The Oath & Covenant: A Fullness of the Priesthood

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In D&C 84:19 we learn that the Melchizedek priesthood holds the key of the knowledge of God. I take this "knowledge of God" to mean that we can literally know Him and see Him face to face. "Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God" (v. 23).

For their unwillingness to sanctify themselves to see the face of God, the Lord swore that they would not enter into His rest (which is to receive a fulness of His glory). Moses and the Holy Priesthood were taken out of their midst (v. 24-45).

Joseph Smith sought to restore the ancient order of Melchizedek and therefore sought to prepare his people to see the face of God. Though today in the church we hear a great deal about the role of the Melchizedek priesthood, I believe that only a precious few since the beginning of the restoration have received a fulness of the priesthood.

Joseph Smith said, "All priesthood is Melchizedek, but there are different portions or degrees of it. That portion which brought Moses to speak with God face to face was taken away; but that which brought the ministry of angels remained. All the prophets had the Melchizedek Priesthood and were ordained by God himself" (TPJS, pp. 180-81)

A fulness of the Melchizedek priesthood comes from God Himself. A close reading of the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood reveals that most of us are not actually under the Oath and Covenant for we have not yet received it.

Verse 42 reiterates that a fulness of the priesthood comes from God Himself: "And wo unto all those who come not unto this priesthood which ye have received, which I now confirm upon you who are present this day, by my own voice out of the heavens..." (emphasis added)

To further explore this notion that the Oath and Covenant must come from God Himself, please note verse 41: "But whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath received it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come." Does this mean that every deacon, or even every elder who neglects his priesthood duties will not ever receive forgiveness?

What do we call someone who does not receive forgiveness of sins in this world or in the world to come? We call them Sons of Perdition. Joseph said that in order to be a SoP, a man must "have the heavens opened unto him, and know God....He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan of salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it" (TPJS, p.358).

Did you catch that? To be a SoP, you must know God. If we parse this together, we see that in order to receive the Oath and Covenant of the priesthood we must know God (like Moses did), otherwise we wouldn't deserve the consequence for breaking it.

To close, I will borrow the words of the apostolic charge from Oliver Cowdery: "Never cease striving till you have seen God face to face. Strengthen your faith; cast off your doubts, your sins, and all your unbelief, and nothing can prevent you from coming to God. Your ordination is not full and complete till God has laid His hands upon you. We require as much to qualify us as did those who have gone before us; God is the same. If the Saviour in former days laid his hands on his disciples, why not in latter days?