Priesthood Lineage

[pam]

I have a question for all you Priesthood holders out there. Since I've never held the Priesthood I'm curious. Actually it's to help answer a question that someone else asked.

When someone is ordained a High Priest, does it change the Priesthood line of authority or lineage from what it was when ordained an Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood?

[Daybreak79]

The calling of a High Priest is an office of the Melchizedek Priesthood not a seperate priesthood, so I don't think it would affect the priesthood lineage.

https://lds.org/study/topics/melchizedek-priesthood?lang=eng

[pam]

Thanks Daybreak. That makes total sense.

[estradling75]

Here is Gramps (last paragraph)

How does one trace one’s priesthood authority back to the Savior Jesus Christ? | Ask Gramps

[MarginOfError]

It does change the lineage, actually, because you trace your lineage through your authority to act (presumably). So it doesn't make much sense to trace your authority to act as a High Priest through the lineage of the person who ordained you an Elder.

Strangely, we don't record priesthood lineage for patriarch and seventy ordinations. Perhaps because authority to act in those offices is only granted over a certain area.

[pam]

Okay so now both answers make sense. hahahaha

[MarginOfError]

[smug holier-than-thou grin] Well, the answer I gave is how the Church does it. [/smug holier than thou grin]

https://tech.lds.org/wiki/Priesthood_line_of_authority

[pam]

Here is Gramps (last paragraph)

How does one trace one’s priesthood authority back to the Savior Jesus Christ? | Ask Gramps

It's actually a recent question from askgramps that prompted me to ask this. They were disputing the answer that you provided and that gramps provided.

[MarginOfError]

It's actually a recent question from askgramps that prompted me to ask this. They were disputing the answer that you provided and that gramps provided.

Do you have a link?

[pam]

No I don't because it's an email to gramps that I receive for the ask gramps site. I wanted to figure out if I could just reply by providing the link that estradling provided as the answer or if there was another answer that was better for it.

[estradling75]

MarginofError cited a source... Tracking his source back we get “Church Policies and Announcements,” Ensign, Aug 1976, 66

Priesthood Line of Authority

If a priesthood bearer desires to trace his own line of authority, he should pursue his current office in the priesthood—not former offices. Bishops and patriarchs should trace their line of authority as high priests. In completing an authority line, each step should go back through the office held by the person at the time he performed the ordination.

It is not appropriate to trace the line of authority in cases of setting apart or for other ordinances.

It doesn't get much more authoritative then that

Here is the link LDS.org - Ensign Article - Church Policies and Announcements

[MarginOfError]

It's actually a recent question from askgramps that prompted me to ask this. They were disputing the answer that you provided and that gramps provided.

No I don't because it's an email to gramps that I receive for the ask gramps site. I wanted to figure out if I could just reply by providing the link that estradling provided as the answer or if there was another answer that was better for it.

I'm confused...and disappointed. I wanted to read the dispute.

[Just_A_Guy]

FWIW - if you pull your line of authority directly from Church headquarters, they include a nifty one-page handout that explains the kind of stuff that's been discussed here.

[pam]

Thanks for all the answers guys.

[sixpacktr]

yes, it will change your lineage in that your rec'd that office thru a different line of authority. Now, all PH holders can trace back to Christ and the Joseph Smith, and I would imagine that the majority from there have Brother Brigham in there too, but it differs greatly from that. I was lucky--my father conferred both the Aaronic and Melchizedek PHs on me, as well as the offices of Deacon, Teacher, Priest, Elder and HP. 10 days ago I was conferred with another PH office from someone different, so my lineage is different when acting in that office, but when acting as a HP my lineage is the same. I was lucky to have a worthy father that was willing to travel to make sure my line stayed the same.

[Daybreak79]

Well I guess I stand corrected...now I'll just have to remember this little bit of info if I'm ever a High Priest.

[spamlds]

I received a line-of-authority from the stake president who ordained me an elder. Later on, I received another line-of-authority when I was ordained a high priest. The two lines merge at Brigham Young. From there, it goes back to the Three Witnesses, Joseph Smith, Peter, James and John, and finally to the Lord himself.

[rameumptom]

The Church actually tracks your priesthood lineage from your highest office. However, there's nothing wrong with using the ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood, rather than to the office one is ordained to.

[Vort]

My father ordained me to every Priesthood office I have ever held, most recently as an elder in March of 1981 while I was finishing high school. I have always valued having his line of authority. Silly, perhaps; the Priesthood is Christ's, not Dad's. But I still prize that fact.

Dad died at the beginning of this year, leaving me a middle-aged elder who has been asked (read: instructed) to meet with the high priests for the last year or two. I may well never be ordained a high priest, but it saddens me to think that if and when I am, I will no longer follow my father's line of authority.

[Just_A_Guy]

VORT! Good to see you back.

[rameumptom]

Vort, you can still use your Dad's line for the AP/MP lineage. There isn't just one lineage, but several. One does not lose his lineage to previous ordinations.

And it is good to have you back, though the photo still freaks me out.....

[MarginOfError]

My father ordained me to every Priesthood office I have ever held, most recently as an elder in March of 1981 while I was finishing high school. I have always valued having his line of authority. Silly, perhaps; the Priesthood is Christ's, not Dad's. But I still prize that fact.

Dad died at the beginning of this year, leaving me a middle-aged elder who has been asked (read: instructed) to meet with the high priests for the last year or two. I may well never be ordained a high priest, but it saddens me to think that if and when I am, I will no longer follow my father's line of authority.

Not at all silly. By my reckoning, the only two names that mean anything on my line of authority are my own and Christ's. Still, it is one of my life goals to be ordained a high priest before my father dies so that he can remain in mine and my children's lines of authority.

And then, when* they call me as an Apostle, I'm turning it down unless my dad can do the ordination.

*I say when instead of if just to add to the arrogant mystique I carry.

[beefche]

VORT! Welcome back!

[Vort]

Thanks, JaG, Ram, MOE, Beefche. Nice to see you again, too. I came back because I wanted to ask a question of the august members of this list, but after posting it, I decided it probably wasn't the sort of thing to be discussed openly, so I asked for the thread to be deleted. Maybe I'll stick around for a little bit before taking another 18-month hiatus. Or not. The conversations and friendships here are appealing, but addictive personalities like Vort's need to exercise great caution.

[Connie]

Vort!! Good to see you again! Hope you've been well.