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Instruction on Priesthood, circa 5 October 1840

Source Note

JS, Instruction on Priesthood, [, Hancock Co., IL], ca. 5 Oct. 1840; handwriting of ; ten pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes dockets.
Ten leaves, each measuring 10 × 8 inches (25 × 20 cm). Eight of the leaves are green; two are yellow. The text was inscribed on the versos of blank forms, five of which bear certificates with the printed notation “Kirtland, [blank], 1837. Treasurer of the Kirtland Safety Society Anti-Banking Co. pay [blank] or bearer, [blank] dollars.” The versos of the other five leaves contain certificates with the printed notation “Kirtland, [blank] 1837. [blank] days after date, we jointly and severally promise to pay [blank] or order, [blank] Dollars, value received.” The leaves were folded for filing.
The document was docketed by , who began serving as a scribe to JS in 1843, and also by . It is listed in the Historian’s Office inventory, circa 1904. Between 1974 and 1984, it was included in the JS Collection (Supplement). The dockets and inventory suggest continuous institutional custody since the document’s creation.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    “Index to Papers in the Historian’s Office,” ca. 1904, draft, 5; “Index to Papers in the Historian’s Office,” ca. 1904, 5, Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL; see also the full bibliographic entry for JS Collection (Supplement), 1833–1844, in the CHL catalog. The circa 1904 Historian’s Office inventories listed this item as “Priesthood: And investigation of from scriptures (book C. pp. 16, 17, and 18. addenda),” indicating that it had been transcribed into the multivolume manuscript history of the church. (See JS History, vol. C-1, addenda, 16–18.)

    Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

Historical Introduction

This instruction on was read by on 5 October 1840 during a morning session of the general held from 3 to 5 October in , Illinois. Thompson presented it as “an article on the priesthood, composed by Joseph Smith jr.” later remembered witnessing JS dictate the statement specifically for presentation at the October conference, meaning JS likely composed the document shortly before Thompson read it on 5 October. According to Coray, JS dictated it after unsuccessfully “examining or hunting in the manuscript of the new translation of the Bible for something on Priesthood.” Coray recalled that JS gave the instruction during a revelatory moment in which “the Spirit of God descended upon him [JS], and a measure of it upon me, insomuch that I could fully realize that God, or the Holy Ghost, was talking through him.”
This instruction built on earlier revelations and statements about the priesthood. Echoing an 1832 revelation, as well as instruction JS prepared with the probable assistance of in 1835, the document briefly described the two major divisions of the priesthood: the and the . In summer 1839, JS preached a sermon that covered a number of similar themes, discussing the division of time into and stating that Old Testament figures, such as Adam and Elijah, would help restore priesthood authority in a final dispensation in the last days. In that sermon, JS argued that the renewal of ancient ceremonies would accompany the restoration of priesthood authority. In this circa 5 October 1840 instruction, JS stated that even animal sacrifice, as practiced in the Old Testament, would be restored in the last days, in keeping with biblical prophecy.
JS also instructed the Saints on the doctrine of translation—a power that enabled individuals to live in a transformed state of being until the second coming of Jesus Christ and that he said belonged to the Melchizedek Priesthood. The doctrine of translation was not unique to JS and his teachings. The basic concept is articulated in the New Testament’s epistle to the Hebrews, which states that “by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death.” According to contemporary Methodist theologian Adam Clarke, this passage teaches that Enoch “did not die: and that God took him to a state of blessedness without obliging him to pass through death.” JS diverged from such nineteenth-century theologians by teaching that translated beings served as “ministering angels Unto many planets” and by emphasizing these beings’ connection to the priesthood. In addition to these themes, JS discussed the patriarchal nature of the priesthood, something that had also been discussed in earlier revelations and instructions.
According to the minutes of the 3–5 October 1840 general conference, made a few remarks before reading the instruction, which was then followed by further statements on the priesthood by . Thompson served as scribe for the instruction. The version featured here is probably not the original draft of JS’s dictation, but it may have been the copy read at the conference.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Minutes and Discourse, 3–5 Oct. 1840.

  2. [2]

    Coray, Autobiographical Sketch, 5. The “new translation” referred to JS’s Bible translation, in which he revised, clarified, and added to the Bible. The passage that JS hoped to find for the conference may have been this passage from his revision of the book of Genesis that contains the essence of his instruction: “Now this same presthood which was in the begining shall be in the end of the world als[o].” (Old Testament Revision 2, p. 14 [Moses 6:7].)

    Coray, Howard. Autobiographical Sketch, after 1883. Howard Coray, Papers, ca. 1840–1941. Photocopy. CHL. MS 2043, fd. 1.

  3. [3]

    Coray, Autobiographical Sketch, 5.

    Coray, Howard. Autobiographical Sketch, after 1883. Howard Coray, Papers, ca. 1840–1941. Photocopy. CHL. MS 2043, fd. 1.

  4. [4]

    Revelation, 22–23 Sept. 1832 [D&C 84]; Instruction on Priesthood, between ca. 1 Mar. and ca. 4 May 1835 [D&C 107].

  5. [5]

    Discourse, between ca. 26 June and ca. 4 Aug. 1839–A.

  6. [6]

    Hebrews 11:5.

  7. [7]

    Clarke, New Testament, 390.

    Clarke, Adam. The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Text Carefully Printed from the Most Correct Copies of the Present Authorised Version, Including the Marginal Readings and Parallel Texts, with a Commentary and Critical Notes. . . . Vol. 1. New York: B. Waugh and T. Mason, for the Methodist Episcopal Church, 1833.

  8. [8]

    Revelation, 22–23 Sept. 1832 [D&C 84:6–34]; Instruction on Priesthood, between ca. 1 Mar. and ca. 4 May 1835 [D&C 107:40–57].

  9. [9]

    Minutes and Discourse, 3–5 Oct. 1840.

  10. [10]

    The manuscript was not published during JS’s lifetime but eventually was printed in the 5 October 1854 issue of the Deseret News. (“History of Joseph Smith,” Deseret News [Salt Lake City], 5 Oct. 1854, [1].)

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Instruction on Priesthood, circa 5 October 1840 History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 9

then shall the sons of Levi offer an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord Se[e] Malichi 3 Chap— 3 & 4 [“]And he shall sit as a refiners fire and purifier of silver; and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord[”]
It will be necessary here to make a few observations on the doctrine, set forth in the above quotation, As it is generally supposed that sacrifice was entirely done away, <​when the great sacrif[ic]e was offered up—​> and that there will be no necessity for the of sacrifice in future; but those who assert this, are certainly not aquainted with the duties, privileges and authority of the . <​or with the prophets​> The offering of sacrifice is has ever been connected, and forms a part of the <​duties of the​> priesthood. It began which with the priesthood and will be continued untill after the coming of christ from generation to generation——
We frequently have mention made of the offering of Sacrifice by the servants of the most high in antient days prior to the law of moses, See [blank] which ordinances will be continued when the priesthood is restored with all its Authority power and blessings. Elijah was the last Prophet that held the of this priesthood, and who will, before the last dispensation, restore the Authority and delive[r] the keys of this priesthood in order that all the ordinan[c]es may be attended to in righteousness. <​It is true that the Savior had authority and power to bestow this blessing <​but the sons of Levi were too predjudi[ced]​>​>
And I will send Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord &c &c.
Why send Elijah because he holds the keys of the Authority to administer in all the ordinances of the priesthood and without the Authority is given the ordinances could not be administered in righteousness. [p. 9]
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Source Note

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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Instruction on Priesthood, circa 5 October 1840
ID #
582
Total Pages
20
Print Volume Location
JSP, D7:432–442
Handwriting on This Page
  • Robert B. Thompson

Footnotes

  1. [25]

    Earlier, Oliver Cowdery and JS reported that John the Baptist referred to this prophecy when he conferred on them the authority to baptize in May 1829. (JS History, vol. A-1, 17–18; Oliver Cowdery, Norton, OH, to William W. Phelps, 7 Sept. 1834, in LDS Messenger and Advocate, Oct. 1834, 1:16.)

    Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.

  2. [26]

    See Book of Mormon, 1837 ed., 338 [Alma 34:10–14].

  3. [27]

    Church members Wandle Mace and Oliver B. Huntington later recalled hearing JS teach about the restoration of animal sacrifice around this same time. (Mace, Autobiography, 37; Oliver B. Huntington, “Sayings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,” Young Women’s Journal, Mar. 1893, 275.)

    Mace, Wandle. Autobiography, ca. 1890. CHL. MS 1924.

    Huntington, Oliver B. “Sayings of the Prophet Joseph Smith.” Young Woman’s Journal: Organ of the Y. L. M. I. Associations 4, no. 6 (Mar. 1893): 274–275.

  4. [28]

    JS’s journal reports that on 3 April 1836, the Old Testament–era prophets Moses, Elias, and Elijah appeared to JS and Oliver Cowdery in the House of the Lord in Kirtland and imparted various keys, or authority, to them. This experience was not publicized to the Saints until 1852, which may explain why JS presented the appearance of Elijah as an apparently future expectation rather than something that had already occurred. It is also possible that JS was paraphrasing the prophecy in Malachi 4:5 in which the coming of Elijah is yet in the future. (Visions, 3 Apr. 1836 [D&C 110:11–16]; “Life of Joseph Smith,” Deseret News [Salt Lake City], 6 Nov. 1852, [1].)

  5. [29]

    See Malachi 4:5; and Book of Mormon, 1837 ed., 531–532 [3 Nephi 24:1; 25:5]. JS’s 1838 history recalled that the angel Moroni used language similar to that in Malachi 4 when he spoke to JS in 1823: “Behold I will reveal unto you the Priesthood by the hand of Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” (JS History, vol. A-1, 5.)

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