's more, Steve is not a member and so is not ethically bound the way members of the Patriarch's church might be.
 
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Jane_Doe

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That's why it's not an issue. It's in the public domain. What's more, Steve is not a member and so is not ethically bound the way members of the Patriarch's church might be.

So... that gives Steve the right to disrespect other people's beliefs, and post someone else's personal document up on the web??? How is this Christ-like behavior?
 
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Albion

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So... that gives Steve the right to disrespect other people's beliefs
Certainly. That's why this is a DISCUSSION board, and the forum is dedicated to DEBATING topics relating to religions such as the one referred to.

To be sure, you have the right to debate also, to offer your own ideas in reply to what the OP asked, along with whatever evidence or other information you think relevant.

In addition, you say it 'disrespects' something, but the OP doesn't take a definite stand. It presented the document and asked what we think.
 
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