Moroni 3

Moroni 3

Priesthood Ordination

Moroni 3:1–4

1 The manner which the disciples, who were called the elders of the church, ordained priests and teachers—

2 After they had prayed unto the Father in the name of Christ, they laid their hands upon them, and said:

3 In the name of Jesus Christ I ordain you to be a priest (or if he be a teacher, I ordain you to be a teacher) to preach repentance and remission of sins through Jesus Christ, by the endurance of faith on his name to the end. Amen.

4 And after this manner did they ordain priests and teachers, according to the gifts and callings of God unto men; and they ordained them by the power of the Holy Ghost, which was in them.

Comments

The next instruction is how to ordain those who are called to administer in the Church, priest and teachers. Verse 2 is the instruction of the action of the laying on of hands, and verse 3 is a model of the words to be stated. Verse 4 implies that this was the practice in the Nephite Church, and that it was done “by the power of the Holy Ghost.” We expect to read “by the power of the Priesthood,” not “the power of the Holy Ghost.” It is possible that the “power of the Holy Ghost” is being used in the context of priesthood and authority, as witnessed by the Holy Ghost.

The modern Church has taken these verses as an example of how to perform ordinances, just as the Lord’s Prayer is given as an example of how to offer a prayer. Neither example was meant to model precise words. Formal, set words are not used, but rather the essential elements that we are to adhere to are given.