Priesthood
Contents
Definition of the Priesthood
The priesthood is the power and authority of God. God created the heavens and the earth by His priesthood power. By this power the universe is kept in perfect order. Through this power He accomplishes His work and glory, which is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 1:39).
Our Heavenly Father shares His priesthood power with worthy male members of the Church. The priesthood enables them to act in God’s name for the salvation of the human family. Through it, they can be authorized to preach the gospel, administer the ordinances of salvation, and govern God’s kingdom on earth.
Aaronic Priesthood
Melchizedek Priesthood
Blacks and the Priesthood
From 1849 until 1978, men of African descent had not been permitted to receive the priesthood although they could become members and serve within the church. (Persons of other dark-skinned ethnicities not of African descent, such as the Maori, could receive the priesthood prior to this time.)
In 1978, an official declaration of the First Presidency reported that a revelation had been received by Church President Spencer W. Kimball directing that all worthy men be allowed to receive the priesthood.
