Revelation 2
Overview
This text, originally published in the 1851 edition of the Pearl of Great Price (and largely corresponding to sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, specifically D&C 20 and 107), serves as a foundational manual for church governance, ordinances, and priesthood authority in Mormonism. It details the prerequisites and methodology for baptism and the administration of the Lord's Supper (Sacrament), emphasizing the absolute necessity of proper priesthood authority to perform these rites. The text delineates a complex, bifurcated priesthood structure—the Melchizedek and Aaronic priesthoods—and assigns specific duties to various offices including Apostles, High Priests, Elders, Priests, Teachers, Deacons, and the Seventy. Theologically, it shifts the focus from the finished work of Christ and the universal priesthood of all believers to a highly structured, hierarchical system where spiritual blessings, the ministering of angels, and communion with God are mediated through specific human priesthood offices. It places a heavy emphasis on performance, duty, and works-righteousness, concluding with a stark warning that the slothful will not be counted worthy to stand.
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ: The mediator whose name believers take upon themselves, and whose body and blood are remembered in the sacrament.
- Melchizedek: An ancient high priest after whom the higher priesthood is named to avoid frequent repetition of the Supreme Being's name.
- Aaron: The biblical figure whose seed holds the legal right to the lesser priesthood (Aaronic Priesthood).
- God the Eternal Father: The Supreme Being addressed in the sacramental prayers.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Necessity of Priesthood Authority
Assertion
Ordinances like baptism and the sacrament must be performed by someone with specific, restored priesthood authority.
Evidence from Text
The person who is called of God, and has authority from Jesus Christ to baptize, shall go down into the water...
Evangelical Comparison
In Evangelical theology, based on 1 Peter 2:9 and Revelation 1:6, all believers are part of a 'royal priesthood.' There is no requirement for a specific, hierarchical priesthood authority to validate baptism or communion. Christ is the sole mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). This text, however, constructs a rigid hierarchy where grace and ordinances are mediated through specific human offices, directly contradicting the biblical doctrine of the priesthood of all believers and the sufficiency of Christ's direct mediation.
Bifurcated Priesthood (Melchizedek and Aaronic)
Assertion
The church operates under two distinct priesthoods, Melchizedek (spiritual things) and Aaronic (outward ordinances), which are held by men.
Evidence from Text
There are, in the Church, two Priesthoods, namely: the Melchisedek, and the Aaronic, including the Levitical Priesthood.
Evangelical Comparison
Hebrews 7 explicitly argues that the Levitical (Aaronic) priesthood was insufficient and has been superseded by Christ, who holds the Melchizedek priesthood permanently and exclusively because He lives forever (Hebrews 7:23-24). The Mormon text claims these priesthoods are active, distributed among men, and necessary for church function. This is a severe departure from biblical Christology, which views the Melchizedek priesthood as untransferable and unique to the Son of God, whose 'once for all' sacrifice ended the need for earthly priests.
Works-Based Worthiness
Assertion
Members must manifest their worthiness through works and diligence to maintain their standing before God.
Evidence from Text
He that is slothful shall not be counted worthy to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved, shall not be counted worthy to stand
Evangelical Comparison
The text concludes with a strict performance metric: failure to learn one's duty or being slothful results in being deemed unworthy. This aligns with a works-righteousness paradigm. In contrast, Evangelicalism holds to Sola Fide (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:5), where a believer's worthiness to 'stand' before God is entirely based on the imputed righteousness of Christ. While good works are the fruit of salvation, they are not the metric by which one is 'counted worthy to stand' in a salvific or justificatory sense.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text replaces the biblical model of a universal priesthood and Christ's sole mediation with a rigid, multi-tiered human priesthood hierarchy required for salvation and spiritual blessings.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The fundamental theological gap lies in the doctrines of Christology, Soteriology, and Ecclesiology. Evangelicals hold to the Universal Priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9), meaning every Christian has direct access to God through the sole mediation of Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). Furthermore, Hebrews 7 explicitly teaches that the Levitical priesthood was inadequate and has been permanently replaced by Christ, who alone holds the Melchizedek priesthood because He lives forever. This text, however, resurrects the Levitical (Aaronic) priesthood and distributes the Melchizedek priesthood among men, making human mediators absolutely necessary for the administration of grace (ordinances) and the receiving of 'spiritual blessings.' Additionally, the text's conclusion that the 'slothful shall not be counted worthy to stand' directly contradicts Sola Fide (Ephesians 2:8-9), replacing the imputed righteousness of Christ with a performance-based worthiness metric.
For All Ages
Imagine you want to talk to the King and receive a gift he promised you. The Bible says Jesus is the only bridge you need—because of Him, you can go straight to the King anytime, and the gift is free. But this text says you can't go straight to the King. Instead, you have to go through a very specific chain of command—like a manager, a director, and a vice president—who have special titles like 'Elder' or 'High Priest.' It also says you have to work really hard and do all your chores perfectly, or you won't be 'worthy' to stand before the King. This changes the free gift of Jesus into something you have to earn by following the rules of a specific organization.
Friction Points
Universal Priesthood
Establishes a mandatory, multi-tiered human priesthood (Aaronic and Melchizedek) to mediate spiritual things and ordinances.
Christology
Claims men hold the Melchizedek priesthood, which Hebrews 7 reserves exclusively for Jesus Christ due to His eternal life.
Sola Scriptura
Introduces extra-biblical church offices, verbatim prayers, and hierarchical structures as divine revelation.
Sola Fide
Conditions worthiness to stand before God on diligence, learning duty, and not being slothful.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Priesthood"
In This Text
The exclusive authority and power of God delegated to specific male members of the LDS church to act in His name and perform saving ordinances.
In Evangelicalism
The status of all true believers in Christ, who are a 'royal priesthood' with direct access to God, offering spiritual sacrifices (1 Peter 2:9).
"Sacrament"
In This Text
The ordinance of bread and wine administered by specific priesthood authority to renew covenants, requiring verbatim prayers.
In Evangelicalism
An ordinance (Communion/Lord's Supper) instituted by Christ as a memorial of His death, not requiring a specific hierarchical priesthood to be valid.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: While not explicitly defining eternal life here, salvation is implicitly tied to being received into the Church of Christ, receiving the remission of sins, and being counted worthy to stand.
How Attained: Through faith, repentance, baptism by proper authority, receiving the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and enduring to the end in diligence and works.
Basis of Assurance: Personal diligence, manifesting works, and approval by the priesthood hierarchy.
Comparison to Sola Fide: The text explicitly requires believers to 'truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit' and warns that the slothful 'shall not be counted worthy to stand.' This is a stark contrast to Romans 4:5, where faith is counted as righteousness apart from works, and Ephesians 2:8-9, which declares salvation is a gift, not of works.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Be baptized
- Take upon them the name of Jesus Christ
- Manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit
- Meet together often to partake of bread and wine
- Bring children unto the Elders before the Church to be blessed
- Every man learn his duty
- Act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence
Implicit Obligations
- Submit to the authority of the priesthood hierarchy
- Maintain a godly walk and conversation to prove worthiness
- Avoid iniquity, hardness, lying, backbiting, and evil speaking
Ritual Requirements
- Baptism by immersion by one holding authority
- Confirmation by the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost
- Partaking of the Sacrament (bread and wine) with specific, verbatim prayers
- Blessing of children by the laying on of hands
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- I noticed the text says the Melchizedek priesthood is held by men in the church. When you read Hebrews 7:23-24, how do you understand the Bible's teaching that Jesus holds His priesthood permanently because He lives forever, unlike mortal priests?
- The text mentions that we must 'manifest by our works' and not be 'slothful' to be counted worthy to stand. How does this make you feel about your own standing before God? Do you ever feel like you've done enough?
- If Jesus is the one mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5), why do you think this text requires so many layers of human priesthood to receive spiritual blessings?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The Sacrament in remembrance of Christ's body and blood.
The text rightly focuses on the body and blood of Jesus. This can be used to pivot the conversation away from priesthood authority and toward the sufficiency of that shed blood. If His blood was shed for us, it is entirely sufficient to cleanse us from all sin without the need for our own works to make us 'worthy.'
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The constant pressure to 'learn his duty,' 'act in all diligence,' and avoid being 'slothful' creates a treadmill of works. The believer can never be certain they have been diligent enough to be 'counted worthy to stand,' leading to spiritual exhaustion.
The believer's access to God, ordinances, and spiritual blessings is entirely dependent on the approval and mediation of human priesthood leaders. This creates a fear of stepping out of line with leadership, as doing so severs access to divine grace.
Because worthiness is tied to manifesting works and maintaining a 'godly walk,' assurance of salvation is impossible. Any failure or 'slothfulness' threatens their standing.