Receiving the Aaronic Priesthood

To my son, 

                I want to write to you today about the Aaronic Priesthood. I am so excited for you to be able to receive the Aaronic Priesthood when you are 11. At that age you will be ordained a deacon and have the opportunity to serve the members of the ward by collecting fast offerings, passing the Sacrament, and doing other tasks to assist the Bishop. The Aaronic Priesthood was restored to the Prophet Joseph Smith on May 15, 1829 while Joseph and Oliver were in the process of translating the Book of Mormon. After they read about the Nephites being baptized, they went into the woods in Harmony, Pennsylvania to pray and ask God about baptism. Joseph recorded, “While we were thus employed, praying and calling upon the Lord, 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; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness” (JSH 1:68). This was John the Baptist, the same who baptized the Savior in the New Testament, and as a resurrected being he laid his hands on the heads of Joseph and Oliver and conferred upon them the Aaronic Priesthood. What an incredible experience this must have been! With this they had the authority to baptize and this priesthood has continued to be conferred upon others by the laying on of hands down to our day.

               Oliver Cowdery described this amazing experience in these words: “The Lord, who is rich in mercy, and ever willing to answer the consistent prayer of the humble, after we had called upon Him in a fervent manner, aside from the abodes of men, condescended to manifest to us His will. On a sudden, as from the midst of eternity, the voice of the Redeemer spake peace to us, while the veil was parted and the angel of God came down clothed with glory, and delivered the anxiously looked for message, and the keys of the Gospel of repentance. What joy! what wonder! what amazement!... what joy filled our hearts, and with what surprise we must have bowed, (for who would not have bowed the knee for such a blessing?) when we received under his hand the Holy Priesthood…. I shall not attempt to paint to you the feelings of this heart, nor the majestic beauty and glory which surrounded us on this occasion; but you will believe me when I say, that earth, nor men, with the eloquence of time, cannot begin to clothe language in as interesting and sublime a manner as this holy personage.” What is most wonderful is that you too will be able to receive this priesthood and be ordained just like Joseph and Oliver were that day. Their experience highlights how important the Aaronic Priesthood was then and still is, and I hope you will remember their story as you join the hundreds of thousands others who have likewise received this priesthood. I encourage you to continue to prepare to be ordained a deacon by studying your scriptures, praying, and partaking worthily of the Sacrament each week. As you do so the Lord will magnify you and help you to fulfill the important responsibilities of a deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood when that time comes.  

Love,

Dad