Interesting question

[Guest Doctrine]

So this morning in the high priest quorum meeting held by the stake there was a little dispute,

The teacher asked if there were any elders that held the melchezidek priesthood in the Old Testament? Then the teacher said no, then tried to hurry onto another topic, but someone from the group said yes there were many who were elders in the Old Testament, and said the 70 elders of Israel with Moses, and many others in the Book of Mormon. Then the teacher said no the 70 elders were of the order of the Aaronic priesthood and that only the prophets held the melchezidek priesthood.

I must say I found that interesting and wondered what your take is on this subject.

[Wingnut]

How about...wait for it...Melchezidek?

[SpiritDragon]

I'll have to look into this more. My current understanding is that certain individuals in the OT would have held the Melchizedek Priesthood such as Adam, and it would seem likely that Melchizedek did as well. Although it was not as common Melchizedek Priesthood holders did exist. I seem to recall reading for instance that Lehi was a melchizedek Priesthood holder and that the higher priesthood existed through-out the Book of Mormon on account of this.

Time for me to go see if I can find any sources for where these ideas were planted in my head.

[MarginOfError]

First of all, the offices of the priesthood as we now know them did not exist. Different offices have been in use in different dispensations and those offices operated differently and were assigned different responsibilities than are now in place.

Second, the Aaronic priesthood did not exist until Moses and the Israelites, so anyone who held the priesthood prior to that must have held what we now consider to be the Melchizedek priesthood. What offices they held (if any) are unknown to us.

Third, I don't know if the 70 elders of Israel held the Aaronic or Melchizedek priesthoods. It seems unlikely that they held the Aaronic, because they weren't all Levites. But there's also no record that they held the Melchizedek. It's entirely plausible that they were men chosen because they showed sound judgment and were given responsibility without being given priesthood.

Fourth, it really doesn't matter if they held the priesthood. The use of the 70 elders was not intended to be a lesson about priesthood organization, it was meant to be a lesson about delegation and government. Their function was not inherently tied to priesthood ordination, and so the question is really academic and has not spiritual value whatsoever.

[Guest Doctrine]

I'll have to look into this more. My current understanding is that certain individuals in the OT would have held the Melchizedek Priesthood such as Adam, and it would seem likely that Melchizedek did as well. Although it was not as common Melchizedek Priesthood holders did exist. I seem to recall reading for instance that Lehi was a melchizedek Priesthood holder and that the higher priesthood existed through-out the Book of Mormon on account of this.

Time for me to go see if I can find any sources for where these ideas were planted in my head.

I remember being taught that as well that the prophets were to have the melchezidek priesthood but not pass it down, I found that interesting because in the Book of Mormon they do pass it down.

[SpiritDragon]

I'll have to look into this more. My current understanding is that certain individuals in the OT would have held the Melchizedek Priesthood such as Adam, and it would seem likely that Melchizedek did as well. Although it was not as common Melchizedek Priesthood holders did exist. I seem to recall reading for instance that Lehi was a melchizedek Priesthood holder and that the higher priesthood existed through-out the Book of Mormon on account of this.

Time for me to go see if I can find any sources for where these ideas were planted in my head.

I thought that I would also add that I brought Lehi up in the first place because he lived in jerusalem and was a contemporary to Jeremiah. Thus it puts a Melchizedek Priesthood holder in OT times after Moses, but not recorded in the OT.

[SpiritDragon]

Okay Doctrine I found one of my sources and it is quite fascinating. In The Way To Perfection by Joseph Fielding Smith it is made quite clear that the higher order of Priesthood existed and was passed on within families. Moses received this priesthood from Jethro his father-in-law who was a midianite (not the house of Israel) but still a descendant of Abraham who received the priesthood at the hands of Melchizedek. After Moses the priesthood was traced through the sons of Aaron in Israel and was now the lesser levitical priesthood. However in other lineages the higher priesthood was still on the earth and the prophets in Israel such as Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Elijah held the higher priesthood. Interestingly Elijah was the last prophet in Israel to hold the fullness of the priesthood and this is why he came back in this dispensation to restore the sealing power.

[Dr T]

None

[Guest Doctrine]

Okay Doctrine I found one of my sources and it is quite fascinating. In The Way To Perfection by Joseph Fielding Smith it is made quite clear that the higher order of Priesthood existed and was passed on within families. Moses received this priesthood from Jethro his father-in-law who was a midianite (not the house of Israel) but still a descendant of Abraham who received the priesthood at the hands of Melchizedek. After Moses the priesthood was traced through the sons of Aaron in Israel and was now the lesser levitical priesthood. However in other lineages the higher priesthood was still on the earth and the prophets in Israel such as Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Elijah held the higher priesthood. Interestingly Elijah was the last prophet in Israel to hold the fullness of the priesthood and this is why he came back in this dispensation to restore the sealing power.

Good research, but Elijah was the last prophet to have the sealing keys, but not the last to have the higher priesthood, Lehi family had it from 600 bc up to 400 plus years after Christ.

Sounds like iam going to study this topic out, there is a lot of meat to pick off the bone.

Also I looked up the bible dictionary it said the 70 elders were melchezidek.

[SpiritDragon]

Good research, but Elijah was the last prophet to have the sealing keys, but not the last to have the higher priesthood, Lehi family had it from 600 bc up to 400 plus years after Christ.

Sounds like iam going to study this topic out, there is a lot of meat to pick off the bone.

Also I looked up the bible dictionary it said the 70 elders were melchezidek.

Agreed! This is an interesting area of exploration. And yes Elijah was the last to have the keys (or fullness) of the priesthood before the return of Christ... which brings up another question; If the gospel was restored in Christ's time wouldn't some one else have been the last to have the sealing keys? Why was it Elijah who brought them to this dispensation? Not that there really has to be any specific reason other then he was sent by the Lord to do it.

[Dr T]

It was only Jesus that could fit that description not humans

[Guest Doctrine]

Agreed! This is an interesting area of exploration. And yes Elijah was the last to have the keys (or fullness) of the priesthood before the return of Christ... which brings up another question; If the gospel was restored in Christ's time wouldn't some one else have been the last to have the sealing keys? Why was it Elijah who brought them to this dispensation? Not that there really has to be any specific reason other then he was sent by the Lord to do it.

Helaman 10:7 shows that nephi also held the sealing keys, as well as the apostle Peter,

The reason I think Elijah has that special calling to restore is the same as Moses had the gathering of Israel, John the Baptist has the Aaronic priesthood, Peter, James, John have the melchezidek priesthood, joseph smith has the keys to the fullness of time, did I forget anyone,

They are all given a special calling.

But I'll find a better answer.

[mikbone]

Adam, Enoch, Brother of Jared...

[mikbone]

D&c 107:3-4

[ElectofGod]

Eliajah was teh forerunner

Elias was the restorer

Helaman 10:7: He had the power not keys. Having power does not equate to having keys and vice versa. But they can go hand in hand.

Also elijah could not be the last one to have the fullness, keys probably but not the fullness of priesthood. For example Isaiah had the fullnes.

You can tell when one has the MP. Anyone who in the scriptures communes with god and can speak with him. This is the fruits of they with the MP and where the power of godliness is manifest.

Enoch had it like mentioned along with ALL those with him.

Alma 13 explains how anyone can get that in the old testament. Also the book of hebrews. While the majority of the people under moses may have been cursed for rejecting the fullness of the gospel there were some who could receive it if they lived up to the requirements the same way Moses received his.

[mordorbund]

Back on the OP, The Book of Mormon speaks of elders in a Jewish sense (1 Nephi 4:22, 1 Nephi 4:27). I'll leave it to you to sort out whether that was a priesthood office and if so, of what variety. Of course, Moroni speaks of priests and elders in the New Testament period, but the book of Alma speaks of these two offices in the Nephite Old Testament period, while they were still under the Law of Moses (Alma 6:1).

Joseph Fielding Smith was of the opinion that the priesthood offices in the Book of Mormon were of the Melchizedek Priesthood, since Lehi offers sacrifices (an ordinance exclusive to the priesthood) but is a descendant of Joseph (not Levi).

[skalenfehl]

To the OP: Read all of Alma 13! The answer is YES. And then some!

Edit: Looks like ElectofGod beat me to it. Cross reference Alma 13 with D&C 76:50-59

Edited September 10, 2013 by skalenfehl

[Traveler]

It was only Jesus that could fit that description not humans

I am confused with your logic - was not Jesus a human?

The Traveler

[Archangel717]

Yes, many people have held the High priesthood, or as we call it, the melchezidek priesthood. However, the Bible doesn't refer to it as the melchezidek priesthood. It simply refers to it as the "higher priesthood" Adam held it, Noah did, Moses, pretty much every prophet in the bible held it. We call it the Melchezidek priesthood, because Melchezidek was one of the most powerful holders of it, and the first time the bible really flat out mentions it, is when Abraham goes to offer sacrifices to Melchezidek.

Hint, don't just flip through your quad, go through some of the writings of the prophets. They really help. Also, try the TG, or BD.