Last week, I ordained our 18-year-old son as an elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood.
This was something that was important to me, and one of the main reasons I have stayed in the church for the last 3.5 years, despite being in the middle of a faith crisis that entire time (still am, actually).
You see, my dad never ordained me. He baptized me, ordained me a deacon, ordained me a teacher, and ordained me a priest. But by the time I was ready to go on a mission, he wasn’t active in the church, and for whatever reasons that was, he wasn’t in a position to ordain me. For that matter, he wasn’t my escort in the temple either.
And I vowed that no matter what, our sons(s) wouldn’t miss out on that.
That is one thing I like about the LDS church: the democratization of the priesthood. Ordinances and sacraments aren’t in the hands of only a small group of people. A lay priesthood allows rank and file members to act as conduits with heaven, and that makes cultural milestones—such as baptism, Aaronic Priesthood ordination, and Melchizedek Priesthood ordination—that much more meaningful when fathers can be the mouthpiece.
(Granted, mothers and daughter are still left out of this process, but that’s a topic for another day.)
Anyhow, as I was reflecting on what I would say in the blessing, several scriptures came to mind.
“And to confirm those who are baptized into the church, by the laying on of hands for the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, according to the scriptures”
D&C 20:41
“20 Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.”
3 Nephi 27:20
“Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life”
2 Nephi 31:17–18
“Whoso cometh in at the gate and climbeth up by me shall never fall; wherefore, blessed are they of whom I have spoken, for they shall come forth with songs of everlasting joy.”
Moses 7:53
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
John 3:5
What I realized from these scriptures is that the Melchizedek Priesthood allows its bearers the ability to act as Jesus in ways that the Aaronic Priesthood doesn’t. Melchizedek Priesthood holders can be proxies of Jesus in real, concrete ways, allowing them to play the role of saviour in two specific areas: sanctification and exaltation.
Melchizedek Priesthood holders have not only the power to baptize by water—as they had as priests—but also the power to baptize by fire, or rather to invoke the Holy Spirit, which does the actual baptism of fire. Since they have the ability to officiate in the complete baptism, they also can facilitate the sanctification of the soul Jesus spoke of in the 3 Nephi quote mentioned above. That sanctification is impossible with only the baptism of water.
The other savioural role Melchizedek Priesthood holders play is in guiding others to eternal life. As those who can preach faith and repentance and officiate in the baptisms of water and fire, they hold the keys to unlock the gate for those who wish to enter the strait and narrow path that leads to eternal life, or the Kingdom of God.
As we learn in Moses 7:53, it is Jesus who is not only the iron rod that people must use to climb the strait and narrow path, but he is the gatekeeper. As his representatives on the earth, Melchizedek Priesthood holders fill that role for him, not necessarily as judges determining worthiness for passing through the gate, but as the ones who open the gate as the conduct the ordinances of baptism and confirmation.
Further to that, though, I believe that the role of Melchizedek Priesthood holders goes beyond just seeing that others make it through the gate; they must also ensure that those people know where the path is and where the iron rod is, as well show them how to “cling” to the iron rod (to use the word Lehi describes in 1 Nephi 8:24).
I think that somewhere along the lines, we’ve forgotten the esoteric aspects of the priesthood. It’s become more of a performative priesthood, rather than a transformative priesthood. Hopefully those of us who hold it can deeply and meaningfully reflect on its purpose each time we are called to use it.
