Great and Glorious Blessings

The final section in the Joseph Smith History account in the Pearl of Great Price tells about Oliver Cowdery and his participation in the translation of the Book of Mormon.  The story of the lost 116 pages, several of Joseph’s revelations now in the Doctrine and Covenants, and many other details Joseph recorded in this history are excluded from our text (as suggested by the series of dots), and the remaining verses focuses on their receiving the priesthood.  Joseph recounted how they received the visit of John the Baptist: “A messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light, and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us, saying: Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins.”  After this Joseph baptized Oliver and then Oliver baptized Joseph.  One thing that has puzzled me in the past is the fact that after this, Joseph recorded, “I laid my hands upon his head and ordained him to the Aaronic Priesthood, and afterwards he laid his hands on me and ordained me to the same Priesthood—for so we were commanded” (v68-71).  So they were ordained to the priesthood by John the Baptist and then they turned around and ordained each other again to the priesthood.  It may be that John conferred the Aaronic Priesthood upon them generally (he used the word “confer”) and then Joseph and Oliver ordained each other to an office in the Aaronic Priesthood (i.e. priest).  That is how it is done today, though it is all performed in a single ordinance.  The other unique aspect of this event is that John laid his hands upon Joseph and Oliver at the same time and they were conferred the priesthood together.  Perhaps this was symbolic of the unity needed among all holders of the priesthood to prepare to make their “offering unto the Lord in righteousness” in the last days.

               One of the effects of their baptism and ordination to the priesthood was an outpouring of the Holy Ghost.  Joseph recorded, “Immediately on our coming up out of the water after we had been baptized, we experienced great and glorious blessings from our Heavenly Father. No sooner had I baptized Oliver Cowdery, than the Holy Ghost fell upon him, and he stood up and prophesied many things which should shortly come to pass. And again, so soon as I had been baptized by him, I also had the spirit of prophecy, when, standing up, I prophesied concerning the rise of this Church, and many other things connected with the Church, and this generation of the children of men. We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation.”  Though they had not yet received the Gift of the Holy Ghost, they were able to more freely receive the communication of the Spirit and prophecy concerning the things which would come to pass.  This increased receptivity to the Holy Ghost was further evidenced by their ability to understand the scriptures: “Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of” (v73-74).  I believe that there is a pattern in this for all of us, for as we participate in the ordinances of the gospel, our understanding and knowledge increase.  Joseph would later reveal that “this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:19-20).  Here priesthood and ordinances were connected with knowledge and the mysteries of God and His power.  As we participate in ordinances and receive the blessings that the priesthood offers to all the Saints, we too can grow in knowledge and power just as Oliver and Joseph did following the ordinances they received.  We can all hope to likewise receive “great and glorious blessings” and be “filled with the Holy Ghost” to “rejoice in the God of our salvation.”