Mormon conceptions of "The Priesthood"

[_George Miller]

This week me and my wife have been discussing the priesthood as it is viewed in Mormonism. Mormons who are BIC don't usually realize how divergent Mormon conceptions of the priesthood are from mainstream Christianity. Mormons believe that priesthood is eternal, that God himself holds the priesthood, that priesthood existed from the time of Adam down to the present, and that the priesthood is almost a thing in and of itself; and as such we talk about the priesthood almost as a thing- The Priesthood.

I was wondering if anyone knows if there has been anyone, particularly a scholarly article, that has discussed Mormon conceptions of the priesthood as compared to other Christian faiths?

[_zeezrom]

George,

This topic is very important to me. Here is my humble, initial attempt:

I posted a similar question on this board here:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11816&hilit=priesthood

And got some excellent responses from people.

Free, Jack. 1962. Mormonism and Inspiration. Concord, CA: Pacific Publishing Co. (I have not looked at this, but found it on: http://www.christiancourier.com/article ... priesthood)

This isn't the best, but I kind of like the description because it summarizes a traditional perspective compared to the LDS. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism_ ... priesthood
It references the Catholic encyclopedia: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12409a.htm

[_George Miller]

George,

This topic is very important to me. Here is my humble, initial attempt:

I posted a similar question on this board here:
http://www.mormondiscussions.com/phpBB3 ... priesthood

And got some excellent responses from people.

Thanks Zeezrom- Thanks for the link to your thread. The comments there help me place things in perspective. I liked the comment that Mormons think of the priesthood as a metaphysical force almost like in Star Wars. I think this is correct. I remember a few years ago I went out with the missionaries to a lesson of one of their investigators. The missionaries had invited me along because they had been stumped by some of the investigators questions. It was at this meeting that I came face to face with the realization that Mormon conceptions of the priesthood are radically different than other denominations.

I like the Catholic Encyclopedia answer. This should be a good place to start.

[_George Miller]

George - This topic is very important to me.

Out of interest, why is this topic important to you? I have my own selfish reasons for being interested in the topic. But I do wonder why it is important to you.

[_bcspace]

I was wondering if anyone knows if there has been anyone, particularly a scholarly article, that has discussed Mormon conceptions of the priesthood as compared to other Christian faiths?

http://www.fairlds.org/Restoring_the_Ancient_Church/chap05.html

[_harmony]

I was wondering if anyone knows if there has been anyone, particularly a scholarly article, that has discussed Mormon conceptions of the priesthood as compared to other Christian faiths?

http://www.fairlds.org/Restoring_the_Ancient_Church/chap05.html

He asked for a scholarly article, bcspace. FAIR doesn't quite qualify.

[_zeezrom]

George - This topic is very important to me.

Out of interest, why is this topic important to you? I have my own selfish reasons for being interested in the topic. But I do wonder why it is important to you.

This was the first of my problems when I came to find I was questioning the truth claims of the church. The first question asked of me was, "What about your priesthood?" It was asked in a way that showed great concern for my ability to act as a good, moral father and husband without believing some things.

I want to understand what it means - what is the truth about it. I want to know what it meant in the Old Testament and New Testament.

[_bcspace]

He asked for a scholarly article, bcspace. FAIR doesn't quite qualify.

Poisoning the well is a logical fallacy. I'd wager it's more scholarly than most.

[_Some Schmo]

I'd wager it's more scholarly than most.

Yes, but you're not a very skilled gambler. You're betting your life the Mormonism is true. Talk about a dumb bet.

[_George Miller]

He asked for a scholarly article, bcspace. FAIR doesn't quite qualify.

Poisoning the well is a logical fallacy. I'd wager it's more scholarly than most.

BCSpace- Thanks for the link to the FAIR article. I read it over briefly and I had some major quibbles with the article. For example its discussion of the Aaronic, Levitical and Melchizedek priesthood is largely problematic. Modern scholars of the Old Testament have discussed the interface between the Aaron and Levitical priesthood and how they were not harmonious but were in fact COMPETING priesthoods. This can clearly be seen in the acrimony between the J and E authors of the Torah. Furthermore its treatment of the Melchizedek priesthood is also problematic. Melchizedek doesn't really rise to any importance until the rise of Enochian Judaism in the few centuries before Christ. Joseph Smith's revisions and understanding of Hebrews are radically skewed and seem to miss the point the author of Hebrews is trying to make.

That being said, I still appreciate your referencing this for me. It gave me some interesting food for thought.