Priesthood 

Summary

In the early 1830s, often referred to an “order of men set apart for sacred offices”; also referred more generally to power or authority from God.1 The priesthood was conferred through the laying on of hands to adult male members of the church in good standing; no specialized training was required.2 Priesthood officers held responsibility for administering the sacrament of the Lord’s supper and other ordinances, overseeing pastoral duties, preaching, and proselytizing.3 A September 1832 revelation specified that there were two levels of priesthood: a greater priesthood, which held “the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God”; and a lesser priesthood, which held “the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel.”4 In 1835, JS designated the lesser priesthood as the Aaronic Priesthood and the greater priesthood as the Melchizedek Priesthood.5 According to revelations and JS’s account, he received these keys, or governing authority in the priesthood, from the biblical figures John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John.6 See also “High Priesthood.”